06-01-1999 CC RPT 21A - Laserfiche WebLink

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Attachment A MISSION INN FOUNDATION. MISSION INN MUSEUM 3696 Main Street, Riverside, CA 92501 Administrative Offices (909) 781-82A1 · Museum (909) 788-9556 Mr. John Petig Budget Director, City of Riverside 3900 Main SWeet Riverside, CA 92532 May 18, 1999 Dear Mr. Petig: Thank you for the opportunity to provide additional information regarding the Mission Inn Foundation's progress on the inventory project. As you know, our funding from the city for FY 98-99 has been contingent on the undertaking of a comprehensive physical inventory project, to document the location, general condition, and status of the historic collections related to the Mission Inn. The inventory is estimated to include approximately 12,000 artifacts, including the separate collections owned by Historic Mission Inn Corporation (HMIC), the Mission Inn Foundation, and the Friends of the Mission Inn. Contingent on the cooperation of all the collections stakeholders, we anticipate the majority of the initial physical inventory to be completed by the end of the 1999 calendar year. To guarantee the success of the inventory, our planning process has been thorough and rigorous. The staff have worked closely with the professional expertise that is represented on the Collections Policy Advisory Committee of our Board of Directors. The leadership of the Board's Executive Committee has ensured that the project furthers the organization' s purpose and long-term strategy described in MIF's Business Plan. The full Board of Directors has not only been kept apprised of the project, but has also endorsed the inventory project and its related expenditures. As part of the inventory planning process, we also hired a professional consultant who has worked previously with the inventory software vendor and such esteemed clients as the Getty Institute. Because we are using new and unique combinations of sophisticated computer hardware and software, the consultant has played a key role in guiding equipment purchase decisions and ensuring systems compatibility. To date, we have purchased all of the required inventory equipment. This includes the "Argus Open Edition" collections management software (the same collections management sot'cware that RMM is upgrading to), bar code equipment (to track the movement of artifacts and for ongoing inventory management purposes), digital imaging equipment, and computer equipment. We have also provided detailed preliminary inventory time estimates to HMIC, to help the hotel management provide and coordinate access to particular areas of the hotel for the inventory. These time estimates provide HMIC with the necessary information to provide inventory access with minimal disruption to hotel customers, and to coordinate the inventory with their staff. The Museum and Collections Manager of the Mission Inn Foundation, Lynn Brocklebank, has initiated the inventory process. The inventory has started with artifacts of the MIM collection, and we are eagerly awaiting the hotel 's response to our scheduling request for inventory access. The inventory project will enable us to protect and utilize the considerable investments the City of Riverside has made in preserving the public trust in the Mission Inn. Combined with the access to the historic collections that the Mission Inn Foundation provides through the museum and tour operations, the inventory is indeed a potent tool for our role of professional stewardship. A nonprofit organization representing the public interest in Riverside's National Historic Lardmark hotel 21a-3