HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda - 10-20-2009 - 6aORANGE COUNTY
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT
Meeting Date: October 20, 2009
Action Agenda
Item No. (p _ Q
SUBJECT: Heritage Center Work Group Interim Report
DEPARTMENT: Library Services
PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No
ATTACHMENT(S):
2009 Heritage Center Work Group
Preliminary Report
INFORMATION CONTACT:
Barbara Baker, Heritage Center Work
Group Facilitator, 919-622-3321
PURPOSE: To receive an initial report of the 2009 Heritage Center Work Group, to discuss the
findings outlined in the report and to authorize the Work Group to proceed with the next steps.
BACKGROUND: On June 16, 2009, the Board of County Commissioners approved the
composition and charge of a Heritage Center Work Group to respond to recommendations from
past task forces. Based on the work of three library task forces (2000, 2004 and 2007) and a
subgroup of the 2000 effort (an archival task force), the 2009 Work Group members were
charged with providing the BOCC with a clear snapshot of the financial and operational
requirements needed to support the needs and expectations of such a facility. Specifically, the
group was asked to do research and make recommendations related to the scope, organization,
financing, administration, collection development, and public/ private support for a proposed
Heritage Center.
The members of the Heritage Center Work Group are:
• Lucinda Munger, Director, Orange County Libraries
• Elizabeth Read, Executive Director, Alliance for Historic Hillsborough
• Darcie Beecroft Martin, Executive Director, Orange County Historical Museum
• Katharine Paulhamus, Executive Director, Burwell School
• Richard Ellington, Representative, Durham -Orange Genealogical Society
• Tina Moon, Staff to the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission
• Traci Davenport, Director, Chapel Hill Museum
• Ernest Dollar, Director, Preservation Society of Chapel Hill
• Laurie Paolicelli, Executive Director, Chapel Hill /Orange County Visitors Bureau
• Nicole Ard, Assistant Town Manager, Town of Hillsborough
• Carl Baumann, Volunteer, Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
• Carl Allen, Business Owner, Allen Financial Services
• Tamia Buckingham, Business Owner, Buckingham Business Services
• Danny Lloyd, Hillsborough City Executive, Cardinal State Bank
• Barbara Baker, Facilitator of the Work Group, Retired from DTCC
The Work Group's preliminary report with 1) a memorandum with further background, 2) a
worksheet on the anticipated scope of the Heritage Center, and 3) a memorandum on funding
for a consultant is included as Attachment #1. Key conclusions and recommendations are as
follows:
• Orange County's historic legacy should be preserved for future generations. These
irreplaceable historic resources currently housed at the various historical organizations in
Hillsborough, at the Public Library and elsewhere throughout the County are at risk of
deterioration and are inaccessible to the public for research. The County needs an
archival facility for proper storage and to provide public access to these collections.
A public-private venture, where the County partners with a 501(c)3 non-profit status will
likely offer the most optimal funding option for such a facility. The Historical Foundation
of Orange County and Hillsborough (an independent organization which is also under the
umbrella of the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough) may be able to serve as the non-profit
partner under a negotiated arrangement.
The Work Group recommends contracting with an expert consultant to "flesh-out" its
feasibility study with the details needed to pursue grant funding and to provide the County
with CIP and related budget information to bring this project into fruition. The Chapel Hill
- Orange County Visitor's Bureau has identified and it Board authorized $5,000 which
could be used for this purpose.
The County may have a suitable building in its existing surplus stock that could be
retrofitted for an archival facility at a much lower cost than new construction should the
BOCC ultimately choose to fund development of a proposed Heritage Center.
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The Chapel Hill -Orange County Visitor's Bureau has identified $5,000
in its existing budget which could be used for hiring a consultant to prepare a more detailed plan
for a Heritage Center /Public Archive facility.
RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board accept the initial findings
in the 2009 Heritage Center Work Group Report and authorize the Work Group to proceed with
the following next steps:
Hire a consultant from funds provided by the Chapel Hill -Orange County Visitors
Bureau to prepare a more detailed plan and do research including:
a. Surveying and making a recommendation on available facilities;
b. Analyzing collections in the County to determine what items would be appropriate
to be housed in the Heritage Center collection;
c. Analyzing and listing needed equipment;
d. Analyzing staffing needs;
e. Developing a proposed budget; and
f. Identifying potential private and public funding sources.
2. Assess the interest, intentions and requirements of the Board of Directors and
administrative staff of the Historical Foundation of Hillsborough and Orange County about
adding Heritage Center functions to its current offerings; and
3. Charge the 2009 Heritage Center Work Group to report on the findings of the consultant
and make further recommendations before May 2010.
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Heritage Center Work Group Preliminary Report
October 5, 2009
Introduction
After several discussions about the impending move of the Orange County Library, the Board of County
Commissioners (BOCC) on June 16, 2009 approved the composition and charge of a Heritage Center Work Group
to respond to recommendations by past task forces. Based on the work of three library task forces (2000, 2004,
and 2007) and subgroup of the 2000 effort (an archival task force), the Work Group members were charged with
providing the BOCC with a clear snapshot of the financial and operational requirements needed to support the
needs and expectations of such a facility. Specifically, the group was asked to do research and make
recommendations related td the scope, organization, financing, administration, collection development, and
public/private support for a Heritage Center.
From past task force agendas and meeting minutes/notes, the current Work Group has found while the 2000
Library Task Force was meeting an Archival Task Force was formed to evaluate and coordinate the preservation
and access of historical collections in downtown Hillsborough, in particular the Burwell School, the Alliance for
Historic Hillsborough, the Hillsborough Museum, the Orange County Library NC Room, and the Orange County
Register of Deeds.
In a January 2001 meeting of the Library Services Task Force, a representative of The Archival Task Force indicated
"the NC Room does not have sufficient space to house the collection. It was noted that it would require possibly
three to four times the space that the NC Room occupies to house the collection." The Archival Task Force report,
which was presented to the BOCC in November 2001 included a recommendation for "a new or expanded facility
[that] could accommodate all these important records. The Total Estimated Cost with staff [was) $507,500. On
page 15, the recommendations list The Orange County Heritage Center be built (perhaps on the deconstructed site
of Orange Enterprises) to house the records of the Social Services Department, the Health Department, the NC
Room of the Orange County Public Library and the collections of the Historic Hillsborough Commission (Burwell
School), the Hillsborough Historical Society, and the Orange County Historical Museum. The center will protect
and make historic records available to the public." No adoption of the report is recorded in the BOCC minutes.
An Archival Collection Task Force met again in January 2002 and notes from that meeting state "the group
determined that they were not prepared at this point to apply for a digitization project, but rather a planning
grant, since so many are in the midst of basic cataloguing. It was suggested that two important issues are at hand,
to consolidate or not and gaining an understanding of each colledion."
In February 2004, a Library Services Task Force was appointed to review the recommendations sent to the BOCC in
November 2001 by the 2000 Library Services Task Force. As part of that study, the chair of the Library Services
Task Force met with the Archival Task Force in August 2004 to review and evaluate Heritage Center
recommendations that had been part of the 2001 report to the BOCC. Notes from the meeting show the group
described the physical and organizational structure of a Heritage Center as "some library services retained, flexible
use of the center, gathering space for symposiums and speaker[s], meeting room(s), small auditorium with kitchen
attached, opportunities for artists displays, security including lockers [for] visitor bags, strict research environment,
the assessed value of the collection should equal the amount of security, identify parts of collection that are most
valuable an[d] keep in separate area, need adequate staffing including an archivist and a librarian, need an archival
preservation and use policy, need non-public space for processing successions." The group went on to discuss
support for consolidating the collections in an accessible and secure environment with archival storage and
partnerships with special collections housed at UNC. The report to the BOCC on October 19 by the 2004 Library
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Services Task Force included the following recommendation: [#5 of 9} "Establish an Orange County Heritage
Center of historical and archival material. There is about $120,000 in an endowment fund set aside for this
purpose."
Awareness by BOCC members of the Heritage Center proposals was documented in minutes from two BOCC
meetings. At a BOCC work session on October 25, 2004, the new main library facility and the Heritage Center were
part of the report on capital needs of the County, but were not specifically discussed. Minutes from a joint session
with the Hillsborough Town Board on February 17, 2005 indicate Commissioner Jacobs said "they talked in the
legislative goals committee about seeking some monies from beyond the borders of Orange County for the
Heritage Center, so that wherever there is an expanded library facility, there can be one central location for all the
records and artifacts."
At an April 14, 2005 work session a discussion of needed capital funding included the need for a new library
facility, but a Heritage Center was not mentioned. On September 13, 2005 the BOCC held a work session at which
a Capital Investment Plan worksheet listed the Heritage Center as separate from the library and $112,000 available
from the Rebecca Wall Fund.
In response to the November 2, 2006 announcement that the County Campus in Hillsborough would include a
23,450 square feet library facility, Cathleen Turner, then the Executive Director of the Alliance for Historic
Hillsborough, appeared before the BOCC during public comments stating "as this new library will be only 24,000 sq
ft, rather than the 34,000 sq ft recommended, a Heritage Center must be provided. This sort of facility is no longer
an optional amenity to be tucked into a corner somewhere, but an essential requirement with the added benefit
that it draws throngs of people to the area every year." According to the minutes of the meeting, Commissioner
Gordon responded by saying "it is important to have a comprehensive library services plan. She said that the task
force [to be discussed] later on in the agenda could do this. She thinks that the group needs to get back to the
Board on the comprehensive plan so that the Board could act on it before it acts further on the debt issuance
schedule:'
On January 23, 2007 the BOCC established the 2007 Library Services Task Force. This group reported to the BOCC
in December 2007 and May 2008. Listed as "immediate next steps" recommended by the 2007 Library Services
Task Force was "1) Establishments of the Heritage Center."
On June 16, 2009 the Board of County Commissioners approved the following charge for the 2009 Heritage Center
Work Group:
In order to provide the BOCC with a clear snapshot of the financial and operational support needed to support
the needs and expectations of such a facility, the Work Group would evaluate and provide recommendations
on the following:
• Scope-The physical breadth and design concept, featuring square footage, collection size and storage
of materials
• Organization -The structure and detail regarding partners and their responsibilities, staffing
considerations, business planning, and likely, the formation of a 501(c)3,
• Financing -The identification of funding sources, including projections of revenue and operational
expenses, start up and continuing
• Administration-A recommended plan of board governance, fiscal controls, and executive leadership
• Collection Development -The future growth of the collection and ongoing financial stewardship
requirements
• Public / Private Support for the Center-The necessity of private capital to develop and sustain a
viable and quality operation
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The Work Group would report back to the BOCC in the fall prior to the approval of the CIP at the October 20,
2009. The Work Group would be scheduled to sunset by the end of 2009.
A more complete summary, with references, of past actions an library facilities and a Heritage Center is included as
Attachment A.
On the basis of past activity and discussion the 2009 Heritage Center Work Group was appointed to "evaluate and
provide direction to the BOCC on the scope, organization, financing, administration; and public/private support"
for a proposed Heritage Center." The members of the Work Group are
• Lucinda Munger, Director, Orange County Library
• Elizabeth Read, Executive Director, Alliance for Historic Hillsborough
• Darcie Beecroft Martin, Executive Director, Orange County Historical Museum
• Katharine Paulhamus, Executive Director, Burwell School
• Richard Ellington, Representative, Durham-Orange Genealogical Society
• Tina Moon, Staff to the Orange County Historic Preservation Commission
• Traci Davenport, Director, Chapel Hill Museum
• Ernest Dollar, Director, Preservation Society of Chapel Hill
• Laurie Paolicelli, Executive Director, Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau
• Nicole Ard, Assistant Town Manager, Town of Hillsborough
• Carl Baumann, Volunteer, Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE)
• Carl Allen, Business Owner, Allen Financial Services
• Tamia Buckingham, Business Owner, Buckingham Business Services
• Danny Lloyd, Hillsborough City Executive, Cardinal State Bank
• Barbara Baker, Facilitator ofthe Work Group, Retired from DTCC
Following on the work of three previous Library Services Task Forces, this Work Group is the fourth group that has
examined the possibility of establishing an Orange County Heritage Center. Members of the current Work Group
agree there is a strong need for cooperation and coordination among organizations involved in preserving,
showcasing, and making available documents and items related to the history of the County. Further, members of
the group strongly agree there is a need for a facility to properly preserve, archive, and store items to ensure they
will be available for future generations.
The ultimate purpose of this 2009 Heritage Center Work Group is to make recommendations to determine the
feasibility of establishing a Heritage Center and a plan for implementation of ideas developed in past Task Forces
based on the current situation.
It became evident to Work Group members early in the discussions that the charge to the group was too broad to
be fully addressed within the time frame suggested by the BOCC. The business partners who are members of the
group have been particularly helpful in bringing attention to the need for deliberate and careful planning while
examining the scope, organization, and administration of a potential Orange County Heritage Center.
After three meetings, it also became apparent members of the current Work Group do not believe the Heritage
Center will be a collection point for all of the local history materials and objects in the County. County agencies
represented on prior task forces have not been included in the current conversation because they have developed
their own methods for archiving records and making them available to the public as appropriate. Several agencies
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represented on the current Work Group indicated mission-specific materials would not be moved from their
current locations. The most important function fora center is to collect, archive, and preserve sensitive pieces of
the history of the County. As a response to this specialized function, Work Group members believe archive
planning and management expertise, not available from Work Group members because of their work
responsibilities and/or personal skills, is needed.
Methodology
The Work Group began by examining past work on the topic by County committees and task forces. The Work
Group has used face-to-face meetings and communication via email to examine the issues with which it is charged.
Internet searches allowed Work Group members to get information on similar enterprises in other communities.
The Work Group has met five (5) times since Monday, July 13. The first meeting focused on establishing the
current state of heritage-center-type services in the County. The second meeting, held on July 24, resulted in
developing a list of elements to be included in a draft vision statement for a Heritage Center. Between the second
and third meetings the draft vision statement was distributed by email and an alternative vision statement was
proposed. At the beginning of the August 19 meeting the vision statement was discussed and an alternative was
emailed to the group between August 19 and September 3: For the August 19 meeting, the business partners
were asked to facilitate a discussion of scope that would lead to further discussions about organization and
administration for a Heritage Center. Email communications, including a scope document listing materials and
items to be moved into a Heritage Center by each represented organization (see attachment B), and discussions
between the third and fourth meetings led to a conversation at the September 3 meeting about support for the
Heritage Center, especially in terms of moving materials from existing agencies into another facility, and housing
the Heritage Center with an existing agency instead of adding another agency to the community. A meeting on
September 17 was used to begin formulating recommendations for an October report to the BOCC.
Background
The history, heritage and culture contained within Orange County's boundaries are a microcosm of our nation's
history. The original 13 colonies expanded and our country ultimately became a collective of 50 individual states.
Orange County and its people also prospered, spread out and grew from a single large county on the western
frontier founded in the middle of 18th century North Carolina. We have split into a group of counties now
numbering twelve that contain our state capital, several world-class universities and medical centers, metropolitan
centers and small towns, educators, farmers and people of all colors, all walks of life and ethnic backgrounds.
We go all the way from the first state-run university in the middle of the 18`h century to one of the original
racetracks in the history of NASCAR in the middle of the 20th century. It can be argued that the first acts of
rebellion in our nation's fight for independence occurred when shots were fired in Orange County by our own
people at Alamance Battleground. It can also be argued that this nation's terrible Civil War effectively ended in
Orange County at Bennett Place when the largest contingent of surrendering Confederate troops laid down their
arms and we began our return to one nation again.
Orange County's history and heritage should be collected, preserved, maintained and fostered, while we still can.
We must assemble the pieces of this history and present it to our current and future generations even as we
continue to add to it. We need to show the pride due to a county that has produced so much history by its acts and
its people. It is the very least we can do.
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There is not a single repository for the totality of information related to Orange County history. There are instead
several agencies collecting and preserving specific facets of the history. None of the agencies represented on the
Work Group has archival processing services or environmentally appropriate storage space within their facilities.
The representatives of the historically oriented agencies who serve on the Work Group have agreed they are
interested in the preservation, appropriate storage, cataloging, and archiving of the most sensitive records of the
County. Sensitive documents may include, but are not limited to, original maps, personal journals, materials
and/or letters collected as histories of groups or families, art work, oral history collections, family Bibles,
certificates, photographs, drawings, personal papers of government officials, etc. The members of the Work
Group have agreed not all original records could be moved to one location immediately because the missions of
the agencies (see attachment B) call for collecting documentation and objects related to their specific purposes.
Over time it is envisioned that more and more items may be relocated to the Heritage Center and that other
records will be solicited specifically for the collection of the Heritage Center.
The Work Group members agree there is a need for a central collection agency that complements the missions of
the existing agencies that has appropriate storage and preservation expertise to ensure aging records are collected
and maintained. It is imperative access be provided for local and visiting researchers at regularly-scheduled hours
that are convenient for all who want access. In support of these agreements the following vision statement has
been adopted to guide further work:
The Orange County Heritage Center will be a centrally located public archive, opened at convenient hours for
public users, designed to house existing and future collections of various historical and cultural organizations in
Orange County. The facility will provide the space and equipment to read and, where appropriate, reproduce
items from the collection, and will include current computer technologies to access digital records, online
catalogues and databases from complementary repositories that support local research.
It is also agreed that an Orange County Heritage Center is not intended to duplicate, but is to complement, existing
documentation available from the N. C. Department ofArchives and History, the North Carolina Collection housed
in the Wilson Library on the campus ofUNC-Chapel Hill, or other available resources. Partnerships with these, and
other, agencies can provide access to a large amount of information. Of particular interest for partnering is a
Digital Heritage Center under development at UNC-Chapel Hill. Technology should be used to access these
collections and others that will result in complete access to the history of the place and people that are Orange
County. The Digital Heritage Center, housed within the UNC Library, is intended to provide digitization and hosting
services for cultural heritage materials held by libraries, archives, historical societies, and other institutions in the
state of North Carolina. Their goal is to offer broad and integrated access to digital representatives of these
materials to the citizens of the state, teachers, students, and researchers across North Carolina and beyond.
Each agency represented on the Work Group reports out-of-town visitors to their facilities seeking more
information on County history and access to documentation. The agency representatives believe the presence of a
Heritage Center in Hillsborough will provide an opportunity to better provide more complete historical information
to out-of-town visitors who currently visit their facilities. All Work Group members believe a Heritage Center as a
historical research facility will be a recognized destination that will attract more visitors to the County and will
encourage tourists to spend money on lodging, shopping, and dining while in the County.
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Existing catalogs and documents in agencies represented on the Work Group could be digitized with funding from
grants available for that purpose. A combined digital file could be made available in a central location, to all
agencies, and through the World Wide Web with computer technology.
Agreement on several other issues has resulted from the Work Group's research, discussion and consideration.
Specifically, no currently existing agency has the facilities, expertise, or the staff to take on these additional
cataloging, archiving, and public service responsibilities.
The Heritage Center concept fits into the mission of the Historical Foundation of Hillsborough and Orange County
which operates the Orange County Historical Museum, but the Museum does not have space or the organizational
capacity to support this additional function in its current 2,000 square feet facility. As published on the Museum's
web site, the mission and goals of the Foundation are
Our Mission
The mission of the Historical Foundation of Hillsborough and Orange County is to enlighten and
engage our community and visitors from around the world by preserving and interpreting the
history of Hillsborough and Orange County.
Our Goals
• Operate the Orange County Historical Museum.
• Collect, preserve, catalog, and house historic artifacts and documents relevant to
Hillsborough and Orange County history, applying professional techniques towards this
end.
• Use the foundation's collections as a tool for educating the public about our history
through exhibits, in-house and outreach programs, public lectures, publications, and
special events:
• Make historic documents, artifacts, photographs, and other records available to those
researching Hillsborough and Orange County history.
• Provide support and assistance for historic preservation efforts in Hillsborough and Orange
County.
Government support of archiving records and making them available is considered important, but Work Group
members agree apublic/private partnership that includes seeking funding from grantors and other revenue
streams will be necessary to ensure the sustainability of a Heritage Center. Work Group members believe the
private partner should carry a 501(c)3 designation. Resources from both government and private supporters
would ensure both local and out-of--town visitors spend more time and money in the County experiencing Orange
County history.
Further, Work Group members believe electronic technologies will allow the collections of the Heritage Center to
be shared with aworld-wide audience and attract more visitors to Hillsborough and Orange County. Electronic
access to the collections of the Heritage Center should be considered from the beginning of its existence.
Possible funding sources for the Heritage Center were discussed in meetings of the Work Group. Some of those
included the State Library of North Carolina, the National Endowment for the Humanities, other federal and state
government resources, additional Orange County funds, private foundations, and the Rebecca Wall bequest to the
Orange County library. It was agreed that discussion of funding sources should follow more systematic planning
for the scope, organization, and programming of the Heritage Center.
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Work Group members believe the establishment of a Heritage Center in Orange County is so important that it
must be planned for and implemented with help from experts in the field of management of archives and
preservation of records. Specifically, an individual with expertise in the development of archive and/or museum-
type facilities is needed to a) survey and make a recommendation on available facilities; b) analyze and list needed
equipment; c) analyze and list needed equipment; d) analyze organizational structure and staffing needs; ej
develop a proposed budget; and f) identify potential funding sources. Work Group member and Chapel
Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau (CHOCVB) Executive Director Laurie Paolicelli discussed the need for
professional assistance, especially as it relates to bringing more visitors to the County, with the Board of Directors
of the CHOCVB at its September 16 business meeting (Attachment C). She reports the board of directors of the
Chapel Hill/Orange County Visitors Bureau approved the expenditure of approximately $5,000 for funds to hire a
consultant to conduct an independent assessment of creating a Hillsborough site for genealogical and archival
materia-s.
Conclusions
• Orange County's historic legacy should be preserved for future generations. Irreplaceable historic
resources currently housed at the various historical organizations in Hillsborough, at the Public Library,
and elsewhere throughout the County are at risk of deterioration and are inaccessible to the public for
research. The County needs an archival facility to properly store and provide public access to these
collections.
• Apublic-private venture, where the County partners with a 501(c)3 non-profit will likely offer the most
funding options for such a facility. The Historical Foundation of Orange County and Hillsborough (under
the umbrella of the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough) may be able to serve as the non-profit partner.
• The Work Group recommends contracting with a consultant to "flesh-out" its findings with the details
needed to pursue grant funding and to provide the County with CIP and related budget information to
bring this project into fruition. The Chapel Hill-0range County Visitor's Bureau has identified $5,000
which could be used for this purpose.
• The County may have a suitable building in its existing surplus stock that could be retrofitted for an
archival facility at a much lower cost than constructing a new facility.
Recommendations
The Heritage Center Work Group recommends a phased approach to determining feasibility and implementation
of the establishment of a proposed Orange County Heritage Center and for the first phase recommends:
1. Extending the December 2009 "sunset" date of the Heritage Center Work Group until May 2010 and ask
the group to work with the consultant, providing feedback, reviewing findings, and presenting
recommendations, based on the consultant's work, to the BOCC.
2. Contracting with a consultant for professional services for a period of time not to exceed six months to a)
survey and make a recommendation on available facilities; b) analyze collections in the County to
determine what items would be appropriate for the Heritage Center collection; c) analyze and list needed
equipment; d) analyze staffing needs; e) develop a proposed budget; and f) identify potential funding
sources. Responsible Agency: Historical Foundation of Hillsborough and Orange County and 2009
Heritage Center Work Group. Funding: Orange County/Chapel Hill-Orange County Visitors Bureau
(funding already approved by the CHOCVB Board)
3. Assessing the interest, intentions, and requirements of the Board of Directors and administrative staff of
the Historical Foundation of Hillsborough and Orange County about adding Heritage Center functions to
its current offerings
4. Exploring grant funding and a partnership with the UNC School of Information and Library Science for
internships to facilitate digital duplication, photographing, and cataloging of historic collections in the
County.
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In the second phase of the study, the Work Group members envision a report from the consultant with potential
next steps to be considered that may include recommendations for a formal contract with the Historical
Foundation of Hillsborough and Orange County to provide Heritage Center services, potential funding options, and
possible staffing and service plans. The Work Group members believe it is very important to have swell-thought-
out, tactical plan for investing both public and private funding in an Orange County Heritage Center.
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MEMORANDUM
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Gwen Harvey Assistant County Manager
Lucinda Munger, Orange County Library Director
RE: NC Room /Heritage Center -Additional Background for the
Board.of County Commissioners (BOCC) .
DATE: May 5, 2009
The Heritage Genter has been an item of discussion since the original inception
in the Library Services Task Force 2000. During the Task Force discussions, an
Archival Task Force was formed to evaluate and coordinate the preservation and
access of historical collections in downtown Hillsborough, in particular the
Burwell School, the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough, the Hillsborough Museum,
the Orange County Library NC Room, and the Orange County Register of Deeds.
Due to the passage of time and three evaluations of this type of facility in Library
Services Task Forces 2000, 2004 and 2007, we thought it helpful to convey
additional background and perhaps greater context as the BOCC considers this
item again. Our close review of previous BOCC agenda materials and minutes
(dating back to June 2000) permit us to provide the following chronology of
events and conclusions we hope will assist the BOCC in its decision-making.
All documentation for the chronoloav of events is available from the
Library Director.
June 6.2000
BOCC appointed a Library Services Task Force `to evaluate branch library
proposals currently on-the-table, examine the adequacy of the county's current
facilities and make recommendations about potential future library sites."
September 2000
The Archival Task Force met to discuss collections and opportunities of a
merged collection. The Archival Task Force was comprised of the Historic
Hillsborough Commission (Burwell School), Hillsborough Historical Society,
Orange County Deeds and Records (Register of Deeds), Orange County
Historical Museum, and Orange County Library (NC Room). During the meeting
it was discussed key to the task force study, "is to find a place to house all of
these resources." In order to determine size, "this group should begin to assess
what is in place at the Burwell School, Museum and Historical Society." In
addition, there was a question as to "who would own the materials in this facility if
atl of the collections are merged."
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January 22.2001
The BOCC received a letter from the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough` to the
Commissioners requesting that the expansion or relocation of the NC Room
facility in the library. in the letter the Archival Task Force specifically identified
the following areas of concern: the nature and extent of the various collections;
conservation issues; accessibility to collections; and space requirements.
January 22.2001
A Library Services Task Force meeting was held. As a part of the agenda, the
Archival Collection Task Force was discussed. The Archival Task Force
representative indicated at the meeting that, `the NC Room does not have
sufficient space to house the collection. it was noted that it would require
possibly three to four times the space that the NC Room occupies to house the
collection.' The Library Services Task Force indicated in their minutes that
`20,000 square feet would be needed for archival space.'
November 13.2001
BOCC received the final report from the Library Services Task Force of 2000.
The report stated "a new or' expanded facility could accommodate all these
important records. The Total Estimated Cost with staff is $507,500. On page
15, the recommendations list The Orange County Heritage Center be built
(perhaps on the deconstructed site of Orange Enterprises) to house the records
of the Social Services Department, the Health Department, the NC Room of the
Orange County Public Library and the collections of the Historic Hillsborough
Commission (Burwell School), the Hillsborough Historical Society, and the
Orange County Historical Museum. The center will protect and make historic
records available to the public.' No adoption of the report is recorded in the
BOCC minutes. In the minutes, Commissioner Jacobs. refers to °the $112,000.
endowment for the Heritage Center and that staff may want to look at this in
relation to the space needs study and see how the proposed heritage center
might fit in with the plans for the Whiffed area."
November 15.2001
The Archival Task Force met to discuss a draft letter to the commissioners
regarding expanding space for the NC Room collection. The State Library
digitizing project was on the agenda, as well as the museum database program
called ~PastPerfect, which allows small institutions to catalogue their collections.
January 30.2002
The Archival Collection Task Force met to recap to date the plans and to provide
direction for a future meeting. The group determined that they were not prepared
at this point to apply for a digitization project, but rather a planning grant, since so
many are in the midst.of basic cataloguing. It was suggested that two important
issues are at hand, "to consolidate or not and gaining an understanding of each
COIIeCtIOn.'
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December 9.2003
During the December 9~' special BOCC meeting, the BOCC had heard from the
Friends of the Library of the reduction in usable size at the main facility and was
concerned. Following the special meeting, a regularly scheduled BOCC meeting
was held. Barry Jaoobs requested during Board comments that `in reference to
the renovation of the library space in the Whiffed Building, the Library Task Force
needs to be reactivated.... The task force would talk about the future of the
library."
February 3.2004
The BOCC reconved the Library Services Task Force of 2004 to review the
recommendations from the Library Services Task Force Report of 2000
submitted to the Board of County Commissioners in November 2001. The
charge to the Task Force was to `review the November 2001 Report and to
subsequently make recommendations to improve library services /facilities in
Orange County specifically related to the expansion of the Central Library in
Hillsborough and the branch library in Carrboro.`
August 18.2004 '
As part of the re-convened Library Services Task Force, the Chair of the Task
Force met with the Archival Task Force to review and evaluate the Heritage
Center recommendation of 2001. On page 2, the Museum representative
indicated "that the artifacts that are at the Museum will stay at the museum,
unless there is a combined Heritage Center /Museum.' In this meeting the
group defined the organizational structure of a Heritage Center on page 3, °some
library services retained, flexible use of the center, gathering space for
symposiums and speaker, meeting room(s), small auditorium with kitchen
attached, opportunities for artists displays, security including lockers of visitor
bags, strict research environment, the assessed value of the collection should
equal.the amount of security, identify parts of collection that are most valuable an
keep in separate area, need adequate staffing including an archivist and a
librarian, need an archival preservation and use policy, need non-public space for
processing su~essions. The use policy was discussed extensively." There was
support to `unanimously consolidate the collections in an accessible and secure
environment, given certain archival policies and procedures are followed.' The
group, also, 'discussed the possibility of donations from private family collections
if the facility were adequate and staffed appropriately. Work should be in
partnership with special wllec~ions at UNC, communlc~tfon has already been
established.' '
October 19. 2004 - BOCC received the final report from the Library Services
Task Force of 2004. The Final Report addressed the following major areas,
among other opportunifies: Construction of a new Central Library; Consolidation
of the Cybrary and McDougie Branch Libraries in Carrboro; Establishment of an
Orange County Heritage Center; and Establishment of a Branch Library to serve
the Efland-Cheeks Township.
15
13
The report stated: Recommendation 5 of 9 is to "Establish an Orange County
heritage center of historical and archival material. There is about $120,000 in an
endowment fund set aside for this purpose ° This report was received only.
Commissioner Gordon asked staff to "run cost figures for the recommendations
of the task force and the potential sources of revenue.° Commissioner Halkiotis
suggested "putting this on the upcoming agenda for the discussion. of space
needs. And that the County should have discussions with the Town of
Hillsborough about c~ntribufions to the library." Commissioner Jacobs agreed
with Halkiotis and added that the "Board can start to look at this in terms of space
needs and talk about who is going to work on the long-range plan." John Link
confirmed "that the Board wanted to have this as an item for discussion on
October 25"', as part of the discussion for looking at the funding policy for
capital."
October 25.2004
A BOCC worksession was held regarding funding policy for capital. The new
main library facility and the Heritage Center were part of the report on space
needs; however, there was no dialogue from the Commissioners in the minutes
directly related to these facilities. There was one library item mentioned by
Commissioner Jacobs who said to "mention the downtown library branch in
Carrboro because it was part of the adopted library plan " To date, the
Commissioners have not adopted the 2000 or 2004 Library services Task Force
reports.
February 2005 .
The BOCC held their Board retreat During the retreat Jacobs said, "if there
could note be a bond this year, then the Board needs to address the siting of a
library in the central part of the County. There has not been a decision about
whether it would go with the community college or somewhere else. He does not
want to lose the momentum." Commissioner Halkiotis agreed and "suggested
making this part of the agenda for the meeting with Hillsborough in February
2005."
February 17.2005
The Town of Hillsborough Board and the ~BOCC held their joint work session.
During the discussion regarding expanding library services, Jacebs said, "that
they talked in the legislative goals committee about seeking some monies from
beyond the borders of Orange County for the Heritage Center, so that wherever
there is an expanded library facility, there can be one central location for all the
records and artifacts ° Commissioner Halkiotis said that, "this is a wonderful
opportunity to collaborate in a similar way that the County did with Carrboro and
the Cybrary. He agrees that the County doss not spend enough on library
services. It will take a joint effort.° Commissioner Hallman said, "that they have
talked about sharing with the county in the funding. Hillsborough is serious about
this."
16
/ y-
April 14.2005
The BOCC held a work session on Capital funding included the new library
facility, but did not mention the Heritage Center. During the meeting,
Commissioner Jacobs "noted that one of the recommendations of the Library
Task Force was a library in Carrboro. There needs to be a decision on this." No
other Commissioner weighed in toward this comment.
Seot 13.2005
The BOCC held a work session regarding Capital Funding Matters including a
Capital .Investment Plan worksheet, which included the Carrboro Library and
funding toward the purchase of land. Listed separately were the Heritage Center
and the $112,000 from the Rebecca Wail Fund. There were no direct comments
in the BOCC minutes.
October 17.2005
A 2004 Facilities Study Group report was presented. In this report, the Property
for a Carrboro Library was a key recommendation. This update indicated that
there would `limited capital funding available to address the priorities set forth in
the Library Task Force report, which also prescribes a large central library facility
in Hillsborough. There was a suggestion to "have the Board to adopt a principle
that encourages the Town to provide partnership funding in order to bring the
library to fruition more quickly." Commissioner Jacobs asked "staff to come back
with a resolution to that effect."
November 15.2005
The BOCC approved 50/50 Resolutions Requesting the Towns of Hillsborough
and Carrboro to partner 50/50 with the Hyconeechee Regional Library System
and County for the Development of Free-Standing Branch Libraries. These were
signed and sent to the corresponding boanls.
June 15.2006
During a BOCC work session, Commissioner Jacobs suggested "having the
Library Director and other staff work on the possibility of the library at Gravelly
Hill or the community center in Efland."
November 2.2006
At the BOCC meeting the Public Heartng and consideration for Approval for the
Expanded County Campus Proposal was held. The announcement of the county
campus ihcluded a 23, 450 square foot new library facility in Hillsborough, as part
of the $23.4 million project.
December 12.2006
During the BOCC meeting, Cathleen Turner -Exec Director pf the Alliance for
Historic Hillsborough spoke during public comments regarding the new library.
'As this new library will be only 24,000 sq ft, rather than the 34,000 sq ft
recommended, a Heritage Center must be provided. This sort of facility is no
17
/5
longer an optional amenity to be tucked into a comer somewhere, but an
essential requirement with the added benefit that it draws throngs of people to
the area every year." Commissioner Gordon said, "it is important to have a
comprehensive library services plan". She said the task force later on in the
agenda [item to establish the Library Services Task Force 2007] could do this.
She thinks that the group needs to get back to the Board on the comprehensive
plan so that the Board could act on it before it acts further on the debt issuance
schedule."
January 23.2007
The BOCC established the Library Services Task Force 2007 to review and
update the Library Services Task Force Report of 2004. '
December 3.2007
The Library Services Task Force Report of 2007 was presented to the BOCC,
including the Library Services Standards and Capital & Operational Requests for
the Southwest Regional Branch, the new main facility and the Heritage Center.
These documents were accepted. .
Mav 20.2008 .
The Library Services Task Farce Report of 2007 was presented to the BOCC
The report stated: The Executive Summary focused on three principles:
1) a regional approach; .
2) collaborative county-side planning;
3) a 3 - 5 year plan to address immediate needs.
The immediate next steps that were recommended
1) Establishment of the Heritage Center and construction of a
Southwest Regional Library branch;
2) A study of the advantages and disadvantages of a county-
wide jointly operated technical support system.;
3) Ongoing reviews of progress toward meeting library faalities
recommendations and service standards.
Commission Nelson and Gordon motioned to accept the Library Services
Standards and Facilities Needs Matrix and direct county library management to
begin discussions for greater collaboration with the Town of Chapel Hill.
i ~ n L F-Y rY+ Yi N l ~
OCHC Scope Worksheet
Materials Orisinal or Source Special Storase Space Requirements Expansion Needs
Co Or anization Re uirements
Various maps of Orange County Maps should be Space needed
Orange County Public Library stored in a map depends on the size
(OC), neighboring (OCPL) cabinet. of the cabinet chosen
counties and NC. plus room for the
drawers to open.
Map Bin
Current bin owned by
the library 31 x 18".
Microfilm/fiche OCPL Microforms The collection Depends on the
cabinet(s) mentioned can fit OCHC's collection
U.S. Federal Census into one microfilm development policy.
for most of NC from cabinets currently
1779 to 1930 owned by the library The US makes the
OC records: which is 27x19" plus population schedules
Marriage records and drawer allowance. available to the public
bonds, record of after 70 years. 1940
deeds, index to will be the next to be
deeds- released. They should
grantor/grantee, be available in
wills, court minutes microfilm, CDs and
and records, estate online.
records, tax records,
county Maybe plans in
commissioners conjunction with
minutes: 1868-1886, UNC Digital Heritage
poor house, NC Center to digitize OC
troops, WPA pre records.
1914 cemetery
inscri tions and
J
records of Moravians
in NC vol. IX
Printed materials OCPL
Journals: 271inear feet or Journal collections
Back issues of NC approximately 9 only stop growing if
Historical Review, shelves the subscription is
Durham-Orange discontinued; if the
Genealogical Society publication is
(DOGS) available only in
publications, Trading electronically or if the
Path publications, title is no longer
National being published. Most
Genealogical Society of the journals
(NGS) publications, mentioned grow
various out of print between 1-flinches a
NC historical year.
journals and any
duplicates of the
Historical
Hillsborough Society
Journals
High School Year 3 linear feet or one
Books: Hillsborough, shelf
Central and Orange
County High Schools
College Year Books:
L?NC-Chapel Hill
Family pedigrees and Kept in filing cabinet
brief histories (two drawers)
Microfilm Cabinet OCPL 27x19" plus drawer
allowance.
cfl
Microfilm/fiche OCPL Varies; OCML's
Reader/Printer current reader/printer
is 29x34" plus chair
allowance
Two drawer filing OCPL 30x20" plus drawer
drawer allowance
Other Possible OCPL Depends upon the
Donations size of the computer
workstation, OCMB
Online Databases: computer workstation
Ancestry.com area is approximately
Heritage Quest 4'x5'
Microfilm
subscription of News
of Oran e
African-American Original Alliance for Historic Four file boxes
history on cassettes Hillsborough
and videotapes.
Photos of historic ? One file box
buildings and notes
on
general architecture.
Three large Original
scrapbooks
1960's - 2006
Occoneechee history, Original Orange County Four filing cabinets
Family Bibles and Historical Museum Two shelves of boxes
flat maps.
Also maintains
Hillsborough
Historical
Socie collection
Archaeology Copy of Copy Orange County One filing cabinet
Historic
N
O
Flat file with maps Copy Preservation
Commission
Scrapbook Original
Note: Some of the
information is not
open to the public.
Digitized material Copy The Burwell School 12 cubic feet
and the Hillsborough
Historical
Commission
No material Preservation Society None
of Cha el Hill
No material Durham-Orange None
Genealogical Society
No material Chapel Hill Museum None
No material Chapel Hill None
Historical Socie
N
...~
Chapel HilUOrange County Visitors Bureau 22
501 Franklin Street • Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27516
Telephone: 919-968-2064 • Toll-free: 888-968-2060 • Faac 919-968-2062
E-mail: lpaolicelli@visitchayelhill o~
September 20, 2009
To: Bazbaza Baker; Facilitator of Heritage Center visioning task force
Cc: Lucinda Munger, Director for Orange County Library
Fr: Laurie Paolicelli, Director, Visitors Bureau
Re: .Business and Reseazch Consultant next step
Bazbaza:
Thank you for your leadership of the task force/steering committee which is researching the idea
of a Heritage Center/Genealogical Archive space in Orange County, NC.
Under your leadership, members of this steering committee have been chazged with developing a
recommendation and plan to be presented at an October commissioners meeting. The plan will
include details as to how and where such a proposed facility would be established as well as how
it would be sustained long term.
Our steering committee agreed that we have a sense of the parameters required for such an
endeavor and we need to proceed towazds hiring a contracted project coordinator to be
responsible for Devaluating available sites for the Heritage Center/Museum; 2) figuring out what
types of equipmenbspecial azeas might be needed to prepaze, store, and make available materials
in an azchival appropriate environment; 3) figuring out what the staffing needs would be for the
type of services identified by the work group; and 4) identifying possible funding sources.
Our committee estimates that the archivist's time and report will cost an estimated $4,850.00.
At its September 16 business meeting, the board of directors of the Chapel Hill/Orange County
Visitors Bureau approved the expenditure of approximately $5,000 for funds to hire a
business/mazket professional to conduct an independent assessment of what we have to work with
locally; and how that compares to other communities that have carved out aself-sustaining,
tourism/ archives-focused Heritage style free-standing agency (Johnston County is an example).
This person will work for the Visitors Bureau and have access to its office and equipment if
necessary.
The next step is developing an RFP and finding the right person to fulfill this work.
Thank you for your leadership on this project and I am happy to be able to contribute solid
reseazch that will help us position this Heritage Center in a manner that meets the findings of the
needs assessment that will be conducted by this consultant.
Let me know how we can help moving forwazd.
Supporting tourism in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Hillsborough North Carolina