University of Florida (University of Florida Libraries, George A. Smathers Libraries)

Financial pressures caused by the economic downturn caused the Panama Canal Museum to close and terminate services this year. The George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida agreed to not only assume custody of and responsibility for the museum’s collections, but also to explore ways to support and increase the community of donors, members volunteers, and other supporters. With IMLS support, the Libraries will collaborate with the Florida Museum of Natural History, the Samuel P. Harn Museum of Art, the University’s Center for Latin American Studies, and many other partners to increase public understanding of the importance and scope of the transferred collections and to build dialog and best practices for library-museum partnerships and transfers of collections and other institutional assets.