Putting History on the Map Together

12th Annual Massachusetts History Conference

At this, the twelfth annual Mass History Conference the day was filled with opportunities to meet, network, and collaborate with others in public history in the Commonwealth. Through various sessions, we considered how our shared efforts can be more successful in preservation, outreach, and education. We welcomed Steve Bromage of Maine Historical Society as our keynote speaker where he talked about his groundbreaking work in the field of public history. Robert Forrant of the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, led an inquiry into whether our state’s public history organizations should organize for advocacy, funding, and professional development.

Agenda

8:30 AM -1:30 PM

Registration, Continental Breakfast, & Networking

9:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Mass History Commons: A place to exchange ideas and conversation, and to showcase your organization, projects, and products.

9:30-9:45 AM

Welcome
Pleun Bouricius, Mass Humanities

9:45-10:45 AM

Keynote Address
Steve Bromage, Executive Director, Maine Historical Society

Steve joined Maine Historical Society in 2001 and has served as director since 2012. MHS, founded in 1822, is a private non-profit that promotes the preservation of and engagement with Maine history throughout Maine. Steve’s leadership focuses on institutional change, the evolution of the historical field, collaboration, and the development of forward-looking non-profit management models. Among other initiatives, Steve has led the development of the Maine Memory Network, a nationally-recognized digital museum that features online contributions from more than 270 organizations across Maine. Prior to joining MHS, Steve helped found the online Disability History Museum and produce the award-winning NPR documentary Beyond Affliction: The Disability History Project. He also worked in publishing in New York. Steve has an M.A. in History from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and received his B.A. from the University of Richmond.

10:45-11:00 AM

Break

11-12:15 PM

Roundtable – Putting History on the Map in Massachusetts
A roundtable discussion with leaders in Massachusetts public history organizations to catalyze a conversation with the conference attendees about public history in Massachusetts. Topic: Shall we organize the smaller and larger organizations in the public history field to facilitate collaborative public advocacy for the funding of public history, organizing the annual conference, and to share technical know-how, professional expertise, and services?Participation from the audience is encouraged. Each response should be limited to 1-2 minutes.

Moderator:
Robert Forrant, University of Massachusetts Lowell History

Program Participants:
Steve Bromage, Maine Historical Society
Jayne Gordon, Future of the MA History Conference Committee
Annie C. Harris, Essex National Heritage Area
Cliff McCarthy, Pioneer Valley History Network
Matt Wilson, MASSCreative

Workshop – From Google Drive to Wikispaces: Technology to Support Collaboration
Explore some of the most commonly-used online collaboration tools, from Google Drive to Wikispaces, their possibilities and their limits. What tools have you used to share and develop information with collaborators at a distance? Bring your examples/questions.

Presenter:
Tom Scheinfeldt, Digital Media Center, University of Connecticut

Workshop – Creating Tours to Enhance Community Engagement
Looking to learn how to create tours and programs to engage your community? Join Holly Ewald, noted Rhode Island artist and community-engagement facilitator, for this workshop to learn techniques to develop tours and related programs that show how place-based histories play an important role in social understanding and social justice.

Presenter:
Holly Ewald, John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage, UPP Arts

12:15 – 1:30 PM

Lunch Buffet

12:45-1:00 PM

Bay State Legacy Award
William Wallace is the long-time director of Worcester Historical Museum. A native of northern New Hampshire, he is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire. In addition to his day-to-day responsibilities at 30 Elm Street and Salisbury Mansion, he is chair of the Hope Cemetery Commission. When not interacting with Worcester history, he can probably be found in a cemetery, researching the mid-19th century history of Mt. Washington’s Tip-Top House, or spending time at a Disney property.

Massachusetts History Commendation
Cliff McCarthy is the President of the Pioneer Valley History Network, a not-for-profit consortium of historical institutions and individuals in Hampden, Hampshire, and Franklin Counties. He is the Archivist at the Lyman & Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History and at the Stone House Museum in Belchertown. Cliff is the author or co-author of several books on the history of Belchertown and he writes occasionally for his local newspaper. He comes to his passion for history after a career in the field of Conflict Analysis and Resolution.

Drop In Sessions

1:30 – 2:45 PM

Internships
A free-form session that includes tips from experienced internship coordinators on actions that individuals and institutions can take to make the internship experience more rewarding, as well as small-group conversations on questions such as, “Where do I find an intern?” “What can I do if I can’t pay?”

Presenters:
Jane Becker, University of Massachusetts Boston Public History Program
Monika Bernotas, ConsultEcon, Inc.
David Glassberg, University of Massachusetts Amherst History Program
Marla Miller, University of Massachusetts Amherst Public History Program
Alli Rico, Independent Museum Professional

Digital Tools for Sharing Your Collections **
Participants learn about and try out popular and readily-available archival digital tools, many of which are used by large archives, including Omeka, Flickr, Wikipedia, the Internet Archive, WordPress, digital humanities mapping, networks, and text analysis tools. What tools have you used to share and develop information with collaborators at a distance? Session includes tips, instruction, discussion, and hands-on learning.

Presenters:
Marta Crilly, Boston City Archives
Jenny Gotwals, Schlesinger Library, Harvard University
Nicholas Houlahan, Simmons College
James McGrath, Brown University
Michelle Montalbano, Simmons College
Anna Newman, Simmons College
Greta Suiter, Institute Archives and Special Collections at MIT Libraries
Mark Vassar, Schlesinger Library, Harvard University
Jessica Venlet, Institute Archives and Special Collections at MIT Libraries

Preservation Quick Fix **
Session leaders will discuss and demonstrate preservation techniques and quick fixes on a budget such as making a custom book enclosure, purchasing archival supplies, and rolling and boxing textiles. Come prepared with questions about your collections!

Presenters:
Eva Grizzard, Northeast Document Conservation Center
Stephanie Hebert, American Textile History Museum
Karen Herbaugh, American Textile History Museum
Lorraine James, University of Massachusetts Amherst Libraries

Find the Money!
Learn about local, state, and federal grant opportunities, discuss grant writing, talk with funders. Session includes discussion and individual consultation on topics like “creating a plan for funding your project,” “what makes a project fundable,” and “grant writing dos and don’ts.” Get tips, advice, ask questions and discuss plans with funders and grant recipients. Walk in and participate!

Organizations:
Abbye Meyer, Mass Humanities
Jennifer Atwood, Massachusetts Cultural Council
Veronica Martzahl, Massachusetts State Historic Records Advisory Board (MA SHRAB)

Caring for History Structures
Practical advice for caring for your historic structure and grounds.

Presenters:
Cindy Brockway, Trustees
Sally Zimmerman, Historic New England

2:45-3:15 PM

Break: Join us for afternoon refreshments in the Mass History Commons

3:15-4:30 PM

History for and with Kids and Schools
Doing history programs for and with kids and schools can be daunting but is truly rewarding for historical organizations. Hear from organizations that have made fruitful and lasting connections with schools, as well as learn about the ins and outs of participating in the nationwide History Day Program.

Presenters:
Kenneth Brooke, Needham High School
Bruce Reinholdt, Connecticut History Day
Olivia Searcy, Royall House & Slave Quarters
Elizabeth Vizza, Making History on the Common

Take the Right StEPS!
Does your museum, historic house or site want to make improvements but it needs a jumpstart? The StEPs program offered by the American Association for State and Local History helps small- and mid-sized history museums assess their policies and practices using the field’s first set of standards-related performance indicators (Basic, Good, Better). With StEPs, organizations can increase credibility with funders and their communities, earn progress certificates, and set a clear course for the future. Join us to hear program details and how organizations in Connecticut are working together on StEPs to make meaningful changes.

Presenters:
Elizabeth G. Shapiro, Connecticut League of History Organizations
Scott Wands, Connecticut Humanities
Nina Zannieri, Paul Revere Memorial Association

Setting Up an Archives **
Participants learn how to set up an archives for a small historical organization, with practical tips from the trenches.

Presenters:
Jeannette A. Bastian, Simmons College
Michelle Chiles, Rhode Island Historical Society
Rachel Onuf, Roving Archivist

Exhibit Design – Working with Designers: Building Partnerships with Lasting Value
Find out how an all-volunteer historical society worked with an independent exhibit designer and a freelance graphic artist to conceptualize and produce an exhibition celebrating the 300th anniversary of the Town of Weston, MA. The session will review steps followed in the design and production process, with emphasis on the ways in which the project team members coordinated their efforts, and how the society’s volunteers assumed greater responsibility as their roles and tasks became more clearly defined. Learn about how designers can guide and enable volunteers (or staff) to acquire lasting skills applicable to future initiatives.

Presenters:
Pam Fox, Weston Historical Society
Mary Orr, Orr Studio
Will Twombly, Spokeshave Design

Invitation to Collaborate
Working together for public history: learn about engaging collaboration opportunities currently available to historical organizations throughout Massachusetts, including cataloguing and or digitizing your materials, or participating in gathering up local memories and historical materials along with others.

Presenters:
Tom Blake, Boston Public Library / Digital Commonwealth
Rob Cox, Special Collections & University Archives, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Carolyn Goldstein, Mass Memories Road Show / University of Massachusetts Boston
Desiree Hamelin, Freedom’s Way Trail Initiative
Elizabeth Thomsen, Digital Commonwealth

** Indicates sessions available to afternoon SHRAB registrants