STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS—Treasured objects and artifacts housed at the W. K. Gordon Center for Industrial History of Texas will be preserved for future generations with help from the “IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf,” a core set of conservation books, DVDs and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

IMLS and its partner, the American Association for State and Local History are awarding 2,000 free sets of the IMLS Bookshelf.
“This is an important contribution to the efforts of the museum to preserve records and artifacts of the Texas industrial past,” said Dr. T. Lindsay Baker, director of the Gordon Center in Thurber.

The Gordon Center is among the first to receive this essential set of resources based on an application describing the needs and plans for care of its collections.

The IMLS Bookshelf focuses on collections typically found in art or history museums and in libraries’ special collections. It addresses such topics as the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness and culturally specific conservation issues. These materials will add to the resources available to Tarleton State University students working toward a master’s in public history.

The IMLS Bookshelf is a crucial component of Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, a conservation initiative that the IMLS launched in 2006. The institute began the initiative in response to a 2005 study by Heritage Preservation documenting the dire state of the nation’s collections. The multi-faceted, multi-year initiative spotlights the needs of America’s collections, especially those held by smaller institutions, which often lack the human and financial resources necessary to adequately care for their collections.

IMLS is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 122,000 libraries and 17,500 museums. The institute’s mission is to create strong libraries and museums that connect people to information and ideas. The institute works at the national level and in coordination with state and local organizations to sustain heritage, culture and knowledge; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development.

To learn more about MLS, visit www.imls.gov or call (202) 653-4632.

Exhibits at the Gordon Center are open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and closed on Monday. The museum is located is located in Thurber about halfway between Fort Worth and Abilene at exit 367 on Interstate 20. For more information, visit www.tarleton.edu/~gordoncenter or call (254) 968-1886.