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16 <br />As the Orange County Library has the largest collection of secondary materials on local <br />history, space, and staff that can assist researchers, it makes sense that the Library <br />becomes the place for research, with a computer linked to the NC Digital Heritage <br />Center. They are willing to offer this service. Every other historical agency can also <br />access the site through the web, using this material for their research purposes. <br />2j The Foundation for Historic Hillsborough and Orange County which operates the Orange <br />County Historical Museum has expressed an interest in becoming part of the solution by <br />considering accommodating the Heritage Center in a plan that could give much needed <br />additional space to the museum. Gwen Harvey, Assistant County Manager, encouraged <br />the Foundation Board to meet with the County and Town Managers to explore a long <br />term solution that could provide for the museum's expansion and the creation of a <br />Heritage Center that could physically store the archives and research files in one place. <br />This is not an immediate solution, but could provide an excellent opportunity and the <br />best solution in the Tong term. A member of the Foundation board, the Heritage Center <br />Work Group facilitator, and the Assistant County Manager met with County and City <br />officials to see if this could become a reality. <br />As the storage of archival materials in a safe environment did not seem immediately <br />forthcoming, I sought a location to move archival materials to, without fee that can properly <br />care for these original documents. The Southern Historical Collection said it would consider <br />working with these groups. <br />The digitization of these collections should be seen as the first step. If there are significant <br />numbers of additional archives in private ownership, the Heritage Center could still be a viable <br />answer. I would encourage the local agencies to generate publicity on the current project. <br />Private citizens might be interested in giving their documents or having them digitized. I also <br />recommend that the agencies sponsor a day encouraging individuals to share their private <br />collections with the intention of learning what documents are available in the County. This <br />could lead to greater research capability and a more urgent need for the storage of these <br />documents. <br />While it was the hope of many to have astand-alone repository, it is my advice, at this time, to <br />begin with digitization as a form of preserving the very important history of Orange County. <br />The Orange County Library is willing to provide staff support and space for research, and with <br />the digitized documents, the many resources of the county will be under one roof. Through <br />such a process, researchers from around the world can learn about this local history, and may <br />indeed come to visit and see the original documents. <br />If the discussions between the Orange County Historical Museum, Town, and County leadership <br />prove fruitful, it would be the best possible solution to ultimately bring the physical files to one <br />place under the direction of the Orange County Historical Museum. The Heritage Center then <br />would become a reality and the museum would be able to continue its important role in <br />educating all to the heritage of North Carolina that is deeply seated in Orange County. <br />