Treasured objects and documents held by the Bridgton Historical Society will be preserved for future generations with help from the Institute of Museum and Library Services Connecting to Collections Bookshelf, a core set of conservation books, DVDs, and online resources donated by the service, the primary source of federal funding of the nation’s museums and libraries.

The Bridgton Historical Society is among the first to receive this essential set of resources based on an application describing the needs and plans for care of its collections.

The Connecting to Collections Bookshelf focuses on collections typically found in art or history museums and in libraries’ special collections, with an added selection of texts for zoos, aquaria, public gardens, and nature centers. It addresses such topics as the philosophy and ethics of collecting, collections management and planning, emergency preparedness, and culturally specific conservation issues.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services, working with the American Association for State and Local History will award a total of 2,000 free sets of the bookshelf by the end of 2008.

“These small libraries and museums are taking up the charge to care for America’s heritage,” said Anne-Imelda Radice, institute director. “Without immediate action we stand to lose important collections that are at the heart of the American story.”

The Bridgton Historical Society operates a local history museum and research facility on Gibbs Avenue in Bridgton, and Narramissic Historic Farmstead, a restored 19th century farmstead in South Bridgton, presented much as it was on the eve of the Civil War, complete with a restored, functioning blacksmith shop, all set on approximately 25 acres of land with dramatic views of western Maine and the White Mountains.

Both are open regularly during the summer months, and the museum and archives are open by appointment year-round.