The lewis ginter botanical garden will rehouse and store the lora M. Robins library collections and archives

The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Inc. was awarded a $340,500 project grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the Save America's Treasures (CFDA 15.929) program. The grant will fund the rehousing and storage of the Lora M. Robins Library collections and archives, which include botanical illustrations, herbarium specimens, rare books, and other materials. Project activities will involve installing a compact storage system with closed storage for rare books, cabinets for works on paper, shelving for objects and archival boxes, and art racks for hanging framed works. This will allow the garden's staff to assess the condition and documentation of each collection item as it is processed, while increasing accessibility to the collections for research, educational programming, digitization, and exhibition purposes. The award period runs from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2025.

Project activities will include the installation of a compact storage system with closed storage for rare books, cabinets for works on paper, shelving for objects and archival boxes, and art racks for hanging framed works. The collection contains original watercolor botanical illustrations, herbarium specimens, and watercolors from the LEE memorial park wildflower and bird sanctuary, and approximately 300 volumes of botanical and horticultural books with an emphasis on the mid-atlantic region. The rehousing process will allow staff to assess the condition and documentation of each collection item as IT is processed, while the overall project will increase accessibility to the collections for research, educational programming, digitization, and exhibition purposes.