GLEN CARBON - Samantha Doolin, Coordinator of the Glen Carbon Heritage Museum, gave an Annual Update presentation at the Glen Carbon Village Board meeting on July 11. She said 2023 has been a great year so far for the museum, with several successful community outreach efforts, an expansion of their online presence, and much more.
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The museum has held or scheduled 24 new events in 2023, including Goat Yoga, Family Fun Days, Escape Rooms, and many more - Doolin added that another Escape Room event is being held this weekend at the Glen Carbon Centennial Library.
“We’re really doing a lot of new and inventive things, trying to bring people out to the museum,” Doolin said.
2023 has also seen the return of 16 recurring annual events, including Ghosts of Glen, Cabin Day, field trips, and several more, as well as 11 scheduled private tours. Doolin added the museum has been “very busy this year, which is great.”
Doolin said the museum has also been expanding its online presence, including the launch of its first-ever Facebook Page in collaboration with Glen Carbon Communications Manager Nicole Dicks. The museum also has digital archives, as well as a digital artifact catalog which can be searched by last name and/or keyword on the Village of Glen Carbon website.
The museum welcomed several more visitors this year than last year, totaling 1,108 visitors in 2023. They also formed community partnerships with 20 local businesses, clubs, and organizations so far this year.
Doolin said the Heritage Museum also has a few more improvements that are either currently in the works or planned for the near future.
“Currently, the museum is working on inventory standardization and correction of records. We are working a lot with social media outreach, working to create new community partnerships that gives us access to new audiences,” Doolin said. “We’re doing a lot of new and continuing programs, and our fourth focus is becoming an official village archive.”
To become an official village archive, she said the museum is working to become a repository for permanent records, which will allow for greater public access to research materials.
To learn more about the Glen Carbon Heritage Museum, visit their Facebook page or glencarbonil.gov/heritagemuseum. A full recording of the presentation at the July 11 Village Board meeting is available at the top of this story or on the Village of Glen Carbon Facebook page.
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