Brown County Legacy Archives Project
The project addressed a long standing need for more, better organized collections storage space for the Brown County Historical Society (BCHS) .
According to the City of New Ulm's Economic Development Office, the expected cost for rental of commercial space in the vicinity of the Brown County Historical Society would be $36 per year, per square foot of floor space. The expense of renting a comparable space to increase their storage capacity as shown would cost approximately $4,680 per year. Locating a space in reasonable proximity to the existing Museum operation, with aspects of security and collection quality environmental controls or to add such changes might be impossible without a long term lease.
Using their existing collections facilities more efficiently and not over extending themselves financially appears to be the best choice for the BCHS. The plan for acquiring compressible carriages and mobile art rack screens should incur little additional outlays of cash as would new, retrofitting or rental of space options. This project will help the BCHS take the next step toward professionally and economically managing their collection storage for approximately 12 more years of acquisition at their present rate of increase.
(b) Statewide Historic and Cultural Grants. (i) $2,250,000 in 2010 and $4,500,000 in 2011 are appropriated for history programs and projects operated or conducted by or through local, county, regional or other historical or cultural organizations; or for activities to preserve significant historic and cultural resources. Funds are to be distributed through a competitive grants process. The Minnesota Historical Society shall administer these funds using established grants mechanisms, and with assistance from the advisory committee created herein.