FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 11, 2008

Press Contacts
202-653-4632
Jeannine Mjoseth, jmjoseth@imls.gov
Mamie Bittner, mbittner@imls.gov

Connect with Living Collections and Colleagues at Free Forum in San Diego

Registration Deadline -- January 23, 2009

Washington, DC—Staff and board members of zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens, nature centers, and living history farms are invited to attend It’s Alive! Petals to Primates: Preservation Challenges of Living Collections in San Diego on February 19 and 20, 2009. The free forum, sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), in partnership with Heritage Preservation and the San Diego Zoo, will address the wide range of challenges in caring for and sustaining treasured living collections.

Douglas G. Myers, CEO/Executive Director of the Zoological Society of San Diego, will be the forum’s keynote speaker. The forum will address issues of pressing concern to the smaller institutions that are stewards of America’s collections of plants and animals. Meeting participants will:

• attend plenary sessions of panels with speakers who will address how to stay current on collections planning and management, protect collections from natural disasters, organize and care for the records and photographs that document collections, and attract funding in tough economic times;
• participate in the complimentary lunchtime “Connections Labs” with opportunities to engage forum speakers, representatives of funding agencies, and other resource representatives;
• take home a resources packet;
• learn about IMLS funding programs by meeting with IMLS staff and representatives of institutions that have received IMLS grants; and
• receive complimentary admission for the registrant and a guest at Balboa Park museums February 18 to 22.

The forum is receiving support from the Chanticleer Foundation and the Legler Benbough Foundation. The forum is the third in the series of IMLS forums in the Connecting to Collections National Tour, which takes this national initiative’s call to action on the road. Each meeting will reach a broad audience and inspire participants to share lessons learned and make collections care a top priority. The forum will be held at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice at the University of San Diego.

For more information, please go to http://www.imls.gov/collections/Tour/sandiego.htm.

About 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; enhance learning and innovation; and support professional development. To learn more about the Institute, please visit www.imls.gov.