Connecting to Collections Survey Available
Vermont Connecting to Collections Project
June 17, 2008
Vermont Historical Society in partnership with the Vermont Museum and Gallery Alliance (VMGA), the Vermont Department of Libraries, the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation, and the Vermont State Archives has created the Vermont Connecting to Collections Project to assess the needs of collection-holding institutions around the state. Vermont has a wide variety of important cultural heritage collections including archives, vital records, books, photos, works of art, archaeological artifacts, and historic objects. This survey and accompanying documents were adapted from the Heritage Health Index survey carried out in 2004/2005. The Vermont Connecting to Collections Project is funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
As a recipient of this survey, you are in good company. People from historical societies, libraries, museums, town and city offices, and county courts will all be taking part in this important initiative. We hope you will participate in the Vermont Connecting to Collections Project in order to provide the most thorough analysis of Vermont’s cultural heritage collections.
- The results of the survey will be very useful in obtaining future funding for collections preservation.
- Using the information gathered, a report will be written describing collection-holding institutions’ most pressing needs, with recommendations about how to meet those needs.
- We will be able to make specific recommendations about how the citizens of Vermont can become more involved in collections preservation.
- These collections are our cultural heritage and they help define our identity as Vermonters – their conservation is vital.
Please complete the survey by July 31, 2008. Please review the instructions for filling out the survey that are included in the attachments to this e-mail. We encourage you to take the survey online by cutting and pasting this URL into your browser: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/?p=WEB227WSRYZ5DG.
If you prefer, you may complete the survey on paper. A hard copy version of the survey which may be downloaded and printed can be found at: http://vermonthistory.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=450&Itemid=262
You may also use the contact information below to request that a copy of the survey be sent to you. The final survey report will be available in the spring of 2009.
More helpful information is available in the FAQ available on the VHS website: http://vermonthistory.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=450&Itemid=262
For additional assistance, please contact Laura Brill or Emily Voss at the Vermont Historical Society by phone (802-479-8529) or email (emily.voss@state.vt.us, laura.brill@state.vt.us ).
In July, VHS will be sponsoring six meetings throughout Vermont which will serve as forums for the collections survey project. Each meeting will feature guest speakers from institutions that have undertaken major changes in caring for their collections. Information about dates, times and locations for these meetings will be sent to you soon. We hope you will attend the meeting nearest you.
We appreciate the gift of your time and information. Thank you for participating in this important project to document the needs and condition of Vermont’s collections.
Emily Voss and Laura Brill
Connecting to Collections Interns
The Vermont Historical Society
60 Washington Street
Barre, VT 05641
