Press Release: CCAHA and Lyrasis Announce Succession Planning Initiative for Collections Stewardship

The Collections Stewardship Succession Planning Initiative is a two-year project of the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA), in partnership with Lyrasis, created to actively address the need for leadership development and knowledge transfer in the cultural heritage workforce. Funded by a National Leadership Grant for Museums from the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the initiative will gather data and build professional development resources to support succession planning for collections stewardship staff and volunteers. As succession planning is a critical instrument in addressing a long-term shift at cultural heritage organizations toward greater diversity, equity, and inclusion, the suite of resources will promote strategies to keep these important concerns at the forefront during times of transition.

As service providers to the country’s cultural heritage collecting institutions, CCAHA and Lyrasis have long recognized the need for succession planning, especially in smaller organizations with fewer resources. CCAHA and Lyrasis will utilize a series of small group listening sessions and a national survey to learn about successful succession planning strategies and pathways that have proven more challenging for institutions in the project’s target group.

To be notified about upcoming listening sessions, the project survey, and resources, join the CCAHA mailing list.

For more information, contact pso@ccaha.org.

Advisory Committee

• Katherine Skinner Cuda, Independent Consultant and Lecturer, San Jose State University School of Information 
• Linda Endersby, Collections Consultant, Curiosities Consulting Company, and Interim Managing Director, Coalition of State Museum Associations 
• Cynthia Falk, Professor, Cooperstown Graduate Program  
• Kahina Haynes, Executive Director, Dance Institute of Washington 
• Evan Knight, Preservation Specialist, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners 
• Emma Selfors, Curator of Collections, Historical Museum at Fort Missoula 
• Kimberly Springle, CEO, GTMS Enterprises and Executive Director, Charles Sumner School Museum & Archives 
• Deya Terrafranca, Research Library & Archives Director, Museum of Ventura County 

Facilitators

•    Tom Clareson, Senior Consultant for Digital & Preservation Services, Lyrasis 
•    Michelle Eisenberg, Acting Director, CCAHA 
•    Dyani Feige, Director of Preservation Services, CCAHA 
•    Lee Price, Director of Development, CCAHA 

About Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA)

Established in 1977 in Philadelphia, the Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts (CCAHA) is a nonprofit facility delivering a wide range of conservation and preservation services. Its mission is to provide expertise and leadership in the preservation of cultural heritage. CCAHA’s conservators repair and stabilize books, photographs, and documents. CCAHA’s preservation services staff works in the field providing education programs and helping institutions plan for the future of their collections. CCAHA offers a range of digitization and reproduction services, as well as fundraising assistance, housing and framing, and more.

About Lyrasis

Lyrasis is a community-supported non-profit whose mission is to support enduring access to our shared academic, scientific and cultural heritage for archives, libraries, museums and research communities. With more than 80 years of experience, Lyrasis offers technologies, services and special programs designed by and for knowledge professionals and brings together more than 2000 collections-holding organizations worldwide for collaboration, innovation and scale.

Contact:
 Jason Henn, Manager of Marketing & External Relations, CCAHA
jhenn@ccaha.org

Meg Blum, Director of Marketing & Communications, Lyrasis
303.875.9893
Meg.Blum@lyrasis.org