Applicant Name: Gabrielle Liese Research Library at The Bead Museum
Project Title: Gabrielle Liese Research Library Assessment and Supplies
Project Narrative
A. What activity (or activities) would the grant support?
The Gabrielle Liese Research Library at the Bead Museum proposes to purchase basic
conservation supplies and storage furniture as indicated in a previous, museum wide preservation
assessment, as well as hire a consultant to conduct a preservation assessment specifically for the
library and archive. A previous assessment was for the museum at large and did not focus in any
great detail on the library and archive collections. Several basic assessments were made
regarding the library, such as suggestions that the shelving units be replaced due to buckling and
deterioration. The purchase of shelving units, basic archival quality boxes and folders for several
boxes of in-process collections will achieve a basic preservation baseline, which can then be
further evaluated.
The Museum will then have a consultant assess the collection through several site visits. The
goal of this assessment is to establish what needs to be done to further preserve the collection.
The assessment will identify environmental and building factors, storage issues, and preservation
issues with the objects themselves. In addition, it is hoped that as part of the survey, the
consultant will give basic guidelines that can be incorporated into library policies and
procedures, which are largely unwritten at this stage. In particular, an emergency plan, general
preservation plan, and aspects of the archival access plan will be written or rewritten to better
facilitate preservation.
The assessment will include the two collections housed within the library. The library is in a
room within the museum, and is approximately 400 square feet. All environmental and building
controls are tied into the exhibit area of the museum. The entire library collection focuses on the
humanities, largely in areas of history, art history, and anthropology. The library collection is
comprised of several media types, with roughly 5,000 objects total. There are roughly 2,500
books in a variety of subject areas. There is a collection of pamphlets, and a large periodical
collection. The pamphlet collection includes several full runs of different art and history
periodicals, and is comprised of roughly 2,000 volumes.
The Peter Francis Jr. Archive is also housed within the library. The archive was sent out for
processing, and is contained in 60 boxes. The collection includes paper materials, audio/visual
materials, photographs, photographic negatives, and slides. There are also several boxes of the
archive which have not been processed, due to the fact that they were separated from the
collection at some point. They are currently in process within the library space. It is necessary to
keep the archive collection separate from the library collection under the terms of the gift, and it
is hoped that the assessment will help provide guidelines for proper storage that help delineate
between the two collections more strictly than is currently the case.
B. What are the content and size of the humanities collections that are the focus of the project?
The humanities collections at the Bead Museum Library are divided into two sections: the
research library and the Peter Francis Jr. archive. The research library contains roughly 5,000
volumes, all of which cover various aspects of the humanities. The primary focus of the
humanities collection lies in the disciplines of art, art history, history, the religious significance
Applicant Name: Gabrielle Liese Research Library at The Bead Museum
Project Title: Gabrielle Liese Research Library Assessment and Supplies
of beads in a wide variety of cultures, as well as anthropology. The study of beads does not fall
within any one category; rather, it relies on the many disciplines that fall within the humanities.
Therefore, the library collects within all disciplines of the humanities.
The library collection is comprised primarily of the personal libraries of Gabrielle Liese and
Peter Francis Jr. These collections were compiled as personal research libraries for Liese and
Francis, who are the two preeminent researchers in the bead field. The library collection is
entirely paper based, and can be divided into three categories: books, pamphlets, and periodical.
The book collection spans the disciplines of the humanities, with a particular focus on the bead
as art object, which includes art, art history, and religious studies. The book collection is in
multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Italian, German, Chinese, and Arabic. Many of
the books are in good condition; however, there also rare, fragile, and damaged books within the
collection. These books were shipped from several different locations, including Ghana,
Northern Arizona, and Upstate New York. The storage and shipping conditions were not ideal,
and there is some damage as a result. Additionally, the current shelving units are bowing and
breaking from the weight of the books causing further damage. The pamphlet collection has been
integrated into the larger book collection, and the pamphlets are stored in folders interfiled with
the books.
The periodical collection is stored in a second room within the library space and is not
immediately accessible. The periodicals include academic journals as well as art magazines,
history and anthropology magazines and journals, and art auction catalogs. The periodicals are
used primarily for their identifications and illustrations of different jewelry pieces as well as
larger beaded objects. The collection is most notable for the fact that it contains several full runs
of journals and magazines. These periodicals are more susceptible to changes in environment and
storage, and are showing a great deal of shelf and use wear.
The second collection is the Peter Francis Jr. archive. The archive is comprised of 68 boxes of
materials. The materials are primarily paper based, although there is a sizable portion of the
collection that is comprised of magnetic tapes (audio cassette and video), photographs, negatives,
drawings and slides. The main humanities focus in this collection lies in several of the series: the
personal notes that Francis made of individual types of beads and their context within the culture
they are from, the research files that Francis kept on history, and the photographs and drawings
of individual beads, beaded art objects, art and anthropological objects which are related to
beads.
The collection was considered complete; however, 5 boxes that should have been included were
recently discovered in the collections vault. These materials must now be processed, preserved,
and incorporated into the larger collection. They include further notes on beads as art and
anthropological objects, drawings of beads, photographs of historically important beads and
cultural objects, books and works of research on the subject. The archive also includes the
entirety of The Center for Bead Research, Peter Francis's organization. One of the conditions of
the archive being deposited with the museum was that The Center for Bead Research and the
Peter Francis Collection be separate entities housed at the museum, rather than being "folded
into" the collection at large. The Center for Bead Research collection is kept within the Peter
Francis Collection, and includes newsletters, academic studies, information on professional
Applicant Name: Gabrielle Liese Research Library at The Bead Museum
Project Title: Gabrielle Liese Research Library Assessment and Supplies
conferences, and a large collection of "bead cards". Bead cards can be commercially produced or
put together by a bead collector. They are small cards which have bead strings attached to them
with information on the origin, history, and significance of the beads. These beads can be made
of a variety of materials include glass, wood, bone, stone, plastics, and naturally occurring
materials such as pearls or minerals. These cards help provide tangible representations of the
objects discussed in the Francis papers and the library collection. It has not been decided if they
will remain within the archive or if they will be moved to a separate storage area within the
collections vault. It is hoped that the assessment will help provide insight into the best way to
store these objects.
C. How are these humanities collections used?
The humanities collections are used primarily by academic researchers, both locally and
internationally. The Gabrielle Liese Research Library is the only facility of its type in the world,
and is thus considered the primary source for anyone who is researching beads as art objects,
religious objects, anthropological objects, or beading techniques from various cultures. These
researchers come from a variety of backgrounds, including archaeology, anthropology, and
history. Research requests come in via email as well as in person. The nature of this research is
usually academic; it can range from thesis research to background research for coursework and
education programs. Most recently, a researcher from the University of Liverpool traveled to the
library and museum to research a doctoral thesis on the 1st Century AD Trans Saharan Bead
Trade in Western Africa. Other research uses include bead identification for regional bead
societies, identification of traditional beading techniques, inquiries into the work of Peter Francis
Jr.
The library is also the primary research facility for the museum collections staff. Much of the
research that was done for the permanent collection was done with the library collection before it
had been officially established. The museum also has several rotating exhibits a year. The
collections staff pulls information from the library both for background and to put together
exhibit cards and accompanying education programs. There is also a rotating exhibit focusing on
the work of Peter Francis that is comprised of items from the archive and library collection.
D. What is the nature and mission of your institution?
The mission of the Bead Museum is "to foster the appreciation and understanding of the global
historical, cultural, and artistic significance of beads and related artifacts." The museum was
founded by Gabrielle Liese in 1984 to house an international bead collection of 100,000+ beads
and bead related objects. The study of beads is a multi disciplinary field involving history,
anthropology, art history, the humanities, and archaeology. The museum blends these disciplines
in its permanent and rotating exhibits to help visitors understand the significance of beads.
Because the field is largely seen as a "hobby craft" the museum helps with education programs
that focus on the history and cultural significance of beads and beaded objects, as well as how
these objects may be fashioned.
The library was established several years ago as a research facility for those looking for more
information on beads, their history, and their art, religious, and anthropological significance.
Applicant Name: Gabrielle Liese Research Library at The Bead Museum
Project Title: Gabrielle Liese Research Library Assessment and Supplies
Much of the collection is unique or rare, and is difficult to find at academic or public libraries.
The mission of the library is to collect works which support the mission of the museum. This has
led the library to collection across disciplines to provide a full context for the history and
significance of beads. The Peter Francis Jr. archive was given to the museum following his death
in 2002 to ensure that there would be continued access to his work and notes, which provide a
more detailed academic position than is represented in the collection at large.
The institution has a small full time staff of 8, none of which are employed in the library. The
library is staffed by a rotating crew of volunteers, and there is usually one intern. The library is
open by appointment for research; however, if there is a volunteer available the library is open to
all visitors of the museum. Research questions sent to the library are answered by volunteers as
well as the collections manager, as it is not uncommon to pull information from the library,
archive, and collections themselves.
E. Has your institution ever had a preservation or conservation assessment?
The Bead Museum has had a preservation assessment, but this assessment did not include the
archive/manuscript collection, and did not address the library in specifics.
F. What is the importance of this project to the institution?
This project comes at a critical time for the library and the museum. In early 2009, the museum
was threatened with closure due to the worsening economic situation. It was necessary to cut
down on expenses and to direct all money to basic operating expenses and fundraising. When
faced with the possible necessity of packing up the museum and library collections, it was
noticed that there was very little that had been done with the library and archive collections. This
became an area of concern because although the museum will be staying open, the collection
could be threatened and the staff would be unaware. Because the library is utterly unique in the
world, it is necessary to evaluate the preservation needs of the collection and establish
preservation policies. Since the museum has avoided closure, this focus on preservation must
become a focus. Although the library does not plan to expand in the near future, there is a
possibility that the beginnings of the Gabrielle Liese manuscript collection will be given to the
library in the next several years. It will be necessary to have preservation plans already in place
because this will be a large, incredibly important collection for the library and museum. The
purchase of basic, high quality storage units for the library will also help in the preservation of
the library collection.
G. What are the names and qualifications of the consultant(s) and staff involved in the project?
(consultant)
Tom Fitsimones, volunteer Librarian, will be the project director. Mr. Fitsimones has a Master's
in Library Science and has been working in the library for 5 months. Mr. Fitsimones will be
assisted by the rotating volunteer staff, who have all spent some time working in the library and
have been trained in basic library policies.
Kelly Norton, Executive Director of the Bead Museum, will administer the grant.
Applicant Name: Gabrielle Liese Research Library at The Bead Museum
Project Title: Gabrielle Liese Research Library Assessment and Supplies
H. What are the plan of work and timetable for the project?
It is anticipated that the project will take 6-8 months.
January 2010: Upon receipt of the grant, the project director will contact the consultant to
arrange for the on-site assessment visits.
February 2010: In conjunction with the consultant and the previous museum assessment, the
project director will purchase basic storage equipment for the library. This will likely coincide
with the first on site assessment visit