Preservation Assistance for the Margaret Mitchell Collection

FAIN: PG-50454-09

Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System (Atlanta, GA 30303-1089)
Richard Cruce (Project Director: May 2008 to June 2010)

The purchase of shelving and other storage equipment and supplies, environmental and light monitoring equipment, and a security camera; also, the provision of staff training in collections care for the Margaret Mitchell collection of 1,488 items that document her life and work, including 73 editions of 35 translations of "Gone with the Wind." These materials are frequently used for exhibitions and for research.

Margaret Mitchell loved the library, making it the best place to hold her personal collections. Her work documented Southern life during the Civil War. Much of her research was conducted at the Central Library making it the most appropriate place to house and display her personal books, photos, china, and other items. After an initial assessment of the Margaret Mitchell Collection by SOLINET Consultant, Kara McClurken, several preservation needs became immediately apparent. Chief among them were the needs for proper storage of photographs and other items. However, the Library System does not have funding for these additional purchases. If funded, this request will allow for the purchase of preservation supplies that will reduce deterioration of this historic collection, provide a baseline for future care, and will create more access for scholars, historians, and others who have an interest in this collection and in this era of the American South.