NOTES FROM DCHS BOARD RETREAT

26 FEBRUARY 2005

10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.

 

The Board of Directors of the Douglas County Historical Society held a retreat at the Watkins Museum on Saturday, 26 February 2005.  The purposes of the retreat were to provide the board members an opportunity to see the museum from top to bottom and to begin a dialogue about the future activities of the DCHS.  Due to the nature of the retreat (a large group of people moving from room to room throughout the museum, holding many simultaneous conversations) minutes were not recorded.  In lieu of official minutes, I offer the following personal summary of the main points that were raised during the tour and the discussion that followed.  Additions and corrections to this list will be appreciated.

 

I thank the board members who attended the retreat for devoting four hours of their weekend to the event, and thank Rebecca Phipps, Executive Director of the Watkins Museum, and her staff (Helen Krishe and Kerry Lippincott) for helping to make the retreat successful.

 

Community Room

·        The back wall of the room (not part of the original building) could be removed to enlarge the space.

·        A kitchen area should be installed in this area.

·        Moveable walls would make the space more flexible.

·        Bathrooms should be upgraded to be ADA compliant.

 

Boiler Room

·        The back door needs to be repaired or replaced, and an iron security gate might be added.

 

Offices

·        The area around office entrance needs to be spruced up.

·        Donations of tools for exhibit building and maintenance will be solicited from the membership via an article in the DCHS newsletter, or via a “tool shower” event.

·        A space needs to be identified somewhere in the building for an exhibits shop.

 

Front Entryway

·        Estimate for repairing the walls and repainting is $4000 to $6000.

 

Main Gallery

·        Inadequate lighting needs to be upgraded.

·        A Rice Foundation grant has been awarded to the museum to purchase ultraviolet filters for the windows.

·        The car may be relocated to a better spot.  It is a functioning automobile, so perhaps the best alternative is to house it in a garage where it could be used for parades.  If so, perhaps the automobile club would continue to maintain it.

 

To-be Rice Gallery

·        The woodwork from the non-structural wall downstairs will be moved to restore the walls of the Rice Gallery when it is renovated.

·        Funds are needed to refurbish the walls and ceiling (and remove drop ceiling) in this space—estimate is $6000 to $9000 for this work.

 

Archives

·        Helen Krishe is bringing together files, boxes, and other materials that were scattered throughout the building.

·        The first comprehensive inventory of the archives is being prepared (there was no inventory previously).

·        The process of sorting and re-housing archives is underway.

·        In the future, better use of the archives space can be made with the installation of floor-to-ceiling bookcases, etc.

·        The carpet needs to be replaced and the lighting improved.

 

Upper Gallery

·        The office will become a recording area.

·        The play area being renovated for reasons of liability and lack of educational programming.  Parents would leave their children unattended in this area for long periods of time, which causes many problems.

·        The playhouse is still open for the children.

·        The dress-up clothing has been relocated downstairs as part of the Prairie Gold exhibit

·        The lighting throughout the gallery is inadequate.

 

Curator’s Office

·        Kerry Lippincott explained how the Accession Committee functions.

·        A Deed of Gift and other documentation now in use was demonstrated.

·        Previous collection documentation is in disarray or missing.

 

Sub-attic Storage

·        The old window unit air conditioner needs to be replaced.

 

Attic Storage

·        The shelving needs to be re-configured to make more efficient use of the space.

·        More electrical service is needed.

·        The area has serious fire control issues—the gas fire suppression system would only be effective against a fire that started in storage; the remainder of the museum is not protected.

·        More safety ladders are needed.

·        Dust curtains are needed for the shelving.

·        The hatch and the lift need to be inspected for safety.

 

Textile Storage

·        The storage area has serious relative humidity problems.

 

Discussion during Lunch

 

Building Deed

·        The status of building ownership should be clarified with the museum’s legal counsel.

 

Off-site space

·        More space would help with crunch in the Watkins building.

 

Historic Structures Report

·        A Historic Structures Report will provide a master plan for the building with phased priorities for renovation.

·        Funding must be found for this report—we need about $50,000.

·        The report would be prepared by outside experts.

·        Lynne Zollner will provide names of grant agencies that might fund the report.

 

DCHS and Watkins

·        Is this location (Watkins building) where the museum should be?

·        Should DCHS have multiple sites?

·        Does the museum need off-site collection storage?  If so, how much, and where should it be located?

·        Does the museum need off-site for archives?

·        Can the DCHS work with Lawrence Public Library expansion in some way, while maintaining DCHS autonomy and protecting our interests?

·        The DCHS mission statement should be reworked to refine what the museum should collect and what the DCHS should do in the future.

·        The ongoing efforts to work with other historical societies in Douglas County and the area should continue.