Treasured objects and artifacts held by the Antioch Historical Society Museum will be preserved for future generations with help from the IMLS Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, a core set of conservation books and online resources donated by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS has now awarded almost 3,000 free sets of the IMLS Bookshelf, in cooperation with the American Association for State and Local History.

“Our museum runs the full range of items, from photos, books, furnishings, art objects and history objects that need care in restoration and preservation. The Conservation Bookshelf will be invaluable to our volunteers learning the finer points as well as basics of preservation of artifacts,” stated Elizabeth Rimbault, president and head curator of the society and museum.

Late last year, the Society received the Governor’s Historic Preservation Award of 2008 for the restoration of the museum building at 1500 W. Fourth St. in Antioch. The information within this collection of books will also assist greatly in the building’s ongoing restoration effort.

“When IMLS launched this initiative to improve the dire state of our nation’s collections, we understood that the materials gathered for the Bookshelf would serve as important tools for museums, libraries and archives nationwide,” said IMLS Director Anne-Imelda Radice. “We were both pleased and encouraged by the overwhelming interest of institutions prepared to answer the call to action, and we know that with their dedication, artifacts from our shared history will be preserved for future generations.”