Archival Supplies needed by flood victims

[StephGaub]

As you know many of our members have been devastated by the floods and are in the process of recovery. If you can donate any archival care materials I would encourage you to do so. Following are some items that have been suggested - please augment this list with items you are aware of that are used daily in the care and storage of collections. If you wish to purchase supplies from Gaylord Archival to be shipped directly to the collection points noted below, please be sure to use discount code #5048 to receive a 15% discount.



rolls of Melinex

archival acid-free lignin free boxes

rolls of unbuffered acid-free tissue

acid-free magazine holders

archival pens

acid-free boxes in any size for textiles, papers, artifacts

Envelopes and sleeves

folders

archival cleaners


Mail and delivery services as well as e-mail, telephone and cell phone communication, are spotty in some areas at this time. For that reason we have decided to concentrate delivery of supplies to two main areas at this time. More will probably be added as we are able to determine where the need for help exists.

The collection point in NE Iowa will be the Cedar Falls Historical Society, 308 West Third Street , Cedar Falls , Iowa 50613 .

The collection point in Central Iowa will be Brucemore, 2160 Linden Drive SE , Cedar Rapids , IA 52403 .

Please ship all supplies via FedEx or UPS. In each box, please include your name, contact information and a complete list of supplies you are sending.

Area museums will be asked to send a representative to the two collection points to pick up supplies that will aid their recovery efforts. Donated supplies will be available to any museum or cultural organization that needs them.

If you would like to donate money, a fund has been established by the Iowa Museum Association which will be distributed to those affected. Funds may be sent to IMA at the address below.

If you would like to donate your time and talents, you will need to contact the individual museums and see if it is safe for you to travel to that area and how you can best assist.

[StephGaub]

The Association of Midwest Museums (AMM) has established a Flood Relief Fund to assist museums in the Midwest affected by the damaging floods. You can help by making a tax-deductible donation to the Association of Midwest Museums – Flood Relief Fund. It appears the most significant damage to museums has occurred in Iowa, particularly those located in communities in the path of the Cedar River flooding, most notably Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City. Initially, we intend to target donations to help affected museums in Iowa; however, several state, regional and national organizations are working together to assess the damages to museums in other states, including Wisconsin, Illinois, and Missouri.



Museums and relief organizations are still trying to assess the damage, but it is clear that the extent of the damages is significant in various parts of the Midwest. While affected museums are struggling to salvage their collections and archives, they must also contend with a disruption of operating revenue due to closure. These museums will need assistance to help with the clean up, conservation of their collections, and administrative support.



The AMM Flood Relief Fund is being launched with $1,000 donated by individual members of the AMM Board of Directors. Additional support from the museum community is needed and encouraged! AMM will coordinate with the American Association of Museums and other national organizations to publicize this initiative and help raise funds.



AMM will work with the Iowa Museum Association to distribute funds where the need is greatest for affected museums in the state of Iowa. AMM will also work with other state museum associations in the region, such as the Wisconsin Federation of Museums and Illinois Association of Museums to identify museums impacted by the flood that are in need of assistance and target funds where the need is greatest.



If you would like to contribute to the AMM Flood Relief Fund, please send a check (made payable to AMM) by August 31, 2008 to: AMM, PO Box 11950, St. Louis, MO 63112 or visit the AMM web site at http://www.midwestmuseums.org. If you have any questions, contact Brian Bray, AMM Executive Director, at 314-746-4557.