Lawrence County Arkansas Genealogy
ANNOUNCEMENT 2
Archives subject of LCHS meeting
Shelly Tomlinson
Staff Writer
The Lawrence County Historical Society met Monday to discuss the Memorandum Of Agreement drafted by the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism regarding the archival of the Society's historic documents.
The MOA draft is based upon negotiations between the parks department, the Arkansas History Commission and the LCHS about how and where the society's documents will be stored.
The MOA draft provides for the renovation of a church on Foley Street in Powhatan for administrative offices, a research room and public restrooms, and for the construction of a vault with security, fire and environmental controls to properly maintain the documents.
In order for the MOA to become valid, the society will have to cede ownership of the archives to the Arkansas History Commission in July of 2007, or when the facility is complete, whichever is later.
The MOA also outlines the responsibilities of the three entities involved, including staffing, building maintenance and exhibition policies.
Once the three parties reach an agreement, the parks department will begin the application process for grants through the Arkansas Natural Cultural Resource Council. The applications will be submitted in March of 2006, and final approvals will be announced in May 2006.
Lloyd Clark, LCHS president, said the Society has concerns about the current draft. "We want a guarantee that if we sign ownership over to the History Commission, and for some reason the building is not built ~ if the funding falls through ~ the documents will stay in Lawrence County," Clark said.
The current draft states that if circumstances beyond the control of the Parks Department or the History Commission "preclude their ability to operate [the facility] at Powhatan Historic State Park, that the Department and the Commission, acting jointly, may elect to move the collection to assure the collection's continued security, preservation and public access."
Clark said a committee of board members will meet Friday to discuss their issues, and will then address the problems in writing to the Parks Department. Committee members are Dr. Jerry Gibbens, Darlene Moore, Sue Whitmire and Clark.
The Parks Department plans to submit the MOA to the Arkansas History Commission at their meeting on Sept. 1 and to the Arkansas State Parks Recreation and Travel Commission at their meeting Sept. 15-16. If the MOA and funding requests are approved, construction could begin within a year, said State Parks Director Greg Butts.
"We look forward to hearing the Society's comments," said Butts. "We all have the same concerns about preserving these documents."