Little Compton Historical Society Collection Preservation Project: Implementation Phase

FAIN: PG-50195-07

Little Compton Historical Society (Little Compton, RI 02837)
Helen S. Bridge (Project Director: May 2006 to January 2009)

Purchasing storage shelving and materials to rehouse collections that include library and archival materials, men's and women's clothing and rugs, books on 19th-century education, documents and photographs related to the Sakonnet Lighthouse, and maps and records of the community of Little Compton, Rhode Island.

This proposed project will put into action the recommendations of a collections assessment completed in 2002 by consulting conservator, Alexandra O'Donnell of ArtCare Resources. This request will provide badly needed preservation supplies, shelving, and archival storage supplies to preserve and properly store thousands of at-risk items in our collection in accordance with that assessment. In 2002, the historical society finished construction of a new archival storage facility. Much preservation work has been done on the collection since then, including quilt preservation funded by a NEH PAG grant in 2002. However, our collection includes over 10,000 items and often our volunteers are forced to halt their work because of a lack of both supplies and funds to purchase them. Our professionally trained volunteers are determined to implement the recommended work on the collection by December 2007, and will recruit and train six new volunteers with the help of a consultant.