Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
4 <br />0 <br />According to Mr. Coleman, the terms of Miss Wall's bequest will be easy for this library <br />board or any subsequent library board to meet. Miss Wall wants an area of the library <br />(not necessarily with walls) to be designated the Rebecca Wall History Room and for the <br />plaque to be on display in Phis area/" <br />Mr. Gledhill advised that the intent of the Wall will was unclear. The only way to be <br />certain would be to seek a declaratory judgment in court and have a judge provide the <br />opinion. While this would require a fee, it is not an uncommon practice for institutions <br />and trustees to be absolutely certain that funds and bequests are properly designated. <br />Mr. Gledhill also indicated that there was nothing in the will or the minutes of the library <br />board that would assist in this clear opinion. The attorney for Ms. Wall's estate was Mr. <br />Lonnie Coleman, who is currently a judge, which would preclude him from sharing <br />additional insight due to attorney client privilege. Attachment G <br />During the evaluation process library management consulted with local public libraries <br />who maintain history collections for public access. Staff collected statistics including <br />population served, accessible hours, size of collection, staff, and budget. The library is <br />working on a collection development policy that addresses the purpose and scope of this <br />NC Room local history collection in Orange County Public Library. Attachment H <br />Earlier this year, in consultation with the design team for the new library, it was decided <br />that the collection can be placed on the 2"d floor adjacent to the reference desk. This <br />particular location will provide enhanced professional support, service and security from <br />the Reference Librarians, who will be located within 15 - 20 feet from the collection. The <br />area will also provide patrons with comfortable seating and tables for research, microfilm <br />printer /reader access, as well as a dedicated computer for database searches. The <br />current vertical file cabinet will also be placed in the vicinity of the reference area. The <br />staff will also be working to develop guides to using the collection/databases, other area <br />collections and will be working on a new webpage that will include additional state and <br />national historical/genealogical information resources. <br />Ms. Rebecca Wall provided the contribution to the library through her estate in 1986 for <br />the support and development of the NC Room history collection. The library would <br />retain in an interest bearing account the principal contribution, which has grown from <br />$50,000 to $134,500. The interest from the endowment would be responsibly managed <br />to provide financial support related to preservation, protection, and development of the <br />Orange County historical collection. It would also provide additional staff training in <br />historical collections, provide funds for matching grants in order to provide on-going <br />programming honoring Ms. Wall and serving as a stimulus for economic tourism <br />development. Examples, of such programming would be research symposiums, history <br />related lectures, exhibits, and an award honoring scholarly research or preservation <br />projects. As part of the stipulation of Ms. Wall's will the library would: <br />• Dedicate the large meeting room on the main floor in Rebecca Wall's honor, this <br />naming process to be presented at the next board meeting <br />• Honor bequest by displaying a portrait of Thomas Ruffin's law office, painted on a <br />tray by Ms. Wall <br />The Board could further explore the development of a Heritage Center with community <br />assets from the Alliance for Historic Hillsborough and its other supporting organizations, <br />such as, the Burwell School and the Hillsborough Museum. These future discussions <br />4 <br />