INFORMATION PACKAGES

Museum Links

General Resources

Virtual Library Museums Pages (VLmp): A Distributed Directory of On-line Museums
A directory of museums throughout the world, this site groups museums by country and then lists them in alphabetical order. Museums in the United States are searchable by name, type, or state. All links are in English unless otherwise stated.
URL: http://icom.museum/vlmp/

MuseumSpot
With this directory, "quickly and easily locate museums by city, state, country, name and topic; explore museums by type, search for exhibits by artist, access educational and industry resources, and much more."
URL: http://www.museumspot.com/

American Association of Museums (AAM)
The official website of the AAM represents the museum community, promoting awareness and excellence in its efforts to serve the public. Resources include professional education standards; a museum code of ethics; programs such as accreditation, peer review, and government affairs; and an online bookstore and marketplace.
URL: http://www.aam-us.org/

Archnet
Virtual Library of Archaeology
URL: http://archnet.asu.edu/

Archaeological Institute of America
The Archaeological Institute of America (AIA) is North America's oldest and largest organization devoted to the world of archaeology with more than 8,500 members belonging to 104 AIA societies in the United States, Canada, and overseas, united by a shared passion for archaeology and its role in furthering human knowledge.
URL: http://www.archaeological.org/

Museum Resources (Best of the Web Collection)
URL: http://botw.org/top/Reference/Museums/Museum_Resources/

Conservation and Preservation

A New Lease on Life: Museum Conservation in the National Park Service
Describes the main steps in conservation treatment: examination, stabilization, research, and restoration. Four illustrated case studies are presented to describe the steps, including an Abraham Lincoln letter, a Canyon de Chelly archaeological textile, a Saint-Gaudens plaster bust, and President and Mrs. Johnson's clothing. Includes a glossary and suggestions and links for evaluating and caring for family heirlooms. From the National Park Service.
URL: http://www.cr.nps.gov/museum/exhibits/conservation/

Conservation and Art Material Encyclopedia Online (CAMEO)
"CAMEO contains chemical, physical, visual, and analytical information on over 10,000 historic and contemporary materials used in the conservation, preservation, and production of artistic, architectural, and archaeological materials." Browsable by material name; searchable by material name and other characteristics (such as density or melting point). Some entries contain images and authority files. Site also includes a searchable conservation organization directory. From the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
URL: http://www.mfa.org/cameo/

American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC)
The AIC is the "national membership organization of conservation professionals dedicated to preserving the art and historic artifacts of our cultural heritage for future generations." The site lists conservation specialties, gives instructions on how to care for different types of materials, and offers tips for disaster recovery. The sections about becoming a conservator and selecting a conservator are especially in depth. There are helpful links to some museum, preservation, and disaster recovery Web sites.
URL: http://aic.stanford.edu/

Preservation Leaflets
Collection of leaflets on preservation issues relevant to museums, libraries, archives, historical organizations, and individuals. Leaflets "cover a range of topics from the storage environment to care of photographs to planning and prioritizing for preservation." Leaflets are organized by subject including planning, emergency management, reformatting, and conservation procedures. From the Northeast Document Conservation Center.
URL: http://www.nedcc.org/resources/leaflets.list.php

A Public Trust at Risk: The Heritage Health Index Report on the State of America's Collections
The report from a survey in December 2005 that concluded "immediate action is needed to prevent the loss of millions of irreplaceable artifacts" in libraries and museums. Areas of concern included permanent damage to items, lack of emergency planning, and conservation staffing. Also includes links to related information. From the Heritage Preservation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
URL: http://www.heritagepreservation.org/HHI/

Regional Alliance for Preservation
The Alliance is a national network of preservation and conservation organizations dedicated to saving materials in cultural institutions. It's a great place for information, with a newsletter archived to 1997 and a Starter Kit for Collections Managers - a directory of sites with information on emergency preparedness and specific materials (e.g., books, ceramics, silver, paintings, paper, photographs, textiles, digital images). Some documents require Adobe Acrobat Reader.
URL: http://www.rap-arcc.org/

Before and After Disasters: Federal Funding for Cultural Institutions
This PDF document from September 2005 "is designed to help archives, arts centers, libraries, museums, historical societies, and historic sites find resources" for "developing disaster plans, providing staff training, and protecting their collections." The report "includes ... information for 15 federal grant and loan programs and covers sources of federal assistance for preparedness, mitigation, and response, ... [and] recovery." Also provides information about sample projects. From the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA).
URL: http://www.arts.gov/pub/DisasterRecovery.pdf

A Primer on Disaster Preparedness, Management and Response: Paper-Based Materials
This "handbook presents guidelines for general facilities preparation and response to a variety of events both natural (storms, floods) and man-made (hazardous material accidents)" for preserving "books, documents, and other paper-based materials." Includes recommendations for cleaning and drying flood-damaged materials, dealing with mold and mildew, and related topics. From the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
URL: http://www.archives.gov/preservation/emergency-prep/disaster-prep-primer.html

The Library of Congress: Preservation
Information about the preservation of books and other media, from the Library of Congress (LC). The section "Caring for Your Collections" offers advice for laypersons "on the care of books, photos, videos, and other media." Also find technical information for librarians and archivists, advice for locating conservators and appraisers, a FAQ, and schedules for live chats with LC preservation staff. Some material available in Spanish.
URL: http://www.loc.gov/preserv/

Conservator's Studio
This presentation explores four paintings by Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera "through the eyes of a conservator." It explains what conservators do and how they do it. Click on the toolbox to explore terms and tools used by conservators, including raking light, pentimento, transmitted light, reverse view, infrared light, and medium. From the Seattle Art Museum's Mexican Modernism exhibition, showcasing the work of conservators from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
URL: http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/exhibit/interactives/mexicanModernism/enter.asp#

Other

Best of the web Museums
URL: http://botw.org/top/Reference/Museums/Museum_Resources/

Content is copyright Librarians' Internet Index.

Last updated May 21, 2008.