African American Museum of Iowa

The African American Museum of Iowa will train two college interns to conduct a complete inventory and reorganization of the more than 4,000 items and 150 linear feet of material in the museum's collection. Since its opening in 1997 as the only institution dedicated to preserving the African American history of Iowa, the museum's collections have grown significantly as a result of outreach activities throughout the state. The inventory is vital as it follows the disruption caused by the flooding of 2008, which damaged more than 30 percent of the collections. The inventory of this unique collection will ensure that it is properly catalogued, labeled, and stored in optimum conditions. Training will also be provided for museum staff to expand their knowledge and skills in collections care and use of collections in interpretation and education.