Volunteers are an integral part of the Museum’s operations. Annually there are 40 to 45 people who offer their help to ensure the Museum’s exhibits, programs, and collection are managed well. As the Museum opened up after the lockdown there was an increased number of people committed to a weekly schedule of volunteering, and the Museum has come to rely on their assistance.
Over the last year, these volunteers have built collection management skills that are dramatically changing the quality of the information we are gathering about the artifacts as well as the care we are able to give them. In 2022 we hired Karen Mencel as a part-time collection manager, and her leadership has played a large part in this improved care of the collection. As the Museum works to renovate the building, ensuring the safety of the collection is given a high priority. The team of weekly volunteers has a key voice in decisions related to the collection.
This past month, two volunteers have reached a milestone that we’d like to celebrate. Both Millie Sorrells and Sheila Nollen have contributed over 100 hours of service. Sheila began volunteering in January 2022 and soon found a project that has occupied her time and talents. As a retired Librarian, she is helping create a designated area for the books in our collection. Her work is making the books useful as a reference library the public can use for research. Using the Museum’s collection management database, she is standardizing the information added to the book’s records and training other volunteers to learn the procedure and assist her with this project.
Millie Sorrells also began volunteering weekly in January 2022. As an award-winning quilter, she brings extensive knowledge about quilting and fabrics. In 2021, Millie donated a number of her quilts to the Museum and she began her volunteer service helping us to capture information about each quilt, that included where they were exhibited and what awards they received. Her comfort with technology has made her a valuable volunteer who is willing to scan, write descriptions, and accession new additions to the collection. Her skilled work with a needle has been pressed into service on many occasions. Clothing items in the collection are tagged with a cotton ribbon with the object’s identification number on it that is sewn into the garments. Millie makes short work of this task!
The Museum’s mission is to gather people together around our history and culture. Often exhibits and programs are considered the tools that are well-suited to accomplish this. Over the past few years as I watch volunteer teams of all ages work together it is clear that volunteer service is also how we live our mission. They are learning from the experiences they have with each artifact, ensuring that each is well cared for. Importantly, they come together each week and collectively accomplish their work. These stewards of our history and culture are truly gifts to our community.
Interested in joining our volunteer team? Contact Sue at 309.837.2750 or sue@wimuseum.org. We’d enjoy having your help.