For islanders who don’t give a hoot about history, the Bainbridge Island Historical Museum’s current effort to keep its doors open and its mission viable may be of no interest. But the people involved in creating the exhibits and projects for the Historical Society believe a visit to the Ericksen Avenue building will turn even the most disinterested islanders.

The local government’s budget crisis has gradually led to the museum receiving no financial assistance from the city, which provided a high of $60,000 for the cause in 2004 before dwindling to $16,000 in 2010 and nothing this year.

Meanwhile, the museum’s budget has gradually increased ($179,840 projected for 2011) as it has gained popularity with tourists and islanders. The number of visitors increased from 5,080 in 2009 to 6,778 last year; the boost has led to a full-time executive director and curator, a half-time administrator and an education coordinator who works 15 hours weekly.

The loss of all public funding wasn’t a shock because the city had been decreasing the amount in recent years and the museum had begun tapping other sources in anticipation of the funding eventually ending, said Executive Director Hank Helm.

Helm said the museum’s board of directors are convinced the community will help pick up the slack. Donations and memberships have increased (to 785 active members), and Helm and others have been working on projects that are funded by grants. Fundraising efforts have also been effective, including the annual raffle, which this year brought in $20,505 in sales.

All in all, the museum is very active in involving the community with an increase in educational programs for island schools and a record number of physical items being donated. That includes a scale model of the historic Eagle Harbor dock that was used for the removal of Japanese Americans from the island in 1942.

The island’s history is intriguing and there’s no better place to learn about it than at our local museum.