Commission launches work-plan drafting focused on cataloging, preservation and public access

Commissioners devoted a substantial portion of the Oct. 6 meeting to developing a work plan for the McKeown Collection, focusing on three priority areas: cataloging, preservation and public access.

Chair Trumper and point people reported on a worksheet-style template drafted by Commissioners Beecher and Kent as a starting point for brainstorming. Commissioners said the worksheet lists objectives, feasibility, resources needed, challenges and status and is intended as an internal instrument to convert ideas into concrete steps.

Commissioners identified point people and interim leads: Henry and Zachary for public access; Joel and Jim for cataloging; and the chair asked Commissioner Vince to consider co-leading preservation. Zachary (staff) offered to expand public access hours and commissioners encouraged adding that to the worksheet. Several speakers argued cataloging should be the first implementation priority because other work areas depend on knowing what is in the collection.

Commissioners discussed preservation planning that would include an assessment of the collection's current state, professional preservation input to identify items needing restoration, ongoing monitoring and budgeting for future years. The commission set a timeline to prioritize drafting work-plan content and aimed to arrive at a near-draft by the December meeting. The next regular meeting was set for Dec. 1.

No formal vote on the work plan occurred; commissioners agreed to continue brainstorming via point people and for the chair to consult point people between meetings.