Jean Greenwell Library and Archives: A Preservation Plan for Archival Materials

FAIN: PG-51442-11

Kona Historical Society (Kealakekua, HI 96750-8133)
Jill R. Olson (Project Director: May 2010 to October 2012)

The hiring of a consultant to develop a plan to process a backlog of archival materials, as well as the purchase of a hygrothermograph to complete the upgrade of the facility's environmental monitoring system. The Jean Greenwell Library and Archives' collection contains photographs, books, archival records, films, audiotapes, and objects documenting the coffee industry and agricultural development in Kona. The applicant maintains two National Registry of Historic Place sites: the H.N. Greenwell Store founded in 1870 and the D. Uchida Farm (Kona Coffee Living History Farm) started in 1913.

The funding will support the preparation of a plan for processing the substantial backlog of archival materials, a critical priority in the Society's 2005 CAP Conservation Plan. The funds will provide a consultant to assess the materials and develop a plan to prioritize and process them. The assessment will also determine if any materials do not pertain to the Society's mission, so they can be separated and removed from the collection. The Grant will also provide funds to purchase a hygrothermgraph to replace the existing machine that has been non-functioning for two years. Early this year the Society received funding to replace is aged HVAC/Dehumidifier unit, and the new hygrothermograph will complete the upgrade of the archive's climate control equipment.