Message-ID: <005b01c8f8c3$81ce47f0$6402a8c0@BOBBIE> From: "Lee Erdmann" <lerdmann@centurytel.net> Subject: Re: Question for Town & City Historical Societies Date: Thu, 7 Aug 2008 14:26:33 -0500
The City of Berlin includes a $2,000 line item each year in their annual
budget for the Berlin Area Historical Society. It is NOT an automatic
thing. We have to present our case every year. We try to point out the
number of people who come to our community to research their heritage
and use our facilities. This past year we had several groups of people
(sometimes just couples) who spent multiple days in the area doing their
research. Obviously they take advantage of restuarants, filling stations
etc. while here. We are a city of only 5300 in central Wisconsin and
have no special attraction to bring people to our city other than
festivals etc. To bring any tourists to our city is a good thing. We
also present the case that we make our facilities available to the local
schools for tours and/or members will do presentations in the classroom
if the class is studying a specific historic topic.
As to your research library -- have you contacted the public library? We
moved all of our genealogy type records and files to the Public Library
for better accessability since our Museums does not have regular daytime
hours (just weekends). Our partnership with the Library has been a very
good one. They maintain all of our local newspapers on microfilm and
have been able to digitize some of our records in co-operation with a
University system project which make them available online. This past
year the Library Board did an extensive remodel of the interior of their
building and created a genealogy/local history section that has been
very well received.
If you have no local library, does your school have a library? Maybe you
could partner with them. It might be a good thing to get the youth
involved also. We need to get the young people excited about local
history and preserving the same - it is our route to survival.
Bobbie Erdmann
Berlin Area Historical Society
----- 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