Preservation Needs Assessment Project

FAIN: PG-50343-08

Benton County Museum and Historical Society (Prosser, WA 99350-0950)
Dick Sampson (Project Director: May 2007 to June 2009)

Hiring a consultant to conduct a preservation assessment of the museum's collections of antique radios, photographs, textiles, and library materials related to the history and culture of Benton County, Washington.

The Benton County Museum and Historical Society, located in rural southeastern Washington state, is asking for Preservation Assistance Grant funding to hire a consultant who will perform a preservation needs assessment of our collections. The consultant will complete a two-day onsite assessment, prepare a written assessment and preservation plan for the museum, and present her findings to the museum's board of trustees and staff. Our agency has never had a preservation assessment. The plan will be implemented through a series of board-led workshops with staff and volunteers. The plan, along with preservation techniques and practices learned, will be shared with no less than two nearby rural museums as well.