Cornell College Archives Post-Derecho Preservation Equipment and Supplies

FAIN: PG-287874-22

Cornell College (Mount Vernon, IA 52314-1098)
Megan Yamanishi (Project Director: January 2022 to January 2026)

The purchase of environmental monitoring equipment, water sensors, storage equipment and furniture, and preservation supplies and enclosures.

In 2021, the Cornell Archives was awarded an NEH Preservation Assistance Grant for a preservation assessment of the physical collection and a survey of digital needs. The impetus for that grant application was the derecho of 2020, a federally declared disaster which damaged every building on campus, including the library. Based on the consultant’s recommendations, this round of funding will support physical preservation with environmental monitoring equipment; flooding sensors to forestall water infiltration such as the Archives suffered in 2020; storage shelving and equipment for currently unhoused artwork, glass negatives, and other materials; and various preservation supplies. This funding will complement other initiatives resulting from this consultation including policy updates and the pursuit of other funding opportunities. Following completion of this phase of the project, Cornell will seek future funding for training and equipment related to digital preservation.