Emergency Preparedness Preservation Supplies for Collections of the Maxwell Museum of Anthropology

FAIN: PG-271689-20

University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM 87106-3837)
Lauren Elizabeth Fuka (Project Director: January 2020 to January 2023)

The purchase of preservation supplies for the development of emergency preparedness carts for the museum, which cares for archaeological, ethnographic, and osteological collections, as well as archives documenting cultures of the American Southwest. The purchase of emergency supplies follows recommendations from recent assessments and would enable museum staff to respond to fires, leaks, and other incidents, and to protect the collections from damage.

This proposal requests support to acquire preservation supplies to assist with emergency preparedness, which will enable museum staff to respond to leaks, floods, and other incidents quickly, and to protect the valuable collections and records from damage. For the Maxwell Museum, water has been a long-term issue throughout most of the below-ground collection storage areas. In the event of a museum emergency staff need to be able to respond rapidly if collections are threatened. The Maxwell Museum curates irreplaceable archaeological, ethnographic, osteological, and archival collections that constitute a critical resource for humanities scholarship on the indigenous people of the American Southwest. Our collections support teaching, research, and public engagement on the global human story from 2 million years ago until the present. Here, we request funding to purchase materials that will improve our ability to preserve and protect these collections in the event of an emergency.