Surveying the Impact of COVID-19 on Cultural Collections in Western Tennessee

FAIN: ZPA-283588-22

University of Tennessee, Martin (Martin, TN 38238-0001)
Sam Richardson (Project Director: May 2021 to January 2024)
Conrad Pegues (Co Project Director: December 2021 to January 2024)
Erik Charles Nordberg (Co Project Director: February 2023 to January 2024)

The partial retention of two archival staff and three university staff consultants and the addition of five graduate student workers to create a survey of cultural heritage institutions in West Tennessee and create an online directory of cultural sites and research resources in the region. 

This project will survey cultural institutions in Tennessee’s West Grand Division, including an estimated 150-200 agencies across 21 counties located between the Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers to confirm each agency’s current status and create an institution-level summary of research collections, levels of existing staffing and budget, hours of operation, and preservation conditions for heritage materials. A resulting online directory of cultural institutions and research resources will be created and maintained by UT Martin. While the project is primarily intended to confirm, reveal and promote the availability of records stored in archives, museums, churches, and municipal offices, the survey will include artifact collections, historic sites, and interpretive programs. A workshop on basic preservation techniques and disaster preparedness will be repeated in three locations across the region and a concluding one-day conference will be share results of the project.