Interested in donating an object or specimen to the Museum? Please read our guidelines in advance, as we do not accept mailed or unsolicited donations without prior approval.
To find out more about protecting collections, start with these:
Bachmann, Konstanze, ed. 1992. Conservation Concerns: A Guide for Curators and Collectors . Smithsonian Institution Press.
Long, Jane S., and Richard W. Long. 2000. Caring for Your Family Treasures . Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York.
Paper Materials:
Preserving Works on Paper: Manuscripts, Drawings, Prints, Posters, Maps, Documents. The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
An Introduction to Paper Preservation. An online tutorial developed by the Northeast Document Conservation Center with funding from the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training
Paper-based Materials Guidelines. Smithsonian Center for Materials Research and Education (SCMRE), Smithsonian Institution
Photographs:
Caring for Your Photographic Collections. The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. >
Textiles:
Geography and Textile Storage. SCMRE, Smithsonian Institution.
Appraisals. Resources to help you determine the value of your collection. SCMRE, Smithsonian Institution.
Rose, Carolyn L., Catharine A. Hawks, Hugh H. Genoways, eds. 1995. Storage of Natural History Collections: A Preventive Conservation Approach . Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, Iowa City, IA.
Rose, Carolyn L., and Amparo R. de Torres, eds. 1992. Storage of Natural History Collections: Ideas and Practical Solutions . Society for the Preservation of Natural History Collections, Washington, D.C.
Conserv O Gram series--published by the Museum Management Program of the National Park Service, this is a series of short, focused leaflets about caring for museum objects, published in loose-leaf format.