Sherelyn Ogden is a practicing conservator with fifty years of experience in the field of cultural heritage preservation. Trained in library and archives conservation at the Newberry Library, she received a Master of Arts degree from the Graduate Library School of the University of Chicago. As the Director of Book Conservation at the Northeast Document Conservation Center, the Director of Field Services at the Midwest Art Conservation Center, and the Head of Conservation at the Minnesota Historical Society, she consulted with staff from a variety of cultural institutions helping them determine and prioritize their preservation needs.

In these positions Sherelyn conducted more than 100 general needs assessment and collections surveys. She supplied institutions with technical information by telephone, e-mail, and on-site visits. She taught preservation at the graduate level as well as conducting half and full-day formal presentations and workshops. She trained staff, interns, and volunteers on-site in all aspects of preservation. These activities led Sherelyn to a deep and broad understanding of the problems faced by staff of cultural institutions, helped her develop practical solutions to these problems, and instilled in her the importance of setting priorities to meet goals in the most effective manner.

To assist her in this work Sherelyn developed numerous tools, including publications, leaflets, and websites. She produced sixty professional publications. Of direct relevance to this project are the books Preservation Planning: Guidelines for Writing a Long-Range Plan,Preservation of Library and Archival Materials, and Caring for American Indian Objects: A Practical and Cultural Guide