Mission & Goals

MISSION

The Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium’s mission is to initiate, encourage, and enhance preservation and conservation activities in and among all Iowa repositories and institutions whose collections include a variety of materials such as audio-visuals, microforms, paper-based, and electronically-stored information for the benefit of present and future generations.

PRESERVATION ACTION PLAN

GOAL: Encourage the preservation of collections in order to insure access to Iowa’s cultural resources.

• • Identify and define preservation solutions to address collection problems.
  • Establish priorities to begin implementation of collection preservation action.
  • Insure knowledge of an adherence to standards relevant to preservation activity undertaken.

GOAL: Maintain a governing structure for a coordinated statewide program that will address the preservation needs of Iowa’s documentary resources.

• • Develop Strategies for implementing goals in the statewide plan.
  • Encourage, facilitate, and coordinate cooperative and collaborative statewide preservation activities.
  • Identify and develop funding resources for cooperative and collaborative preservation activity.
  • Champion funding an office for preservation policy and management.

GOAL: Insure that adequate preservation education and training programs are available for staff of Iowa cultural repositories.

• • Identify categories, persons and organizations in need of awareness and education in preservation management.
  • Develop partnerships with education providers to address identified constituency needs.
  • Insure that training will address needs of professionals in allied fields or institutions.
  • Publish articles in newsletters, periodicals, and newspapers, etc.
  • Serve as an information clearing house and referral service through the ICPC Web site and other communication tools.

GOAL: Develop cooperative and collaborative preservation projects that address the needs of similar institutions as well as foster cooperation among allied disciplines.

• • Identify exemplary cooperative and collaborative programs that might serve as models.
  • Develop partnerships with interested organizations.
  • Encourage and advocate the development of local records management programs.
  • Bring partners together and develop fundable projects to present to foundations and federal agencies.

GOAL: Personalize preservation to the individual–citizens, legislators, decision makers, and foundations–to sensitize them to the richness of cultural items held in Iowa institutions. Create an understanding and commitment to the value of preserving Iowa’s cultural resources.

• • Establish communication with key organizations and individuals.
  • Publicize success stories and accomplishments.
  • Insure that public relations is an on-going activity.
  • Participate in professional meetings, forums, and programs.
  • Monitor all preservation activity relevant to cultural property.

GOAL: Secure sufficient funds to implement and continue a statewide permanent preservation program.

• • Develop a broad-based membership of ICPC.
  • Identify and inform foundations, corporations, and individuals of the need for preservation funding.
  • Encourage the state government to allocate funds to preserve humanities collections.

Taken from Fragile Harvest: Preserving Iowa’s Documentary Heritage
Nancy Kraft, Ivan Hanthorn, and Robert Strauss, Iowa Cooperative Preservation Consortium, 1995. Revised May 26, 2000.