CREOLE PRESERVATION GUIDE
St Augustine Historical Society
November 22, 1996 Meeting
ATTENDING: Janet Colson, Susan Dollar, Pete Gregory, John Hammer, Theresa Morgan, Rick
Seal, Alicia Trissler & Mary Linn Wernet
A meeting was held with the local advisory team associated with the Creole Preservation Guide grant
supported by the National Center for Preservation Protection & Training. This was the initial meeting of
the group whose purpose is to develop the groundwork for a survey form that would provide information
for the proposed guide.
Opening remarks by Ms. Janet Colson stated the overall concept and mechanics that would be used The
main issues are:
- Two surveys would be prepared and submitted addressed at identifying owners and
collectors of traditional properties memorabilia, and documentation associated with the
Creole culture and history. One survey is to be addressed to various institutions
(museums, libraries, universities, archives, and historical organizations) nationwide. The
second survey would be directed to the general Creole public identified as collectors,
persons involved in collecting, and persons interested in the preservation of the culture
through collecting.
- Both surveys should be as concise as possible, but, allowing for as much data gathering
as possible.
- Invitation to participate would be mainly made electronically to the various institutions
(the majority of which are online) and via mail and news articles to the general Creole
public.
- The survey results would be made available as a part of the present web page maintained
by the St. Augustine Historical Society as Phase II of the present grant.
It was stated that a definition of Creole is necessary in identifying the subject of the survey questions.
The definition used as a part of the opening statement of the survey was unanimously approved.
A general discussion was held regarding the need for the disbursement of information regarding the
services and information available concerned with the preservation of collections. The survey to the
institutions and the published results would serve as a way of distributing this information.
The involvement of the general Creole public in determining their needs regarding preservation
information would be a means of identifying those individuals who would most benefit from this guide.
Also discussed was the need for institutions to be aware of the need for a source that the general Creole
public could reference regarding their culture. The survey questions should be written in a manner that
would invite this discussion among this targeted group.
It was also pointed out that the survey to the general Creole public should consider that the average
person is probably not aware of the information regarding preservation methods that is available at these
institutions. This survey should also indicate the genuine effort of the Society to furnish a guide towards
provide information that would assist in preserving personal collections and not as a source of obtaining
their property.
It was decided that references regarding the “cataloging” of collections would be addressed through the
term “inventory” as a means for further clarification. The development of an inventory form that would
assist in cataloging a personal collection was considered. The existence of the form would be a part of
the survey. This would allow for additional feedback from those persons having personal collections.
REPORT END