General Preservation Assessment of Local History Collections

FAIN: PA-51554-06

Decatur Public Library (Decatur, IL 62523)
Scott Pointon (Project Director: May 2005 to November 2006)

A general preservation assessment of local, genealogical, book, and photographic collections related to the history of Decatur, Illinois, from the 19th through the 20th century.

With the proposed Preservation Assistance Grant, the Decatur Public Library will contract with The Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts for conservator Mary Schobert to conduct a general preservation assessment of the library’s local history collections. The assessment will focus on two main objectives: 1) Assessing the conservation treatment needs of selected items in the local history collections; and 2) Developing recommendations for physical building improvements, climate controls, lighting, floor plan, and equipment for relocating the local history room from its current 2,000 square foot space into a 19,700 square foot local history/museum space (currently unfinished space within the Decatur Public Library building).