University of California, Berkeley (Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California)

The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology will address long-term needs for housing, preservation, and environmental controls of its archival collections, including detailed field notes and annotated maps, historic photos, historic correspondence, original artwork, and rare books. Over two years the museum will engage in the following stewardship activities to address their preservation challenges: install compactors for long-term storage and security; install an HVAC system to regulate temperature and humidity in the archival storage room; rehouse historical correspondence in acid-free folders and storage boxes; rehouse the historic photo collection in acid-free enclosures and boxes; rehouse glass plate negatives in dedicated boxes with proper supports; rehouse rare books in proper enclosures; and provide training in basic conservation of artwork. These comprehensive activities will ensure the continued preservation of the archival collections that museum staff, faculty, students, and outside researchers may study.