University of Illinois Library receives Mellon grant

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library has received
a $1.25 million challenge grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
to fund a senior-level conservator position in its Conservation
Unit.

The Mellon Foundation grant includes $1 million as a permanent
endowment and $250,000 to establish the new senior conservator
position while matching funds are being raised.  The University
Library has committed to match and exceed the amount of the grant by
raising $1.5 million over three years.  The endowment will generate
funding to support the position permanently.

The addition of the Andrew W. Mellon Endowed Conservator will allow
the University Library to treat a broader spectrum and greater
number of paper-based special collections materials in the
conservation lab; provide more varied and numerous internship
experiences for pre- and post-program conservation interns; and
provide the leadership necessary to fully develop the University of
Illinois's role as a leader for conservation education, research,
service, and collaboration in the Midwest and the nation.

The University Library is one of the largest and richest public
research library collections in North America.  A vast majority of
its 24 million items are paper- and book-based.  The University
Library is committed to sustaining and enhancing its capacity to
treat and protect its important paper-based collections, with the
majority of conservation- and preservation-related investments
focused on the care of its rare, unique, and otherwise valuable
objects.

   "We are grateful to the Mellon Foundation for their generous
    support," said Jennifer Hain Teper, Head of Preservation and
    John "Bud" Velde Preservation Librarian.  "A senior conservator
    will be instrumental in further developing our ability to care
    for our collections, as well as provide leadership for efforts
    such as research, education, training, and outreach in the
    state, throughout the Midwest region, and across the nation.

For more information on the conservation program at the University
of Illinois, see: <URL:http://www.library.illinois.edu/prescons/>

Jennifer Hain Teper
Head, Preservation and Conservation Units
University of Illinois Libraries
(Conservation Office)
809 S. Oak Street, 2nd Floor
Champaign, IL 61820
(Preservation Office)
1408 West Gregory Drive, Room 44
Urbana, IL 61801
217-244-5689


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 24:34
                Distributed: Thursday, January 13, 2011
                       Message Id: cdl-24-34-012
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