TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Mark Leyman, Director of Parks and Recreation
Melissa McCollum, Senior Recreation Manager
Eilen Stewart, Cultural Arts Manager
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of a Resolution Approving an Agreement for Phases I and II of the Action Plan and Funding for Improving the Care and Management of the City of Manhattan Beach’s Historic Artwork, Objects and Archives, and Direction to Implement Key Immediate and Short-Term Recommendations (Parks and Recreation Director Leyman).
(Estimated Time: 45 Min.)
A) ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 22-0107
B) ALLOCATE FUNDS
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council:
A. Receive the Collections Assessment Report from History Associates Incorporated (HAI);
B. Direct staff to implement the immediate and short-term recommendations for improving the care and management of the City of Manhattan Beach’s historical collection;
C. Adopt Resolution No. 22-0107 approving the agreement with History Associates Incorporated;
D. Allocate up to $175,000 of surplus Los Angeles County Library funds to pay for Phases I and II of the Action Plan
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The Action Plan prepared by HAI based on the condition and needs of the City of Manhattan Beach collection is outlined in the following five phases:
Phase I Policy Development up to $65,000
Phase II Inventory and Survey Collections up to $110,000
Phase III Process, Catalog, Rehouse Collections up to $450,000
Phase IV Digitization Determined by size and scope
Phase V Maintain Collections Determined by size and scope
Total of Phases I and II: up to $175,000
The City of Manhattan Beach has a branch of the Los Angeles County Library system. The property taxes paid into the system by Manhattan Beach residents exceeds the cost of operating the branch, including the debt service on the library building. Those surplus funds are accumulated for the benefit of the Manhattan Beach library branch. Currently, there is an accumulated surplus balance of $7.98 million. Los Angeles County Library recently determined surplus library funds may be used to improve access to the City’s historical collection by implementing Phases I and II of the Action Plan outlined by HAI. Staff will return upon completion of Phases I and II for allocation of funds for Phases III through V.
BACKGROUND:
On November 20, 2018, City Council allocated $109,500 to begin cataloging and digitizing the collection of artifacts stored mainly at the Historical Red House in Polliwog Park.
Two part-time staff were hired in 2019 and 2020 to begin this project, but it became clear that the work could not be completed by Parks & Recreation staff and needed the attention of a professional team of archivists and collection specialists. Based on a recommendation from Los Angeles County Library staff, HAI was contracted to provide a comprehensive study and report on the needs of the collection.
DISCUSSION:
Staff from the HAI team (Senior Collections Manager Christina Conn and Archivist Brandon Werts) examined the collection, facilities, and infrastructure in October 2021. They met with key stakeholders for the collection, including Manhattan Beach Historical Society President Gary McAulay and other volunteers, Manhattan Beach Library Manager Josh Murray, Los Angeles County Library Administrator Wendy Crutcher, and several City staff to assess the needs, uses, and concerns of the collection. They examined the work that was done by the two previous Parks & Recreation staff assigned to the project as well as the practices of the Historical Society as they largely oversee the collection.
The HAI team identified a list of issues and challenges with the current status of the collection. The full list can be viewed on page three of the attached report and includes the following:
• Lack of collection policy and procedures
• Out of scope material present in collections
• Backlog of uncatalogued materials
• Limited staffing resources
• Inadequate environmental and exhibit conditions
• Lack of formalized roles and responsibilities for fire protection, security, and emergency preparedness
Based on their discussions, observations, and research, the HAI team developed and proposed a comprehensive plan (attached) consisting of five phases summarized here:
Phase I - Policy Development
In order to establish a responsibly managed and accessible collection, a comprehensive policy of collection governance must be developed. Such policy establishes the goals and scope of the collection as well as outlines the intended use and composition. Without a solid definition of governance and associated policies, it is difficult to ascertain proper collection needs, logistics, priorities, and use.
Phase II - Inventory and Survey Collections
Survey and inventory approximately 1,550 objects and 165 linear feet of records using available museum documentation and Manhattan Beach Historical Society records. This phase includes examination of materials to determine disposition and identification of non-collection materials, conducting background research, developing a processing plan and cataloging manual, and monitoring the collection’s environment.
Phase III - Process, Catalog, Rehouse Collections
To ensure the continued safety and preservation of the valuable objects that are included as part of the collection, all items should be cataloged in Proficio Elements. As most objects are not cataloged, it is essential that these items are adequately captured and documented to maintain proper physical and intellectual control. Tasks in this phase may include: item-level cataloging of all objects currently owned by the City of Manhattan Beach, properly housing objects in preservation-quality storage containers, determining the need for follow up on conservation work, and updating the Scope of Collection Statement (SOCS).
Phase IV - Digitization
Task 1 - Digitization of City Clerk Papers
Digitization will allow online access to a selection of content and can be used to preserve frequently accessed material by creating high-resolution digital surrogates. The City Clerk of Manhattan Beach is custodian to an ordinance book containing approximately 500 pages of documents from 1912 which are becoming brittle, making the pages a high priority for digitization.
Task 2 - Digitization of Collections
HAI recommends eventual digitization of collection items related to the history of Manhattan Beach and the South Bay community. Selecting items to digitize would be a collaboration between the City of Manhattan Beach and Manhattan Beach Historical Society. Digitization work may be outsourced to local institutions and/or professional digitization vendors. HAI can either coordinate and manage digitization and object photography through a trusted third party or perform the work on-site in Manhattan Beach.
Phase V - Maintain Collections
Once the goals of consolidating, stabilizing, cataloging, and digitizing existing collections are met through the above project phases, the focus will turn to ongoing development and maintenance of the collections program for expanded educational opportunities and exhibitions. The HAI team can provide on-going collection support in a variety of ways as outlined in the attached report.
PUBLIC OUTREACH:
This proposal has the support of members of the Manhattan Beach Historical Society. The issue was presented to both the City Council and the Cultural Arts Commission by the President of the Manhattan Beach Historical Society in public forums.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Resolution No. 22-0107
2. Agreement - HAI (Phases I and II)
3. History Associates Incorporated Collections Assessment Report (2022)
4. PowerPoint Presentation