Allegany County to post part-time county historian position; volunteers inventory historical collection

Allegany County officials on Jan. 22 told the Committee of the Whole that a volunteer-driven inventory of the county historical collection has begun and recommended posting a part-time county historian position to manage the collection and coordinate with municipal historians.

Deputy Administrator Short told the committee that volunteers and municipal historians meet monthly and have begun an inventory of materials held in storage (currently at a church on Willets Avenue and other locations). Short said New York State law requires the county to have a county historian and that the county previously combined historian duties with records management; staff now recommend hiring a part-time historian to focus on the collection.

Short described the role as a custodian of county historical materials, a coordinator with municipal historians and the state historian, and an annual reporter to the legislature. She said the county’s job description and New York State guidance will be used in the appointment process. “Part of what the historians’ collection is is some materials that would be useful in [genealogy] searches, but it’s not research that a county historian can do on their behalf,” Short said; the office will create an inventory of materials people can then request to access.

Committee members pressed for practical details. Staff proposed a minimum of 10 hours per week (part time) to avoid collective-bargaining complications that would arise at more-than-half-time hours (half-time was cited as 17.5 hours/week). Short said a typical county pay range for similar part-time positions is about $15.50 to $17.50 per hour; staff had placed money in a contractual-services account and the treasurer is preparing a budget transfer (MOE) to move funds to personnel before any hire.

Members asked where materials are stored and whether the space is secure and climate controlled. Staff said the main storage is a locked church on Willets Avenue (security cameras and locked facility) and that some historically significant items — for example an original courthouse transom window — might be appropriate for display in the county building. The fairgrounds collection was raised; staff said that material should be inventoried as part of the same project before decisions on relocation or loan are made.

Committee members asked whether the county historian would do community presentations. Staff said that conducting outreach and presentations was not a legal obligation of the county historian under state guidance and that, if the board wanted the historian to do public presentations, it should make that a selection criterion or assign the duty at appointment.

Short recommended posting the position publicly for a few weeks, soliciting applicants, and returning to the board with recommendations. The treasurer said the necessary budget transfer is being prepared and will not delay appointment. The committee asked staff to fast-track the posting and to present recommended candidates when available.

Ending: The committee directed staff to post the part-time county historian position, continue the volunteer inventory, and prepare any necessary budget transfers; no formal vote was recorded.