HISTORY CENTER IN TOMPKINS COUNTY
Connect to the past, uncover your local history
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Archives & Local History Research Library
Whether for genealogical research, building records, or any other aspect of local history our Cornell Local Research Library and Archival collections are the go-to destination for historic preservation and local research in Tompkins County.
We have over 2,000 family genealogy files, over 100 oral history interviews, 250 bound ledgers, 440 scrapbooks, 1,200 maps, more than 3,000 local history books, extensive manuscript collections, newspapers dating back to 1819, and dozens of regional photographic collections from as early as 1865.
Contact our archivist at archi[email protected] with any questions about our holdings.
Exhibit Hall
Our Exhibit Hall on the Ithaca Commons is a state of the art museum highlighting the history of Tompkins County and the Finger Lakes region thorough interactive displays with artifacts from our extensive physical archival collections.
Our Passage Through Time walkway begins with a video representation of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫ' (generally known by the mispronunciation Cayuga) creation myth. This video was was made in collaboration with local representatives of the Gayogo̱hó:nǫ' Nation. The timeline highlights snippets of Tompkins County history from the building of the famed Clinton Hotel, to the election of Svante Myrick in 2011, Ithaca's first African-American Mayor. Six Exhibit Towers highlight themed exhibits from our collections including digital displays, and pull out drawers with additional artifacts present at each tower. Visitors can hear Oral History clips in the Story Vault.
Smaller exhibits change on a rotating monthly basis, with museum wide exhibit changes once a year.
Where we work
External reviews

Photos
Videos
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Paper surveys, Community meetings/Town halls, Suggestion box/email,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
Our staff, Our board, Our community partners,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive,
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time,
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
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- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
HISTORY CENTER IN TOMPKINS COUNTY
Board of directorsas of 02/22/2022
Lauren Southard
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
No data
Gender identity
No data
No data
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data