Program

Preservation and Access: Preservation Assistance Grants

Period of Performance

1/1/2007 - 6/30/2008

Funding Totals

$4,850.00 (approved)
$4,850.00 (awarded)


Preservation Assessment of the Rare Books and New Jersey Documents Collections

FAIN: PG-50159-07

New Jersey State Library (Trenton, NJ 08608-1001)
Deborah Mercer (Project Director: May 2006 to August 2008)

A preservation assessment of some 4,000 books and 4,000 linear feet of broadsides, maps, atlases, newspapers, and other materials related to New Jersey history, politics, and law from the mid-17th century to the early 1900s.

The New Jersey State Library would engage a conservator to conduct a general preservation assessment of two rare books collections. The evaluation will consist of a one-day site visit and a written report that identifies preservation priorities for the Rare Books and New Jersey Documents collections. The Rare Books Collection contains approximately 4,000 books, broadsides, newspapers, and maps that date from the 17th century to the early 20th century. A signficant portion of items document New Jersey's role in American history; jurisprudence is also prevalent. Topics of national scope include slavery, immigration, and arts and architecture. New Jersey Documents are 4,000 linear feet of offical publications produced by state government that include monographs, public hearings, annual reports, and periodicals dating from the early 19th century. The collections are used by historians and researchers worldwide.