Matheson History Museum, Increasing Remote Public Access through an Online Collections Catalog

FAIN: PB-275433-20

Matheson History Museum, Inc. (Gainesville, FL 32601-5451)
Kaitlyn Hof-Mahoney (Project Director: May 2020 to October 2021)

Three staff members and a necessary upgrade of a collections management database for the creation of collection records to be shared online, as well as the purchase of archival supplies to appropriately house collections as they are processed.

COVID-19 has made it clear that museums need to do more to share their resources online. Even after museums reopen, people will likely be reluctant to visit in person. In response, the Matheson History Museum will begin sharing our collection through a digital catalog. Using NEH funding, we will upgrade our collections management database to include the online component. We will also hire two part time staff to inventory and process collections at our library to prepare them for public access. This project will empower visitors to explore our collections on their own terms without being limited by what can be exhibited at one time. We will also be able to create stronger physical and digital exhibitions centered on our permanent collection.

Media Coverage

Matheson Museum gets $30K COVID-19 grant (Media Coverage)
Author(s): Emily Mavrakis
Publication: The Gainesville Sun
Date: 7/21/2020
URL: http://https://www.gainesville.com/news/20200721/matheson-museum-gets-30k-covid-19-grant