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Re: Generating income through an Archives



I would add a caution to "how a non-profit private archives can
generate cash to an organization."   We need to be very care-
ful that the resource allocators don't change their view of an
archives as a necessary component of history to a view of
whether this is generating cash or not.    It is a short leap to
questions like:   are they generating as much cash this year
as last year?   why not?   is the cash they are generating
sufficient to pay the costs (salaries, supplies, etc.)?    if not,
maybe we should get out of the archives business?    maybe
we have the wrong collections?   let's get rid of the old unused
or infrequent collections that nobody is paying to use!   Maybe
we should buy unusual items (that have nothing to do with our
organization) so people will pay to come into the Archives to
look at them (a Gutenburg Bible, maybe; or a complete collection
of McDonald Happy Meal boxes) ...

Of course these sentiments don't always happen.  But since I am
on the Board of a restored historic home which we keep open for
visitors and generate income from ticket sales -- these same questions
come up over the years.   We begin asking why did ticket revenue go
up or down.   And most often it is the vagaries of travel, tourism,
interest, etc.    For example, your ticket sales go up if the town is
celebrating a Centennial anniversary with events throughout the year,
essay contests in the paper, school awards for historical papers, and
perhaps the ticket sales go down the next year.

Dean

Dean DeBolt
University Librarian
Special Collections and West Florida Archives
John C. Pace Library
University of West Florida
11000 University Parkway
Pensacola, FL  32514-5750
Tele:  850-474-2213;   Fax:  850-474-3338

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