Local history museums are like Icebergs

Our Historical Society Museums and Genealogical societies are our communities scrapbooks and antique collections – most of what is there is being preserved and in storage waiting for the appropriate exhibit or program to be featured. And managing all of this is complicated.

Congratulations to the Monroe Historical Society for winning the grant for a Museum assessment program. Running a local history museum is hard work. There are many rewards but the obligations can be overwhelming for volunteers and most of our small museums and genealogical groups are totally operated by unpaid history lovers who want to research and share. But there are difficult questions about what to keep for collections and what to say no to, finding volunteers to help keep our collections open, planning the next fresh new exhibit and the endless inventorying and cataloging, not to mention digitizing, publicity, programming…. Sometimes its just nice to get some outside input to help us focus on the big picture as well as the fun of the history. The Monroe museum has a great wealth of historic materials and newly written history on their website to build on for a new museum. Best of luck to them! http://monroehistoricalsociety.org/

The applications for next year’s round are on Association of American Museums Museum Assessment Program – FY 2010 Deadline: February 16, 2010

For conservation assessment grants see –

http://www.heritagepreservation.org/CAP/

Other grants –

National Endowment for the Humanities List of Grant programs

IMLS American Heritage Preservation Program

Karen Prasse
kprasse@yahoo.com
Stanwood Area Historical Society Volunteer www.sahs-fncc.org
& President, League of Snohomish County Heritage Organizations
www.snocoheritage.org

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