County historical society opens gift shop
The Historical Society of Schuylkill County is hoping to attract not only historians and genealogists to its headquarters, but also holiday shoppers.
The halls at 305 N. Centre St., Pottsville, which celebrate the county’s past, now include a gift shop. Items can also be bought on the society’s Web site, schuylkillhistory.org, David Derbes, society president, said Friday.
The gift shop is part of an effort to make books written by local authors, greeting cards featuring works by local artists and Schuylkill County-themed T-shirts available and to help the society make some money to keep the lights on, Derbes said.
“We’re going to try it. We can’t continue to rely on handouts all the time. We have to be more aggressive,” Derbes said.
The society’s 2009 budget, between $60,000 and $65,000 according to Derbes, was funded by six main sources of income. An annual fund drive provides 15 percent. General memberships are $30 a year and the society has “about 400” members. “That provides about 15 percent,” Derbes said. Allocations from the state, county, city and Pottsville Area School District provide about 70 percent of the society’s income, Derbes said.
Derbes doubts the society will get as much funding as it did from the state last year – $8,600, which was matched by another $8,600 from the county.
