What is a Federally-Associated Collection?

Millions of objects, specimens, documents and other records are managed in the public trust of the United States. These come from Federal lands and sites, agencies, and programs. Federal and non-Federal institutions often share the responsibility for care of and access to these collections. In 1996, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, sponsored the first conference designed to explore the issues surrounding Federal and non-Federal partnerships to manage such collections.

This conference will build on the results of the 1996 meeting with the intention of providing practical strategies for fostering practical and useful partnerships among Federal, tribal, institutional and amateur interests. There will be two days of pre-conference activities, followed by three days of formal presentation sessions. Pre- or post-conference field trips may be arranged based on participant interest .

Who Should Attend This Conference?

Representatives of state and private institutions that hold Federally-associated collections
Federal curators and other professionals concerned with collections
Managers of Federal agencies
Tribal representatives
University collections managers and curators
Collections users (researchers, students, educators)
Managers of repositories for Federally-associated collections
Staff of private consulting firms and contractors
Representatives of professional societies
Responsible amateur collectors and organizations

Possible Workshop and Session Themes and Topics

The following themes and topics are preliminary suggestions only. The final program will reflect the stated preferences and interests of the participants.

Creating and Managing Repositories for Federally-Associated Collections

Trans-Border Issues: The United States, Mexico, and Federal Law

Permits, Public Lands, and Collections

Legal Aspects of Partnerships

The Internet, Communications Technology, and Collections

Legislative Updates

Forensics Collections

Private Collecting, Public Trust

NAGPRA and Native American Issues

Management of Federally-Associated Archives

Collections Conservation Issues

Managing Functional Object Collections

Discipline-Specific Collections Issue Sessions

Agency-Specific Collections Issue Sessions

For Further Information

Please send your name, address, phone, FAX, and email information to:

If you are interested in organizing a session or presenting an individual paper, please send in a 100-word abstract with your contact information. We anticipate that sessions will run for two hours each, with 5 to 6 papers per session and time for discussion. You may also propose topics for pre-conference activities and workshops for November 16 and 17, 1998.

The preliminary and final programs will be based on the expressed interests and preferences of participants, so please indicate the topics that are of the greatest use to you.

The deadline for receiving program proposals and abstracts has been extended to 1 May 1998. Registration materials will be mailed to all respondents starting 15 April 1998.