[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2008-12-22

[Heritage Info]

In this issue:
1.  Extravaganza adds digital festival
2.  Michael appointed to Heritage Commission
3.  IMLS releases national museum funding report
4.  Ostermiller to fill Coast Guard post


EXTRAVAGANZA ADDS DIGITAL FESTIVAL

The Northwest History and Heritage Extravaganza is embracing technology
by hosting a *digital* poster session. Much like the traditional
poster session, this is a period when organizations show off their great
projects and practices. 

*While technology for technology*s sake is not a great idea,
technology for the mission*s sake is a wonderful idea,* said
conference coordinator Kyle Jansson. *From advances in scanning,
databases, public accessibility and interactivity, many options have and
continue to open up.*

Museums, archives, libraries, educational institutions, and others will
be sharing their new ideas and approaches in using technology to meet
their goals. Anything from pilot projects to fully integrated programs
can be shared. 

The Extravaganza, including the 2009 Oregon Heritage Conference, the
Pacific Northwest History Conference and the annual meetings of the
Northwest Archivists and the Northwest Oral History Association, will
take place April 15-18 in Portland. With the theme of  *Rendezvous
2009! Exchanging ideas, skills, knowledge and culture,* this
conference is the perfect moment to introduce a technology focus feature
to the Northwest history and heritage world. The Digital Poster Session
will be a feature of Saturday*s (April 18) activities.

For more information about the poster session or to be a presenter,
contact Kuri Gill at Kuri.Gill at state.or.us or (503) 986-0685. For more
information on the Extravaganza visit www.oregonheritage.org.


MICHAEL APPOINTED TO HERITAGE COMMISSION

Governor Ted Kulongoski has appointed Carol Michael of Boardman to the
Oregon Heritage Commission.

Michael has been involved in community activities in Morrow County for
more than 15 years. The activities include the North Morrow Community
Foundation, the Morrow County Historical Society, the Boardman Chamber
of Commerce, the OSU Extension Service, and the Morrow County Cultural
Coalition.

In 2007, she was a co-recipient of an Oregon Heritage Excellence Award
for the making of *Higher Ground,* a DVD about the moving of
Boardman to avoid being flooded by water behind John Day Dam.

The Oregon Heritage Commission is comprised of nine gubernatorial
appointees and eight ex-officio members representing state agencies and
organizations. Its mission is to secure, sustain and enhance Oregon*s
heritage by ensuring coordination of heritage initiatives by public and
private organizations, advocacy for all levels of support on its behalf,
education of the public about its extent and value, and promotion and
celebration of its diversity.


IMLS RELEASES NATIONAL MUSEUM FUNDING REPORT

The Institute of Museum and Library Services has released, "Exhibiting
Public Value: Government Funding for Museums in the United States". The
study provides the first major review of public finance for the museum
sector. It explores public support from federal, state, and local
government sources, focusing particular attention on levels of financial
support and types of delivery mechanisms. 

According to IMLS director Anne-Imelda Radice, *Public funding helps
museums deliver quality services that strengthen communities, families,
individuals, and the nation.......While the study documents the variety
of methods through which the museum sector receives government support,
it also exposes gaps in the network of support at the local, state, and
national levels.* 

This is one of the few studies to examine U.S. museums as a sector
separate from other cultural institutions. The museum sector includes
aquariums, arboretums, botanical gardens, art museums, children*s
museums, general museums, historic houses and history museums, nature
centers, natural history and anthropology museums, planetariums, science
and technology centers, specialized museums, and zoos.

The study was developed in response to requests for an examination of
alternative funding strategies for the nation*s museums, including a
population-based grant program to the states for museum services. The
national study sought to collect and provide detailed data to inform the
development of sound, evidence-based policy. It also provides examples
of existing federal-state partnerships in the cultural sector including
the IMLS Library Grants to States program, support for state arts
agencies from the National Endowment for the Arts, and support for state
humanities councils from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

One finding showed that slightly more than 70 percent of U.S. museums
are private nonprofit entities; the rest are public-owned and managed by
various forms of government including states, public universities, city,
and county governments. For-profit entities are a very small part of the
sector (0.2 percent). Survey respondents reported a patchwork of
financial support with  different combinations of revenue from earned
income, private donations, government contributions, and investments.
While the majority of museums in the sample reported receipt of public
funds from at least one level of government - federal, state, or local -
there was no consistent pattern of public support across the museum
sector. 

Additional information about the report is available at
http://test.imls.gov/news/2008/121908a.shtm 


OSTERMILLER TO FILL COAST GUARD POST

The Coast Guard Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to the
education, welfare and morale of all Coast Guard members and their
families, and a partner of the National Coast Guard Museum Association,
has appointed Jerry Ostermiller as the president of the National Coast
Guard Museum. The former director of the Columbia River Maritime Museum
in Astoria, Ostermiller will establish museum programming, develop
internal infrastructure and lead capital campaign fund raising efforts
for the construction of the country*s newest national museum in New
London, Conn.

The Coast Guard is the only military service that does not currently
have a national museum which recounts the institution*s history,
service and missions. Ostermiller will oversee and execute the National
Coast Guard Museum*s objectives to educate visitors about the
contributions the Coast Guard has made to provide security and save
lives in the United States and abroad. 
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Oregon Heritage News is a service of the Oregon Heritage Commission,
which can be contacted at heritage.info at state.or.us