Port Washington Public Library General Assessment of Historic Collections

FAIN: PG-50838-10

Port Washington Public Library (Port Washington, NY 11050)
Elly V. Shodell (Project Director: May 2009 to September 2011)

A general preservation assessment leading to the development of a long-range plan for the care of the local history materials comprising 84 manuscript collections, 30,000 photographic prints, 25,000 negatives, 2,500 slides, 400 audiotapes, 100 books, and a group of audiovisual items and artifacts; the purchase of preservation supplies; and staff training in preservation.

The Port Washington Public Library is seeking funding in the amount of $6000 for an archival consultant to conduct a general preservation assessment of our historic collections and help draft a long-range plan for their care. At the same time, we request funding for supplies and participation of library staff in distance learning classes about preservation topics relevant to our needs. The assessment will identify problems in our collections and result in a written report that includes a prioritized action plan for the future based on observations of our current practices, and recommendations for action. Our collections are used by scholars, students, teachers, the media, professionals and the public. Individual items include rare and fragile documents that have survived over the years. They shed light on societal transformations since the 1600s involving early settlement on Long Island, immigration, commercial development, maritime history, and land use patterns.