Idaho State Historical Society requests funds to consolidate archives, hires and America250 commemoration spending

BOISE — The Idaho State Historical Society asked the Joint Finance‑Appropriations Committee on Feb. 21 for ongoing and one‑time funding to support staffing, consolidation of off‑site collections, and commemorative programming for the national 250th anniversary.

Janet Gallimore, director of the Idaho State Historical Society, told the committee the agency’s FY2026 request includes an archivist technician (1 FTE, $62,900 ongoing), $450,000 one‑time for moving and consolidation costs, and reappropriation authority tied to a $1.65 million general‑fund allocation for America250 commemoration activities. "Our collections will soon be consolidated in one facility down from three," Gallimore said, explaining the site‑improvement and move costs.

Why it matters

The society preserves state records, photographs and three‑dimensional artifacts that document Idaho’s history. Consolidating aging off‑site storage into the state archives is intended to improve long‑term preservation, public access and operational efficiency. The committee also saw two historic silver service pieces the agency said were gifted to naval vessels bearing the name USS Idaho and are slated for permanent curation.

Details and background

Analyst testimony noted episodic spikes in historical‑society appropriations tied to infrastructure and fundraising projects in recent years. Gallimore described the move plan as a two‑year effort to consolidate roughly 30,000 boxes of records and about 50,000 three‑dimensional artifacts into a single archives facility to improve climate‑controlled storage, security and public access. The request covers packing, transportation and staff time to inventory and rehouse collections.

On fundraising and spending authority

The agency also explained that some fundraising and grant revenues require explicit legislative spending authority before the society can accept and disburse those funds. Gallimore said the society raises roughly $250,000 per year for ongoing education programming and pursues multi‑year campaigns — for example, a $2 million campaign for the Old Idaho Penitentiary improvements — which require accounting and audit assurances tied to spending authority.

America250 and exhibits

Gallimore said about $1.4 million of the $1.65 million was already obligated to partner projects such as public broadcasting documentaries, curricular work, grants to partner institutions and exhibit development. The society also previewed artifacts linked to Idaho’s naval namesakes and described ongoing work to coordinate returns and curation with the USS Idaho commission and federal partners.

Next steps

Committee members asked for updated fundraising balances, metrics on early returns from newly hired Old Pen staff (the agency said its goal is to expand student visits from about 6,000 to 12,000), and a follow‑up on the two‑year moving schedule and costs. The agency agreed to provide written details and data to the committee.