Collections Needs Assessment of Humanities Collections in the Anthropology Department

FAIN: PG-52264-14

Western Washington University (Bellingham, WA 98225-5996)
Sarah Campbell (Project Director: May 2013 to November 2015)

A preservation assessment of a collection of archaeological materials from Washington State. They include extensive artifact and faunal remains from 83 prehistoric sites in northwest Washington, along with accompanying field records and related reference works and archival materials. The museum also houses a small collection of early Korean ceramics.

Since the 1920s, the archaeology program at WWU has been creating significant humanities collections through scientific excavation during instructional field schools, research projects and travel by graduate students & faculty members, & contract projects for government agencies. Facilities on & off campus house over 1,050 cubic feet of artifacts, soil samples, faunal & botanical remains, & over 45 linear feet of field records. In the past, faculty informally managed the collections. From 2011 to 2013, hired staff documented & organized the collections. As documentation & organization of the collections nears completion, the program must determine what needs to be done to preserve these irreplaceable cultural resources for education & research. The program, through the Anthropology Department, requests grant support of $5,750 to hire a museum consultant for a collections needs assessment to evaluate strengths & weaknesses of the program's humanities collections repository.