Collecting institutions around Illinois care for tens of millions of objects which record the history, material cultural, and natural history of the state. These collections are housed in all types of buildings with a wide range of display and storage conditions and are at great risk of damage from improper storage, as well as natural disasters. In fact in 2008 an earthquake, several destructive tornadoes, and disastrous flooding struck
Illinois. These events threatened the important cultural and natural heritage collections throughout the state and highlighted how unprepared many institutions are to react in the face of such disasters. A group of preservation professionals from Illinois institutions came together in 2009 to begin to discuss the needs of the state and determine how institutions could combine resources to offer support and services to those in need.
This planning phase was made possible by a Connecting to Collections planning grant from the Institute of
Museum and Library Services and resulted in the formation in 2010 of the Illinois Collections Preservation
Network (ICPN).
The steering committee for the planning grant consisted of nineteen partners from twelve institutions across
Illinois representing museums, archives, and libraries. The partners on the grant were:
Dr. Bonnie Styles, Project Director, Director, Illinois State Museum, Springfield
Jennifer Hain Teper, Co-Project Director, Head of Conservation, University Library, and Christa Deacy-
Quinn, Collection Manager, Spurlock Museum, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
Anne Craig, Director, Illinois State Library, Springfield

Pat Norris, Karen Egan, Alyce Scott, Rosalie Pecoraro, Illinois State Library, Springfield
David Joens, Director, Illinois State Archives, Springfield
Patricia Miller, Director, Illinois Heritage Association, Champaign
Sharon Welton, Director, Campbell Center for Historic Preservation Studies, Mount Carroll
Kathryn Harris, Library Services Director, and Bonnie Parr, Conservator, Abraham Lincoln Presidential
Library and Museum, Springfield
Sherry Byrne, Preservation Librarian, University of Chicago
Dennis Danowski, Director, Macomb Public Library
Lesa Dowd, Conservator, Chicago Public Library
Kristan H. McKinsey, Vice President of Collections and Exhibitions, and Laura R. Gharst, Collections
Manager, Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences, Peoria
Julie Mosbo, Preservation Librarian, Morris Library, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
The partners spent one year reviewing the history of previous statewide preservation efforts, engaging cultural heritage professionals from across the state to determine their preservation needs, and developing a plan for future preservation efforts.
Historically, Illinois has been a leader in cooperative preservation programming. In 1980, Southern Illinois
University at Carbondale received a Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) grant, which supported the completion of an early preservation needs assessment for Illinois libraries, leading to the foundation of the
Office of Preservation at the Illinois State Library. The assessment also lead to the publication of a proposed five-year plan focused on education and training, cooperative selection for preservation, development of treatment facilities, cooperative disaster response, and development of adequate support for preservation throughout the state (The Preservation of Library and Archival Resources in Illinois).
Unfortunately, a statewide fiscal crisis resulted in the eventual closure of the Office of Preservation and since that time, no statewide or regional preservation service has existed. In 2005, a second statewide preservation needs survey was accomplished through a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTS) grant distributed by the Illinois
State Library. This project was significant because it included both library and other cultural institutions. The assessment found that there is a demand within the state for “training and basic published information” on a wide variety of preservation topics. (Clareson, Tom, Laurie Grimmell, and Amy Lytle, “Illinois Statewide
Preservation Survey Project: 2005 Preservation Planning Survey Report,” Planning and Education Unit,
OCLC Digital Collection Services, August 1, 2005).

Although isolated training is done through the Illinois Heritage Association, the Consortia of Academic and
Research Libraries (CARLI), and the State Archives, the office closure marked the end to a centralized plan or network to ensure the long-term preservation of the heritage collections, respond to emergencies, provide easy access to training and other resources, and coordinate the preservation efforts of libraries, archives, and museums across the state.
Illinois is fortunate to have two notable organizations to help meet preservation training needs: The Campbell
Center for Historic Preservation Studies and The Illinois Heritage Association. Both of these organizations have provided preservation related training to museum, library, and archive staff and therefore have a good understanding of the preservation needs. Fortunately for the ICPN, representatives from both of these organizations agreed to serve on the steering committee and their insights and experiences have helped guide the development of the Preservation Plan for Illinois.
Preservation administrators and professionals in the state recognized the lack of training, information, and basic awareness of preservation within the state’s cultural heritage community and responded by applying for the IMLS Connecting to Collections Planning Grant. The steering committee determined that the first task was to survey collecting institutions throughout the state to identify their needs. The survey was distributed electronically (and available by request in paper for those institutions not able or not comfortable with electronic submission). A total of 291 institutions from all regions of Illinois participated in this survey, including 12 archives, 141 libraries, 66 museums, 17 historical societies, 35 historic houses/sites, and 4 other collections-holding institutions. Respondents were from both small and large institutions and expressed a wide range of needs from increased staff dedicated to preservation to increased funding for physical improvements and a desire for more training opportunities. Perhaps the most striking fact was that although
78% of survey respondents stated the creation of a long-range preservation plan would be useful for their institution, nearly 60% of all survey respondents noted that their institution lacks such a plan. Similarly, 79% of all respondents felt that they would benefit from some type of emergency training, yet only 36% work at an institution that maintains a current disaster plan, and only 35% reported any experience with disaster training.

Respondents also expressed the need for assistance with collections assessments (72%), continuing education through collections care workshops (69%), and an online source for collections care information (57%). The results of the Illinois survey were compared to those captured in the first nationwide comprehensive survey of preservation needs, A Public Trust at Risk: The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of American’s
Collections (Heritage Preservation, 2005) . To view the complete results of this study, see the following link: http://www.heritagepreservation.org/hhi/. The results were quite similar and inspired the steering committee to develop a plan that could begin to safeguard the collections of Illinois.
To further explore the needs of the constituents, a series of four open meetings were held throughout the state.
The meetings focused on delving into one of four critical areas of preservation program development identified in the survey: Assessing Environmental Conditions and Collections Care; Disaster Planning and
Response; Building Public and Professional Awareness; and Facilitating Future Preservation Efforts. The meeting locations as well as the use of video conferencing through the Illinois State Library System were chosen to encompass the broadest possible participation. The dialogues at these meetings engaged staff from museums, archives, libraries, and historical societies and confirmed many of the results of the Illinois survey.
As a result of the survey and meetings, the Illinois Collections Preservation Plan was written and included among other things, the development of a network of interested professionals and volunteers who could share resources and participate in training together. The partners also defined the mission and goals of the ICPN.
Mission of the Illinois Collections Preservation Network
The mission of the Illinois Collections Preservation Network is to ensure the long-term preservation of museum, library, and archival collections in Illinois that document cultural and natural heritage for the education and enrichment of future generations.

Goals of the Illinois Collections Preservation Network
Increase awareness of the importance of collections for the preservation and interpretation of our cultural and natural heritage.
Provide and promote a broad program of education and training in preservation.
Initiate, encourage, and enhance preservation programs and activities in all Illinois collections holding institutions.
Create an infrastructure and network to facilitate and sustain cooperative and coordinated preservation efforts of the ICPN.
Facilitate intelligent collections planning to target high priority needs and safeguard collections and test the efficacy of the plans.
Facilitate access to current online information on collections care, planning, training, cooperative response for emergencies, and funding opportunities for collections-holding institutions.
In 2011 Illinois was one of only six states to receive the prestigious Connecting to Collections Implementation
Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The steering committee reconvened and although the players had changed slightly, the dedication to this project remained. The steering committee was eager to implement the preservation plan developed in the preceding year and begin to grow a network to further the preservation efforts throughout collecting institutions in Illinois. Using existing databases from agencies such as the Illinois State Library, the Illinois Association of Museums and the Illinois Heritage Association and collecting names from various other sources, a comprehensive database of collecting institutions around the state has been compiled. This list not only identifies potential members of the network, but also serves as a tool that may help in tourism outreach and emergency response in the event of disasters. Professionals at collecting institutions have been solicited to join the network via email and the member list continues to grow.
ICPN partners are also developing education and training programs, including workshops and webinars, to be launched in 2012 (see below for disaster response workshop information). The second year of the grant will see additional training opportunities including a fascinating hands-on exercise hosted by the Illinois Fire
Services Institute in book and artifact recovery after a fire.

The preservation needs survey conducted in 2009 indicated that needs of collecting institutions are vast and resources are limited. By joining the ICPN, members will have free access to information and support including trained preservation professionals willing to share advice. ICPN members will also have access to free training programs including five disaster preparedness and response workshops scheduled for spring and summer of 2012. A series of webinars are also being developed for member access on a range of topics based on the needs identified during the planning grant. The ICPN website is currently being built and will provide resources for preservation topics including available grants, class offerings throughout the area, disaster planning and response guidelines, and general collections care. Over time, the goal is for this website to become a dynamic resource and a forum for discussion within and outside the preservation community.
Additionally, ICPN members will be able to borrow a disaster response kit and an environmental monitoring kit. The disaster kit can be used by ICPN members for training staff and volunteers in disaster response. The environmental assessment kit can be used by members to monitor temperature, humidity and light levels throughout storage and display areas. This information can be used for collecting data prior to grant applications and/or prior to purchasing new HVAC equipment. The kits will be stored at the Illinois State
Museum Collections Center and are available free of charge (with shipping paid by borrower).
Another benefit to membership will be inclusion on a Google Earth Map which will identify location and characteristics of collecting institutions. This map will be shared with emergency management agencies and local community response teams to encourage them to include collections holding institutions in their comprehensive emergency management plans.
There is a great need in Illinois institutions for training related to preservation of cultural materials and there is also a great commitment among current administrators and preservation professionals in Illinois institutions to creating and sustaining a network of resources to be shared statewide. The current partners have demonstrated their commitment to the future of this project for the preservation of Illinois cultural material collections. We invite you to be part of this critical program.

Please contact Bronwyn Eves, ICPN Project Manager at beves@museum.state.il.us
or 217-524-0498.
Membership is FREE. You will be added to the member list and will be immediately eligible to participate in member events and to borrow the disaster and environmental monitoring kits.
The ICPN website is still under development, so check it often for preservation related information at http://icpn.museum.state.il.us/

FREE
2012

Both the Connecting to Collections planning grant and implementation grant were funded by the Institute of
Museum and Library Services