SARANAC LAKE — The Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage Museum announces that it is one of 71 institutions in the United States selected to participate in the Collections Assessment for Preservation program.

CAP helps museums improve the care of their collections by providing support for a general conservation assessment of the museum’s collections and buildings. The museum will work with a team of preservation professionals to identify preventive conservation priorities. The final assessment report will help the museum prioritize its collections care efforts in the coming years.

The Stevenson Cottage Museum is owned and operated by the nonprofit Stevenson Society of America.

“We’re thrilled and grateful to be awarded the CAP grant,” said Trenton B. Olsen, president of the Stevenson Society of America. “It’s a great vote of confidence as our new board of directors works to preserve the museum and build momentum for the future.”

Olsen, a professor of English literature and editor of “The Complete Personal Essays of Robert Louis Stevenson,” noted, “Our first priorities are essential building repairs and additions, including a new roof, public restrooms, chimney repair, and an updated heating and cooling system, but we need to ensure that these projects preserve the historic nature of the cottage and protect its extraordinary collection. This grant will provide the expert assessment and recommendations we need to move forward.”

Mike Delahant, volunteer resident curator, is the third-generation member of his family to care for the cottage and its collection.

“The Delahant family’s remarkable service has ensured the museum’s survival for the past seventy years,” Olsen said. “Now, we need to build a budget consistent with the museum’s needs and significance to secure its future. This grant is a crucial first step.”

Tim Holmes, secretary/treasurer of the Stevenson Society, submitted the grant application and is providing grant management services for the project.

The CAP program is administered by the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation through a cooperative agreement with the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The Robert Louis Stevenson Cottage Museum is located at 44 Stevenson Lane in Saranac Lake and specializes in the life and work of Robert Louis Stevenson.

It is open Tuesday through Sunday from July 1 to Oct. 13 and by appointment with the resident curator the rest of the year. To schedule an off-season appointment, call 518-891-1462. To learn more, visit www.rlscottagemuseum.org.

Robert Louis Stevenson, the Scottish author of “Treasure Island” and “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” suffered from pulmonary illness and came to Saranac Lake for its tuberculosis sanatorium. He lived at the cottage for six months in 1887-1888. In this pivotal and productive time, Stevenson wrote some of his best-known essays along with the novel “The Master of Ballantrae,” which is set partially in the Adirondacks. He also prepared to travel to the South Pacific, ultimately settling in Samoa.