UPCOMING SHOWS:
RECENT SHOWS:
TAGS:
Society's History
- LATEST COMMENTS
- Regarding the racisim behind interning the Japanese, yes, an uncle ... - annak
- - trurl9
- and when those places are lost we need a safe ... - SandyP
Just two weeks after Oregon celebrated 150 years of history, one of the state's major repositories for archived materials announced it was cutting one third of its staff in the face of budget shortfalls. The Oregon Historical Society has been around for more than 100 years. Its library and museum are home to 2.5 million photographs as well as maps, newspapers, audio recordings and other historical items. Most of the 15 staff members who were laid off in late February worked at the library, helping local historians with research for independent and academic projects. Many of these researchers and other supporters gathered outside the Oregon Historical Society earlier this month to show their disapproval of the organization's decision to reduce staff and temporarily close the library (they say it will reopen by the end of the month). Deborah Olsen posted on our site to suggest we address this issue on our show.
The Oregon Historical Society is certainly not alone in facing tough choices in a down economy. Clackamas Heritage Partners (CHP), which manages the museums and other cultural sites in Oregon City, had to suspend operations earlier this month due to severe budget shortfalls. Executive director David Porter is currently working without pay to try to raise funds to reopen the museum and continue CHP's ambitious Willamette Falls Access project, which would create a new tourist destination in the oldest incorporated city west of the Rocky Mountains. Beyond Oregon, many historical societies across the country including institutions in New Jersey, Nevada, Ohio, and Virigina have cut hours and laid off staff. In Nevada, the museum may be closed in order to keep the library operational.
How do you use Oregon's historical resources? What is most important to you when it comes to archival material — keeping an accessible calalogue in a library or displaying objects and information in a musuem? How is the recession forcing historical institutions to redefine how they serve the public?
GUESTS:
- Michael Bales: Freelance writer and editor and co-author with Ann Terry Hill of Pendleton Round-Up at 100: Oregon's Legendary Rodeo
- George Vogt: Executive director of the Oregon Historical Society and a trained historian and archivist with experience at the National Archives and the University of Virginia Special Collections Department
- David Porter: Executive director of Clackamas Heritage Partners and a member of the Oregon Museums Association and the Western Museums Association
- Michael Fischer: Director of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs
Tagged as: history · library · recession
Photo credit: Lance and Eric/Flickr/Creative Commons
COMMENTS: (59 total)
-
It is my understanding that OHS has decided to try to come up with solutions to enable the library to stay open for a short while now and to reopen in the future as soon as it is possible (http://www.ohs.org/about-ohs/news-press.cfm).
I'm one of the many Oregonians who signed a petition to keep the library open and I applaud these efforts. When I first heard that OHS might close its research library I was moved to tears. As a librarian, I refer my patrons to this irreplacable resource and I understand that if it is closed, the public will be deprived of its heritage and the collection willvsuffer the effects of damage and neglect causing parts Oregon's history to be lost forever . . .
-
As a documentary filmmaker, I have depended heavily on the collections found in the OHS Research Library. When authors, researchers, and filmmakers like myself have access to these collections and the history found within these collections, we are then able to create projects that share this history with the rest of the world.
My documentary film "On Paper Wings" chronicles the WWII incident in which a Japanese balloon bomb landed in Southern Oregon, claiming the lives of the only six people to be killed on the U.S. mainland as the result of enemy action during WWII. The film goes on to explore the peaceful reconciliation that occurred forty years later between the Japanese and Oregonian civilians directly affected by this incident. The film recounts a little-known yet very significant event in our country's history, an event that happened right here in Oregon. The OHS Library's collections were instrumental to the making of the film.
Since completing the film, I have now been able to share this piece of our history with other Oregonians, and with people all over the country. The film has screened in ten film festivals nationwide and will show at the Japanese American National Museum in LA later this year. It is currently screening at Sesquicentennial events all around Oregon, and every screening allows me to share this piece of our history with more people. And it is still an incredibly relevant piece of history sixty years later.
“On Paper Wings” was born at and was only made possible because of the absolutely amazing collections available at the OHS Research Library in Portland. This library contains documents, photos, tape recordings, and newspaper articles related to this historic WWII incident that do not exist anywhere else. Over my five years of making this film, I researched the National Archives, the Air Force Historical Research Association, various presidential libraries, and several museums and historical societies throughout the country, and none of them had the vital local documentation that I found at the OHS Library.
It is imperative that these collections remain open and accessible to the public.
Thanks for your program!
-Ilana
-
While the Oregon Historical Society has announced it will reopen with extremely limited hours, that plan is only through May. What is the long-term plan for a sustainable, accessible library? If the state legislature gave the Society more money would the institution reopen the library? Or, is it time to look for an alternative home for this vital community resource? If so, the Society needs to work with community stakeholders for a solution that keeps the collections intact and accessible.
Nearly 700 people have signed The Northwest History Network resolution on this issue, which states the library should be the Society's highest priority, and calls on the Governor to appoint a task force to look for a sustainable solution. We believe this resource -- those magnificent collections of oral histories, diaries, photographs, maps, and other primary documents -- is that important.
Kathy Tucker
Director, Northwest History Network
-
The closure of the library, which it appears will be permanent after May, is very short-sighted, and in my opinion, violates what OHS stands for. When OHS was incorporated under state statutes, it was for the society to maintain a LIBRARY of materials that would be accessible to Oregonians.
While I'm sure the members of the Board are very busy people and take time out of their schedules to volunteer as board members, the fact of the matter is that they have fallen asleep at the wheel and have taken actions that they would not engage in or condone when it comes to their own lines of work. It is incredibly inconsiderate to have closed the library via e-mail with just two days' notice, disrupting many people's work. I doubt any of them would have countenanced the landlords of the buildings where they have their offices saying that the upkeep of the buildings was getting too expensive, so everybody had to be out in 48 hours and tough luck.
Likewise, if their firms were going under, I'm sure they would be out there seeking and soliciting funds and solutions. None of them would shrug their shoulders and say, "Oh well, that's it." I actively support several non-profits and when they are in trouble, I receive a barrage of e-mails asking for support. If OHS had done this, I'm sure many of would have answered the call. I find it very troubling that the board decided to abandon the library--its historic and statutory mission--and take the easy way out rather than figure out a way to save the library. If that's the way they plan on operating, I think they should be replaced with people who will go out in public and solicit support for the library and make every Oregonian aware of what a treasure it is.
-
To answer Julie’s question, I value both the library and museum, but a concern that I share with many in the historical community is that over the years (not just the past months) OHS has undervalued the importance of the research library in favor of exhibits.
We all love exhibits. I’ve had the pleasure of working in exhibit & media design and deeply appreciate the importance of engaging the public in learning and caring more about history through fun, less-textual experiences. But a museum without a library is like frosting without the cake – maybe even frosting without the butter. Not very nutritious, or even very yummy.
In my own work as a public historian, I’ve used OHS collections for public programs, including work with K-12 teachers, as well as research on the historic use of properties in preparation for environmental clean up. These are uses that may not directly lead to ticket sales, but they lead to a greater public good.
The current structure at OHS seems to lead it to seek tickets while leaving a larger public good without an advocate or protector. -
The library is used by many people who are not traditional academics teaching at local colleges and universities. In my own work as a freelance writer and magazine writer and editor, not only have I used the library myself, I have come in contact with many people whose work could not be done without the library. They author books such as "Oregon Geographic Names" or "Classic Houses of Portland," which are found in many Oregon homes and paged through with great interest because of what they tell us about where we live. Architects, builders planners, and preservationists need its materials to apply, for example, for historic designations, for grants, or to receive tax credits, etc. that lead to economic revitalization. There is business that is done in Oregon that requires access to the library. I'm sure the legislature that is so slow to provide funding for it has needed to access its materials from time to time.
I am a fifth-generation Oregonian, and I find it very troubling that it is no longer possible for the state's residents to examine the maps, manuscripts, photos, and diaries of the people who built--and continue to build--this state. I wonder how donors feel about the fact that materials they gave are no longer accessible.
It looks as if the sesquicentennial will turn out to be, not a celebration of Oregon's history, but the end of it.
-
On March 13 over 80 historians, archivists, librarians, filmmakers, authors, students and others interested in the future of Oregon history rallied in the Park Blocks across from the Oregon Historical Society. When we organized the rally, we chose a bit of historical theater, mounting a soapbox to proclaim our purposes, but our intent was serious and our tone somber. A treasured public asset, the entire contents of the Oregon Historical Society research library, was being removed from public access, the professional staff that made use of that material possible laid off, and the future of historical research and production of historical works relevant to Oregon was cast into doubt.
When those staff members left the research library that Friday, they took with them more than 100 years of collective institutional memory. Anyone who has used the OHS research library can recount an instance where they would not have found what they needed or were led to a source they never would have thought of, without the knowledgable staff. This loss could not pass unnoticed; it will continue to reverberate with anyone who studies or teaches Oregon history.
The people losing access to Oregon’s history are not just the scholars and researchers who walk through the doors of the library. They include everyone who has ever read a book on Oregon history, an article in the Oregon Historical Quarterly, or enjoyed a radio or television documentary based on research conducted in the OHS library. One striking example: the current Oregon Reads selection, Stubborn Twig: Three Generations in the Life of a Japanese American Family would not exist had author Lauren Kessler not had access to Yasui family records housed at the OHS research library.
Because this closure has such wide ranging implications, the OHS administration and Trustees must be transparent about their decisions and plans for the future of the research library. The core mission of the Oregon Historical Society since 1899, according to its charter, has been: “for the purpose of collecting and preserving a library of historical literature . . . relative to the history of this state, . . . to hold all of its collections of material for the use and benefit of all the people of this state.” Tough times require tough decisions. Protecting the collections housed in the OHS research library and providing access to them must be the board’s top priority.
-
Question for Dr. Vogt: In your March 17 update to the OHS members you wrote, "The Board of Trustees is actively in discussion with various entities about long-term solutions for the library." To me, this implies that the library collections could be severed from OHS. How would you justify divorcing library materials from artifacts that are from the same donor? For example, the Society holds significant artifacts and 184 boxes of library materials donated by the Yasui family. The Yasui family's story, Stubborn Twig, has been named a "must read" during Oregon's sesquicentennial.
from Sue Seyl, retired OHS library staff member
-
I am an OHS member and I visit the research library regularly for my own research, and I also require my students to visit the library to read oral history interviews that aren't available anywhere else. I was deeply concerned when I heard that OHS was closing the research library indefinitely and even more upset when I found out that the leadership at OHS had not planned to publicly announce the closure. In fact, most people found out when one of the archivists (who has since lost her job) sent an email to the academic community letting them know that the library would be closing within two days. This points to profound problems with the leadership at OHS.
OHS was created by the Oregon State Legislature in 1899 as an archive - a fact that is clearly posted on the OHS website. I do agree that the state needs to be more proactive in supporting an organization that it helped create, but therein lies another problem. I contacted my two state representatives, Ginny Burdick and Mary Nolan, and all I received was nearly identical form responses that did not even address the Oregon Historical Society. Congressman David Wu did respond to my email and stated that the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities had both received additional funding, but unfortunately the Oregon Historical Society does not have a grant writer on staff, so it is unlikely that they will even apply for the federal money.
I believe it is time for the Board of Directors to go back and examine the mission of the Oregon Historical Society as it was established in 1899. They have a responsibility to the state of Oregon and they need to honor that. As a part of that reexamination of where they got off track, they also need to take a long, hard look at the leadership and see if it is in line with the organization's mission. The current director, Dr. Vogt, has rerouted OHS to a museum and demoralized many of the staff members I've talked to. Maybe it's time for him to join the laid-off archivists in the unemployment line. After all, his competence is clearly questionable.
Thank you again for covering this issue.
Felicia Williams
-
I am one of many who has used the research libary over the years for many purposes but I am also one of many who have trusted the Historical Society with precious and irreplaceable donations. What will become of our treasures?
When I placed over one hundred hours of oral history tapes and several boxes of research material: historical correspondence and papers with OHS, I trusted the Society would process them and care for them as these things deserved and to make them available to other researchers and the public as appropriate.
I now feel betrayed.
What will become of them, my orphaned donations? Will the Society return them to me? Will they be lost from improper oversight? Will they deteriorate from lack of proper care and storage? Will researchers ever be able to access them or even know they exist?
We need people in charge who value and appreciate the treasures in their care; the current management has not shown me that they qualify.
-
It is terrible to have to choose between a museum or a library--I value both. The library has to come first, nevertheless. Even the most engaging and educational exhibit in a museum is only one relatively static product of historical research, whereas a library is a vibrant place of origin for an endless supply of exhibits and much more.
Professionally I have used the collections at OHS to do research on the historic use of properties to aid in environmental clean-up efforts. I also use the library in historic preservation work. It has been said that the greenest building is one that has already been built. Limiting access to the collections at OHS (not to mention the expertise of the knowledgeable archivists) will have a negative impact on this type of work that does so much for the public good.
Last, I feel for students--undergraduates just learning how to use primary source materials and graduate students who rely on the unique materials at OHS to complete their programs.
-
I think Mr. Vogt may use faulty numbers in arguing that the museum gets more visitors than the library -- the faulty number is that 50,000 people use the museum a year. Visitor services does not distinguish between library and museum users -- so that number includes library users.
Is he also including in that the children who view the traveling trunk exhibits at their schools? (Those were created by the now-eliminated education department at the Society and costs are paid for by the schools -- so the traveling trunk program is not in competition for dollars with the library).
Also, does Mr. Vogt include in that number (50,000) people who come in the door, but don't actually visit either the library or the museum?
The 2007 Annual Report of the Society stated that:
“in 2007, despite sharply reduced hours of service, the Research Library assisted more than 8,500 patrons through in-house visits, telephone, email, and written responses. At the same time, it continued to provide support to all departments within the Society. Thousands more were served through web access to the online catalog and other outreach activities such as specialized workshops. The library’s Rights and Reproductions department provided photographic services to all departments and to a large constituency within Oregon and around the world. The staff catalogued and added hundreds of books, photograph collections, and manuscripts to the Library’s online catalog and the digital archives database.”
-
As former oral history program coordinator from 2000-2004, I am concerned about the fate of collections at OHS. Over the past decade the library has been subjected to one blow after another. The OHS Oral History Program was "suspended" in 2004. It has not been reinstated. I am concerned that if OHS does not see the library as a priority, the same may happen to it. Meanwhile, the oral history collections (over 10,000 tapes) languishes with no efforts to transfer it to digital format, and tapes are deteriorating while volunteer transcriptionists have no one to supervise them.
A brief timeline:
1999 - "Black Thursday" - 10 library employees are laid off.
2001/2002? - Maps Librarian Elizabeth Winroth dies. She is not replaced. All specialist positions in the library are eliminated.
early 2000s - OHS Press suspended; restarted soon after under a different editor.
Capital campaign raises $10 million for the Jame Miller Pavilion.
2002 - 15% of library employees laid off
Oral history program receives general funding by recommendation of an oral history advisory board.
2004 - oral history program "suspended" while the national Oral History Association conference is in town with OHS as a co-sponsor. The oral history advisory board is not consulted or notified.
2005 - OHS withdraws from PORTALS. Has lost Multnomah County funding allowing access by county library card holders
2006 - OHS Press dismantled & public historian position eliminated
2009 - library closed for four weeks for complete restructuring. All staff, save 1.5 fte are laid off. Three additional staff hires are underway, to fill 2 digital imaging (revenue producing) positions and 1 collections manager position. The library remains closed as restructuring continues.
The series of decisions leading to this moment have something in common. They do not prioritize preserving Oregon History for future generations. When the oral history program closed, I maintained my membership and suggested OHS tape deposit to community groups. I told people their interviews would be safe there. I no longer think that is the case.
-
I agree entirely with your last point, Donna. Today I finalized my arrangements to begin deposting my oral history interviews at NYU--yes, you read that right. I am sending my interviews with Oregonians 3000 miles east to enrich their resources because I don't trust Oregon to preserve them or make them available.
-
The decision of the OHS Board threatens the "raw materials" of the history and culture of the entire Pacific Northwest. This issue is as important as the loss of opportunities and livelihoods during this economic downturn because it threatens the basic components of an engaged, democratic citizenry: access to information.
Here are my primary concerns:
** _Lack of Transparency_: The OHS Board opted to make its drastic decision in an anti-democratic, non-transparent fashion.
** _Lack of Respect for OHS Members and Staff_: The OHS Board ignored the collective expertise, experience, and passion of OHS members and staff.
** _Excessive Focus on Finances_: The OHS Board cites financial reasons for their decision; however, they did not attempt to appeal to their members or staff or look to other institutions for guidanced (such as the Autry National Center and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania).
** _Repitition of a Lamentable Pattern_: Iterations of the OHS Board have been making short-sighted decisions for many years, as evidenced by the dissolution of the oral history and folk life programs and the eradication of the entire Education Department.
I recently defended a graduate thesis on Willamette River pollution abatement efforts from 1926 to 1962. This project would not have been possible without the papers of David B. Charlton, a Portland bacteriologist actively involved in the issue. He donated his materials to the OHS precisely so that community members could help articulate a more complete story of the long, hard slog to creat a better world for future generations.
The decisions of the OHS Board show extreme disrespect to the thousands who have donated materials over the past 100+ years. These decisions also disrespect the staff and everyone with an interest in our state and region.
The Northwest History Network calls upon the governor to create a task force to develop a solution with the following elements:
1) Keep the collections intact;
2) Ensure the collections remain in Oregon;
3) Employ trained and dedicated professional staff to oversee trained and dedicated volunteers;
4) Have a transparent and democratic conversation about sustaining our collective history and culture.
See: http//www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Save-the-OHSRL-and-staff
James V. Hillegas, Historian
Board Member, Northwest History Network
-
As an OHS member and frequent user of the research library, I'm very concerned about the future of the research library and its staff.
A lot of the discussion online has centered on the need for additional state funding for OHS, which I understand. However, equally important is how OHS chooses to utilize those funds they have.
In light of the research library closures, it seems odd to me that the OHS is expending funds to bring in popular (and expensive) historians such as Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough to speak in conjunction with the Hatfield Historians Forum.
Admittedly, this series is a great opportunity for the well-heeled in our community, but with the most affordable general admission tickets going for $50, I wonder if the return is meeting (or exceeding) the investment. If so, that's wonderful, and I can rest assured; if not, perhaps that expenditure should be reevaluated in light of the research library closure.
I, for one, would prefer to have the research library open and operational...it seems one can always catch a Goodwin lecture online or on TV.
-
One of the arguments I've heard for preserving the museum over the library is that people donate money to the museum, but not to the library. This is a specious argument. People donate money to the Oregon Historical Society, most with the assumption that it will support those functions they value. For many, this is the library. I know of at least one person who gave $1,000 to OHS in December. Did he dedicate this money to the library? No. It did not occur to him that an historical organization would divide itself in that way. His connection, however, is specifically via the library. On March 13, he donated several boxes of materials to OHS and his edited oral history manuscript.
There are other pots of money, i.e., restricted funds at OHS that were collected specifically for the library, but have been misplaced. Without the library director, I am sure the administration is not even aware of where the money is.
-
Questions for Michael Fischer:
The mission statement for your library and archives is: “The Nevada State Library and Archives serves as the foundation of Nevada democracy by providing full access to a range of information services that enhance the quality of life for all and center on creating an educated and enlightened citizenry while supporting the best interests of the state of Nevada. In support of this mission, the agency serves government, libraries, business, and citizens by providing a range of information services."
How is Nevada's state library staffed and funded? How are the collections used? How integral do you consider the library and archives to the education of the state’s citizens, from students to senior citizens?
-
The OHS doesn't want public input into its financial problems -- it just wants your money. The OHS doesn't want the state legislature's input either -- it just wants your money.
Proof can be found in that the meeting OHS held for members to discuss member input into the current financial crisis for the museum was schedule for the evening of St. Patrick's Day, a holiday, when most people would be occupied with other plans and not available to come speak to the OHS board.
My family stopped supported the OHS when a veteran's organization we belong to informed us that the OHS is one of the only museums of its kind in the nation that refuses to give a discount admission to ACTIVE DUTY military personnel visiting the museum. Letters and calls were made to the museum which ignored the complaint.
The museum is being operated by individuals who are out of touch with reality and the will of the people of Oregon, but it wants to dictact that money be given to it nonetheless. I believe it is a complete disgrace that the museum doesn't honor our active duty men and women with a discount or free admission.
-
I have to repeat the concerns already expressed in this discussion. I am a Ph.D. Candidate working on a dissertation that focuses on the Pacific Northwest. I only found out about the closure of the library because a colleague forwarded an email to me. I was luckily able to visit the library on the last day they were open and finished up with most of the materials I needed. Even if the library was re-opened with limited hours the collective knowledge of the library staff would be lost. I know that I have been pointed towards materials I didn't even know existed that have proven invaluable to my research.
-
Don't forget how important access to archives and repositories is to the aging population, I would argue, to their very mental health. Suddenly, after 65, many of us panic about saving our family histories and artifacts that might be important to the community at large. The first place many think of for getting advice on how to begin this emotional process is the museum in our hometown. I am the daughter of European immigrants who arrived in Oregon City in the early 40s. I had no idea then what an historical place my family was living in, nor how it fits into their ancestors' centuries-long history of migrations.
I am doing something about the museum closings. The Clackamas Heritage Partners Executive Director David Porter and the Board President Dan Fowler have welcomed me and my ideas to contact people from my childhood years. especially those, who like myself, spent many years away from our hometown. I want to get them on board to give long-term support to the fabulous museums of Oregon City. The meeting on March 31 at the Museum of the Oregon Territory is a first step.
Rosanne Gostovich Royer
503-646-3717
-
Another question that must be asked is whether or not the closure of the library violates contractual obligations of the OHS. Membership to the OHS entitles members to access to the library. Does closing the library violate this membership agreement? The state of Oregon provides a large sum of funds to the OHS earmarked for the library. If the library is closed, then does this violate legislation authorizing state funding to the OHS? These membership agreements are more than just a fundraising tool. They are also a legally binding contract agreement.
-
With all due respect, '4th graders versus historians' is a false dichotomy. What will 4th graders learn about history without the SOURCES of that history available? Why not just go to Disneyland? I say this as someone who has worked in exhibits and media.
-
This is not a question of 4th graders versus researchers. My family papers are also held by the research library. Without trained archivists to care for materials with very specific conservation needs, those materials will not last.
-
Museums are a great way to spark interest in kids and adults, but what happens if they want know and learn more if the resources aren't availalble to nurture that interest? As the person trying to research my own family's "Oregon Story" I'm mad that I can't get to the materials.
-
museums are a good thing and fortunately Portland has many including a children's museum and a science museum, both focuse on our youth and their education. Our art museum also has many programs for children.
Since the Historican museum's expansion the shows have often had nothing to do with Oregon so please tell me how that is more important than the research library which has no equal, no substitute in the state let alone the city.
-
I agree -- recent exhibits have included things like 3-D and puppets -- trendy, but not historically significant.
-
Marywheeler, I agree that some of the displays have been facinating, such as the puppets, but I couldn't help but think that such a display would've been better suited for a children's museum or the art museum. It really had nothing to do with history. I think the museum would get more support if it would concentrate on history not current pop-culture better suited for a different institution.
-
Michael Bales just mentioned the fragility of some of the materials in the OHS collection. Conservation of these materials is critical and is exactly the reason why we need trained and dedicated professional library staff to help preserve and provide access to these materials.
-
While the Society is a private organization, the collection has always been held in the public trust.
-
Everyone keeps talking about how WONDERFUL the museum and OHS as a whole have become, however no one is addressing whether or not the museum has been operated in a fiscally sound manner, no one is addressing the inability of OHS board members to work with the state legislature and community, etc.
This program seems like just another OHS love-fest to blackmail the state legislature into rescuing the museum.
-
If the museum is unable to overcome its finacial hardships, what do they plan to do with their archives? Will they donate them to the State Archive?
-
As to the OHS, it should not be an either/or scenario. The research library and museum are each important, yet each appeals to a different set of users. The museum is the public face of the institution, to school groups, to tourists and to newcomers to Oregon. It belabors the point to describe the users of the library. But it is important to note that the publications, films, etc. that result from their research informs the lives of everyone, regardless of age. It is an extraordinarily rich resource, one of the best of its kind in the nation, with a highly trained and service-oriented staff. Ideally the OHS should maintain-and sustain--both. But if it comes to a choice, perhaps in the long run the library is more important. However, this is what it comes to...like most early generation Oregon cultural institutions, the leadership--meaning the board--though comprised of good, thoughtful, well-intentioned individuals, simply does not offer the breadth of knowledge, the diversity, the nonprofit management expertise, and particularly the youthful, entrepreneurial dynamism to properly steer this venerable institution into the 21st Century.
As to the situation in Oregon City. also a very unfortunate and unhappy scenario. Perhaps the model of Clackamas Heritage Partners is simply not a successful model. Perhaps there has been inadequate leadership there, again at the board level, perhaps not dissimilar to the situation with the OHS. Again, given the primacy of Oregon City in the origins of this state, it is very bad timing indeed. Clearly in the case of these Oreg. City museums, there is also the challenge of updating exhibits and programs...and the challenge of raising funds to do so.
Beyond solving the immediate crises and surviving the hump of this long term ailing economy...These institutions need to take a revolutionary look at membership, at programs, at fundraising, at public and media relations, at marketing. They need to revitalize their board of directors. Fundamentally...like most Oregon institutions they are too provincial and inward looking., thinking we have all the answers locally. We need to be scanning the nation to look at models for similar institutions, to learn from the lessons of failure and success by examining comparable institutions, public, private and public/private partnerships from across the nation.
-
Not having grant writers specifically for the library is a leadership issue.
-
What Dr. Vogt just said about people not asking to see numbers is not entirely accurate -- I asked last week for copies of the OHS Board meeting minutes from Nov 1 2008 to present, and an OHS staffer will be sending these to me some time this week.
Referencing "numbers" is a dodge on Dr. Vogt's part -- a critical part of the story is the failure of the OHS Board to appeal to the OHS staff and members for OTHER THAN financial support.
-
I am an Oregon Heritage Fellow this year and in the process of researching a project on the historic transformation of the Waldo Hills landscape in the eastern Willamette Valley. My study will be presented at the upcoming Rendezvous 2009 history conference commemorating Oregon's 150th anniversary of statehood. Some key diaries of early settlers in Waldo Hills, important to my research, are held at the OHS library, which is currently closed.
What should happen to these historic documents donated to the library with the understanding that they will be available to researchers? If funding is not continued, could the OHS archives be sent to Oregon university archives that can maintain this historic information and ensure they will be available to researchers?
-
I used the image library to create the public art poster project during the opening of the first streetcar line. I agree with all the speakers that the staff were most helpful. I was able to connect archivists in Prague/Pilzen and Portland. It was a very successful project.
However I think this articulates a larger issue which is the destruction of public access and our (Oregon's) communitas. Since the 70's there has been a continuing decrease in an actual "public" access to a tiered system of access. As viewsheds were privatized through aggressive build outs, waterfront esplanades reduced for reality reasons, "public/private partnerships" which often are negotiated in favor of the private. Portland and the state of Oregon has been rolled over during these past decades to where the newcomers know little of the heritage, it has become a superficial gloss on what has become a less than equitable distribution of capital, both fiscal and cultural.
The loss of this library would mean yet one more loss in the community knowledge in favor of an engineered collective based on a national model, not what has made us, Oregonian's unique. Those who have come from other states take no pride in our past, but only trouble the present, uninformed, and paradoxically repressing our identity as people of Oregon country.
Jacqueline Stoeckler,PhD
-
Scholar's work translates into textbooks, biographies, radio and TV documentaries, movies, and online websites that reach many pepole that do not physically come to, or use, the OHS library or museum. The numbers George Vogt alludes are difficult to tally, and cannot just be counted by who comes to the OHS facility.
-
Yes, Janice.
Also, see KathyTucker's post below from 8:44 a.m. for more discussion about "numbers."
Raw numbers are misleading without sufficient context.
I see it as more evidence of the lack of creative leadership of the OHS Board that they cannot collectively see beyond anything that doesn't have a $$$ sign in front of it. Very disappointing.
-
Thanks for the call-in question, Mary! Dr. Vogt finally provided a few more details to the question about current conversations with Multnomah County, the OR Univ. System, etc., regarding final disposition of the OHS Research Library collections.
A key part of Dr. Vogt's reply was that there are plans to keep the collection "intact."
-
I am so glad to hear Mr. Vogt say their discussions for the future of the library include keeping it intact. That is so important! Please make this process an open one.
-
I am a part of a committee trying to restore the John Quincy Adams Young House in Cedar Mill. We are a part of the Tualatin Hill Park and Recreation District. We are just coming to the fundraising stage of our project. Do you have any advice about how to raise funds in these economic times? How is it different than in the past?
-
After many years of thinking about it, I finally signed up as a volunteer with the Oregon Historical Society in the library. Although some family deaths have kept me away from volunteering recently, I would go back in a second. The staff is dedicated and helpful, the area is calming in a wretchedly distracted world. It gives me and others a sense of "this too will pass" because, from the history of Oregon and the whole Northwest, we know booms and busts will take place again and again and people survived. We should have a sense from the history that they did survive and we should work to smooth out the bumps and make us a more stable, eager, open society. Why are Oregonians and Washingtonians so little interested in the history of their area? I don't know that I know the answer.
-
While I have no doubt that the Oregon Historical Society is doing what it can in the current financial climate, I wanted to emphasize how truly important the research library is to the current and future study of Northwest history. I am currently a student acquiring a Masters degree in history at Portland State University, and I have used the library more times than I can count in the past six months. While I feel others would more adequately express how the closure of the library will hinder the study on Northwest history, I can express how the development and training of historians in Oregon universities has been greatly impeded with the limited access and potential closure of the library. The most important step for any history student to take is to apply what they have learned from the analysis of secondary sources and to develop an original argument using PRIMARY sources. No where in Portland, and arguably Oregon, could students find such an in-depth and wide array of primary sources that were accessible for students, including newspapers, manuscripts, rare books, films, oral histories, and photographs. Without this valuable source of primary documents, I worry how future history majors in Oregon universities will be adequately trained without sufficient access to primary documents to apply to their studies. I also worry that the study of these students will stray away from valuable examination of Oregon history to a history that has accessible resources, as these historians-in-training need to gain experience in their field from somewhere. While the Oregon Historical Research Library is the not the only source of primary documents, I feel it was one of the most important sources for students, academics, and the public in Oregon and Washington.
-
The plight of the OHS and CHP is only the tip of the iceberg in the museum situitation in Oregon. There are dozens of smaller historical organizations struggling to preserve Oregon history, with little help from the State. Just when the Oregon Cultural Trust was beginning to help the funding situiation, our political leaders grabed the Trust money, and destroyed the trust the public was begining to place in the Oregon Cultural Trust. One of the problems in Oregon appears to be confusion about funding by the public. Many Oregonians think they do not need to donate funds to OHS or other museums in Oregon, because the State must be funding these organizations. Many other states across the nation due fund history museum from State general funds.
Lloyd
-
I have supported additional state funding for OHS -- I went to Salem with the CHAMPs lobbying group, I have a Cultural Trust plate on my 1988 Volvo, I have written my legislaters about the current crisis.
My concern now is that additional state funds might not go to support the library because it is not valued by the OHS board. Can OHS give me any assurance that it will put additional funds to the library?
-
This is an issue not only of the Oregon Historical Society’s financial health, but also of the public good, for the Society exists not just for its own benefit, but to serve a public purpose. A wide range of projects with social and economic impact hinge on access to library collections. For example, a diverse public uses the library for researching property history, for projects that include historic register nominations, environmental assessment and superfund cleanup, and restoration of structures such as Portland’s bridges. If you want to talk about numbers, tally up the wider economic impact of the projects done by library users.
Please give us the numbers, including an honest accounting of the cost of exhibits compared to the cost of running the library, and the wider impact of both museum exhibits and the use of library collections. I'm not advocating for an either/or approach to the library or museum, but for a full accounting of the value of the Society's assets and its contribution to the greater good .
Shawna Gandy, former OHS library staff member
-
Yes, Shawna -- if Dr. Vogt and the OHS Board want to appeal to numbers, they should provide the data on the cost comparisons that you articulate here, and explain how they used this data to make their decisions. I'm still waiting to be convinced.
-
I'm not so much seeking a justification for or indictment of past decisions as I am urging that the next steps take account of all the facts. I also believe that this information, effectively used, could lead to greater public support for both the library and the museum, as well as to innovations that could help reach a broader public.
-
- "Michael Fischer: Director of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs "
Good words! A wise man!
- "Michael Fischer: Director of the Nevada Department of Cultural Affairs "
-
As the head of the Nevada State Historical Society just said, people learn to become citizens by visiting historical museums, but it is the same for archives and libraries.
I think there is a false dichotomy being set up between archival and museums collections, here. Information in the archives support and makes meaning for the materials in the museum collections, and vice versa. Neither have any real meaning and keeping them in the name of the "public trust" is meaningless unless the public have access to them.
The question I have is why did the board and the OHS leadership not see that someday the collections and archives might face such difficulties, and why didn't they set aside funds and create a plan of action to prevent this from happening?
Any well functioning non-profit should have a year's worth of funding set aside for normal operations. Donna's timeline above indicates that capital campaign projects to expand buildings and infrastructure during times when people are free with their money were taken on, but it seems little funding was diverted to the core activities of the organization. New buildings are expensive, and cut into funding for research, collections, and so on. I speak from experience as an archaeologist and museum specialist. So, now we are in this quandry.
I would like to see both the museum and the library operate normally, but maybe a re-think about how OHS is structured and managed is necessary for it to survive through the current financial downturn.
-
Thank you, Mr. Miller, Ms. Sabatier, and the entire Think Out Loud crew. This was an enlightening, well-moderated show, highlighting an important issue.
Things were just getting revved up when the hour expired -- but that's often how it goes! I just appreciate that TOL decided to feature this topic.
James V. Hillegas, Historian
Board Member, Northwest History Network
-
I've been thinking about zoos, museums, OMSI, public libraries, and the like and it seems to me that instead of "free" days and free admittances for children, children ought to be given age appropriate tokens of payment to hand to the institution at the entrance so that they learn that these things cost someone money and they can learn to be participatory contributors.
I'm talking about giving a penny or so to very small children, a nickel, then dimes, quarters,and on up, just very token amounts of money with the idea of learning that their contributions to society are wanted and needed.
A visiting school class could hand out the tokens just before entry and single or small groups of children could be given the tokens by the staff just before entry.
This is not about kids providing actual funding, it is about teaching them that somebody provides funding and that when they grow up they can look forward to being adults with an essential part of adulthood being the opportunity to be a contributing citizen in society.
The idea is to teach them early that things aren't free, that someone pays and that it is an honorable things to be able to help pay and be a contributing member of our society.
-
I'd present the idea to the kids as "they get to pay" their own way to get in.
There is something about the idea of "charity" that has been bugging me but it has not become fully formed in my mind yet.
It has to do with the very unequal distribution of wealth and reducing some people to beggary so that the very few very wealthy can do their "noblesse oblige" by providing a small amount of contributing back to society and then present themselves as good and decent people instead of the horribly immoral greedy people that they are. I think of old man Rockefeller handing out dimes to children as PR while he created his Oil Monopoly and so much devastating poverty to their parents.
There just has to be some better ways or ways.
-
I greatly appreciated the opportunity to be part of the panel on this show. Three points I wished I'd had the time to make were: 1) Clackamas Heritage Partners will host a public meeting on March 31st at the Museum of the Oregon Territory at 6PM to talk about the situation we're in and to answer questions and enlist support 2) discussions of support for organizations like ours frequently turn to "grants". Grants are great for initiating new programs or change, but are not a stable income stream for operations 3) The hundreds of small museums in Oregon (http://www.oregonmuseums.org) are often repositories for important documents, buiidlings and objects that define their communities and yet have no stable resource base. In many places these places are being lost.
-
and when those places are lost we need a safe and secure repository for their holdings. another need the research library used to provide.
-
-
Regarding the racisim behind interning the Japanese, yes, an uncle of mine, ordinarily a great hearted person, asked me what would I do in the same situation.
One of the strangest things was that J. Edgar Hoover was against interning Japanese whereas California justice Earl Warren was for it.
And regarding the status of the Germans during World War II, I think of the story of the great American singer Marian Anderson while on a concert tour in Texas or Oklahoma was forced at the train station to eat a sandwich in the broiling sun while German prisoners of war got to go inside the cool train station. Racism is never far away from the American experience in one form or another. (on the other hand, my uncle, whose name was Adolf, was checked out by the FBI; he was safe: he was Norwegian.
-
Thank you very much for covering the plight of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library and its staff (and to Deborah Olson for her excellent articulation of the issues on your blog!).
There are many of us concerned about the future of this wonderful resource -- more than 670 to date have signed a resolution in support of the library and staff at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/Save-the-OHSRL-and-staff -- the comments illustrate a lot of the things people value as well as their concerns for the future. And more than 870 people have joined the Facebook group, "Save the Oregon Historical Society Research Library and Staff." If you care about this issue, we invite you to join it -- as well as the discussion tomorrow. We look forward to it!