Press Release
March 4, 2021
Contact: Nicole Harvey
Grants Administrator, Oklahoma Historical Society
Office: 405-522-5202
nharvey@okhistory.org
www.okhistory.org/grants
Top of Oklahoma Historical Society Museum Awarded Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Historical Society is proud to announce that the Top of Oklahoma Historical Society Museum has been awarded a grant through the Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program.
"The Top of Oklahoma Historical Society does a tremendous job of preserving the history of north central Oklahoma," said Sen. Roland Pederson, Burlington. "The museum thoroughly documents the significant historical events that define the region’s rich legacy and heritage, and it is a must-see tourism destination. With this grant, the museum’s astounding collection will be more accessible and useful than ever before. I applaud the work of the museum’s staff and volunteers and look forward to seeing the museum’s collection being revolutionized in a 21st-century way."
The Top of Oklahoma Historical Society Museum has been awarded $20,000 that will fund the purchase of collections management software upgrades and training, as well as the salary for a project-specific employee to create a digital inventory of its collection. This will include identification, research, photographing and barcoding of all items. The Top of Oklahoma Historical Society Museum houses items from north central Oklahoma and south central Kansas. The majority of items are from Kay County, Okla. The collections include artifacts and historical records.
"The Oklahoma Historical Society grant is the next giant step in the immense job of inventorying all items in the 35,000-square-foot Top of Oklahoma Historical Society Museum in Blackwell," said Dianne Braden, a board member of the organization. "The hardware and software are in place, and the grant will allow the hiring of an inventory specialist so that the museum's vast inventory will be digital and available to all. The museum's collections have been waiting for cataloguing. In the digital age, the catalog will be available to all, both in and out of the museum."
A total of just over $460,000 in grant funds will be distributed, with projects ranging from collections care and exhibit development to strategic planning and educational programming. "This is only the second year for this grant program. As organizations wrap up their grant projects from last year and as we see the quality of the applications that came in for this grant cycle, it is clear that there is a strong need for this type of grant program," said Nicole Harvey, OHS grants administrator.
The Oklahoma Heritage Preservation Grant Program is a grants-in-aid program offered by the Oklahoma Historical Society with a goal of encouraging the collection, preservation and sharing of Oklahoma history at the grassroots level in all parts of the state. Open to tribal and municipal governments and not-for-profit historical organizations located in Oklahoma and registered with the Oklahoma secretary of state, this grants program offers funding ranging from $1,000 to $20,000 for projects focused on collections, exhibits and programming. Applications for this annual program open in the fall and award announcements are made in January. For more information visit www.okhistory.org/grants.
The mission of the Oklahoma Historical Society is to collect, preserve and share the history and culture of the state of Oklahoma and its people. Founded in 1893 by members of the Territorial Press Association, the OHS maintains museums, historic sites and affiliates across the state. Through its research archives, exhibits, educational programs and publications the OHS chronicles the rich history of Oklahoma. For more information about the OHS, please visit www.okhistory.org.
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