NATIONAL WATCH AND CLOCK MUSEUM – LANCASTER COUNTY‘S SOLE RECIPIENT OF NATIONAL AWARD
COLUMBIA, PA: The National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia has been selected to receive the coveted Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Connecting to Collections Bookshelf. The Museum, the only recipient in Lancaster County, was awarded this essential set of resources based on the needs and plans for care of its collections. The contents of the bookshelf selected by a blue-ribbon panel of conservation experts include an essential set of books, online resources, and a user’s guide that can profoundly affect the ability of small libraries and museums to care for their collections.
“The addition of the Connecting with Collections Bookshelf to the National Watch & Clock Museum’s resources will help ensure that the thousands of objects and archival material in our collection are properly cared for,” stated Museum Director Noel Poirier. “We take our responsibility to preserve these items very seriously.”
The IMLS Bookshelf focuses on collections typically found in art or history museums and in libraries’ special collections, with an added selection of texts for living collections. Topics include the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness, and culturally specific conservation issues. Among the publications selected were The National Trust Manual of Housekeeping (published by the British National Trust in 2005), the Field Guide to Emergency Response (published by Heritage Preservation in 2006), and Essentials of Conservation Biology (published by Primack in 2006).
“We are very pleased to announce the recipients of the IMLS Bookshelf in the second round of competition. These libraries, museums, and archives are in the forefront of our call to action on behalf of America’s collections,” said Anne-Imelda Radice, director of IMLS. “According to a recent national survey, our important collections are at great risk, and without them, the American story simply cannot be told to future generations.”
The IMLS Bookshelf is a crucial component of Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, a conservation initiative that the Institute launched in 2006. IMLS began the initiative in response to a 2005 study by Heritage Preservation documenting the dire state of the nation’s collections. The multi-faceted, multi-year initiative shines a nationwide spotlight on the needs of America’s collections, especially those held by smaller institutions, which often lack the human and financial resources necessary to adequately care for their collections. For more information on the conservation initiative, please go to www.imls.gov/collections
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.
The National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors (NAWCC, Inc.) is a nonprofit, 501(C)(3) organization with approximately 23,000 members, representing 55 countries. NAWCC operates the School of Horology, an accredited institution offering instruction and skills verification in watch and clock repair and restoration, the National Watch and Clock Museum, which houses a collection of over 12,000 timekeeping artifacts, and a Library and Research Center with over 5,000 cataloged references. To learn more about the NAWCC and affiliated organizations, visit www.nawcc.org.
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