Kentucky Historical Society
KHS Receives Grant from IMLS

FRANKFORT, KY (March 20, 2009)— Thanks to a grant from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS),  the Kentucky Historical Society (KHS) will expand upon its efforts to preserve the history of the commonwealth.  The IMLS grant, worth $40,000, will allow KHS to survey and assess the needs of Kentucky cultural and heritage collecting institutions with the goal of completing a statewide collections management plan. 

Through the assistance of the grant, KHS will conduct disaster planning and preparedness workshops that will provide instructions and guidelines for writing a disaster plan and inform the development of a statewide disaster response team.  KHS will partner with the Kentucky Department of Libraries and Archives (KDLA) and the Kentucky Museum Heritage Alliance (KMHA) in implementing the grant.

“We are thrilled to receive this IMLS grant,” said Marilyn Zoidis, KHS assistant director.  “We are always looking for new ways to preserve and honor the rich heritage of Kentucky.”

Connecting to Collections: Statewide Planning Grants are used to create conservation plans for collections held in libraries, museums, and archives. These grants are an important component of the IMLS initiative, Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, a multi-year, multifaceted national plan to raise public awareness and inspire action on collections care.  Under the program, twenty-three states will receive $908,206 to foster partnerships among organizations in a state or territory to provide safe conditions for its collections, develop emergency plans, assign responsibility for collections care, and marshal public and private support for collections care.  

“I applaud these grantees as they take action to combat the crises in collections care that threaten to rob our heritage,” said Dr. Anne-Imelda M. Radice, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services 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 as well as to enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the institute, please visit www.imls.gov.

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An agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Historical Society, since 1836, has provided connections to the past, perspective on the present, and inspiration for the future.  KHS operates the Old State Capitol, the Kentucky Military History Museum, and its headquarters, the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History.   Since 1999, the thirty-million-dollar Center has welcomed more than one million visitors.   For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit the Web site at www.history.ky.gov.