Kalaupapa National Historical Park: Museum management plan

Bayless, Jonathan; Buchel, Susan; Bush, Kent; DeRooy, Carola; Sullivan, Brigid

This Museum Management Plan offers recommendations for actions designed to take the park archives, library, and museum collection through the next developmental phase, leading to full program integration. The museum management plan places archival and museum operations in a holistic context within park operations by focusing on how collections may be used by park staff to support specific park goals. This plan recognizes that there are many different ways in which archives, libraries, and museum collections may be organized, linked, and used within individual parks, and as a result provides park-specific advice on how this may be accomplished within this specific unit. Kalaupapa National Historical Park was authorized on December 20, 1980, “…to provide for the preservation of the unique nationally and internationally significant cultural, historic, educational, and scenic resources of he Kalaupapa settlement on the island of Molokai …”. While it was recognized almost immediately that this definition must include the personal belongings and papers of both patients and care givers, it was not until May 18, 1987 that the formal archival and museum collections were established. With the construction of a new facility and employment of professional staff over the past three years, the park has become active in collections documentation, preservation and access, which in turn has stimulated both collections use and acquisition. Most elements of this plan are developmental rather than remedial in nature. The recommendations are intended to guide the park through the process of creating and implementing a workable system that supports all aspects of park operations, while at the same time providing guidelines for the growth and development of the museum management program.

Kalaupapa National Historical Park: Museum management plan

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