Well, everything is back to normal at the BCHS Research Library. Regular hours resume today and continue throughout 2009. Although it may have been a temporary inconvenience, closing down for a few months literally cut the gas bill in half. Thankfully, warmer weather is here!
Last week we had a good meeting of all Bradford County museums here at our facility in Towanda. This group is comprised of representatives from the 10 Bradford County museums, as well as representatives from local tourist and heritage agencies. Our county is really quite unique in that there is so much interest in preserving our history that 10 different organizations with 10 different boards have sprung to life over the years. It might seem like a lot of duplication but our county is the third largest in the state, making it quite challenging for one group to cover every area. The Bradford County Historical Society is designated as the "official" county historical society and we reach out to all areas of the county. All other local museums in the county focus on major towns, areas, or topics. Anyway, this group of people are currently discussing ways in which we can partner to further enhance our efforts. The main project happening right now is a brochure that will include contact information, a description and photos of each museum in the county.
Our new website is progressing and we are currently in the design phase. The initial design ideas have been discussed with the web developer and a "first draft" of the main page is done. It is very different from our current site, and I know it will be much more appealing for all ages.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Where has the Curator gone?
A wise pundit once said, "Time is fun when you're having flies." Maybe it's the other way around...
Anyway, I have been out of the office or away from the desk over the past couple of weeks doing things that I only have time to do in March and April. Since I am an organizational maniac, you can bet that the past couple of weeks included a lot of Spring cleaning. The Boy Scouts came the other day to help move several boxes into storage.
I am also happy to report that the BCHS board of trustees decided to move forward with a new website. The project is already underway and currently in the design phase. You can expect a fresh new look, more resources, more information, photos, an event calendar, downloadable forms, etc. The new website will be managed inhouse, meaning that you will see changes and updates on a regular basis. As the new website comes together, I'll keep you updated on what to expect.
In order to make the website an ongoing success, we need your help. You can sponsor our website for $40 per month. When you do this, we will place a "thank you" in our printed newsletter and on the new website that will include your name and the number of months that you have sponsored. You may also request to be listed as an anonymous donor. You can make a donation by check or by credit card (Visa or Mastercard). There is also a Donation button on this blog that allows you to make a donation securely using PayPal. Send your website contribution to BCHS, 109 Pine Street, Towanda, PA 18848 or call the Research Library at 570-265-2240.
I am also currently scheduling speaking engagements and group tours for dates beginning in April. If you are interested in a local history program for your Bradford County group or a tour of the museum for your club, organization or school, give me a call. Both are free. My office number is 570-265-7652.
The Research Library will reopen with regular hours on Wednesday, April 1. Hours are Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and the first Saturday of each month, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Museum will reopen the last full week in May.
Anyway, I have been out of the office or away from the desk over the past couple of weeks doing things that I only have time to do in March and April. Since I am an organizational maniac, you can bet that the past couple of weeks included a lot of Spring cleaning. The Boy Scouts came the other day to help move several boxes into storage.
I am also happy to report that the BCHS board of trustees decided to move forward with a new website. The project is already underway and currently in the design phase. You can expect a fresh new look, more resources, more information, photos, an event calendar, downloadable forms, etc. The new website will be managed inhouse, meaning that you will see changes and updates on a regular basis. As the new website comes together, I'll keep you updated on what to expect.
In order to make the website an ongoing success, we need your help. You can sponsor our website for $40 per month. When you do this, we will place a "thank you" in our printed newsletter and on the new website that will include your name and the number of months that you have sponsored. You may also request to be listed as an anonymous donor. You can make a donation by check or by credit card (Visa or Mastercard). There is also a Donation button on this blog that allows you to make a donation securely using PayPal. Send your website contribution to BCHS, 109 Pine Street, Towanda, PA 18848 or call the Research Library at 570-265-2240.
I am also currently scheduling speaking engagements and group tours for dates beginning in April. If you are interested in a local history program for your Bradford County group or a tour of the museum for your club, organization or school, give me a call. Both are free. My office number is 570-265-7652.
The Research Library will reopen with regular hours on Wednesday, April 1. Hours are Wednesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and the first Saturday of each month, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Museum will reopen the last full week in May.
Monday, March 2, 2009
It's March Already!
Spring is two and a half weeks away! Although it seems unbelievable that March is here already, I am pleased to say that we have made some pretty good accomplishments already in 2009.
The audience waits for the Harry Davenport program
to begin on February 28th. Soon after this photo was
taken, several of the seats in the front few rows were filled.
First, we had a great community outreach event last Saturday at the Rialto Theatre in Canton. There was a full house and many positive comments were heard at the conclusion of the event. This was a very fitting place to hold this program, as a film directed by Harry Davenport and filmed in Canton was premiered in 1917 in this theater. I would like to thank all those who attended and supported the Bradford County Historical Society. We will be doing more community outreach in the future to other locations in the county. This week, I will be headed back to Canton to speak at the Lions Club about the making of the program, "Harry Davenport - Canton's Famous Actor," and how I became interested in this topic.
By the way, if your organization or club (within Bradford County) is looking for a speaker for your next program, consider a local history program from the Bradford County Historical Society! Send me an email at bchscurator@epix.net to find out more information.
I mentioned earlier in the month that we were improving our phone system. Those improvements are now complete and you will hear the difference the next time that you leave us a voice message.
Finally, I'm pleased to announce that this blog has had 1,000 hits as of this week. It started two months ago, and interest continues to grow as we continually look for ways to connect to those interested in Bradford County. We also now have 100 email subscribers to this blog and we thank everyone for their support. Please continue to pass the word to friends and family so that everyone can stay informed about the latest news from BCHS.
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