CARIBOU, Maine — Prior to COVID-19, the Nylander Museum of Natural History had gone from barely seeing foot traffic to hosting educational events that attracted hundreds of community members.
But the museum, located on Main Street, has yet to fully reopen to the public. Many city councilors now agree that if the museum is going to survive, they need to establish firm leadership and clear goals for how to maintain the building and its programs.
In December, the council voted 4-3 to abolish the museum’s board of directors and appoint Caribou Library Director Peter Baldwin to oversee the museum. Baldwin assumed that role in January and has worked with part-time employee Franco Scalora to digitally catalog artifacts. Baldwin had said that reopening the museum later this year was one of his major goals.
With the museum still closed, Baldwin and City Manager Penny Thompson are asking councilors to define their long-term goals for the museum. Those goals could involve reestablishing a board of directors to assist Baldwin with running the museum or an advisory board that would give recommendations but not be directly involved with programs.
But so far, the council has not voted on what type of board it might establish or what goals staff should pursue to keep the museum open, Baldwin said.
“There has not been much direction from the city on where they want the museum to go,” Baldwin said. “We have no projected opening date and I would need at least one more employee to start programs again. At this point, there’s not much I can do because I need to know what the city wants to do.”
The Nylander Museum in Caribou. (File: Chris Bouchard | Aroostook Republican)
The Nylander’s future became a major topic of the council’s Monday, May 23, meeting.
Councilor Joan Theriault recalled a time when many councilors, including herself, were in favor of closing the museum due to a lack of foot traffic and struggles in recruiting volunteer board members. At that time, the council gave the museum’s board one year to turn things around.
That group not only succeeded but created monthly programming that brought regular visitors to the Nylander, she said. Just before the COVID-19 lockdown, the newly created Dino Days activities brought in more than 350 children and their families during February break. Other events with natural history themes were successful at making the museum more relevant to community members.
Although the council discussed possibly forming an advisory board earlier this year, Theriault said that a board of directors would have the authority to help plan and market Nylander events.
” We need to keep the interest going, and I don’t know how we can do that with two part-time employees,” Theriault said.
Councilor Lou Willey suggested that the council consider whether Baldwin should continue overseeing the library or if another full-time director should be hired. Despite Baldwin’s willingness to take on the Nylander duties, some councilors previously expressed concerns over his workload.
Like Theriault, Willey suggested that the council approve a new board of directors and give it and the director at least one year to 18 months to reopen the museum and enact a long-term plan to sustain programs.
“What we didn’t have with the last working board was a director to guide them,” said Willey, who attended the council meeting via Zoom. “As good as a board is, they need direction.”
Others were more skeptical of the museum’s future, given the lack of foot traffic throughout the pandemic. Although the museum briefly opened in summer 2021, water leaks and the necessary repairs once again closed the building.
Councilor Doug Morrell questioned whether the city should continue funding the Nylander if any efforts from a new board are unsuccessful. Since its inception in 1939, the museum has existed as a city department, with funds coming from the city budget and annual fundraising.
“I’m not saying we should shut it down, but if there’s no people going through the doors, we need to recognize that it’s not viable to put money into,” Morrell said.
Though councilors did not vote on what type of board to establish, they agreed to send suggestions to Thompson and discuss the matter further at a future meeting.
Three residents have so far expressed interest in joining a new Nylander board, Thompson said. At least two more people would be needed to start a board, but even then the city might want to establish bylaws beforehand.
Thompson also recommended that the council help a future board establish a formal, publicized plan for the Nylander to obtain grant funding.
“One thing I’ve realized is that we need to have a strategic plan that the council accepts,” Thompson said. “There are so many grant opportunities right now, but no one will give you money if you don’t have a plan.”
Though Baldwin would prefer an advisory board over a board of directors, he said he is willing to work with people the councilors appoint, so long as there is a clear plan for what the board should accomplish and a timeline for enacting that plan.
Having that plan could be the difference between closing the Nylander and helping the museum realize its potential again, he said.
“I think the museum has a lot of potential,” Baldwin said. “With people watching to see what will happen, I think there could be a lot of excitement and a turnout like what we’ve seen in the past.”
