We’re thrilled to announce that the Nicollet County Historical Society has been awarded a $9,925 Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant. The grant will allow us to upgrade our collections management system. This project will help us move from an outdated program to a new, more powerful system called CollectiveAccess.

Why does this matter? Behind every exhibit, photo, or artifact we share with you is a record. It includes who donated it, when it was made, and how it connects to Nicollet County history. Right now, our staff and volunteers spend a lot of time working around the limitations of our old software. The new system will make organizing and accessing records easier, saving time and improving accuracy.

Even better, once the migration is complete, researchers, students, or curious community members can browse our collections online through MNCollections.org. That means everyone has greater access to Nicollet County’s past.

The grant will fund data conversion, system setup, and training for our team. We’ll also clean up old records to ensure that what you find online is clear, complete, and accurate.

We’re excited about what this means for the future of our museum and archives. This upgrade strengthens our ability to preserve and share local history. It honors the people and places that make Nicollet County unique.

This project has been financed in part with funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.