Coming from very different missions and working environments,
the partners recognized early on that this collaboration would take
some work. Staffing, funding, and the capacity for participation
needed to be discussed and an understanding of each institution’s
identity and purpose gained. Through quarterly meetings where
brainstorming was center stage, the group identified the strengths
each partner could bring to the project. Committees were formed and
populated with members from each institution to foster
communication among participants as well as organize functional
responsibilities. While the full group discussed and agreed on overall
structure and support, the committees focused on operational tasks
such as selection, metadata and cataloging, storyline, marketing, and
evaluation and assessment. The scope of the project was defined,
collections examined and material chosen for inclusion in what was
hoped would become the definitive site on the history of Central
Florida.