[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2014-05-22

Thu May 22 08:49:06 PDT 2014

In this Issue
1. Still time to register for Heritage Tourism Workshop
2. Chachalu Tribal Museum and Cultural Center set to open June 5
3. Partnership produces self-guided heritage tour in Lincoln City
4. Museum’s careful planning helps avoid explosive situation
5. Klamath County voters extend museum levy
6. IMLS study finds majority of U.S. museums and cultural sites devoted to history

STILL TIME TO REGISTER FOR HERITAGE TOURISM WORKSHOP

There is still time to register for the Heritage Tourism Workshop, set to take place from 9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., June 9 at the Sprout! Regional Food Hub, 418 A St., Springfield.

Workshop participants will learn about the values and needs of these travelers, identify community and organizational assets that could appeal to travelers, learn about successful cultural collaborations, and identify ways to work collaboratively to tap opportunities to increase heritage tourism. To register, visit the Oregon Heritage website<http://www.oregon.gov/oprd/HCD/Pages/index.aspx>. For further information, email Kyle Jansson<mailto:heritage.info at oregon.gov> or call (503) 986-0673.

CHACHALU TRIBAL MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER SET TO OPEN JUNE 5

An opening ceremony and facility viewing for the Chachalu Tribal Museum and Cultural Center will take place from 4 p.m. June 5 at 8720 Grand Ronde Road, Grand Ronde. From 4:45 – 6:30 p.m., visitors will walk through the facility and exhibit space with program staff giving presentations in each area.

The Tribe purchased the former Grand Ronde Middle School site from the Willamina School District with a plan to convert the facility to a museum and cultural center. Phase 1 saw renovation of the existing building to accommodate the majority of cultural programs and services. The facility includes an archival collection storage and processing area, an archaeological lab, and an artifact quarantine room. It also includes a reception area and temporary exhibit space.

The front entrance models the Tribe’s traditional plankhouse culture, constructed of cedar planks in the traditional style with carvings by Tribal artists. It introduces visitors to the Tribe’s culture and provides an inviting storytelling entry to the museum. The new Chachalu Center tells the story of the Tribes and Bands of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community and honors Elders who kept Tribal traditions and dreams alive during the years of termination. It is a place of where the Tribes practice their cultural activity and share their stories and history.

To register for the event, RSVP to landandculture at grandronde.org<mailto:landandculture at grandronde.org> or call (503) 879-1418.

PARTNERSHIP PRODUCES SELF-GUIDED HERITAGE TOUR IN LINCOLN CITY

A partnership between the North Lincoln County Historical Museum and the Lincoln City Visitor & Convention Bureau resulted in a new self-guided heritage tour that features 14 history-revealing stops about the region and its people. To view the guide, visit www.oregoncoast.org/heritage-culture<http://www.oregoncoast.org/heritage-culture>. For more information, call the North Lincoln County Historical Museum at (541) 996-6614.

MUSEUM’S CAREFUL PLANNING HELPS AVOID EXPLOSIVE SITUATION

Lane County Hazardous Waste workers and Lane County Historical Society museum staff recently prepared nearly a quarter ton of potentially volatile nitrate cellulose film negatives for destruction. Formerly stored at the museum building, county hazardous waste personnel transported the materials away for specialized incineration.

Classified as hazardous waste, there was no immediate danger to the museum staff, which digitized approximately 20,000 negatives before preparing them for disposal (view the images on the Lane County Historical Society<http://www.lanecountyhistoricalsociety.org/>’s website).

Photographers commonly used nitrate film between the 1890s and 1950s, discontinuing its use with the introduction of safety film. In an advanced stage of deterioration, nitrate film off-gasses, and can cause a chain reaction with adjacent stored images. If deterioration has started and remains unchecked, under conditions of high temperature the negatives can spontaneously combust. Larger institutions (like the University of Oregon’s Knight Library Special Collections) use freezers for storage of this type of negative film; however for most smaller organizations this is not always an option because they lack climate controlled environments.

Disposal practices for nitrate cellulose film are highly regulated, so if you find that your organization’s collection contains negatives of this type contact county’s hazardous waste department. It is also a good idea to place the contact information in your disaster plan documents.

KLAMATH COUNTY VOTERS EXTEND MUSEUM LEVY

Klamath County voters on Tuesday gave a 5-year renewal to the county’s current tax for county-operated museums. The preliminary vote was 63 percent in favor of the five cents per $1,000 of assessed property value rate. Initially implemented three years ago, the tax funds about half of the museum system’s budget, which includes the Klamath County Museum, the Baldwin Hotel Museum and the Fort Klamath Museum.

The museums are not part of Klamath County’s budget, and do not receive money from the general fund.

IMLS STUDY FINDS MAJORITY OF U.S. MUSEUMS AND CULTURAL SITES DEVOTED TO HISTORY

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) recently announced that there are 35,144 museums in the U.S., more than double the agency’s working estimate of 17,500 from the 1990s. What is overwhelmingly powerful about the data is that 55.5% of those museums fall into the history category. This category includes History Museums, Historical Societies, Historic Preservation and Historical Houses and Sites.

“The empirical data shows what we in the field have always known to be true, the vast majority of America’s museums and cultural sites are devoted to history. Yet history remains one of the most underfunded disciplines in the humanities,” said Lynne Ireland, AASLH Council Chair and Deputy Director of the Nebraska State Historical Society. “This report confirms our belief that history organizations are crucial and that history is at the center of America’s cultural life. Together we must use this information to continue our advocacy and work for increased funding and recognition of history’s relevance to our communities and nation.”

Visit the IMLS website<http://www.imls.gov/government_doubles_official_estimate.aspx> to read the full release, including breakdown of active museums by discipline.

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Oregon Heritage, part of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, provides technical support and services to people and organizations documenting, preserving, interpreting and sharing Oregon's heritage. Keep up with the latest heritage issues and trends at Oregon Heritage Exchange<http://oregonheritage.wordpress.com/> and follow us on Facebook<https://www.facebook.com/OregonHeritage>.

Oregon Heritage News is a service of the Oregon Heritage Commission. Do you have an issue or item you would like to share? Email us<mailto:heritage.info at oregon.gov>.

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