Agenda - 10-20-2009 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

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8 There is not a single repository for the totality of information related to Orange County history. There are instead several agencies collecting and preserving specific facets of the history. None of the agencies represented on the Work Group has archival processing services or environmentally appropriate storage space within their facilities. The representatives of the historically oriented agencies who serve on the Work Group have agreed they are interested in the preservation, appropriate storage, cataloging, and archiving of the most sensitive records of the County. Sensitive documents may include, but are not limited to, original maps, personal journals, materials and/or letters collected as histories of groups or families, art work, oral history collections, family Bibles, certificates, photographs, drawings, personal papers of government officials, etc. The members of the Work Group have agreed not all original records could be moved to one location immediately because the missions of the agencies (see attachment B) call for collecting documentation and objects related to their specific purposes. Over time it is envisioned that more and more items may be relocated to the Heritage Center and that other records will be solicited specifically for the collection of the Heritage Center. The Work Group members agree there is a need for a central collection agency that complements the missions of the existing agencies that has appropriate storage and preservation expertise to ensure aging records are collected and maintained. It is imperative access be provided for local and visiting researchers at regularly-scheduled hours that are convenient for all who want access. In support of these agreements the following vision statement has been adopted to guide further work: The Orange County Heritage Center will be a centrally located public archive, opened at convenient hours for public users, designed to house existing and future collections of various historical and cultural organizations in Orange County. The facility will provide the space and equipment to read and, where appropriate, reproduce items from the collection, and will include current computer technologies to access digital records, online catalogues and databases from complementary repositories that support local research. It is also agreed that an Orange County Heritage Center is not intended to duplicate, but is to complement, existing documentation available from the N. C. Department ofArchives and History, the North Carolina Collection housed in the Wilson Library on the campus ofUNC-Chapel Hill, or other available resources. Partnerships with these, and other, agencies can provide access to a large amount of information. Of particular interest for partnering is a Digital Heritage Center under development at UNC-Chapel Hill. Technology should be used to access these collections and others that will result in complete access to the history of the place and people that are Orange County. The Digital Heritage Center, housed within the UNC Library, is intended to provide digitization and hosting services for cultural heritage materials held by libraries, archives, historical societies, and other institutions in the state of North Carolina. Their goal is to offer broad and integrated access to digital representatives of these materials to the citizens of the state, teachers, students, and researchers across North Carolina and beyond. Each agency represented on the Work Group reports out-of-town visitors to their facilities seeking more information on County history and access to documentation. The agency representatives believe the presence of a Heritage Center in Hillsborough will provide an opportunity to better provide more complete historical information to out-of-town visitors who currently visit their facilities. All Work Group members believe a Heritage Center as a historical research facility will be a recognized destination that will attract more visitors to the County and will encourage tourists to spend money on lodging, shopping, and dining while in the County. 5