Message-ID: <003701c8f677$11614e70$a6defea9@CHRISLAPTOP> From: "Chris & Patti Marsicano" <marsicano@charter.net> Subject: Re: Question for Town & City Historical Societies Date: Mon, 4 Aug 2008 15:16:01 -0500
Sara,
We are looking for an annual dollar amount to be designed to us to use
as needed. We are in the process of crunching numbers to see how much
we will need and to prioritize these items.
Our library is extremely overcrowded, and in dire need of more space.
Our governmental office has no extra space and right now very old
records are being stored in a basement - we have already taken several
of the most imortatn boxes and put them in safety deposit boxes at the
local bank.
Thank you for your input! All suggestions are alway appreciated!
Patti
----- Original Message -----
From: Sara Steele
To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
Sent: Monday, August 04, 2008 9:32 AM
Subject: Re: Question for Town & City Historical Societies
Hi Patti
I assume you have done your homework and know the extent to which each
of the individuals on the town and village boards are interested in
Delavan's history, and which ones will best understand your request and
be your best supporters in each governmental body when it comes to a
vote on your request. A request for money often doesn't suceed,
especially in economic down turns, unless one has done a lot of ground
laying and building of interest.
It may not be a question of how much you should ask for, but how well
you have costed out your dream and thus are able to justify the amount
you ask for (microfilms, computer, scanner, binders, etc.) That is, if
you are primarily interesting in support of a research collection..
There is a difference among 1) becoming an arm and subunit of a local
government and functioning with an annual budget like any other village
or town serice dept; 2) asking for a certain amount to be donated
annually as general support for the society--blank check to be used for
whatever the society needs. The local government unit publically showing
that the governmental agency wants the work of the HS to continue, or 3)
occasionally asking for funding for a specific project such as your
research library.
You specifically mentioned a research library so the kind of building
you put it in becomes important--good humidity, etc. A research library
is quite different in the kind of space needed than is a museum or a
meeting/officer area. You may want to take a very good look at the
present village and town offices and the library to see if there is
space in any of them that could be secured rather than taking on the
costs of a separate location. We are fortunate in that our Town Board
lets us us a room in the basement of our former town hall for a $ a
year. However, that small room combines about ten different functions
and has a humidity problem.
I hope you are currently working with your library staff and have
gotten them keenly interested. I also have a hunch that your library is
also over crowded--or did I see that they have just built a new
addition. We are hoping to have our "archives/research library"
included in our sometime-in-the-future first library--if we ever get
one. There are both pros and cons of placing a HS collection in a
library building or in the library itself as opposed to setting it up at
a separate location. Often a location in the library makes the
collection more available to the public with less work for the HS,
especially to those from away who sometimes are the most likely to use
such a collection. Even if only part of your collection (obituaries and
death lsit) is in the library it is important that you maintain a good
working relationshipe with the library staff.
.
Sara STeele
Text Archivist Cottage Grove Area Historical Society
smsteele@wisc.edu
----- Original Message -----
From: Chris & Patti Marsicano
To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
Sent: Saturday, August 02, 2008 12:45 PM
Subject: Question for Town & City Historical Societies
Have any of you asked your local municipalities to have money put in
the budget for your historical society?
What steps did you take to do this?
How much did you ask for and how much do you receive?
We are planning on asking our Town and City governments for some
money and are wondering the best steps to take. Since we have no
building or location at this time, we are hoping to get the cash needed
to offset some costs of renting (or have donated) space to begin a
research library.
Thanks!
Patti Marsicano
President, Delavan Historical Society