Historical Commission Agenda and Packet 2016 08 03 JT

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Page 39 of 150 o An outreach program for BVSD schools (already underway). This is a fun way to give students the opportunity to handle and use items such as telephones and typewriters. o Expanded historical walking tour program using the concept that the Museum's "campus" extends to all of Main Street and downtown Louisville. These could cover different parts of old town or focus on different themes. Since the basis of the Museum's interpretive strategy is the personal contact and making personal connections, for the foreseeable future the plan is to continue with person -led walking tours and not to use the more impersonal prerecorded tours at this time. The Museum should consider moving towards an online reservation system for walking tour participation. Also, along with the new Visitor Center, Museum volunteers could lead walking tours leaving from the Visitor Center at the same time each day. o The increased use of driving tours. Although it took time for the Museum staff to plan the driving tour of the Hecla Mine strike events in 2014 so that traffic safety would not be a problem, the public feedback was very positive. Future driving tours could focus on the histories of mines, farms, or open space areas. o The completion of a Louisville, Colorado public family tree on Ancestry.com in order to compile information on family relationships in Louisville (where many people were, and are, related to one another) and to make the information publicly available to Ancestry.com subscribers. o The encouragement of local residents to write down stories and memories of Louisville in their own words and to create hand -drawn maps and ground layouts of Louisville buildings. Recent examples are Lois Tesone's memories of Main Street (Louisville Historian, Summer 2015) and drawings of maps of the Monarch Mine Camp and the old Louisville High School building. o The eventual creation of an app for The Louisville Historian for members so that they have the option to view each new issue digitally and in color o Exploring the idea of creating a nonprofit corporation that would be a cultural alliance similar to the Golden, Colorado Cultural Alliance, which as the purpose of developing and promoting awareness of Golden's cultural and historic assets XII. Museum Business Plan Review With the goal of producing a well-rounded and useful Museum Master Plan, the City commissioned a consultant to create a business plan that would focus on the Museum's operations and potential revenue generation and that would accompany the Museum Needs Assessment Report and the Museum Interpretive Plan in the Master Plan. ArtsMarket, Inc. was selected to write the business plan. Louise Stevens made an on-site visit and met with different Louisville constituencies and organizations in December 2015. The Museum Business Plan is now part of this Master Plan document. The Museum Business Plan prepared by ArtsMarket, Inc. puts forth a number of recommendations and ideas with respect to Museum operations and funding. It provides an excellent starting point for discussion by City staff, City Council, the Louisville Historical Commission, the Louisville History Foundation directors, and members of the public. In fact, the Museum staff has already started to take action this year in response to ideas contained in the Business Plan, such as the recommendations that the Museum increase its programming and outreach offerings and strengthen its participation in downtown events and festivals. These recommendations and the comment during ArtsMarket's on-site visit that there should be more of "Here is your story" and connecting with people's interests has already led to efforts by the Museum staff to expand the programming during First Friday Art Walks and organize more historical programs taking place at the Library, and the public has responded enthusiastically. 31