Nolan Center board reviews center's operations

The advisory board for the James and Elsie Nolan Center met for its quarterly meeting midday Tuesday after a five-month hiatus.

Alice Rooney, Don McConachie, Olinda White and Marlene Clarke met with the center’s director and acting museum curator, Terri Henson, to discuss how things have gone since mid-July.

“We’ve been pretty busy in the Center, which has been nice,” Henson told them.

A pair of parties and several other Christmas-related events have wrapped up successfully, she explained. “We just finished up Dove Tree Lane, and that went well.”

The monthly community markets were also successful for the Nolan Center, wrapping up in September.

The feather in the staff’s cap for the year was hosting Southeast Conference this fall, with more than 200 delegates from around the region attending for several days of discussions, lectures and refreshments.

“It was busy,” said Henson. “It was nonstop for days but it was well worth the effort.”

Another large gathering was the Southeast Subsistence Council meeting in late September.

There is also an Alaska Board of Fisheries annual conference upcoming next month. That should see up to 100 visitors for a 12-day period.

“The upcoming Board of Fish is going to be important for the center,” she said.

The museum side has also kept busy, with staff locating and cataloguing all of the items in its collection. Staff will then prepare for some lengthy deaccessioning with the Friends of the Museum, beginning in February and lasting through March.

“Everything is being photographed and documented,” said Henson.

A number of items will have to be surplused out, with the collection condensed and better stored. The museum will be closed down during that time while the entire collection is inventoried and entered into the new Pass Perfect software system.

“It’s well-used throughout the industry as the preferred system,” Henson explained. Once everything is logged in, anyone can search through the museum’s inventory online. She expects that should be ready to use within the next year.

Once spring weather returns, museum staff will address its issues with insects by spraying outside the facility and putting new sweeps on the entry doors.

“I’m glad to see some positive things happening,” Clarke commented.

In other matters, White recommended sending a Nolan Center representative to a state art convention in the near future in order to find new artists to feature at the museum gift shop and improve its selection.

“We haven’t gone in a long time,” she said. “I think this would be a good idea.”

Board members also thought it would be useful to start reviewing the museum’s budget at future meetings, and will meet for a brief session on Jan. 7 to elect officers for the new year. Its next quarterly meeting is scheduled for March 11 at noon in the Nolan Center.