History Preservation Project
To preserve, protect and provide greater access to documents concerning the history of Provincetown through digitization.
To utilize the second floor of the Freeman Street building through June 30, 2007, for the purposes of digitizing documents for future use for research and public information, and to establish a History Preservation Project Gift Fund to accept donations to further the goals of the Project. This project will be overseen and supervised by the Town Clerk.
1. To move inaccessible documents and photos from where they are currently housed in the attic of the Grace Gouveia building to the second floor of the Freeman Street building where they can be safely assessed, scanned and computerized;
2. To assess historical documents in Town Hall for preservation efforts;
3. To prioritize documents for digitization; and to develop policies and procedures on the digitization process;
4. To secure funding to support digitization through available grants, existing funding sources in Town Hall (i.e. Community Preservation Act allocations, Tourism Fund, etc.), and from private gift support from the community;
5. To develop a training program for project volunteers and procedures to oversee their work; and
6. To digitize as many documents as possible within the existing time frame and place documents on a specifically designed web page to create greater access to valuable and significant historical information.
Use of the space in the Freeman Street building will provide the safe and secure environment needed to house the materials and allow workspace for scanners, computers, and the clean layout of materials so that project volunteers can efficiently sort and preserve this history.
This proposal, with a project deadline of June 30, 2007, is designed as an interim measure while the Town continues its ongoing discussions with the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum regarding potential transfer of Town historical information, and also while the Town continues to explore future uses of the Freeman Street building.
The majority of historic documents in the Town’s care are currently stored in the attic of the Grace Gouveia building. Historical information currently in the Town Clerk’s care and located in Town Hall will also be evaluated for inclusion in this preservation project.
Access to documents in the Grace Gouveia attic is extremely difficult due to the crowded storage conditions that exist. Continued exposure of the documents to the attic environment is detrimental to their integrity and threatens their continued existence.
The successful completion of this project will ensure that important documents related to Provincetown’s history will be preserved for informational and research purposes today and for the future, providing access for Town boards and the general public.
It is estimated that $10,000 will be needed to support this project. Budgetary items include training, preservation materials, computer and scanning equipment, in addition to technical support to create a fully functioning, interactive website.
Funding will be sought from a variety of sources, including available grants, Community Preservation Act allocations, Tourism Fund, existing budgets, and private gift support from the community. To date, individual community gift support in the form of pledges amounts to $2,250.
Besides funds already committed
through Town Budgets, the Heritage Museum Friends Association and private
gifts and pledges, additional funds will be sought from Seamen's Long
Point Charitable Foundation, the Cape Cod Foundation, the Masonic Lodge, the
Kelley Foundation, the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod, Cape Cod Five Cents Savings
Bank and the TD BankNorth Charitable Foundation. In addition, a major
grant possibility is a National Leadership Grant: Building Digital
Resources from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
Project work will be provided by trained volunteers from the community at no cost, and moving of the material from the Grace Gouveia building and Town Hall will be conducted by participants in the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office of Community Service Project, also at no cost.
Your thoughtful consideration of this proposal is greatly appreciated.
Doug Johnstone, Town Clerk, Chair, History
Preservation Project Working Group
Stephen Borkowski, Chair, Art
Commission
Polly Burnell, Historical
Commission member, Historic District Commission member
Debra DeJonker-Berry, Library
Director
Marcia
Fair, Chair, Board of Library Trustees
Rev. Alison Hyder, Unitarian
Universalist Meeting House, Nautilus Club member, Provincetown Art Association
and Museum member
Lyn Kratz, Librarian,
Principal, Kratzworks Web Design
Susan
Leonard, Community member
David Mayo, Pilgrim Monument
and Provincetown Museum Collection Committee member
Marian Roth, Cultural Council
Chair, Provincetown Art Association and Museum
Mick Rudd, Vice Chair, Board of Library Trustees, Visitor Services Board member
Bill Schneider, Administrative
Director of Tourism, Author
Attachments: Letters of Support