Minersville Area Historical Society Strategic Plan

Executive Summary and Mission

The Minersville Area Historical Society is a 501c(3) non-profit located in the Borough of Minersville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania. The mission of the Society is to serve the public through education and historic preservation. The society achieves this mission by providing educational events, research opportunities, and public access to a vast collection of historical resources that depict the collective history of the area.

Service Area

The Society’s service area is the Borough of Minersville and the neighboring communities of Cass Township, Branch Township, Foster Township, and Reilly Township. The Society collects and preserves historical resources associated with these communities and provides them to the public for educational, cultural, and research purposes. While the Society primarily serves the above-mentioned communities, due to the nature of its work and the history of the area, it also contributes to the vast and rich history/culture of the greater geographic area known as the Anthracite Coal Region of Pennsylvania.

List of Services Provided

  • Educational Speakers

  • Public Display of Historical Artifacts and Documents

  • Genealogical Research

  • Preservation of Local Monuments and Landmarks

  • Socioeconomic Support of the Community

  • Partnerships with Educational Institutions

Objectives

The Society has a number of objectives it carries out for the benefit of the community. Because of the nature of the Society’s operations, some of these objectives are perpetual while others have a definitive endpoint. Objectives may also overlap with each other with several being pre-requirements to others. The following lists these objectives and respective steps needed to initiate or accomplish them.

Preserve and Protect the History of the Minersville Area

  • Collect and catalog historical items, artifacts, documents, etc.).

  • Publicly display the Society’s collection.

  • Host public events with key speakers (historians, firs-hand witnesses, etc.)

  • Maintain local landmarks of historical significance (cemeteries, buildings, etc.)

Improve Facility and Operations

  • Implement energy saving amenities to reduce costs. This may include the implementation of LED lighting, updated HVAC systems, etc.

  • Restore sidewalk adjacent to the Society’s facility.

  • Maintain financial stability and regular sources of income (fundraisers, grants, donations, etc.)

  • Increase the number of days the facility is open to the public.

  • Increase the number of Society volunteers and/or staff.

Maintain and Improve Community Relations

  • When possible, Society representatives should communicate with key officials and community stakeholders.

  • Regularly take inventory of Society assets and ensure they are being used to the best extent possible for the community.

  • Ensure it has the capacity to best serve the community.