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WASHINGTON, DC - More than 15,000 collecting institutions nationwide now have the opportunity to contribute to the Heritage Health Index, a survey of unprecedented scope and scale that will result in the first comprehensive picture of the condition and preservation needs of U.S. collections. The survey will arrive at institutions in mid August.

The Heritage Health Index will assess collections in all media, in all formats held by archives, historical societies, libraries, museums, and scientific organizations in every state and U.S. territory. A high level of participation from institutions of all types and sizes is needed to ensure that the results are an accurate representation of the full range of our nation's collections.

Heritage Preservation is conducting the Heritage Health Index in partnership with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). In a letter that accompanies the survey, Heritage Preservation President Lawrence Reger and IMLS Director Dr. Robert S. Martin call on recipients to take the time to complete the survey. They point out that "survey results will be used extensively in the years ahead as administrators, policy makers, government agencies, and private funding sources make decisions that affect the preservation of collections."

Institutions selected to participate in the survey were contacted by phone and will receive their survey packages by mail in mid August. Participants are encouraged to complete the survey online at www.heritagehealthindex.org with the password provided in the survey package. The online survey features tools to help users. Respondents who submit their survey online will also be given instant access to a tally of the returns and some preliminary results.

The Heritage Health Index was planned with advice from 35 national associations and federal agencies whose constituents are collecting institutions, and written in consultation with more than 60 leading conservation, preservation, and collections management professionals. The questionnaire includes all major issues related to the care of collections. Institutions that tested the questionnaire reported that it was a comprehensive self-assessment that helped them gather information useful in long-range preservation plans and funding requests. The Heritage Health Index data will give collecting institutions and their leadership a context in which to view their collections' condition and preservation needs.

The Heritage Health Index will provide the statistics needed to guide future preservation planning and programs, target urgent needs for funding, and ensure that the future of our nation's cultural, historic, and scientific heritage is secure. The results and recommendations of the Heritage Health Index will be publicized widely and distributed to national and state policy makers.

In addition to support from IMLS, the Heritage Health Index has received major funding from the Getty and additional support from the Henry Luce Foundation, Bay Foundation, Samuel H. Kress Foundation, Peck Stacpoole Foundation, and Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.

More information and answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Heritage Health Index are available on the Heritage Preservation Web site at www.heritagepreservation.org.

Heritage Preservation is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving our nation's heritage. Its members include libraries, museums, archives, historic preservation organizations, historical societies, conservation organizations, and other professional groups concerned with saving the past for the future. For information on the Heritage Health Index, contact project director Kristen Overbeck Laise, Heritage Preservation, 1012 14th Street NW, Suite 1200, Washington DC, 20005, 202-233-0800, klaise@heritagepreservation.org, or www.heritagepreservation.org.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent Federal grant-making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of learners by helping libraries and museums serve their communities. The Institute also encourages partnerships to expand the educational benefit of these organizations. The Institute receives policy advice from the Presidentially appointed, Senate confirmed National Museum and Library Services Board. Over the last two decades, IMLS has made more than 5,200 grants for conservation through their Conservation Project Support grant and Conservation Assessment Program. For more information, including grant applications, contact IMLS at 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20506, 202-606-8536, or www.imls.gov.

The Getty Grant Program is part of the J. Paul Getty Trust, an international cultural and philanthropic institution devoted to the visual arts located at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. The Getty Grant Program provides crucial support to institutions and individuals throughout the world in fields that are aligned most closely with the Getty's strategic priorities. It therefore funds a diverse range of projects that promote learning and scholarship about the history of the visual arts and the conservation of cultural heritage, and it consistently searches for collaborative efforts that set high standards and make significant contributions. Among the largest philanthropic supporters of the visual arts in the country, the Getty offers grants to fund a variety of projects in research, conservation, and education and professional development. Additional information is available on the Getty Web site at www.getty.edu.