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Contact: Rolf Snyder
Office: 913-642-5134
Cell: 913-244-4782

RUTH McSWEEN INVITED TO THE NATIONAL CONSERVATION SUMMIT IN WASHINGTON DC

"Connecting to Collections" to focus on saving museum, library collections

(May 15, 2007 - Fort Pierce, FL). Ruth McSween, Curator, Navy UDT-SEAL Museum has been invited to participate in Connecting to Collections:The National Conservation Summit to be held June 27-28, 2007 in Washington, DC. Only four representatives, two from museums and two from libraries, from each state and the District of Columbia have been selected to attend this invitation-only national conference sponsored by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The event will underscore the risks that endanger America's books, works of art, documents, and other treasures and promote solutions for saving them.

"Those who have been selected to attend the summit have a strong commitment to conservation and are among the best people in the country to spearhead a national conservation initiative," said IMLS Director Anne-Imelda Radice, Ph.D. "After the summit, we hope that the conversation about saving invaluable collections will continue in communities across the U.S."

Participants in the meeting represent small and medium-sized museums, libraries, and historic organizations with a proven dedication and commitment to conservation. They will be joined at the meeting by national leaders in conservation, government officials, and leaders in private sector support for conservation.

The Navy UDT-SEAL Museum is the only museum dedicated to preserving the history of the Navy SEALs and their predecessors, including the Underwater Demolition Teams, Naval Combat Demolition Units, Office of Strategic Services Maritime Units, and Amphibious Scouts and Raiders. Located in Fort Pierce, Florida - the birthplace of the Navy Frogman - the Museum promotes public education by providing the opportunity to explore the history of the Navy SEALs in an atmosphere of respect and honor.

Heritage Preservation, the national organization devoted to preserving America's heritage, is cooperating with IMLS to organize the summit. Heritage Preservation's 2005 report, A Public Trust at Risk: the Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America's Collections,revealed that there are 4.8 billion artifacts held in this country's archives, libraries, museums, and historical societies, many of these in small to medium sized towns and cities. The report said that 26 percent of collecting institutions have no controls by which to protect their valuable artifacts from temperature, humidity, and light; 59 percent have had their collections damaged by light and 53 percent have had damage by moisture. In addition the report showed that 65 percent of the country's collecting institutions have experienced damage due to improper storage.

The conservation summit will also be supported by a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation and by the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities. The summit is being co-hosted by the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

About the Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The Institute's mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The Institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture, and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

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If you would like more information about this topic please contact Rolf Snyder at 913-642-5134 or per email at Rolfs00@web.de.