<div dir="ltr"><div>Dear SPNHC Colleagues, </div><div><br></div><div>Thank you so much for all of your support for the GSA Collections Preservation Proposal. I wanted to be sure to share with you all that Dr. Bob Tracy presented it to the GSA council at the end of August and as you can see below from an email Bob sent me after the meeting, it was received very well. </div><div><br></div><div>"it is clear that the leadership of GSA recognizes the importance of this initiative and will actively work to figure out how the society can help promote things. Your document was very good and hit just the right note. People were really impressed by both the number and prominence of the signatories."</div><div><br></div><div>In order to keep this momentum going I am hoping many of you will join me this Spring at this years regional Southeastern GSA meeting being held in Chattanooga, TN March 19 & 20. In order for a session of this topic to be approved, we need abstracts submitted by December 9 with a focus on geological collections. Currently there isn't a session planned but I spoke with the organizers and they assured me that if they receive enough abstracts which do not fit the other session categories, we will be able to create a new one. The link for submitting an abstract is here: <a href="http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/se/2015mtg/techProg.htm">http://www.geosociety.org/Sections/se/2015mtg/techProg.htm</a></div><div><br></div><div>Last years' session titled "Hidden Gems: Geological Collections and Museums in the Southeastern U.S." was a great success. We had 8 wonderful presentations on the challenges and successes our collections and those who care for them are facing -abstracts from the talks can be found here: <a href="https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2014SE/webprogram/Session34580.html">https://gsa.confex.com/gsa/2014SE/webprogram/Session34580.html</a>. I hope that this year we can have a session continuing this on-going discussion. We have the support of GSA now, and if a successful session is lead at their regional meeting, and perhaps again next fall at their National meeting, I think that is going to further show the council how serious we are about making the preservation of our collections a true priority. </div><div><br></div><div>Thank you all again for your support. Please, if you are able to attend SE GSA, submit an abstract and help keep this momentum going! </div><div><br></div><div>Sincerely,</div><div>~Sarah </div><div><br></div><div>Apologies for cross-posting</div><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr"><font size="4" style="font-family:arial;color:rgb(102,51,102)"><b><span style="font-family:georgia,serif"><font color="#330033">Sarah Timm</font> </span></b></font><br style="font-family:arial;font-size:small"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:georgia,serif"><p style="margin:0in 0in 7.5pt"><i><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;font-size:13.5pt">Tellus Science Museum Curator<br><a href="mailto:sarahtimm26@gmail.com" target="_blank">sarahtimm26@gmail.com</a><br></span></i><i><span style="font-family:Garamond,serif;font-size:13.5pt">845-774-9994</span></i></p></span></div>
</div>