[OPLINLIST] Ohio Historical Society Restructuring Actions

Fri, 18 Jun 2004 16:41:57 -0400

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Last week, the Ohio Historical Society announced and began implementing
a major restructuring action designed to build on the Society's core
mission and strengths and enable the Society to generate increased
public and private support for its efforts.  Here is a link to the
Society's press release that provides more detail about this action:

=20

http://www.ohiohistory.org/about/pr/12011004163/release.html =20

=20

The Society's Fiscal Year 2005 operating budget, which goes into effect
July 1, has been designed to support this restructuring effort.  That
budget will require a reduction in funding for a number of Ohio
Historical Society programs, including our Archives/Library.=20

=20

A key premise driving budget decisions was a commitment to preserve, to
the extent possible, our direct programs and services for the public.
These programs serve as a foundation for our efforts to build strong
cases for future support.  Our goal is to be available and responsive to
the public so we can demonstrate the need for additional state, federal,
and private investment.  Thus, in the case of our Archives/Library
operations, we decided not to reduce further the already minimal
operating hours of our reading room at the Ohio Historical Center in
Columbus.  We want to maintain access while we build a case for
increased financial support.

=20

While our plan calls for us to increase our capacity for developing new
income for the Society, we will also continue reducing costs.  Part of
that effort is to increase management efficiency and reduce
administrative overhead.  One step in that process will be to
consolidate our Curatorial and Collections Services Division (which
includes our Archives/Library operations) with our Historic Preservation
and Outreach Services Division.   The newly created division will be
reporting to Jim Strider. Our intent here is not only to reduce
administrative costs but to foster internal and external collaboration
by bringing together organizationally our staff who work to preserve the
state's historical resources (documentary, artifactual, and structural)
and who provide assistance to other groups and institutions pursuing
similar missions throughout Ohio. =20

=20

One extremely difficult part of this process will be the elimination of
our current senior management positions overseeing our Archives/Library
and museum collections management functions.  We will be hard pressed to
fill in for the experience and leadership provided by the individuals
filling those positions.  In order to do so, we will need to ask our
staff to take on new and challenging responsibilities.  We will also
seek guidance and participation on the part of allied groups.=20

=20

The Society is firmly committed to enhancing our Archives/Library
programs and increasing support for those activities. In the coming
weeks and months we will be reaching out to our state and national
constituents and allies to help us develop a compelling and effective
advocacy effort to generate increased support for archival efforts at
OHS and throughout Ohio. In the meantime, if you have questions, please
feel free to contact me or Jim Strider at OHS. You can reach us at:
<mailto:rtooker@ohiohistory.org> rtooker@ohiohistory.org or
<mailto:jstrider@ohiohistory.org> jstrider@ohiohistory.org.

=20

Rachel Tooker=20
Deputy Executive Director/COO &=20
State Historic Preservation Officer=20
Ohio Historical Society=20
1982 Velma Avenue=20
Columbus, OH  43211-2497=20
(614) 297-2224=20
rtooker@ohiohistory.org=20
www.ohiohistory.org=20

=20

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<DIV>Last week, the Ohio Historical Society =
announced=20
and began implementing a major restructuring action designed to build on =
the=20
Society&#8217;s core mission and strengths and enable the Society to =
generate=20
increased public and private support for its efforts.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; Here is a link to the =
Society&#8217;s press=20
release that provides more detail about this action:</DIV>
<DIV>
&nbsp;
<FONT=20
size=3D2><A=20
href=3D"http://www.ohiohistory.org/about/pr/12011004163/release.html">htt=
p://www.ohiohistory.org/about/pr/12011004163/release.html</A>=20
&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3DArial>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
The=20
Society&#8217;s Fiscal Year 2005 operating budget, which goes into =
effect July 1, has=20
been designed to support this restructuring effort.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; That budget will require a =
reduction in=20
funding for&nbsp;a number of Ohio =
Historical=20
Society programs, including our&nbsp;Archives/Library. =

<FONT=20
face=3DArial>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
A key=20
premise driving budget decisions was a commitment to preserve, to the =
extent=20
possible, our direct programs and services for the public.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; These programs serve as a =
foundation for=20
our efforts to build strong cases for future support.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; Our goal is to be available =
and=20
responsive to the public so we can demonstrate the need for additional =
state,=20
federal, and private investment.&nbsp; =

</SPAN>Thus, in the case of our Archives/Library operations, we decided =
not to=20
reduce further the already minimal operating hours of our reading room =
at the=20
Ohio Historical Center in Columbus.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">&nbsp;=20
</SPAN>We want to maintain access while we build a case for increased =
financial=20
support.</FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN>&nbsp;</P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT =
face=3DArial><FONT=20
size=3D2>While our plan calls for us to increase our capacity for =
developing new=20
income for the Society, we will also continue reducing costs.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>Part of that effort is to =
increase=20
management efficiency and reduce administrative overhead.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>One step in that process will =
be to=20
consolidate our Curatorial and Collections Services Division (which =
includes our=20
Archives/Library operations) with our Historic Preservation and Outreach =

Services Division.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp;&nbsp;<SPAN=20
class=3D022092420-18062004>&nbsp;The newly created division will be =
reporting to=20
Jim Strider.&nbsp;</SPAN></SPAN>Our intent here is not only to reduce=20
administrative costs but to foster internal and external collaboration =
by=20
bringing together organizationally our staff who work to preserve the =
state&#8217;s=20
historical resources (documentary, artifactual, and structural) and who =
provide=20
assistance to other groups and institutions pursuing similar missions =
throughout=20
Ohio.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3D2><FONT=20
face=3DArial>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=3DMsoNormal style=3D"MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=3DArial =
size=3D2>One=20
extremely difficult part of this process will be the elimination of our =
current=20
senior management positions overseeing our Archives/Library and museum=20
collections management functions.<SPAN style=3D"mso-spacerun: =
yes">&nbsp;=20
</SPAN>We will be hard pressed to fill in for the experience and =
leadership=20
provided by the individuals filling those positions.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>In order to do so, we will =
need to ask=20
our staff to take on new and challenging responsibilities.<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; </SPAN>We will also seek guidance and =

participation on the part of allied groups. 
<FONT=20
face=3DArial>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
The=20
Society is firmly committed to enhancing our Archives/Library programs =
and=20
increasing support for those activities.&nbsp;=20
In the coming weeks and months we will be reaching out to our =
state and=20
national constituents and allies to help us develop a compelling and =
effective=20
advocacy effort to generate increased support for archival efforts at =
OHS and=20
throughout Ohio.&nbsp; In the =
meantime,=20
if you have questions, please feel free to contact me or Jim Strider at=20
OHS.&nbsp; You can reach us =
at:<SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; <A=20
href=3D"mailto:rtooker@ohiohistory.org">rtooker@ohiohistory.org</A><SPAN=20
style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">&nbsp; or <A=20
href=3D"mailto:jstrider@ohiohistory.org">jstrider@ohiohistory.org</A>.
<FONT=20
face=3DArial>&nbsp;<o:p></o:p>
<FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2>Rachel Tooker Deputy=20
Executive Director/COO &amp; State=20
Historic Preservation Officer Ohio=20
Historical Society 1982 =
Velma=20
Avenue Columbus, OH&nbsp;=20
43211-2497 (614) =
297-2224=20
 rtooker@ohiohistory.org =
 <FONT=20
face=3DArial size=3D2>www.ohiohistory.org </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV></BODY></HTML>

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