The arrival of 2009 marks an annual change within our board, as Marianne Bez concluded her term as Board Chair, turning the position over to Andy Kitzmann. I am grateful to Marianne for her great leadership and innovation in her position as Chair. We also bade farewell to two great friends to our organization, Ruth Ellen Berninger and Peter Wisbey whose terms on the board ended in 2008.  UHA has greatly benefited from their creativity, their professional knowledge and their generous spirits and we thank them for all that they did to advance the mission of the Upstate History Alliance.

With every end there is a new beginning and we are delighted to welcome four new members to our board - Christine Campeau, Museum Educator & School Programs Manager at the Adirondack Museum, Christopher Clarke, Historian and Museum Consultant, Lenora Henson, Curator at the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural NHS and Qiana Williams Director of Education at the Community Folk Art Center.

Please visit our website for a full list of our board members.

Who exactly are those people perusing your galleries, what brought them through your doors, what do they expect to discover within your space, what will they share in return and what about those folks that chose not to visit?

In an attempt to remain relevant and to fulfill their missions, museums of every size and genre have to be asking themselves these questions when considering each aspect their organization from programs and exhibits to promotions and way finding devices we need to understand our audience.

The 2009 Museum Institute at Sagamore, sponsored by the Upstate History Alliance, will focus on  Understanding Audiences. The Institute is a reflective, intensive, four day retreat at Great Camp Sagamore in the Adirondacks that gives New York State museum professionals the opportunity to learn, reflect, and work with their colleagues throughout the state.
 
The 2009 institute will take place September 22 - 25. Acceptance to the institute is by application, keep an eye on your email later this spring for the application announcement.

                         In her role as South Central Regional Archivist for DHP, Stephanie visited the Oxford Memorial Library in Oxford, NY in January to provide assistance with their plans for the development and management of their new Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Resource Room. Nancy Wilcox, Director of the Oxford Memorial Library submitted the following update on this project.

A room in the Oxford Memorial Library has been set aside and designated as the future home of The Theodore Burr Covered Bridge Resource Center.  A large collection of materials including covered bridge society newsletters, books, photos, postcards, newspaper clippings and covered bridge models owned by Bob and Trish Kane have been deeded to the Oxford Memorial Library for use in this room.  Other resource materials are being solicited from other Covered Bridge societies and enthusiasts.  This Center is being designed specifically for those individuals who are seriously interested in doing covered bridge research. 
 
Funding for the Center is necessary to begin the construction of shelving and display units to house the collections as well as a microfilm reader and computer.  The library will be seeking grant funding and donations for this renovation project.  For more information contact Nancy Wilcox, Director at ox.nancy@4cls.org or 607-843-6146.

 

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) invites you to attend "Stewardship of America's Legacy: Answering the Call to Action," June 16 and 17 in Buffalo, New York. This forum will bring together front-line leaders in the movement to save America's collections for future generations. At the forum's conclusion, participants will have concrete information and fresh inspiration for keeping the health of collections, in their own institutions and in their communities, central at a time of reduced resources.

IMLS is hosting this forum in cooperation with Heritage Preservation, the American Institute for the Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, and the Art Conservation Department of Buffalo State College, State University of New York. Stewardship of America's Legacy: Answering the Call to Action" is the fourth in the series of IMLS forums in the Connecting to Collections National Tour. Panel sessions will take place at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, with a reception and Connections Lab at the Burchfield Penney Art Center. Participation in the forum is free of charge, and registration is available here.

"Stewardship of America's Legacy: Answering the Call to Action," will explore how committed individuals, ranging from small town librarians to directors of national conservation training programs, can work together to improve collections care and to inspire and inform others, both nationally and in their communities. Speakers will address ways to make the case for collections funding, cutting-edge topics in collections care, using networks to tap into expertise, and engaging the public in sustaining the nation's collections.

The keynote speaker will be Maxwell J. Anderson, who as The Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO of the Indianapolis Museum of Art has successfully made collections care central to the museum's mission, operations, and outreach.

For more information and to register for the forum, visit www.imls.gov/collections