FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Mesa Historical Museum CEO Lisa Anderson Selected to Attend National Conference: “Stewardship of America’s Legacy: Answering the Call to Action”
Set for June 16, 17 in Buffalo, NY

May 28, 2009 – Mesa, AZ - Lisa Anderson, President and CEO of the Mesa Historical Museum, has been selected by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to attend a national forum, June 16 and 17, 2009, in Buffalo, New York entitled “Stewardship of America’s Legacy: Answering the Call to Action.” She is one of more than 70 representatives of small and medium-sized museums and libraries nationwide invited to participate based on their leadership in the profession and in their communities

IMLS’s Connecting to Collections: A Call to Action, is a multi-year, multi-faceted national program. The Buffalo event is the final of a series of four national forums held in 2008 and 2009. The meetings have been designed to raise awareness among leaders of small and mid-sized museums, libraries, and archives about the importance of collections care and to give them practical information, tools, and resources to inspire action nationwide.

“Stewardship of America’s Legacy: Answering the Call to Action” will explore how committed individuals, ranging from small town librarians to directors of national conservation training programs, can work together to improve collections care and to inspire and inform others, be it nationally or within their own communities. Speakers will address ways to make the case for funding, address cutting-edge collections care topics, and describe how to use networks to tap into expertise and to engage the public in sustaining our Nation’s collections.

"I am honored to be selected to be part of this national forum," said Anderson. "I hope to be able to share the information that I learn from this forum with my colleagues in Arizona.”

IMLS is hosting this forum in cooperation with Heritage Preservation, the American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, and the Art Conservation Department of Buffalo State College, State University of New York.

The forum has received support from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, Carol A. Fatta/The Fatta Foundation, the Baird Foundation, the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. For a complete schedule please go to: http://www.imls.gov/collections/tour/buf_program.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.

About Heritage Preservation
Heritage Preservation is a national non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of the United States. By identifying risks, developing innovative programs, and providing broad public access to expert advice, Heritage Preservation assists museums, libraries, archives, historic preservation and other organizations, as well as individuals, in caring for our endangered heritage. For more information, please visit www.heritagepreservation.org.

About the Mesa Historical Museum
The Mesa Historical Museum was founded as a non-profit entity in 1966, situated on over 4 acres in the heart of Mesa's historic Lehi neighborhood. In addition to more than 80,000 objects in its collection, the Museum makes its home in the oldest standing school building in the East Valley, recognized by the National Register of Historic Places. The museum is the recent recipient of the American Association of State and Local History Award of Excellence and the Museum Association of Arizona‘s Award of Excellence.

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