Historical Commission Agenda and Packet 2016 08 03 SP

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The mission of the Louisville Historical Museum, a facility owned and operated by the City of Louisville, is to promote, collect, preserve, and interpret the diverse history of Louisville from the time of settlement until present day with a special emphasis on the coal mining period, 1877-1955. The museum is dedicated to protecting artifacts and documents of historical value and educating children and adults about the past. An important next step in the planning process came in 2004 with a Conservation Assessment Program (CAP) Report. Museum experts assessed the Museum and wrote the Report pursuant to a grant to the City from the Institute of Library and Museum Services. The Report concluded, in words that still ring true: The museum is critical to the identity of Louisville. In a rapidly changing environment, the museum is the one thing that can tell the story of the town and the people who created it. The city is growing in every direction, and while the new developments are attractive, clean, safe, and modern, they are not that different from those of Boulder, Greeley, Denver, or Castle Rock. The few blocks of the original downtown, anchored by the museum, are the original and unique Louisville. The museum is a valuable asset for the City of Louisville and the State of Colorado. A final question posed by the CAP Report similarly still resonates today: "The City of Louisville has a small, viable museum, but what next?" A related question that, more than any other, has come up again and again with respect to planning for the future of our community museum is: "What is success for the Museum?" Credit in particular goes to the City's business plan consultant for this planning process, Louise Stevens of ArtsMarket, Inc., for zeroing in on this question that is an essential inquiry for the City Council, City administration, and Louisville community to answer. As Ms. Stevens met with different people during her visit to Louisville, she asked them this question. The answers that the Museum Coordinator heard ranged from the broad to the particular, and from the inspirational to the practical. Whatever the specific answers, however, it is clear that for many people in Louisville, success for the Museum will mean telling the story of Louisville and helping to sustain Louisville's incredible sense of place and strong identity in changing times; serving more people, particularly families, in new and different ways; capitalizing on its fantastic location and augmenting downtown offerings for tourists; and identifying its appropriate role as an effective instrument for the City to use to help promote Louisville. Since before the 2004 CAP Report, community members have expressed a desire for more than a shoestring Museum staff to coordinate all of the Museum activities and even increase them. In identifying realistic goals and strategies of this Master Plan, consideration was given to the likelihood that additional staffing will not be possible for at least a few years. The goals and strategies are intended to represent more of a focus of attention than the addition of new activities. The five goals for the Museum that emerged from of this Master Plan process are: 1. Take care of the Museum, as an asset that the City already owns, and pursue the vision of the Museum campus as described in the Needs Assessment Report that is a part of this Plan, including the construction of a new downtown Visitor Center building on the site. Use the improved facilities to promote Louisville and its unique identity.