Scottsdale Heritage Connection
Scottsdale Public Library, Ariz.
Innovation Synopsis
This pre-fab structure is housed in the main library and contains over 10,000 photographs and images of Scottsdale's buildings, events and residents; nearly 300 audio and video interviews with residents; and over 400 books, yearbooks and newspaper clippings from as early as the 1950s. The space includes computers, a research area and lecture space.
Challenge/Opportunity
The library and library volunteers have been collecting local history for more than 45 years. In 2013, the area where these materials were housed and available to the community was re-purposed and the historical materials were moved off of the library floor into the basement where they were only available by appointment. The original plan was that this would be temporary situation, however it ended up being the circumstance for more than six years.
Key Elements of Innovation
A group of key supporters created a capital campaign committee to help raise funds to build a new space within the library that would be dedicated to the local history collection and research activities. The city committed to funding 50% of the project. For the next two years the community capital campaign committee worked tirelessly to raise funds from private individuals, applied for grants and donated or solicited materials and services to support the building of the Scottsdale Heritage Connection.
Achieved Outcomes
This space houses the entire local history collection with room for expansion. Resources are available for use anytime the library is open with volunteers staffing the area to assist with questions. Specialized research help is available through appointments. Additional key collection donations have been received and the library offers regularly scheduled library programming featuring the materials and/or our local historians. As a result of this joint partnership, the library has received renewed community support.
