Background
Water bottle from the Michigan Festival of the Arts: The Nation’s Largest All-Volunteer Arts Festival
The Local Legacies Program was conceived by Library of Congress staff as a major part of the Library’s Bicentennial celebration in 2000. As the national public library of the American people, as well as perhaps the largest library in the world with some of the most diverse collections, the Library of Congress has served as a valuable resource and vital repository of information, knowledge, and culture throughout its history. As a fitting tribute to the institution’s 200th Anniversary, staff wanted to endow the Library with a new snapshot of life in our nation from the viewpoint of everyday Americans. The Library requested that the members of Congress contribute evidence of the unique traditions, celebrations, creative arts, and occupations that make up their constituencies. The response was enthusiastic and extensive.
About 1,300 “projects” poured in, containing everything from photographs to t-shirts, to newspaper clippings, to buttons and baby dolls and even food items. These contributions form part of the Library’s permanent collections in the American Folklife Center and present a look at the depth and diversity of American culture at the turn of the 21st century, at a milestone in the Library’s history.
Preservation Challenges
Extending beyond the typical formats found in most library collections, the Local Legacies projects present unusual challenges for safe housing. The objective for these items is to keep them secure and stable while promoting accessibility. Their varied natures required a multi-pronged approach, beginning with the separation of those items that fit comfortably in commercially available boxes from those that could not. Following identification by AFC staff during their initial processing of the collection, any paper or flat objects no larger than a standard letter-size sheet of paper were placed in buffered cardstock folders and upright document storage cases. Electronic media such as CDs, floppy discs and video tapes were separated from the collection to be stored at the new state-of-the-art National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, Virginia. Two additional components of the collection, larger flat pieces and three-dimensional objects, were then housed by Conservation staff under the direction of Preservation Specialist Lisa Moberg." The larger flat objects, including posters and oversized newspaper clippings, were placed in polyester L-seal enclosures and buffered cardstock folders for storage in map cases.
