ICPC History

The Iowa Conservation and Preservation Consortium [ICPC] is a typical Iowa grassroots organization. It started as a cooperative venture in 1989, when academic librarians from around Iowa met at a leadership retreat to identify and discuss mutual issues. Preservation was identified as an area of concern and a preservation working group was established. . . .

In 1991, the preservation working group invited the State Historical Society of Iowa to assist them in their transition from an academic library-based group into a multi-organizational group. In the fall of 1992 the transition was complete, ICPC was born, and the original working group disbanded.

As of 1995, the Consortium represents about 20 organizations statewide with extemely diverse collections ranging from courthouse records to large university collections. . . .

In January 1994, ICPC received funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities to develop a statewide preservation plan which would establish priorities for a coordinated and cooperative effort to preserve, protect, and provide access to Iowa's collections in the most appropriate formats. This planning effort had three goals: to increase awareness of preservation issues, to create an understanding and commitment to preservation activities, and to develop a statewide preservation plan. . . .

Fragile Harvest: Preserving Documentary Heritage
Nancy Kraft, Ivan Hanthorn, and Robert Strauss
Iowa Cooperative Preservation Consortium, 1995

ICPC Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation

ICPC 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

Last update: February 18, 2006
Pages maintained by Rebecca Stuhr, Grinnell College Libraries.