A total of 961 linear feet of archival quality shelving was purchased and installed in the "vault" area and the College Archives storage room at Gustavus Adolphus College. Old, used shelving was re-purposed for use in other areas of the college. The installation of this shelving has alleviated overcrowding, provided a safer more secure storage environment and consolidated the collections to one location.
To make the Cathedral of St. Paul archives more accessible to the public, the Cathedral heritage foundation undertook a two-step project to sort, organize, inventory and file their collections. The first step involved general cleaning and the reorganization of materials. All materials were re-housed in archival storage units. Inventory information was entered into PastPerfect. The second step of the project focused on the recruitment and training of volunteers folow up on and continue the new preservation/storage best practices.
To hire qualified consultants to evaluate the John and Martin Mower House and Arcola Mill Site for possible inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
We Are Hmong Minnesota, a 2,500-square-foot exhibit, debuted March 7, 2015, timed for the celebration of the 40th anniversary of the beginning of Hmong migration to Minnesota. MNHS staff worked in partnership with the Hmong community to develop the exhibit. A traveling version of the exhibit for loan to libraries, schools, and community centers was also developed and is currently circulating. A companion exhibit at the James J. Hill House displayed a collection of Hmong textiles recently donated to the Minnesota Historical Society.
To repair windows and add storms for energy efficiency on the Arnold Schwyzer Summer House, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and used as an environmental learning center.
The RCHS determined to gain intellectual and physical control over their historical collections documenting Ramsey County.
PastPerfect software was purchased and installed, and training was received by staff. An inventory technician was hired and trained to apply the software using best practice inventory methods. 2,306 artifacts (9% of the total inventory) were recorded and catalogued. The daily information was backed up and stored offsite.
Phase two of a project to improve intellectual control of the stored 3-D collections by contiuing the partial-inventory of artifacts. During this phase of the inventory 2,155 objects were recorded making the total number recorded so far 4,461 or approximately 18% of the objects to be inventoried. Information garnered during the process will aid the determination of the amount of storage needed and the supplies necessary for proper storage and preservation. Once complete, the inventory will aid exhibit planning and creation.
Golden Valley Historical Society hired a licensed and bonded professional hazardous waste materials removal company to properly abate asbestos and improve public safety at the Golden Valley History Museum.
A total of 19 interviews of Asian American-Pacific Islander immigrants were conducted in English and selected Asian Languages. The project successfully captured information about their immigration history, settling experience and their memories in relationships to historical events in North Minneapolis. Eight of the interviews were recorded with a digital video camcorder then the interviews were transcribed by language specialists, then translated into English.
The summary, transcripts and video recording will be preserved and made broadly accessible through:
75 photographs were selected from among thousands that were taken by John W.G. Dunn of the St. Croix river valley between the 1890's and 1941. The Marine Restoration Society contracted with Tomy O'Brien Jr. to review all Dunn photographs and to identify those photographs that were best deserving of greater historical interpretation. The locations of the photographs were researched, a list with information for each photograph was compiled and the selected photos were geocoded to aid future researchers.
