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Glenbow is planning to relocate its library and archives to the University of Calgary. Revelations that Glenbow’s board of directors has been discussing a strategy for the move since the spring of 2014 came out September 17 at its annual general meeting. Many staff say they were surprised by the plan and do not support it. Glenbow CEO Donna Livingstone however says this will be a positive change.
The library owned by Glenbow and the archives owned by the province and maintained by Glenbow contain artifacts such as photographs diaries company records and personal letters donated to the museum over its 48-year history.
“I call it one of the most important research centres in Canada” says Livingstone. “You can’t make a film about Western Canada you can’t write a book you can’t write a thesis in history without coming to us.”
Livingstone says the decision to move the archives and library out of the facility was both financial and part of its “new vision.”
Glenbow has struggled with large annual budget deficits since 2009. This year is no exception with the board opting to use a $6.3-million transfer from its legacy fund to cover last year’s $4.54-million deficit loan and this year’s expected $1.75-million shortfall. This is despite a March 2014 agreement with Alberta Culture to increase provincial funding to Glenbow by $600000 every year for the next three years. The Alberta government currently funds about a third of Glenbow’s budget while fundraising attendance fees and sales account for the rest.
Livingstone says Glenbow is grateful for the increase but it is only half of what it needs to continue maintaining the provincial collection at an acceptable standard.
She also says the province only increased funding when Glenbow brought its new vision to the table. That vision is founded on removing “museum” from Glenbow’s title and turning it as much as possible into a contemporary art gallery while shedding the onsite library collection. Livingstone says Glenbow will still contain museum displays such as the mineralogy and Asian history exhibits but thematic art shows will be incorporated into them.
“Instead of talking about something that happened 100 years ago we can do that with respect but then we can also add contemporary aspects to it…. There’s so many things in our collection that have a thread of creativity running through them that is really is quite lovely” she says.
Some staff say they believe that new direction is a mistake as is the possibility of moving or even selling off the archives.
“The majority of staff working here have a background in art or are artists and we don’t even think it’s a good idea…. The main thing that goes through my head is how could that make the museum better? I don’t see any positive results of getting rid of the library and archives” says Glenbow’s collections and exhibitions administrative assistant Ada Peddlesden.
Peddlesden adds that the archives are frequently used by the public but also by museum employees doing research for upcoming shows or marketing. She says if research material is moved across town it will make it difficult for staff and researchers to access historical material.
Glenbow graphic designer and union president David Biggar is more blunt in his disdain for the plan.
“The whole concept is ripping apart Glenbow. When Eric Harvie started this institution it was a place for Albertans to learn about Western Canada learn about the world and a place where the collective history could go” he says.
Biggar says staff are frustrated at not being consulted in advance and worry Glenbow is headed in the wrong direction as it struggles to hit on a vision that will finally turn a profit.
“Everything boils down for [the Glenbow executive] as a money-saving venture and they just don’t seem to understand by constantly cutting and whittling away at the bottom that they’re going to reach some point where there’s nothing left” says Biggar.
Livingstone says Glenbow is looking at a joint venture that would see the library and archives leased to the U of C’s Taylor Family Digital Library but she stresses that nothing has been finalized yet. She also says she is cognizant of the experiential value of Glenbow’s current seven archives staff and wants to see them transferred with the archives so that value remains with the collection.
Beryl Cullum of Alberta Culture says the ministry has been kept abreast of Glenbow’s archive transfer strategy but cannot yet comment on whether it would affect provincial funding.
