From: Helen Wirka <hwirka@cityofsunprairie.com> Subject: RE: advice for starting a local history center Date: Tue, 1 Oct 2019 16:09:39 +0000 Message-ID: <BL0PR0901MB2468D5596184F83B0AA214F8A99D0@BL0PR0901MB2468.namprd09.prod.outlook.com>
Hi Jason,
I’m the Capital Region representative for the Wisconsin Council for Local History. Feel free to reach out to me—I have some resources that I can connect you with.
Thanks,
Helen
Helen Wirka
Museum Director
Sun Prairie Historical Library and Museum
[cid:[cid:image002.png@01D2CF15.65265700]
115 E Main Street | Sun Prairie, WI 53590
608-825-0837
hwirka@cityofsunprairie.com<mailto:hwirka@cityofsunprairie.com>
Please note: Our phone number has changed. To reach the museum, call 608-825-0837.
From: localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu <localhistory-request@listserve.uwec.edu> On Behalf Of Jason Tish
Sent: Monday, September 30, 2019 4:56 PM
To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
Subject: advice for starting a local history center
Hi everyone-
I'm involved with a small energetic group working on a plan for a local history center for Madison. Local history in Madison is a unique situation. We have only a narrow niche that is not covered by the State Historical Society, the UW Archives, the Madison Public Library's local history collections, and the Dane County Historical Society. We have a solid handle on that niche.
What we really need advice on is how to actually plan for, and create the physical space for a history center/museum/research facility. Our current model entails a small exhibition space, and archival facility, and space for an office, a reading room, and presentations. We expect it to be an iterative process where we start out in a space that may not have all of that. Our priority is to bring together a collection of documents and artifacts in order to demonstrate the need for a permanent facility. We can do do that initially in a facility that doesn't;t meet all of our needs, and later move to facility that does (unless fund-raising proves more successful than we expect)
If you have ever been involved in developing a local history facility, what is the one piece of advice (or two) that you wish someone had given you before you started?
-- - Jason