Selected Data from

1
Selected Data from A Public Trust at Risk The
Heritage Health Index Report on the State of
Americas Collections
2
The Heritage Health Index Surveyed

• Archives, historical societies, libraries,
  museums, archaeological repositories, and
  scientific research organizations
• Collecting institutions of all sizes and from
  every U.S. state and territory
• The full range of collections from art to
  vertebrate paleontology

3
Heritage Health Index Background

• The Heritage Health Index was developed with the
  input of 35 national associations and federal
  agencies that represent collecting institutions
• The survey questionnaire was written in
  consultation with more than 100 leading
  collections and preservation professionals
• Survey and analysis was conducted by RMC Research
  Corporation, a firm experienced in government and
  non-profit sector studies.

4
Heritage Health Index Background

• In August 2004 the survey was sent to a sample
  group of 15,000 institutions representing all
  types and sizes of institutions in every U.S.
  state and territory
• The data collection ended December 2004
• Report released December 6, 2005. Final report at
  www.heritagehealthindex.org.

5
The Results of the Heritage Health Index Have
Been Featured In

• The New York Times
• San Francisco Chronicle, Philadelphia Inquirer,
  Columbus Dispatch through Associated Press story
• National Public Radios All Things Considered
• Christian Science Monitor
• Readers Digest
• American Libraries
• The Art Newspaper
• KJO-ABC TV in San Francisco
• among other publications

6
Heritage Health Index Response Rate

• Overall, 24 response rate with 3,370 surveys
  returned
• 90 response rate from 500 of the nations
  largest and most significant collections

7
Heritage Health Index Data Projections

• Data has been projected to a study population of
  30,827 collecting institutions and represents the
  condition and preservation needs of all U.S.
  collections held in the public trust

8
Representation by Specific Institutions
9
Representation by Size of Institution
10
Representation by Region
10
17
24
15
16
19
11
U.S. Institutions Have Taken Responsibility to
Preserve 4.8 Billion Collections Items
12
4.8 Billion Collections Items Are Held by U.S.
Institutions - by type -
Includes items for which institutions take a
preservation responsibility
13
4.8 Billion Collections Items Are Held by U.S.
Institutions - by size -
Includes items for which institutions take a
preservation responsibility
14
Condition of U.S. Collections
15
Most Institutions Care for More Than Six Types of
Collections

• Collections types
• Books and bound volumes
• Unbound sheets
• Photographic collections
• Moving image collections
• Recorded sound collections
• Digital material collections
• Art objects
• Historic and ethnographic objects
• Archaeological collections
• Natural science specimens

16
Institutions Use of Environmental Controls for
the Preservation of Collections
17
Institutions Using No Environmental Controls for
the Preservation of Collections- by type -
Including temperature, relative humidity, and
light
18
Institutions Reporting Causes of Some and
Significant Damage to Collections
19
Institutions Collections Stored in Areas Large
Enough to Accommodate Them Safely and
Appropriately
59
20
Institutions Percentage of Collections
Accessible Through a Catalog- by type -
21
Institutions With No Emergency Plan With Staff
Trained to Carry It Out- by type -
22
Institutions With No Emergency Plan With Staff
Trained to Carry It Out- by size -
23
Institutions with a Written, Long-range Plan for
the Care of the Collection
24
Institutions Staffing for Conservation/Preservati
on
Multiple responses allowed
25
Institutions Staffing for Conservation/Preservati
on- by type -
Multiple responses allowed
26
Institutions Staffing for Conservation/Preservati
on- by size -
Multiple responses allowed
27
Average Number of Internal Staff Who Perform
Conservation/Preservation Activities
Includes conservation/preservation professional
and support staff and volunteers
28
What Institutions Conservation/Preservation
Program Includes
Multiple responses allowed
29
Institutions with Funds Allocated for
Conservation/ Preservation in Annual Budget
30
Institutions Annual Budget for
Conservation/Preservation - most recently
completed fiscal year -
Includes funds for staffing, supplies,
equipment, surveys, treatment, preservation
reformatting, commercial binding, consultants,
contractors, and other preservation costs
31
Institutions that Used Income from Endowed Funds
for Conservation/Preservation- last three years -
32
Institutions that Have Received External
Conservation/ Preservation Funding - last three
years -
Multiple responses allowed
33
Institutions that Have Appliedfor
Conservation/Preservation Funding - last three
years -
Includes from private or public funding sources
34
Institutions Reasons Why They Have Not Applied
for Conservation/Preservation Funding - last
three years -
Multiple responses allowed
Includes from private or public funding sources
35
Heritage Health Index Recommendations

• Every institution recommits to providing safe
  conditions for the collections they hold in trust
• Every collecting institution develops an
  emergency plan to protect its collections
• Every single institution assigns responsibility
  for caring for collections to members of its
  staff
• Individuals at all levels of government and in
  the private sector assume responsibility for
  providing the support that will allow these
  collections to survive

36
For more information, contact Heritage
Preservation at 202-233-0800 or survey_at_heritagepre
servation.org Heritage Health Index report
available at www.heritagehealthindex.org.