Providence Athenaeum: Sustaining Collections

FAIN: PF-255801-17

Providence Athenaeum (Providence, RI 02903-2709)
Matthew Burriesci (Project Director: December 2016 to present)

An interdisciplinary planning project to develop recommendations for improving the environmental conditions and physical safety of the Athenaeum’s collections of books and pamphlets, to include a thermal environment study and building-wide electrical mapping.

The Providence Athenaeum seeks to fund Stage One of a multi-phase, comprehensive assessment of our historic building's envelope and systems, especially as they relate to the preservation and conservation of our historic collections. Stage One will employ conservation experts, engineers, and electricians in close consultation with our experienced conservator and team leaders. We will conduct a thermal assessment of the building to inform improvements in the building envelope to enhance collection environments, further develop sustainable preventive conservation and practical climate control strategies, and map our antiquated and patchwork electrical system, fire detection and suppression system, and security system, in order to better assess known (but as yet unidentified) risks to our collection, and to improve the resilience of both our institution and our extensive collections.

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