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Idaho State Historical Society requests staff and one‑time funds to consolidate archives, support Old Pen and America250 commemoration
Summary
The Idaho State Historical Society told the Joint Finance committee it needs ongoing staff at the Old Idaho Penitentiary, an archivist technician, one‑time moving funds to consolidate off‑site collections and funding authority for America250 projects; the agency displayed artifacts including pieces of the USS Idaho silver service.
The Idaho State Historical Society asked the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee for staff and one‑time resources to move and consolidate collections, expand programs at the Old Idaho Penitentiary and implement America250 commemoration activities.
Director Janet Gallimore outlined requests that include an archivist technician (1.0 FTP) to digitize records, ongoing staff paid from the Old Idaho Penitentiary’s miscellaneous revenue fund, and a $450,000 one‑time request to support moving artifacts and records into a centralized archives facility. The agency also highlighted a $1,650,000 general fund appropriation for America250 commemoration activities that the legislature previously approved; Gallimore said roughly $1.4 million of that is already obligated to various projects and partners.
Gallimore said the state archives and many collections are currently dispersed across multiple off‑site facilities and that the agency plans to consolidate roughly 30,000 boxes of records and approximately 50,000 artifacts into the State Archives building in the Penitentiary District. “It is a big project,” she said, describing the work to contract specialized movers and plan a staged migration that will span two fiscal years.
On staffing, Gallimore said the Old Idaho Penitentiary operates largely on earned income and that new educator and store manager positions are intended to expand student programming and earned‑revenue opportunities. She described a business plan goal to raise educational visits from roughly 6,000 students to about 12,000 and said the newly requested positions would support that expansion.
Committee members asked about fundraising and spending authority. Gallimore explained the distinction between funds raised by the historical society’s foundation (private donations) and grants that require legislative spending authority and state accounting. She said the fundraising operation typically brings in roughly $250,000 per year for education programs and that campaign funding (for example, a $2 million campaign for the Old Pen) is raised for specific projects. She also described current online access options for archives material (Chronicling America and ArchivesSpace) and offered to provide the committee with fund balances and more detailed revenue/performance data.
To illustrate the society’s collections and public value, the agency presented two ceremonial artifacts tied to Idaho’s naval history: a silver cake tray from USS Idaho BB‑24 and an engraved fruit tray that was added to the BB‑42 silver service. Gallimore said those items will be curated for preservation and for future display in Idaho when naval artifacts return after ships retire.
What’s next: The society will provide the committee more detailed fund‑balance figures, outcome metrics tied to Old Pen staffing and educational programming, and updated schedules and cost estimates for the centralized move of collections. The agency invited committee members to inspect the artifacts and the planned exhibits.
