Looking to the North -- Baltimore #3

The Maryland Historical Society, facing financial difficulties, is closing two museums. See today's Baltimore Sun article, "Historical society to shut 2 city museums."

While it's important to set priorities and to work to ensure that such facilities are well patronized, it's amazing that the amount of money to be saved totals $50,000. That amount of money couldn't be found? From the article:

The Maritime Museum in Fells Point and the Baltimore Civil War Museum in Harbor East will close Sept 1. The closures will save about $50,000 a year and allow the 163-year- old historical society to eliminate its deficit by mid-2008, said society Director Rob Rogers.

"It's a small change but one that is necessary because both museums operate at a loss, and we need to ensure the future of the Maryland Historical Society," Rogers said.

The closures recall difficulties suffered by other small museums in the city. And they come as historical institutions nationwide have suffered shortages, watching charitable donations shift to relief efforts after the Sept. 11 attacks and Hurricane Katrina, experts say.

The historical society is negotiating to have other groups take over operation of the museums, each of which had a budget of about $100,000 and drew 12,000 to 13,000 visitors a year. Rogers said he hoped to arrange other employment opportunities for the full-time director and three part-time employees affected by the change.