Collections Care and Management: Inventory Project
The Afton Historical Society (AHS) staff performed a wall-to-wall baseline inventory of 10,020 items, counting and locating each item. This number includes all components of 6206 line items documented on the inventory forms. Items inventoried include materials from the permanent collections, historical property that originated with the building, and consumable items/materials used in programming (PUMs) or for education.
One result of this inventory is that knowledge and information about each object is more readily and more easily available to present and future staff, and to the very community who entrusted the objects to their care. The inventory has also greatly strengthened the Afton Historical Society's ability to fulfil their stewardship responsibilities and meet the needs of the collections.
The value of this inventory will endure and is already serving as a guide for future AHS policies and planning. It has established a foundation for collections based projects for years to come, including conservation and collections management. They now have a record of what is in our collections and where the items are located. Future generations will benefit through the care taken now of the collections.
The inventory procedures, forms and policies put in place during the inventory will serve the Society for years to come. They have been added to existing policies and procedures in a manual designed to guide all museum operations for present and future officers, Board members, staff and volunteers.
(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.