city of dublin heritage and cultural arts commission

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This AGENDA is posted in accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2(a) If requested, pursuant to Government Code Section 54953.2, this agenda shall be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with a disability, as required by Section 202 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Section 12132), and the federal rules and regulations adopted in implementation thereof. To make a request for disability-related modification or accommodation, please contact the City Clerk’s Office (925) 833-6650 at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. A complete packet of information containing Staff Reports (Agenda Statements) and attachments related to each item is available for public review at least 72 hours prior to a Heritage & Cultural Arts Commission Meeting or, in the event that it is delivered to the Commission less than 72 hours prior to a Heritage & Cultural Arts Commission Meeting, as soon as it is so delivered. The packet is available in the Parks & Community Services Department at Civic Center. CITY OF DUBLIN HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION MEETING AGENDA THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2012, 7:00 P.M. DUBLIN CIVIC CENTER, 100 CIVIC PLAZA 1. CALL TO ORDER 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS 3.1 Public Comments At this time, the public is permitted to address the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission on non- agendized items. The Commission must, however, comply with all State Laws in regard to items not appearing on the posted agenda. The Commission may respond to statements made or questions asked, or may request Staff to report back at a future meeting concerning the matter. Any member of the public may contact the Office of the Parks and Community Services Department related to the proper procedure to place an item on a future Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission agenda. The exceptions under which the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission MAY discuss and/or take action on items not appearing on the agenda are contained in GC 54954.2(b)(1)(2)(3). 4. MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING – March 8, 2012 STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approve Minutes. 5. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS - None 6. PUBLIC HEARING - None 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None 8. NEW BUSINESS 8.1 Agenda Process The Commission will receive a report regarding the process for having an item placed on the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission Meeting Agenda STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Receive Report. 8.2 Museum Assessment Program (MAP) - Phase III The Commission will receive a presentation on the implementation plan for Phase III of the Museum Assessment Program and provide input on the Staff recommendations. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Receive Report and provide input on the draft implementation plan. 8.3 Winter 2011-12 Quarterly Report The Commission will receive a report on the programs, activities and events conducted during the winter of 2012. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Receive Report. 9. OTHER BUSINESS 9.1 Brief Informational Only Reports from Commissioners and/or Staff and Reports by Commission related to Meetings Attended at City Expense (AB 1234). 10. ADJOURNMENT

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Page 1: CITY OF DUBLIN HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION

This AGENDA is posted in accordance with Government Code Section 54954.2(a)

If requested, pursuant to Government Code Section 54953.2, this agenda shall be made available in appropriate alternative formats to persons with a disability, as required by Section 202 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. Section 12132), and the federal rules and regulations adopted in implementation thereof. To make a request for disability-related modification or accommodation, please contact the City Clerk’s Office (925) 833-6650 at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting. A complete packet of information containing Staff Reports (Agenda Statements) and attachments related to each item is available for public review at least 72 hours prior to a Heritage & Cultural Arts Commission Meeting or, in the event that it is delivered to the Commission less than 72 hours prior to a Heritage & Cultural Arts Commission Meeting, as soon as it is so delivered. The packet is available in the Parks & Community Services Department at Civic Center.

CITY OF DUBLIN HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION

MEETING AGENDA THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2012, 7:00 P.M.

DUBLIN CIVIC CENTER, 100 CIVIC PLAZA

1. CALL TO ORDER 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS

3.1 Public Comments At this time, the public is permitted to address the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission on non-agendized items. The Commission must, however, comply with all State Laws in regard to items not appearing on the posted agenda. The Commission may respond to statements made or questions asked, or may request Staff to report back at a future meeting concerning the matter. Any member of the public may contact the Office of the Parks and Community Services Department related to the proper procedure to place an item on a future Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission agenda. The exceptions under which the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission MAY discuss and/or take action on items not appearing on the agenda are contained in GC 54954.2(b)(1)(2)(3).

4. MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING – March 8, 2012 STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Approve Minutes. 5. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS - None 6. PUBLIC HEARING - None 7. UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None 8. NEW BUSINESS

8.1 Agenda Process The Commission will receive a report regarding the process for having an item placed on the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission Meeting Agenda

STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Receive Report.

8.2 Museum Assessment Program (MAP) - Phase III The Commission will receive a presentation on the implementation plan for Phase III of the Museum Assessment Program and provide input on the Staff recommendations. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Receive Report and provide input on the draft implementation plan.

8.3 Winter 2011-12 Quarterly Report The Commission will receive a report on the programs, activities and events conducted during

the winter of 2012. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Receive Report.

9. OTHER BUSINESS 9.1 Brief Informational Only Reports from Commissioners and/or Staff and Reports by

Commission related to Meetings Attended at City Expense (AB 1234). 10. ADJOURNMENT

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CITY OF DUBLIN HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION

DRAFT MINUTES Thursday, March 8, 2012

The meeting of the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission was called to order at 7:05 p.m. at the Dublin Civic Center, Dublin, California, by Vice Chairperson Hernandez PLEDGE OF ALLIGIENCE Vice Chairperson Hernandez led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL Commissioners Present: Hernandez, Minniear, Carr, Vanderpool and King Commissioners Absent: Halket and Tutino ORAL COMMUNICATIONS - None APPROVAL OF MINUTES OF JANUARY 12, 2012 Cm. Minniear noted that there was a grammatical error on page two, paragraph four, 2nd sentence from the bottom; the sentence should read “Staff Member McCreary advised that at this time, an exact date for the completion of the Avalon Bay project has not been established”. On a motion by Cm. Carr, seconded by Cm. Vanderpool, and by vote of 3-0-2, the January 12, 2012 minutes were approved as amended. Cm. King and Cm. Minniear abstained from the vote as they were not in attendance at the January 12, 2012 meeting. WRITTEN COMMUNICATION - None PUBLIC HEARING - None UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None NEW BUSINESS 8.1 CAMP PARKS COLLECTION, PUBLIC ACCESS AND FUTURE EXHIBIT Ms. Elizabeth Isles, Heritage Park and Museums Director, City of Dublin presented Agenda Statement #1 to the Commission regarding the Camp Parks Historical Exhibit grand opening. After presentation, Staff Member Isles asked if the Commission had any questions, comments or concerns at this time. Staff Member Isles answered questions from the Commission regarding the Camp Parks Collection oral history archives and films. Staff Member Isles advised that the collection does include a few oral history reports from the wives of the Fighting Seabees. The grand opening includes a viewing of “The Fighting Seabees” starring John Wayne in Old St. Raymond’s Church.

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8.2 TRANSIT CENTER PUBLIC ART PROJECT UPDATE Ms. Ann Mottola, Heritage and Cultural Arts Manager, City of Dublin presented Agenda Statement #2 to the Commission regarding the Transit Center Public Art Project. After presentation, Staff Member Mottola asked if the Commission had any questions at this time. Cm. King advised that the dedication for the public art work should read Tuesday, March 13 at 7:30 p.m., not Tuesday, March 12, 2012 as indicated in Agenda Statement. Staff Member Mottola received and responded to Commission questions regarding the art piece including details on the appearance of the art piece, an update on the electrical delivery for this project and, discussed further details regarding the dedication ceremony. 9.1 OTHER BUSINESS Cm. Carr advised she is a member of the Women’s Club and is the Women’s Club, State Arts Chairperson. Cm. Carr coordinates approximately 1,300 volunteers on statewide art projects. Most recently the Women’s Club collaborated with the American Mural Project, which is part of the world’s largest indoor art piece, housed in Winsted, Connecticut. Part of the Women’s Club effort has been to collect used watches and a one-dollar donation for each watch submitted. Cm. Carr is happy to report her region collected 1,200 watches and $1,200 out of the 9,000 and $9,000.00 collected nationwide. These watches will be integrated into the world’s largest indoor art piece to represent the Women’s Club volunteerism and hours of service provided to others. Cm. Minniear reported that he attended the City Council budget meeting and is happy to report that there are history and cultural arts initiatives included in the budget moving forward over the next two years. Cm. Minniear asked if Staff could give a presentation on how to put an item on a meeting agenda. Staff Member McCreary advised Staff would add this item to the next meeting agenda for the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission. Staff Member McCreary advised that a few years ago, Council decided to suspend contributions to the public art fund for residential art development due to fiscal concerns at the time. The suspension of the contributions to this fund expires May 19, 2012 therefore City Council will be looking at reinstating residential art development fund due to the increase in economic growth experienced by the City of Dublin. Staff Member Mottola advised there is a non-profit group who is trying to recognize the different military hospitals by installing memorial plaques at historic military hospital locations. This group is interested in installing a plaque at Emerald Glen Park, near the skate park area, where the Schumacher Hospital used to be located. Staff Member Mottola is working with this group and will potentially coordinate a supporting Eagle Scout project to create an educational sign containing information and pictures of the hospital to be installed alongside the memorial plaque. Cm. Minniear advised the Camp Parks collection includes some pictures of the military hospital that would be worthwhile. Staff Member Mottola advised more information will follow. Staff Member McCreary advised that St. Patrick’s Day is just around the corner. On Saturday from 12:00-1:00 PM there will be a reception at the Irish Tea Cottage (Dublin Library). City Council and all Commissioners are invited. The representatives from our Sister City in Bray, Ireland will also attend this wonderful event.

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Staff Member McCreary also advised the next Council Budget Study Session will be held on Wednesday, April 18, 2012 where they will form the City’s work-plan for the next two years. If any Commissioners are interested in attending this session, feel free to do so. Cm Minniear asked if there is any intention of putting something along the piece of art at the transit center so that no one can skateboard on the bottom of the art piece. Staff Member McCreary advised they will be monitoring the situation to see if there is a need for this type of protection for the art piece. ADJOURNMENT Being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:31 p.m. Respectfully submitted, __________________________________ Christie Marks Senior Office Assistant APPROVED: ___________________________________ Vice Chairperson

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COPIES TO: ITEM NO.: 8.1 G:\HERITAGE COMMISSION\Web PDF Packets\5.10.12\5-10-12 8.1 Agenda Process.doc

AGENDA STATEMENT HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION MEETING DATE: May 10, 2012

SUBJECT: Agenda Process Prepared by Ann Mottola, Heritage and Cultural Arts Manager ATTACHMENTS: 1. Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission Bylaws and Rules of

Procedure 2. City Council Resolution No. 19-11 Amending and Restating

the Rules for the Conduct of Meetings of the City Council RECOMMENDATION: Receive report FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None DESCRIPTION: At the March 8, 2012 meeting of the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission, Commissioner Steve Minnear asked Staff to present to the Commission with a review of the process to place items on the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission agendas. Placing Items on the Agenda Per the City Clerk, since the process for a Commissioner to place an item on the Agenda is not addressed in the Bylaws and Rules of Procedure for the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission (Attachment 1), the Commission will follow the process used by City Council for items and issues within the Commission’s purview. In City Council Resolution No. 19-11 (Attachment 2), Amending and Reinstating the Rules for the Conduct of Meetings of the City Council, Section 9.b. states,

“When an item not on an agenda is raised by a member of the public, the City Council may briefly respond, may ask questions for clarification, provide a reference to Staff or other resources, or request Staff to report back at a subsequent meeting. Furthermore, a member of the City Council may take action to place a matter of business on a future agenda.”

An action to place a matter of business on a future agenda may be made by a Commissioner during the “Other Business” section of the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission Agenda, for items within the Commission’s purview. Staff would then prepare a report and presentation to the Commission on the item of interest. The timing of the report and presentation would depend on the complexity of the issue, if additional resources are needed to prepare the report, and its urgency in relation to other established priorities. Role of the Commission

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Section VII of the Bylaws defines the specific Heritage and Cultural Arts programmatic and operational areas where the Commission may make recommendations to City Council. Section VIII of the Bylaws defines the role of the Commission as an advisory body to the City Council and further states the bylaws establishing the Commission shall not be “construed as a limitation on the power of the City Council or the Administrative Staff of the City or any other agency in their supervision, or authority over property or personnel which are under their respective jurisdictions.” For example:

• The Commission may recommend a revision to the selection procedures for a public art project. The Commission may not recommend the creation of a new public art program.

• The Commission may recommend featured exhibits at the Heritage Park Museum based on the

City’s existing collection and resources. The Commission may not recommend the creation of an exhibit for which there is no acquisition budget, or a new program for which there is no staffing.

Focusing on the City Council Strategic Plan The Ten-Year Strategic Plan (Plan) process approved by City Council in December 2010 reinforces the advisory role of the Commission to make recommendations on existing, funded programs. Any potential recommendation that would have a financial impact, either operationally or programmatically must be recommended as part of the Strategic Plan process. The purpose is to provide a process to analyze programs and services to ensure the City’s limited resources are focused on the most important initiatives that will provide the most benefit to the community. To further clarify, in December 2010 the City Council directed Staff to move forward with a new budget preparation process that enhances alignment of budget funding decisions with the City Council’s adopted Ten-Year Strategic Plan (Plan). The process focuses on achievement of the specific Strategies outlined in the Plan, versus an annual review of Goals and Objectives, which Commissioners had previously taken part in reviewing on an annual basis. As outlined in the December 7, 2010 City Council Staff Report, this new focus on the Strategic Plan resulted in modifications to both the biennial Strategic Plan update process and the budget preparation process, including City Council consideration of budget initiatives rather than Goals and Objectives. The Plan process now includes solicitation of input from City Commissions prior to the City Council’s adoption of the Strategic Plan every two years. The next review and update of the Ten-Year Strategic Plan will begin in January 2013 and after adoption will be effective July 1, 2013. A further change to the budget preparation process took place in March 2011. At that time the City Council directed Staff to move forward with preparation of a two-year budget. The two-year budget process will more fully integrate the City’s Strategic Planning process with the budget process, increasing support for long-range fiscal planning around the Strategic Drivers. The two-year budget will also provide the City Council with a look beyond the one-year time frame of operating programs and capital improvement projects. This longer-range time frame provides the opportunity to see costs in greater totality and better plan for future fiscal sustainability. The budget process now includes two study sessions rather than one providing the City Council with an opportunity to further review and consider budget initiatives, both Strategic and Operational, before funding is included in the preliminary budget document. This change also provides an additional opportunity for public input into budget issues prior to adoption of the budget. City Commissioners are encouraged to attend these meeting to weigh in on the future strategic direction of the City. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission receive the report.

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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Bylaws and Rules of Procedure Page 1 of 3 Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission November 4, 2011

CITY OF DUBLIN

HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION BYLAWS AND RULES OF PROCEDURE

I. GENERAL PROVISIONS

A. These Rules of Procedure shall be known as the Bylaws and Rules of Procedure of the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission of the City of Dublin. A copy of these Rules and amendments thereto, shall be filed in the offices of the City Clerk for examination by the public.

B. These Rules and any amendments hereto shall be effective on the date of the adoption hereof,

and shall govern the meetings and activities of the Commission. II. COMMISSION COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF APPOINTMENT

A. The Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission shall be composed of seven (7) members. B. The Mayor shall make all appointments to the Commission, with the approval of the City

Council. When making appointments to the Commission, consideration shall be given to members of the Dublin Fine Arts Foundation and Dublin Historical Preservation Association (or similar groups) and to persons who are specifically qualified by reason of training, experience, interest or involvement in arts and/or heritage, particularly as related to artistic and cultural activities in the City.

C. All members shall be residents of the City and shall be committed to furthering public art, and

historical and cultural life in the community. D. Commission members may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Mayor and City

Clerk. III. TERM OF OFFICE AND REMOVAL

A. Commission members shall be appointed for terms which run four (4) years beginning in December of even numbered years and ending in December of an even numbered year. At the end of a Commissioner member's term, the Commission member may be reappointed to the Commission in the same manner as the initial appointment. Commission members shall be eligible to serve a maximum of eight (8) years with two (2) 4-year terms.

B. Any member of the Commission may be removed from office by the Mayor, with the approval of

a majority of the City Council. Removal and appointment of Commissioners shall be made only at a regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council.

C. Commission members must attend 75% of all regular and special meetings in a 12 month period.

The Secretary to the Commission shall provide the Mayor with monthly attendance reports and a quarterly overview of attendance by Commission members. The Secretary to the Commission shall notify the Mayor if a Commission member is absent from three consecutive meetings. The Commission member shall also be notified that they may be removed from the Commission.

D. If a Commission member ceases to reside in the City of Dublin, said Commissioner’s office shall

be declared vacant.

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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Bylaws and Rules of Procedure Page 2 of 3 Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission November 4, 2011

IV. VACANCIES

A. Vacancies on the Commission occurring other than by expiration of term shall be filled for the unexpired portion of the term in the same manner as the original appointment.

V. OFFICERS

A. Election and Term of Office. The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson are elected by the majority of the Commission for a 1-year term and hold office until their successors are elected, or until their terms as members of the Commission expire. The officers are elected at the first meeting of the Commission in January of each year. Elections, whether regular or to fill vacancies shall be held only if a simple majority of the Commission members are present. The Commission shall, unless no Commissioners meet the criteria, elect Commissioners to the positions that have not previously served in the position and that have not declined the appointment, with the intent that no on should serve in the position for two consecutive years.

The secretary to the Commission will be the City Manager or his/her designee. B. Vacancies. In case of any vacancy in the Office of Chairperson or Vice Chairperson, the vacancy

shall be filled by an election held at the first regular meeting after the occurrence of such vacancy. The person so elected shall serve the balance of the term.

C. Duties of Officers. The Chairman performs the following duties:

1. Presides at all meetings of the Commission. 2. Appoints committee and chairpersons of committees as necessary. 3. Signs correspondence on behalf of the Commission. 4. Represents the Commission before the City Council. 5. Performs other duties necessary or customary to the office.

In the event of the absence of the Chairperson or his/her inability to act, the Vice-Chairperson

presides in place of the Chairperson. In the event of the absence of or the inability to act of both the Chairperson and the Vice-Chairperson, the remaining members shall elect one of their members to act as temporary Chairperson.

D. The Committees. The Commission or the Chairperson, upon direction of the Commission, may

appoint several of its members, but less than a quorum, to serve as a Committee. On certain occasions, such as when a particular kind of expertise or public representation is desirable, the Commission may appoint non-members to the Committee. Committees make recommendations directly to the Commission.

A Committee may not represent the Commission before the Council or other bodies unless it has

first received the authorization of the Commission to do so. VI. MEETINGS

A. The Commission shall hold regular meetings at least once per month at a designated time and place, which shall be fixed and determined by the Commission and entered upon its minutes. All meetings of the Commission shall be open to the public. Special meetings of the Commission may be called by a majority of the members thereof, or by the Chairperson thereof. Notice of any such special meeting shall be given as required by law.

B. A majority of the voting members of the Commission shall constitute a quorum for the purpose

of transacting business. The secretary shall keep minutes of all regular and special meetings of

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___________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Bylaws and Rules of Procedure Page 3 of 3 Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission November 4, 2011

the Commission, and these shall be sent to all members and administrative officers in advance of the meeting in which they are to be approved.

VII. GENERAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE COMMISSION

A. The Commission shall consider and make recommendations, as it deems necessary to the City Council in all matters pertaining to:

1. The restoration, maintenance and operation of the Heritage Park & Museums. Such

recommendations would include, but are not limited to the following: recommendations for the development, improvement and/or modification of Heritage Park & Museums facilities or programs; recommendations for policies on heritage preservation, artifact acquisition, conduct of persons using the Heritage Park & Museums facilities; and rules for the use of the Heritage Park & Museums by the public.

2. The promotion and support of the arts within the community. Such recommendations would

include, but are not limited to the following: recommendations on art in public places including City facilities and new developments within the City; exhibits at the Civic Center, Heritage Park & Museums and Public Art Venue; and recommendations for policies on art, cultural activities and facilities.

VIII. DUTIES OF COMMISSION TO BE ADVISORY ONLY

A. The Commission shall be an advisory body to the City Council. Nothing herein contained shall be construed as a limitation on the power of the City Council or the Administrative Staff of the City or any other agency in their supervision, or authority over property or personnel which are under their respective jurisdictions.

IX. STAFF ASSISTANCE

A. The City Manager shall provide the Commission with such information and Staff assistance as the Commission may, from time to time request, subject to the limitations imposed by the City Council.

X. AMENDMENTS

A. These Bylaws and Rules of Procedure may be amended in the same manner as originally adopted.

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COPIES TO: ITEM NO: 8.2 G:\HERITAGE COMMISSION\Web PDF Packets\5.10.12\5-10-12 8 2 Museum Assessment Program.doc.

AGENDA STATEMENT HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION MEETING DATE: May 10, 2012

SUBJECT: Museum Assessment Program (MAP) - Phase III Prepared by Ann Mottola, Heritage and Cultural Arts Manager and Elizabeth Isles, Heritage Museums Director

ATTACHMENTS: 1. Heritage Museum 2011 CMAP Report

2. MAP Phase III Matrix RECOMMENDATION: Receive report and provide input on the draft implementation plan FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None DESCRIPTION: In 2010, Staff applied for and received a Collections Stewardship Assessment, which is Phase III of the Museum Assessment Program (MAP) sponsored by the American Association of Museums (AAM). The purpose of this assessment was to focus on collections policies, planning, access and documentation within the context of the museum’s total operations. The MAP program is funded by the Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and throughout its 30 years has been administered by the AAM. As part of the IMLS National Leadership program, MAP advances best practices and fosters improvement in museums. MAP is a self-motivated program. Application to and participation in MAP is initiated by each local institution, and those accepted invest considerable human and institutional resources into the assessment. MAP is a confidential process of self-study, peer review and implementation. Museums use the assessment process to strengthen operations, build capacity, and enhance communication throughout the organization and respond to community needs.

“Studies have shown America’s museums to be among the country’s most trusted and valued institutions. MAP is designed to make them even better.” Ford W. Bell, president of AAM

The Dublin Heritage Park and Museums has now participated in all three of the MAP Phases: Phase I – Organizational Assessment (2006), Phase II – Community Engagement (2009) and Phase III – Collections Stewardship (2011). The MAP process has empowered the museum to better serve the residents of Dublin by facilitating the meeting of the highest professional standards of the museum field. Each Phase of the MAP program has three stages: Self Study, Peer Review and Implementation. The Phase III Self-Study and Peer Review stages were completed in 2011. The Peer Reviewer, or Surveyor, chosen for the Dublin Heritage Museums MAP was Ms. Cindy Olsen.

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Ms. Olsen visited the Heritage Park and Museums from August 7-10, 2011. During her visit she interviewed Staff, stakeholders and volunteers. She studied the collections storage and exhibit areas. Following her visit, she compiled a final report (Attachment 1). Overall, her assessment recognized the work being done by the Staff and Volunteers. In her wrap up interview with Staff, Ms. Olsen conveyed that Staff is doing a remarkable job in managing the collection. In the report, she also emphasized that “they (Staff and Volunteers) should have confidence in their work and keep developing skills.” The benefit of this peer review process is that it provides an outsider’s perspective on the practices and procedures of the City’s program. The risk with this process is that the findings are not measured or standardized. As compared to the two prior MAP assessments, the findings in the Phase III report were not fact-checked. As a result, the report includes a considerable number of inaccurate and subjective observations. Many of the issues included in the narrative were already complete at the time of the Survey, or well on their way to completion. Staff has prepared a table summarizing Ms. Olsen’s recommendations with clarifications and Staff’s proposed implementation plan (Attachment II). As part of the implementation stage, Staff requests the Commission’s input on the draft implementation plan to complete the MAP process. The Commission’s input will be shared with the City Council.

RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission receive the report and provide input on the draft implementation plan.

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Museum Assessment Program

The American Association of Museums’ Museum Assessment Program is supported through a cooperative agreement with the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Collections Stewardship Assessment

Final Report 2011

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1575 EYE STREET NW, SUITE 400, WASHINGTON DC 20005

PHONE: 202.289.1818 FAX: 202.289.6578 WWW.AAM-US.ORG

  Congratulations on the hard work you have put into completing MAP!   Enclosed is your final assessment report from your peer reviewer. I hope that you will find the report's content helpful to your organization as you move towards best practices and meeting national standards. Your peer reviewer has written a set of recommendations and resources that will hopefully provide you with the direction and insight that you were seeking through the Museum Assessment Program.   In addition to your report, MAP staff has also included a grant proposal writing guide and a list of state specific resources to help you implement your MAP report. We hope that these materials will supplement your other MAP resources, including access to the AAM Information Center, AAM 2010 and 2011 on‐demand Museum Essentials Webinar series, and your MAP bookshelf. Remember that you can access the AAM Information Center through the rest of the year by using the username and password: mapee11. You can also contact them directly at infocenter@aam‐us.org with questions and for sample documents. Please mention that you are a MAP participant. This benefit can be extended through AAM Institutional Membership.   Your peer reviewer is another wonderful resource. This relationship should not end now that you’ve received your report. Feel free to contact your reviewer to discuss your report and next steps. You can also consult MAP staff with any questions at 202‐289‐9118 or map@aam‐us.org.   Thank you for participating in MAP, and we hope to work together again.   Kind Regards,  

  Jill Connors‐Joyner Assistant Director, Museum Assessment Program 

 

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Collection Stewardship  

Museum Assessment Program 

American Association of Museums 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dublin Heritage Park & Museums 

Dublin, CA 

 

 

Surveyor: Cindy Olsen 

Dates: August 17 & 18, 2011 

 

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

The Dublin Heritage Park & Museums is an expanding museum in a rapidly expanding city. The newly 

expanded park is serving as a museum and a valuable community resource. They hold several historic 

buildings, a cemetery and a small artifact and archival collection.  In terms of collection stewardship, 

they are doing a remarkably good job with an extremely small staff and a core of dedicated volunteers. 

My assessment below offers suggestions that will be needed to meet the demands of the expanded 

museum and to help it move forward in the coming years.  

 

INTRODUCTION 

The purpose of a Museum Assessment Program’s Collections Stewardship Assessment is to “focus 

on collections policies, planning, access and documentation within the context of the museum’s 

total operations.” The scope of the assessment includes collections care and use, acquisitions and 

deaccessioning, legal, ethical, and safety issues, documentation, inventory, and emergency 

planning. This report summarizes the findings of my review at the Dublin Heritage Park and 

Museums. In addition to the visit, the following documents were reviewed prior to the visit:  

MAP Application 

MAP Self Assessment 

Dublin Heritage Park and Museums website www.dublinheritage.org 

Newsletter publication of the Dublin Heritage Park & Museum 

Public Dimension MAP Report from January 25, 2010 

Institutional Assessment MAP Report from February 2006 

Organizational Chart for the Dublin Heritage Center 

Resume of Elizabeth Isles, Director of the Dublin Heritage Center 

Collection Donor Form for the City of Dublin Heritage Park & Museums 

Collections Management Policy and Procedures for the Dublin Heritage Center dated July 

2008 

Financial worksheets for Fiscal Year 2012 for the line items included in the City of Dublin, 

California, for the Dublin Heritage Parks & Museums 

 

The site visit took place on August 17 & 18, 2011. During the first day, I met with Elizabeth Isles, 

Director, who was the primary contact for the assessment and the only full‐time staff member at 

the museum. The first part of the day included a meeting with Ms. Isles about goals of the visit and 

current operations and touring the facilities including the Murray School House, the Pioneer 

Cemetery, Kolb Hay Barn, Sunday School Barn, Kolb House, and the Old House. Collection storage 

was located in a storage building behind the Murray School House and inside a room in the Kolb 

House.  

 

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On the afternoon of the first day, I met with three volunteers, Terry Berry, Steve Minniear and 

Desiree Clarey, who do the majority of the work with the collections. I had meetings with them as a 

group and separately to try to address all their concerns about working with the collection and the 

future of their work.  

 

On the second day, I met with John Hartnett, the City of Dublin Heritage & Cultural Arts Manager, 

who oversees all the parks in the city. I spent the remainder of the second day looking at the 

exhibitions, collections storage spaces, analyzing the record keeping process and looking in‐depth at 

their preservation resources, storage spaces and record keeping practices.  

 

Mission & History 

The Mission of the Dublin Heritage Park & Museums Center is “to collect, preserve and interpret 

the material culture of Dublin to provide a historical and cultural focal point that will enrich the 

community. The mission shall be accomplished by using permanent collections, the Murray School 

House, Old Saint Raymond’s Church, and Pioneer Cemetery. The mission shall further be 

accomplished through temporary exhibits that reflect a broad scope of topics, programs that relate 

to Dublin and its history, and by encouraging the preservation of other historic sites in Dublin.”  

 

The City of Dublin has been inhabited since 500 A.D. by Native American tribes. The Spanish arrived 

in the area in the mid‐1700s. In 1846, Irish pioneers arrived and in the 1870s German and 

Scandinavian settlers arrive. Despite the lengthy settlement pattern, the City of Dublin wasn’t 

incorporated until 1982. The City of Dublin sits at the crossroads of two major highways in the San 

Francisco Bay Area and has a current population of just over 48,000 residents and is the fastest 

growing city in Alameda County with continued growth expected.  

 

The history of the museum starts in 1972 when a group of volunteers called the Dublin Historical 

Preservation Association moved the Murray School House to the property that included the St. 

Raymond’s Church and Pioneer Cemetery and unofficially established a museum. In 1993, the City 

of Dublin was asked to take over operations and the Dublin Heritage Center was formed.  In early 

2011, the park was expanded with four more acres around the Heritage Center and a 1910 

Craftsman Bungalow, 1870 Barn, 1900 studio as well as lawns, gardens, walkways, picnic areas, 

historic farm equipment exhibit and an outdoor stage. The expanded site was renamed the Dublin 

Heritage Park and Museums and opened in July 2011. It had been operating under the expansion 

for approximately one month before my site visit.  

 

Institutional Objectives 

The institutional objectives as stated in the application are:  

Records Management – need to work out a feasible procedure for accessions and cataloging 

plus reconcile found in collection items with recovered donation receipts.  

 

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Review the preservation techniques and work to improve climate control, integrated pest 

management and artifact storage.  

 

Development of better way to stay on top of the collections. They will be dependent on 

volunteers for the time being and need to have policies and procedures that include a use 

policy and a discussion of education vs. preservation.  

 

Audience  

The primary audience is the residents of the City of Dublin. Within this audience the subgroups of 

school students – mostly 3rd grade, families with young children, adults that like to play music, 

retired adults interested in history, adults that like to attend concerts and family members and 

descendants of founding families. The museums also targets tourists and resident of the tri‐valley 

area which is compromised of the communities of Dublin, Pleasanton, Livermore, San Ramon and 

Danville.   

 

The Park and cemetery are open from sunrise to sunset and the Murray School House and Kolb 

House are open Tuesday 6‐9pm and Wednesdays – Sundays 1‐4pm. There is no charge for visiting 

the museums at the Murray School House or the Kolb House. On Tuesday nights and the second 

Saturday of the month they offer a regular music jam program. The museum operates with one full 

time and two part time staff members and many dedicated volunteers. The annual attendance is 

approximately 5,000 visitors to the Murray School House. The Kolb House opened in July 2011 so 

attendance data was not available at the time of the site visit.  

 

SCOPE OF COLLECTIONS AND INTERPRETATION 

The Dublin Heritage Park and Museums has approximately 1,000 three dimensional artifacts in 

several buildings that reflect primarily the history of the 19th century European immigrants.  

 

Photo and Archival Collections 

The Dublin Heritage Park & Museums holds a collection of 500‐1,000 photographs and 500‐1,000 

archival documents. The items appear to be properly stored in a staff‐only room inside the Kolb 

House. A volunteer is currently working on getting the information entered into PastPerfect for 

these items and significant progress has been made to date.  

 

The only major concern was the lack of a lock on the door and a history of visitors or donors gaining 

access to this room and going through boxes. I would suggest marking the room employees only. If 

the problem persists, then I would suggest a new lock on the door to reduce access.  

 

Publications 

The staff members  have already utilized the photo collection to create two books about the history 

of Dublin. They frequently use photos for their regular newsletter.  

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The Dublin Heritage Park & Museums staff members have also used the collection to participate in, 

Calisphere, a pilot digitization project with the University of California. It’s part of a free public 

gateway to primary sources from libraries and cultural heritage associations across the state. The 

total Calisphere project encompasses more than 200,000 digitized items including photographs, 

documents, newspaper pages, political cartoons, works of art, diaries, transcribed oral histories, 

advertising, and other unique cultural artifacts.  Photographs from the Dublin Heritage Parks & 

Museums were included as resources in this project. 

http://www.aclibrary.org/branches/dub/default.asp?topic=Dublin&cat=DUBLocalHistory 

 

Kolb House Collection 

In April 2011, the Kolb House, a 1910 Craftsman Bungalow House, was moved from its original 

location to the Heritage Park property. Along with this building came an extensive collection of 

furniture, decorative arts and personal items that belong to the Kolb family.  

 

 The interpretation of the house is life in the 20th century city of Dublin and mimics how the last 

owner, Bill Kolb, lived in the residence. Volunteer docents give guided tours of the house and there 

are stanchions in the doorways to prevent entering the room.  

 

Some simple conservation measures are in place in the Kolb House to protect the collection. For 

example, in the picture below foam padding is use to protect the finish on the wooden chair from 

the metal object set on top of it.  

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

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They also have some measures in place to protect the fragile collections pieces from earthquakes 

which is the largest natural threat to the collection.  

 

 Hook attached to a decorative plate to prevent movement.  

 

These efforts are a good beginning but are inconsistent through the displays in the Kolb House. The 

staff members and volunteers should consider consistency in their conservation efforts as well as 

transparency in these efforts.  Information on display techniques can be found in Exhibits for Small 

Museums which is already in the museum’s staff library. I have included a list of articles specific to 

earthquake preparedness in the resource section of this report.   

 

Murray School House Collection 

The Murray School House has a delightful exhibit on early Native American and European settler life 

in Dublin. The exhibits, aimed primarily at the elementary school children and families, are well 

made and maintained.  

 

The majority of the items on display in this exhibit are not accessioned collections but rather 

consumable educational materials. Because several of the pieces are 19th century period materials, 

the staff and volunteers should still consider marking these items in a special way to denote their 

status as consumable educational items. I would suggest a different inventory control system. For 

example, at the Minnesota Historical Society items are designated as Program Use Material or PUM.  

 

A separate inventory using the numbering system such as PUM1, etc. could be used to keep an 

inventory of these materials and visibly denote them as non‐accessioned collections. This will 

prevent future staff members from thinking that these are “found in collection” artifacts instead of 

the consumable materials that they are meant to be.  

 

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For the items that are accessioned the staff has done a good job of displaying them out of reach or 

behind barriers. They should make sure that each collection item is marked so that it can be located 

and monitored for any wear or damage.  

 

 

                 

Artifacts on Exhibit Behind Barriers      Collection Piece Out of reach of children 

 

  Barrier for Accessioned Desks 

 

The exhibit in this building has a history of rat infiltration. Ms. Isles has made successful efforts to 

mitigate the problem including working with their exterminator to identify any points of infiltration 

and repair these areas and limiting eating and drinking by staff and volunteers to two specific areas 

and any food materials on exhibit that could be attractive to pests has been removed.  I would also 

consider reading the NPS Conserv‐o‐gram about Identify Museum Insect Pest Damage and make 

sure there aren’t any signs of other pests especially in the kitchen area of the exhibit. 

http://www.nps.gov/museum/publications/conserveogram/03‐11.pdf 

 

The Murray School House is the only area where they ask for donations and it’s located at the very 

end of the exhibit. I would suggest moving this donation box to the front counter/entry of the 

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exhibit. This may generate a little more visibility for donations and help raise additional money to 

fund their programs and collections care.  

 

Sunday School Barn and Kolb Hay Barn 

Both the Sunday School Barn and the Kolb Hay Barn have outdoor displays of farm equipment. The 

weather is generally very mild in Dublin year round, but these objects will experience wear and slow 

deterioration from exposure. There are not currently buildings large enough to house these objects.  

The staff should consider if this is acceptable and make sure that the condition of these objects is 

tracked over time.  

 

One object of particular interest was the Kolb Wagon. After the great 1906 earthquake, George Kolb 

loaded the wagon, now on display, with provisions and brought them to San Francisco.  After delivering 

the goods, he took many Kolb family members living in San Francisco to safety in Dublin.  This is an 

important artifact with ties to a local, regional and national story.  

This wagon is under a sheltered area to limit its exposure but it is still a wooden wagon exposed to 

the elements. The staff should consider either getting it inside a building, especially in the winter, or 

make sure they understand the agents of deterioration and monitor it closely. I would recommend 

reading the CCI Notes from the Canadian Conservation Center about outdoor storage 

http://www.cci‐icc.gc.ca/crc/notes/html/15‐8‐eng.aspx and remediation for outdoor storage 

http://www.cci‐icc.gc.ca/crc/notes/html/15‐9‐eng.aspx.  

 

Pioneer Cemetery 

The Pioneer Cemetery in the center of the park is an interesting component of the entire site. While 

all the plots are sold, active burials still take place here. The cemetery dates to 1859 when the St. 

Raymond Church was still under construction. The cemetery has some interpretive signage about 

early settlers that are buried there which adds to the beauty of the old grave stones and the 

connection with the history of the City.  

 

           

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Considering this is an active cemetery with burials still happening, I would not recommend 

accessioning grave stones. As markers, they are meant to be outside and will eventually 

deteriorate. However, I do suggest a complete inventory of the gravestones with photos attached. 

This will be helpful in the future with marking any deterioration and help with any programming 

that may include the cemetery.  

 

St. Raymond’s Church 

St. Raymond’s Church is the only building on the site that is in its original location. It was built in 

1859 and it currently listed on National Register of Historical Places. It doesn’t currently hold any 

accessioned collections or exhibits. It is not run as a museum and its primary function is for rental 

events and weddings.  

 

Collection Storage Building 

The three‐dimensional artifact storage is located in a climate controlled storage building behind the 

Murray School House. I have a minor concern about the combination use of the building.  

 

One half of the building currently houses collections storage and the other half is used for general 

storage. Keeping the non‐collection program items is not of great concern at this time because the 

materials are mostly costumes, dishware and tables with no period items that would be confused 

with the collection. However, I would recommend moving any chemical cleaning supplies to a non‐

collections storage space. These chemical are possible hazards and cause damage to the artifacts in 

storage.  

 

 Cleaning Supplies in Collection Storage Area 

 

 

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Gift Shop 

 

 Entrance to Gift Shop in Kolb House 

 

As the visitors exit the Kolb House, they pass through a small gift shop. This shop is run by the 

Dublin Historical Preservation Association (DHPA), the group that unofficially started the museum in 

1972. They currently operate as an independent non‐profit that augments the Dublin Heritage Park 

& Museums with funding beyond the city funding provided for operations. The gift shop is 

considered a separate entity and is completely independent of the Dublin Heritage Park & 

Museums including the volunteers that run the cash register.  

 

On the surface, from a collections stewardship standpoint, this wasn’t a problem until I learned that 

the gift shop stock is a combination of wholesale gift items and antique items that were donated for 

sale in the gift shop. The Dublin Heritage Park & Museums should be very careful of the image of 

impropriety in regards to collection. More information on this subject can be found starting on page 

21 of Registration Methods for Small Museums that is already in the staff library.  

 

 If the public thinks that a museum is selling collections items for revenue, it can be very 

detrimental to image of the museum. I would strongly urge the Dublin Heritage Park & Museums to 

either move the gift shop out of the Kolb House or make sure there is signage indicating the 

separate entity of DHPA and the nature of the gift shop.  

 

Miscellaneous Facilities Recommendations 

The Murray School House and Kolb House are structurally sound and contain well maintained HVAC 

systems. The staff engages in some environmental monitoring but more consistent record keeping 

is needed. I would recommend the use of HOBO data loggers to perform long range tracking of the 

temperature and humidity in all the buildings that contain collections. These relatively inexpensive 

data loggers come with software that generate charts and graphs that can be used to alert staff of 

any problems but also can be used when building a case for future grants or other funding for 

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building maintenance or collections care.  Information about the data loggers can be found at 

http://www.onsetcomp.com/products/data‐loggers/u10‐003. 

 

ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE 

Paid Staffing 

Elizabeth Isles is the only full‐time staff member at the Dublin Heritage Park and Museums. She is in 

charge of all the operations, curatorial programming, educational programming and volunteers. She 

is assisted by a newly hired part‐time Administrative Assistant to help oversee the Kolb House 

during open hours and a Senior Building Attendant to oversee the grounds keeping and with the 

ability to unlock and secure the buildings if needed. The additional two positions are immensely 

helpful to the Director in running the park.  

 

I strongly recommend that the city add a curatorial/collections manager position to the staff at the 

Dublin Heritage Park and Museums, ideally full‐time. The volunteers have been doing a great job, 

but they need direction and decisive leadership by a staff member dedicated to the collection. This 

position could over see these volunteers, ensure that the city is living up to its collection 

stewardship responsibilities and assist the Director with initiatives to create earned income.  

 

The addition of this position could also help turn the collection into a revenue generator. Many of 

the photographs are already digitized. With the purchase of a high quality printer, these could easily 

be turned into copies that could be sold on request to members of the public. This includes for 

personal use and use in publications and media. By having a better handle on the collection, this 

position could pinpoint items that may be of interest and create changing exhibitions or outreach 

programs. They could also offer workshops for the community and assist with grant writing.  

 

Volunteers 

Collections Volunteer Corp 

Elizabeth Isles, Director, has a dedicated corps of three volunteers that are assisting her with 

processing the backlog of artifacts and archival materials and processing the new Kolb House 

collection that came with the property in spring 2011. They are inventorying all the currently 

accessioned material and entering all the information into PastPerfect Museum database and 

assigning temporary ID tags to all the items that came with the Kolb House for future processing.  

 They have been doing a very good job. In the few hours per week that they volunteer, they have 

completed object worksheets on a large portion of the collection and data entry for over 1,000 

items.  

 

These volunteers are largely self‐educated with limited training from staff members and some 

workshops. They should all be commended for their professionalism and dedication to the 

collection and reminded that the lack of formal training not necessarily a detriment. The primary 

concern from all these volunteers was that they were “doing it wrong” and might cause damage to 

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a collections item. They might want to consider talking to local curators or collections managers. 

The close proximity to Oakland and San Francisco should give them access to other collections staff 

that might be willing to help with tips, information sharing or perhaps even some training.  

 

Ms. Isles has been successfully running this organization for several years and has a good handle on 

collections work, but, as the only full‐time staff member her time is limited. The three volunteers I 

talked with each expressed that as volunteers, they don’t necessarily want to be in charge of all 

aspects of the collections work. What they are craving is a set of clear policies and procedures for 

processing and documenting collections. Hiring a curator or collections manager as mentioned 

above could help give the volunteers the leadership they desire.  

 

In lieu of hiring additional staff immediately, I would recommend developing an in‐house document 

or manual. The Dublin Heritage Park & Museums has a very good Collections Management Policy 

and Procedure Manual but it doesn’t address what information to catalog or which numbering 

system to use.  I would suggest creating a manual for cataloging collections items, numbering and 

entering the data. This manual could then be given to the current and future volunteers that work 

with the collection to standardize the work. To create this manual, please reference Registration 

Methods for Small Museums which is already in the staff library.  

 

Another issue that came up is the one computer with PastPerfect and the lack of another computer 

or the scatter gather add‐on for PastPerfect. I would recommend purchasing the scatter‐gather 

function and setting up a remote computer or laptop in the object storage area. This could help the 

volunteers coordinate efforts and have more than one person doing data entry at a time. 

http://museumsoftware.com/scattergather.shtml 

   

Docent Tour Guide Volunteers 

All the docent tour guides are given a manual to train them to give guided tours of the Kolb House 

and tours of the exhibits in the Murray School House. The training manual is a very comprehensive 

guide to the park and the history of the different sites and programs. I would strongly recommend 

including information on the importance of collections care and safety in their role as tour guides. 

This will enable the tours guides to answer any questions from the public about touching, stations 

and why they have policies to protect collections items. It might also give a certain measure of 

validation and understanding for the work of the collections volunteers.  

 

I would also suggest allowing the collections volunteers to present their work at the large volunteer 

meetings that are held on a regular basis. This is another opportunity for the collections volunteers 

to share their work and for the tour guides to gain understanding about the importance and 

purpose of caring for the collection.  

 

 

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Finances 

The Dublin Heritage Park & Museums is run by the City of Dublin and the operating budget is 

included as a line item in the city’s annual budget that is approved by the City Council. This provides 

certain stability in funding and allows staff funding to come from city funds rather than earned 

income.  

 

It does, however, prevent any earned income from directly benefitting the Heritage Museum. All 

earned income goes back to the general budget of the City of Dublin and any non‐salary funding is a 

line item in the larger general budget. I strongly encourage the City Council to increase the 

allocation of collections care for the Heritage Park or allow them to keep a portion of the earned 

income to re‐invest in programs, exhibits and collections care.  

 

The budget doesn’t currently have a line item for funds that may result from the deaccessioning of 

collections items. While no deaccessioning is planned at this time, I would strongly recommend a 

restricted use line item in the budget for collections care and acquisition in case the need ever 

arises.  

 

The other glaring item for the volunteers was the lack of funding to purchase proper supplies for 

storage. The line item in the budget for any collections supplies is approximately $200. In the past 

few years they have done a good job of improving the three‐dimensional storage area with a small 

budget. However, with greater funding, they could finish the process faster thus protecting the 

artifacts.  

 

            Properly Stored Artifacts in Storage Building             Items to be removed from Acidic Boxes 

  

Governance 

As mentioned before, the Dublin Heritage Park & Museums is part of the City of Dublin and, 

therefore, doesn’t have a separate Board of Directors. They are part of the Parks Division for the 

City and Elizabeth is directly supervised by John Harnett, Heritage & Cultural Arts Manager. Mr. 

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Harnett oversees several community programs for the City of Dublin. He is very supportive of the 

programs and the staff at the Dublin Heritage Park & Museums.  

 

SUMMARY 

Ms. Isles and the volunteers at the Dublin Heritage Park and Museum are doing a solid job 

managing the collection despite the expanded operation and limited resources. They should have 

confidence in their work and keep developing their skills whether it’s reading the resources already 

in hand or consulting with collections staff from other museums in the area. I have some 

recommended action steps listed below to help prioritize their work.  

 

Recommended Action Items 

Short Term (In the next 12‐months) 

Move cleaning supplies out of the collection storage building 

Remove all artifacts from cardboard boxes in Collection Storage Building and repackage in 

acid free boxes 

Allocate a larger budget for collections care supplies 

Purchase data loggers and start monitoring the environments of the Murray School House, 

the Kolb House and the Collection Storage Building. 

Purchase Scatter‐gather Software for PastPerfect 

Create a simple procedure for numbering artifacts 

Develop a monitoring plan for the 1906 Earthquake Wagon 

 

Medium‐Range (1‐2 years) 

Create a line item in the budget for collections care 

Hire a curator/collections manager to be responsible for the collection 

Finish the inventory and data entry of all collections items into PastPerfect 

Create a partnership with a local university or graduate school to enlist interns to work with 

collections 

Move the gift shop out of the Kolb House 

Create a Collections Cataloging, numbering and data entry manual for volunteers 

 

Long‐Term (3‐5 years) 

Complete a photo‐documentation project of the gravestones in the cemetery.  

 

RESOURCES 

The Dublin Heritage Park & Museums received an IMLS museum books grant as well as the MAP 

Bookshelf and, therefore, has a rich resource library at their disposal. Within the report, I 

referenced books and noted if they were already in the staff library. The resources below, broken 

into categories, are supplemental items that I thought would be helpful.  

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The American Association of Museums Accreditation Standards is an excellent source of guidelines. See 

the Accreditation Commissions List of Expectations at: http://www.aam‐

us.org/aboutmuseums/standards/stbp.cfm 

Collections Stewardship 

Caring For Collections: Strategies for Conservation, Maintenance and Documentation. 

American Association of Museums, 1984.  

 

Buck, Rebecca A. and Jean Allman Gilmore, eds. The New Museum Registration Methods, 5th Edition. 

American Association of Museums, 2010.  

 

Dorge, Valerie and Sharon L. Jones. Building an Emergency Plan: A Guide for Museums 

and Other Cultural Institutions. The Getty Conservation Institute, 1999. 

 

Gardner, James B. and Elizabeth E. Merritt, The AAM Guide to Collections Planning. American 

Association of Museums, 2004.  

 

Lord, Gail Dexter and Kate Markert. The Manual of Strategic Planning for Museums. Altamira, 2007.  

 

Malero, Marie C. A Legal Primer on Managing Museum Collections, 2nd Edition. 

Smithsonian Institution Press, 1998. 

 

Ogden, Sherelyn. Preservation Planning: Guidelines for Writing a Long Range Plan.  American 

Association of Museums and Northeast Document Conservation Center, 1998.  

 

Perry, Kenneth. The Museum Forms Book. Texas Association of Museums, 1999. 

 

Simmons, John E. Things Great and Small: Collections Management Policies. American 

Association of Museums, 2005.  

 

Weil, Stephen. A Deaccession Reader. American Association of Museums, 1997. 

 

Northern States Conservation Website: www.collectioncare.org  

 

HOBO temperature and humidity data loggers: http://www.onsetcomp.com/data‐logger 

 

National Park Service Conserv O Grams: (Extremely helpful at no cost)  

http://www.nps.gov/history/museum/publications/conserveogram/cons_toc.html 

 

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16  

Earthquake Preparedness 

Comu, Elisabeth and Lesley Bone. "Seismic Disaster Planning: Preventive Measures Make a  

Difference."WAAC Newsletter 13 (September 1991): 13‐19. 

Crehan, Julie and Lori Van Handel. "Seismic Protection in Museum Storage: Affordable Solutions." WAAC   

Newsletter 12 (September 1990): 24. 

Ginell, William S. "Making It Quake Proof." Museum News 69 (May‐June 1990): 60‐63. 

Solley, Thomas T., Joan Williams, and Linda Baden, comps. Planning for Earthquakes: A Guide for 

Museums. Washington, DC: American Association of Museums, 1987. 

 

Interpretation and Exhibits 

Lord, Barry. Manual of Museum Learning. Altamira, 2007.  

 

Serrell, Beverly. Exhibit Labels: and Interpretive Approach. Altamira and American Association 

of State and Local History, 1996.  

 

Marketing and Public Relations 

American Association of Museums Resource Report, Taking Charge of Your Museum’s Public 

Relations Destiny. 2004.  

 

Facility and Risk Management  

Emergency Response and Salvage Wheel. Heritage Preservation, 1997.  

 

Field Guide to Emergency Response: A Vital Tool for Cultural Institutions. Heritage 

Preservation, 2006.  

 

Liston, David, ed. Museum Security and Protection: A Handbook for Cultural Heritage. 

International Council of Museums, Routledge. 1993. 

 

 

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Characteristics of Excellence for U.S. Museums

1. PUBLIC TRUST & ACCOUNTABILITY 1.1 The museum is a good steward of its resources held in the public

trust.

1.2 The museum identifies the communities it serves, and makes appropriate decisions in how it serves them.

1.3 Regardless of its self-identified communities, the museum strives to be a good neighbor in its geographic area.

1.4 The museum strives to be inclusive and offers opportunities for diverse participation.

1.5 The museum asserts its public service role and places education at the center of that role.

1.6 The museum demonstrates a commitment to providing the public with physical and intellectual access to the museum and its resources.

1.7 The museum is committed to public accountability and is transparent in its mission and its operations.

1.8 The museum complies with local, state, and federal laws, codes, and regulations applicable to its facilities, operations, and administration.

2. MISSION & PLANNING 2.1 The museum has a clear understanding of its mission and

communicates why it exists and who benefits as a result of its efforts.

2.2 All aspects of the museum’s operations are integrated and focused on meeting its mission.

2.3 The museum’s governing authority and staff think and act strategically to acquire, develop, and allocate resources to advance the mission of the museum.

2.4 The museum engages in ongoing and reflective institutional planning that includes involvement of its audiences and community.

2.5 The museum establishes measures of success and uses them to evaluate and adjust its activities.

3. LEADERSHIP & ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE 3.1 The governance, staff, and volunteer structures and processes

effectively advance the museum’s mission.

3.2 The governing authority, staff, and volunteers have a clear and shared understanding of their roles and responsibilities.

3.3 The governing authority, staff, and volunteers legally, ethically, and effectively carry out their responsibilities.

3.4 The composition, qualifications, and diversity of the museum’s leadership, staff, and volunteers enable it to carry out the museum’s mission and goals.

3.5 There is a clear and formal division of responsibilities between the governing authority and any group that supports the museum, whether separately incorporated or operating within the museum or its parent organization.

4. COLLECTIONS STEWARDSHIP 4.1 The museum owns, exhibits, or uses collections that are

appropriate to its mission.

4.2 The museum legally, ethically, and effectively manages, documents, cares for, and uses the collections.

4.3 The museum’s collections-related research is conducted according to appropriate scholarly standards.

4.4 The museum strategically plans for the use and development of its collections.

4.5 Guided by its mission, the museum provides public access to its collections while ensuring their preservation.

5. EDUCATION & INTERPRETATION 5.1 The museum clearly states its overall educational goals,

philosophy, and messages, and demonstrates that its activities are in alignment with them.

5.2 The museum understands the characteristics and needs of its existing and potential audiences and uses this understanding to inform its interpretation.

5.3 The museum’s interpretive content is based on appropriate research.

5.4 Museums conducting primary research do so according to scholarly standards.

5.5 The museum uses techniques, technologies, and methods appropriate to its educational goals, content, audiences, and resources.

5.6 The museum presents accurate and appropriate content for each of its audiences.

5.7 The museum demonstrates consistent high quality in its interpretive activities.

5.8 The museum assesses the effectiveness of its interpretive activities and uses those results to plan and improve its activities.

6. FINANCIAL STABILITY 6.1 The museum legally, ethically, and responsibly acquires, manages,

and allocates its financial resources in a way that advances its mission.

6.2 The museum operates in a fiscally responsible manner that promotes its long-term sustainability.

7. FACILITIES & RISK MANAGEMENT 7.1 The museum allocates its space and uses its facilities to meet the

needs of the collections, audience, and staff. 7.2 The museum has appropriate measures to ensure the safety and

security of people, its collections and/or objects, and the facilities it owns or uses.

7.3 The museum has an effective program for the care and long-term maintenance of its facilities.

7.4 The museum is clean and well-maintained, and provides for the visitors’ needs.

7.5 The museum takes appropriate measures to protect itself against potential risk and loss.

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Public TrusT & AccounTAbiliTy

Be good

No really—not only be legal, but be ethical

Show everyone how good and ethical you are (don’t wait for them to ask)

Do good for people

Know which people

And to be on the safe side

Be nice to everyone else, too

Especially if they live next door

Avoid cloning

Look something like the people you are doing good for

And maybe a bit like your neighbors

Let other people help decide what games to play

And what the rules are

Share your toys

Mission And PlAnning

Know what you want to do

And why it makes a difference to anyone

Then put it in writing

Stick to it

Decide what you want to do next

When you are deciding what to do, ask lots of people for their opinion

Put it in writing

Then do it

If it didn’t work, don’t do it again

If it did work, do

leAdershiP And orgAnizATionAl sTrucTure

Make sure everyone is clear about who is doing what

The board knows it is governing

The director knows she is directing (and the board knows it too)

The staff know they are doing everything else

And have it in writing

collecTions sTewArdshiP

Know what stuff you have

Know what stuff you need

Know where it is

Take good care of it

Make sure someone gets some good out of it

Especially people you care about

And your neighbors

educATion And inTerPreTATion

Know who you are talking to

Ask them what they want to know

Know what you want to say

(and what you are talking about)

Use appropriate language (or images, or music)

Make sure people understood you

And ask them if they liked it

If not, change it

FinAnciAl sTAbiliTy

Put your money where your mission is

Is it enough money?

Will it be there next year, too?

Know when you will need more $

Know where you are going to get it from

Don’t diddle the books

FAciliTies And risk MAnAgeMenT

Don’t crowd people

Or things

Make it safe to visit your museum

Or work there

Keep it clean

Keep the toilet paper stocked

And if all else fails, know where the exit is

(and make sure it is clearly marked)

American Association of Museums: Characteristics of Excellence for U.S. Museums

In Plain English

For complete copies of AAM Standards and Best Practices for U.S. Museums visit www.aam-us.org

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Museum Assessment Program

Grant Writing Guide

Using Your MAP Report to Leverage Funding

The Museum Assessment Program is supported through a cooperative agreement between the American Association of Museums and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

202-289-9118 ● [email protected] ● www.aam-us.org/map

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This grant writing resource guide is designed to help your organization in preparing an effective proposal for a self-determined project in conjunction with your MAP self-study materials and assessment report. Attached to this grant-writing guide is a list of your state’s government agencies and foundations, which you hope you will use in tandem with this guide. Please note that the following are general proposal recommendations and that you should always follow the specific guidelines a potential funder provides. The MAP staff wishes your institution success in any funding opportunity it pursues.

Review the MAP Process Before you plan and set priorities for your proposal, sit down with the assessment team and review the entire MAP process including your institution’s progress towards implementation. Review your application, self-study workbook and MAP report. Are there any patterns that emerge? What are your implementation plans? How has your institution improved operations? This is an important first step in determining which projects are priorities, what resources you have to commit to future projects, and which priorities/projects need outside funding.

Plan and set priorities Determining which project is worth proposing can be achieved by looking over the MAP report and considering both the short and long term recommendations provided by the peer reviewer. In deciding which recommendation you will pursue for outside funding, ask yourself the following:

What do you need? When do you need it? Why do you need it? Who do you need to do it? How much do you need to do it?

If you can answer those questions simply and succinctly, you should move forward and ask yourself the following questions that designed to dig a little deeper:

How does this project align with your mission? Why is your organization the most qualified to develop and implement this

project? How will you execute the project? What is the duration of the project? What will be included in the scope of the project? What staff will be needed to execute the project and their specific

responsibilities? What outcomes do you hope to achieve? (Alternatively: How will you define the

success of the project?) What resources do you already have available to use towards the project?

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Are there other individuals or organizations that you will need to partner with to complete the project? How will you identify these partners?

All of these questions will shape and guide your proposal. If you cannot answer these questions or if your project doesn’t align with your mission, re-evaluate the project. Using the MAP Report:

Review the Mission and Planning section of your peer reviewer’s report and evaluate your institution’s mission statement. Examining your mission statement will guide your activities and decision-making process as well as clarify how your institution can further strengthen its mission and planning.

Look over the recommendations, resources and appendices provided by your peer reviewer. Those supporting and sample documents will provide guidance on how to implement your projects.

Compile a list of potential funding sources If your state has museum association, we encourage you to contact them and

consult about likely funding sources; Seek advice from fellow museum professionals and your Board of Trustees to

identify potential funding opportunities; Look at organizations with mission and projects similar to yours—review their

funder list; Look for funding by foundations, state and federal agencies that aligns with

your project by accessing their websites and exploring funding search databases;

Prepare your proposal package Your package should be well-organized, clear and concise. Make sure it follows the funder’s guidelines for format, page length, project descriptions, and incorporates the funder’s review criteria. Most proposal packages will include the following components:

1. Cover letter (one page): Make sure that before you submit the proposal, you are aware of the cover letter requirements and contact information for the funding organization. Include a thank you for the opportunity to submit the proposal.

2. Executive Summary (one page): This summary should include the following:

Project title and synopsis Need Expected outcomes Timeline Organization and its expertise Funding requirements

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Using the MAP Report: Parts of your MAP report can help to shape your Executive Summary. The background information in the MAP report’s summary will identify strengths and key recommendations. The brief institutional history with founding date, institutional mission, and overview of exhibitions/collections and program highlights, can be included in the proposal. The Executive Summary section of the report might highlight your institution’s expertise and strengths. Review the following elements of your MAP report:

Executive Summary Introduction Brief Institutional History Summary

3. Statement of Need/Supporting Data (two pages): When arguing for your specific financial and capacity needs, it is helpful to use data pulled from surveys or evaluations your institution has compiled. Furthermore, review your Self Study Workbook Activities and Workbook and supporting document from the Peer Reviewer in order to compile supporting data. This data can include the following:

Statistics culled by your staff, volunteers, governing authority, or internal data

Statistics gathered by external sources (e.g. city and state statistics, evaluations conducted by outside organizations, etc)

Examples, testimonials and anecdotes Statements of Support from individuals and organizations (e.g. your peer

reviewer, other cultural institutions, etc) Using the MAP Report: Draw specific content from the MAP report and the recommendations made by your peer reviewer. Remember that the peer reviewer is an expert professional and can be quoted in the proposal. You may want to include parts of the MAP report verbatim in your proposal. This section should support the case you are making.

4. Project Description (three pages): This section should give an overview of your goals and objectives for the project. When you select your project, consider and include in your proposal:

Project narrative Planned or desired outcomes Action steps for achieving outcomes Metrics of success to measure program results Project staff (e.g., staff, governing authority, volunteers, consultants,

collaborators). Specify what project staff is already available and who you will need to hire.

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Project resources. Include any resources that your institution already has available as well materials and supplies that will need to be acquired.

Time line Sustaining the project. Explain how the project will continue to be

funded in the future to insure funder that it is a good investment. Using the MAP Report: The peer reviewer’s report should serve as a professional opinion regarding recommendations for improvement for your institution and may include specific suggestions towards the scope of your project. Your project team will need to consider the logistics of executing the project and how these steps will ultimately impact your institution. You may find it helpful to work with the reviewer to theorize action steps to implement your project.

5. Budget (one page): The budget should reflect and support the narrative and should be accurate and realistic. Make sure that someone familiar with your finances contributes to this section. In creating a budget, think about:

Expense information: personnel, non-personnel and overhead Income information: grants, gifts, earned income, in-kind donations,

etc. Cost-share: Some grant and funding applications require a cost-share.

Cost-share can be made up of a variety of sources including paid and unpaid staff time, in-kind donations, funding from another source, etc. By providing some form of cost-share, you are demonstrating to the funder your dedication to the project.

Although not required by all funders, compiling a budget narrative assists in planning for full, true costs and serves to validate expenses.

6. Organizational information (one page): This should be information about what

your organization is, who it serves and why it serves them. Include the following:

Your mission (and vision statement, if applicable) Brief overview of organizational structure: staff, volunteers and

governing authority Your community engagement: your audience, your programs and your

expertise Community relationships: either with other organizations, partnerships

or councils.

Using the MAP Report: Your MAP report will have this organizational information, usually at the beginning, in its Executive Summary. Use that as a model for writing the proposal summary. Also use the information you gathered for your self-study and additional documentation to fill out your organizational information. This will serve as a template for future funding proposals

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7. Conclusion (less than one page): The conclusion should serve as your final

appeal, which will restate the needs of your organization, why your organization is best suited to deliver the project, how this project will enhance the organization, and why this project will meet the criteria of the funding organization. Make a concise but meaningful final statement. Make sure that your organizational needs and the project’s importance truly resonate.

8. Appendix: The appendix should support and complement your proposal, so

choose materials and documents that make a strong and pertinent case. This may include MAP reports, data, and letters of support referenced in the Statement of Need/Supporting Data section.

Using the MAP Report: Some of these documents may be found in your own MAP report’s appendix. Review the materials that your peer reviewer has attached to your MAP report and see if they align with the project and the proposal.

Proposal submission and results: Before you send your proposal, double-check that you have the correct information regarding who and where to submit your proposal.

Acceptance/Rejection If your proposal is accepted:

Send a thank you letter. Establish a cordial relationship—be professional and responsive. The funder is

helping your institution grow and improve, and with the right attitude and performance, they could become an ongoing or future financial resource.

Make sure to check grant agreements and grant report forms. Meet all deadlines for reporting. Communicate frequently/often—within reason. Work to meet the outcomes established in the report. If you discover that

these outcomes cannot be achieved, reevaluate the project and discuss alternatives with your funder. Do not be discouraged.

If your proposal is rejected:

Don’t take it personally. This may not be the right time for your project with this funder. It is possible that a future opportunity will arise.

If feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of the proposal is provided, review and use this information to strengthen and revise the proposal for future applications.

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7

If you have concerns about the rejection, it is appropriate to discuss the situation with the funder to see if they will explain the specific reasons you were not selected.

Research other grant opportunities and deadlines and requirements for those.

Proposal tips: Avoid jargon Humanize the project Keep it simple, concise—make sure to revise and edit! Connect the project to your mission Contact the funder discuss ideas and ask questions Tell a story Make it clear and honest Submit ahead of deadline

Using your Peer Reviewer: It may be helpful to ask your reviewer to review the proposal before you submit it. An external party that knows your operational capacity and your needs may give you further insight into your project’s implementation and may give you resources to help support your case.

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Museum Assessment Program State Resource Guide

CALIFORNIA The Museum Assessment Program is supported through a cooperative agreement between the American Association of Museums and the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

202-289-9118 ● [email protected] ● www.aam-us.org/map

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American Association of Museums 202.289.1818 www.aam-us.org California Arts Council 916.322.6555 [email protected] www.cac.ca.gov California Association of Museums 831.471.9970 www.calmuseums.org California Association of Nonprofits 213.347.2070 www.canonprofits.org California Community Foundation www.nonprofitexpert.com/community%20foundations/ca.htm California Council for the Humanities [email protected] www.calhum.org California Department of Education 916.319.0800 www.cde.ca.gov California Office of Historic Preservation 916.445.7000 [email protected] http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/default.asp California Office of Tourism 916.444.4429 www.visitcalifornia.com California Preservation Foundation 415.495.0349 [email protected] www.californiapreservation.org

California Teachers Association 650.697.1400 www.cta.org National Trust for Historic Preservation Western Office 415.947.0692 [email protected] www.preservationnation.org/western Western Museums Association 307.578.4011 [email protected] http://westmuse.wordpress.com/ Old Loans State Legislation/Abandoned Property Laws Below is the state-specific law regarding the process a museum must undertake before an old loan (e.g. expired loan or loan of unlimited duration where the material(s) has been left unclaimed) can become its property. Consult with the state attorney general's office before taking any legal action. Citation: 1899 to 1899.11 Found in Collection Provision: No. State Attorney General’s Office 916.322.3360 http://ag.ca.gov

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MUSEUM ASSESSMENT PROGRAM - PHASE III Collection Stewardship Summary

Executive Summary: “…in terms of collection stewardship, they are doing a remarkably good job with an extremely small staff and a core of dedicated volunteers. My assessment below offers suggestions that will be needed to meet the demands of the expanded museum and to help it move forward in the coming years.” Cindy Olsen, MAP Surveyor 2011

AREA SURVEYOR’S OBSERVATION SURVEYOR’S RECOMMENDATION IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Photograph and Document Archive

No lock on door to collections room.

Mark Collections Room “Employee “Only and place lock on door.

COMPLETE

Kolb House There are a number of examples throughout the Kolb house demonstrating appropriate conservation measures. These should be applied consistently.

Reference “Exhibits for Small Museums,” already in the museum’s staff library.

ONGOING: This is an ongoing project that is partially complete. The objects are prioritized based on their fragility. The objects noted by the Surveyor as properly addressed were a part of that list.

Murray School House

The majority of the items on display are not part of the collection but are reproductions used as props for educational purposes or interpretation. Some of those props that might be of period items that, though not part of the collection, have historic value.

Use a different inventory control system to identify period materials used as props to differentiate them from props that have no historic value.

COMPLETE: This is not an accurate observation by the Surveyor and therefore unnecessary. There are no period items used as props.

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AREA SURVEYOR’S OBSERVATION SURVEYOR’S RECOMMENDATION STAFF COMMENTS

Murray School House (Continued)

The only donations box is located at the very end of the exhibit.

Move donation box to the front counter.

EVALUATE: Staff will evaluate locating additional boxes at the School House and in other locations on the DHPM grounds.

Sunday School Barn and Hay Barn

Consider getting the 1906 Earthquake Wagon inside a building, especially in the winter.

Make sure Staff understands the agents of deterioration.

Develop a monitoring plan for the 1906 Earthquake Wagon.

Read CCI Notes form the Canadian Conversation Center about outdoor storage.

POTENTIAL WORK PLAN ITEM: Staff concurs this is an important artifact and needs conservation. Due to the cost of adequately protecting the wagon, Staff recommends revisiting this item during the next City Council Work Plan process. In the meantime, Staff has added temporary protection from irrigation overspray and inclement rain.

Pioneer Cemetery Since this is an active cemetery accessioning grave stones is not recommended. As outdoor markers they will eventually deteriorate.

None COMPLETE: An exhaustive inventory with photographs was completed by a volunteer in 2009.

Collection Storage Building

The artifact storage is located in a climate controlled building behind the Murray School House. Artifact storage combined with general storage is of concern due to chemicals in area that may cause damage to the artifacts.

Move cleaning supplies.

Remove artifacts from cardboard boxes and repackage in acid free boxes.

COMPLETE

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AREA SURVEYOR’S OBSERVATION SURVEYOR’S RECOMMENDATION STAFF COMMENTS

Gift Shop in Kolb House

From a collections stewardship perspective, the Gift Shop run by Dublin Historical Preservation Association (DHPA) may create a credibility issue for the museum. The gift shop stock is a combination of wholesale gift items and antique items that were donated for sale in the gift shop. The perception that the gift shop might be selling collections items may be detrimental to the image of the museum.

Refer to issue of the image of impropriety on page 21 of Registration Methods for Small Museums that is already in the staff library.

Moving the gift shop out of the Kolb House is highly encouraged; or making a sign indicating the separate entity of DHPA and the nature of the gift shop.

Staff can create a sign indicating Dublin Historical Preservation Association (DHPA) is an entity separate from the Museum. The sign can also indicate the nature of the gift shop inventory Staff will continue to

collaborate with DHPA on the

operation of the gift shop to

best benefit DHPA and the City.

Miscellaneous Facility Use HOBO data loggers to perform long range tracking of the temperature and humidity in all the buildings that contain collections. These relatively inexpensive data loggers come with software that generate charts and graphs that can be used to alert staff of any problems but also can be used when building a case for grants or other funding.

Purchase data loggers and start monitoring the environment of the Murray School House, the Kolb House and the Collections Storage Building.

Data Logger information can be found at http://www.onsetcomp.com/products/data‐loggers/u10‐003

FUTURE OPERATIONAL BUDGET ITEM: The environment can potentially be controlled with the existing HVAC system. Due to the cost associated with HOBO, which is $500 each unit, Staff will consider as part of the next budget update.

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AREA SURVEYOR’S OBSERVATION SURVEYOR’S RECOMMENDATION STAFF COMMENTS

Paid Staffing Elizabeth Isles is the only full-time staff member at the DHPM and is in charge of all the operations, curatorial programming, educational programming and volunteers.

The addition of a full time curatorial/collections manager is strongly recommended to:

o Expertly oversee the volunteers who are currently assisting with collections.

o Facilitate revenue generation through grant-writing.

o Facilitate revenue generation by making available to the pubic copies of archived photos.

POTENTIAL WORK PLAN ITEM: Staff concurs that the work load at the DHPM should be evaluated to determine the need for additional staffing. Staff does not necessarily agree with the recommended approach of adding permanent staffing. Since curatorial standards are being met with the Director overseeing the work of the volunteers, potential additional staffing should be evaluated to determine if the need is for programming versus curatorial expertise and the changing needs over time.

Volunteers There is a dedicated corps of three volunteers assisting with processing artifacts and archival materials. Although they are volunteers – they are to be commended for their efforts. They are also conscientious about performing the work correctly.

In the absence of additional staff, talk to local curators or collections managers to provide training to the volunteers.

Since this Surveyor’s site-visit, one volunteer has retired and the other has developed health issues. Volunteer Steve Minniear has consistently worked on the collection and continued learning about archival and collections registration methods. Staff will investigate a partnership with a local university or graduate school to enlist interns to work with collections.

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AREA SURVEYOR’S OBSERVATION SURVEYOR’S RECOMMENDATION STAFF COMMENTS

Volunteers (Continued)

Develop an in-house manual with a clear set of policies and procedures for processing and documenting collections To create this manual, reference Registration Methods for Small Museums which is already in the staff library.

Purchase the scatter‐gather function for PastPerfect for a remote computer or laptop in the object storage area. This could help the volunteers coordinate efforts and have more than one person doing data entry at a time.

A draft Procedure Manual was created by a volunteer for marking items. Because the City has only one active volunteer at this time and one computer for this use, Staff will consider this as a future budget item as the data entry function expands.

Docent Tour Guide Volunteers

Include information on the importance of collections care and safety in their role as tour guides.

Staff recommends working with a collections volunteer to create educational presentations at monthly volunteer meetings to address this issue.

Finances In the past few years they have done a good job of improving the three-dimensional storage area with a small budget. However, with greater funding, they could finish the process faster thus protecting artifacts.

Allocate larger budget for collections

Create a line item in the budget for collections care

COMPLETE: 2012-2014 Budget has been drafted and decision package submitted-with increase of $4,000 for preservation.

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COPIES TO: ITEM NO: 8.3 G:\HERITAGE COMMISSION\Web PDF Packets\5.10.12\5-10-12 8.3 Winter Quaterly Report.doc

AGENDA STATEMENT HERITAGE AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION MEETING DATE: May 10, 2012

SUBJECT: Winter 2012 Quarterly Report Prepared by Ann Mottola, Heritage and Cultural Arts Manager ATTACHMENTS: 1. Cultural Arts Classes Registration Report – Winter 2012 RECOMMENDATION: Receive Report FINANCIAL STATEMENT: None DESCRIPTION: The Heritage and Cultural Arts Division strives to develop quality programs that strengthen community image, preserve the City's heritage, provide cultural experiences and encourage appreciation of the arts. This is accomplished by providing diverse cultural program offerings for youth and adults in the disciplines of music; dance; fine arts; and visual and performing arts. Following is a summary of programs conducted during winter 2012.

CULTURAL ARTS CLASSES Cultural Arts classes are intended to serve customers of all ages and cover a wide range of activities. The classes offered provide opportunities for participants to attempt new experiences, refine current artistic and performance skills, and provide a social setting for meeting new people and sharing cultural arts experiences with friends and family members. Classes are taught by contracted specialty instructors. Most classes are taught in eight-week sessions but some are more or less than eight weeks and other classes are offered as one-time workshops. A total of 315 participants registered for Cultural Classes during winter 2012 which is a decrease of 8.95% in enrollment as compared to winter 2011. This is a somewhat positive statistic as compared to the enrollment comparisons noted in the fall quarter that experienced a 27% decrease from the prior year. There were several classes offered during the winter session last year that were not offered this year. Beginning Classic Country Western Line Dancing and Intermediate Classic Country Western Line Dancing typically experience high enrollments but were not offered due to instructor personal scheduling conflicts. Popular winter session classes included Zumba – Join the Party, Young Rembrandts Cartooning and Pee Wee Art Time. Also popular were two new classes including Break Dance Basics, Pre-Public Speaking Confident Voice both had positive first sessions with capacity enrollments.

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Cultural Arts Classes – Winter Registration Comparison Attendance Type 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 Resident 242 257 229 294 261 Non Resident 73 89 119 117 139 Total Registration 315 346 348 411 400 Classes Held 41 44 41 42 35 Avg. Registration per Class 7.6 7.9 8.4 9.9 11.4 Classes Offered 54 59 61 49 46 Cancellation Rate 24% 25% 32% 14% 24%

CULTURAL ACTIVITIES Dublin Poetry Slam Poet Laureate Jonnie McCoy-Howell hosted “Celebrating African American Poetry” on Saturday, January 14, a performance of spoken word works celebrating the Civil Rights Era. Following the presentation, there was an Open Mic event where two audience members shared their poems. The event was attended by 34 performers and guests Love Letters The City of Dublin hosted its first theatrical production, Love Letters, at the Sunday School Barn for two weekends in February. The Pulitzer Prize nominated Love Letters, by A.R. Gurney, is a compelling story of a 50-year romance carried on through love letters, from their first correspondence in elementary school through a lifetime of both mundane and eventful occurrences. A total of 96 patrons attended the six performances. Children’s Puppet Show On Sunday, March 24, nearly 100 guests were engaged by a performance by Mr. Pete. A former Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus Clown, Mr. Pete’s show is a one-man circus inclusive of a zany combination of magic, juggling, unicycling, and comic audience interaction.

PUBLIC ART Dubliner Dedication On Tuesday, March 13, 40 guests attended the lighting of the “Dubliner” public artwork at the East Dublin BART Station. The event was a small and festive gathering and featured music by “Extended Roots.” Speakers included Mayor Sbranti, Jeff White from Avalon Bay, and Anita Carr, Heritage and Cultural Arts Commissioner.

HERITAGE PARK AND MUSEUMS Honors and Awards On February 2, 2012 the City of Dublin was notified that it was selected as a 2011 California Park & Recreation Society (CPRS) Award of Excellence recipient in Park Planning for the Dublin Heritage Park & Museums. The award is presented only to those projects that meet the highest standards for achieving excellence in their respective category based on a number of criteria including creativity and innovation, project results, execution, affect, and alignment with the parks and recreation mission. On February 17, Elizabeth Isles, Heritage Park and Museums Director was a presenter at the 2012 California Association of Museums (CAM) Conference, Museums Making it Happen, in Berkeley. Elizabeth spoke about Dublin’s participation in the Museum Assessment Program (MAP). In the advertisement for the session, it stated “The Dublin Heritage Museums have

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participated in three out of four assessments which is extraordinary for a museum of this size. By participating in MAP, Dublin’s museums aspire to and reach standards and best practices in the Museum field.” RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the Heritage and Cultural Arts Commission receive the report from Staff.

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Winter 2011-2012 Cultural Arts

Quarterly Report Exhibit

CLASS RES N.RES TOTAL

Adult Ceramics 6 0 6

Adult Ceramics 6 0 6

Adult Tap I 5 0 5

Adult Tap II 3 0 3

Bay Bells Welcoming the Season 29 2 31

Beginning Ballet 9 2 11

Beginning Irish Dance 6 4 10

Break Dance Basics ` 5 2 7

Ceramics and BFFS 2 0 2

Discover the Artist in You 6 2 8

Give me a C for Cheerleading 6 0 6

Goldilocks on Trail 9 2 11

Gotta Sing I Performance Coaching 4 0 4

Gotta Sing: Studio 1 0 1

Guitar & Bass I 4 0 4

Guitar & Bass II 5 1 6

Hip Hop Dance For Children 5 1 6

Hip Hop Dance For Teens & Adults 4 0 4

Hip Hop Dance For Tweens 3 0 3

Irish Dance for Teens/Adults 3 5 8

Intermediate Irish Dance 2 5 7

Kindermusik Imagine That; Toys I Make 6 3 9

Kindermusik Our Time; Away We Go 11 0 11

Kindermusik Our Time: Away We Go 6 1 7

Kindermusik Village for Babies; Feathers 3 1 4

Kindermusik Village for Babies; Feathers 3 1 4

Little Hands Art Class 5 2 7

Little Hands Art Class 3 0 3

Mini Hip Hoppers 1 0 1

Pee Wee Art Time 11 0 11

Pee Wee Art Time 4 0 4

Playful Puppies 4 1 5

Preballet 9 2 11

Preballet I & Tap 10 1 11

Preballet I & Tap 8 4 12

Projects for your Room 2 0 2

Projects with a Purpose 3 1 4

Young Rembrandts; Cartooning 4 11 15

Young Rembrandts; Elementary Drawing 3 5 8

Young Rembrandts; Elementary Drawing 1 5 6

Zooramics 2 3 5

Zumba for Fun and Fitness 20 6 26

242 73 315

Total Revenue Generated: $28,772.05

54 classes offered

13 classes cancelled; 24% rate

Classes Cancelled

Flashy Fish

Hula Dance for Children

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Winter 2011-2012 Cultural Arts

Quarterly Report Exhibit

Pom Squad

Young Rembrandts Preschool Drawing

Kindermusik's ABC Music & Me Jazz Kitchen

Kindermusik Village Cock A Doodle Moo

Tiny Dancers

Twist & Shout with Your Tot

Boogie with Your Baby

Hula Dance for Adults

Ceramic Gardens

Ceramics for Starters

Beginning Country Line Dance

Intermediate Country Line Dance