Museum to open public research center
Special to The Western News
It was in the year 2000 that The Heritage Museum embarked on a journey to bring the institution into the 21st Century. By applying for, and being awarded, an Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant (shared with Libby Public Schools) together with a grant from the State Historical Records Advisory Board (SHRAB), The Heritage Museum was able to create an archives. Just what is an archives? According to the Society for American Archivists, an archives “is a place where people go to find information. But rather than gathering information from books as you would in a library, people who do research in archives often gather firsthand facts, data and evidence from letters, reports, notes, memos, photographs, audio and video recordings and other primary sources.”
In the decade and a half since then, the archives has become a year-round beehive of activity at the Museum. On Sunday, Feb. 21, the Museum will honor two people who have been instrumental in the creation and operation of the archives by renaming it “The Mary and Larry Hebenstreit Center for Archival Research.”
Prior to getting the IMLS and SHRAB grants, archival materials were stored at the museum in boxes with no organization and no practical way to research. There were no policies for photo sales or use guidelines. There were no functioning procedures for accepting new material. Mary and Larry Hebenstreit attended a number of training sessions throughout the state. With the help of a traveling archivist, and later a short-term archivist paid through the grant, the Museum was able to write policies and procedures and form an Accessions Committee that continues today.
Larry had helped write the IMLS grant along with Libby High School teacher, Jeff Gruber and Lincoln County Librarian, Al Randall, and they attended a workshop on grant reporting in Washington, D.C. Larry served as tech person in the archives, helped assemble the storage shelving and organize the room, and also worked on processing collections.
Mary was appointed as Chairman of the Accessions Committee at the first meeting, January 4, 2001. She held that position until June 2015. Mary is extremely organized and ran a tight ship. Records were kept of each meeting showing items accepted and declined, along with the reasons for doing so. She was adamant about following best practices as established by the guidelines adopted early in the process. Every month, she attended the Museum board meetings to report on the committee’s actions. She has recruited, trained and supervised many volunteers over the years.
The Heritage Museum would not have the archives we have today without Mary and Larry Hebenstreit. From the beginning, their interest, dedication, and commitment to preserving Libby’s past led the fledgling archives project to the solid foundation that exists today. For an all-volunteer museum, it is without peer when it comes to a functioning accessions committee, organized archives and dedicated volunteers. Instead of precious manuscripts, photographs, maps, oral histories and other miscellaneous collections being at risk of decay and damage, The Heritage Museum is able to store for future generations, archival materials chronicling Libby’s historical passage.
The public is invited to attend the dedication of The Mary and Larry Hebenstreit Center for Archival Research on Sunday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. at The Heritage Museum, 34067 U.S. Highway 2, Libby. Refreshments will be served.