This article explains the budget problems faced by a rural museum (Camden County has 44,000 people) as it attempts to upgrade its facilities (a 1931 schoolhouse) for state compliance. While using a historic building to house a museum can seem like an efficient and practical decision, it can create a tough question: how do you conduct outreach and expansion on a tight schedule and budget when your building itself is a costly historical object in need of constant preservation efforts and funds? Another interesting element of this discussion is the importance of a rural museum to a small commu
nity. While we are used to thinking of a museum as one cultural option among many (and are used to considering the question of how to highlight the museum’s unique role among these options), the current budgeting crisis at the Camden County risks what is one of the few entertainment options available for residents of the county.