March 31, 2021

Heritage Preservation Grants

Small Grant Deadline
The next small grant deadline (requests of $10,000 or less) for the MHCHG program is Friday, April 9, 2021.

April Grants Office Open House Tomorrow
The Grants Office will hold a virtual Grants Office Open House on Thursday, April 1, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in order to provide support to our community in this time of social distancing. We encourage people to RSVP to Gillian by email with a short summary of what you want to talk about and she will send you a link to speak directly with the specialist in our office who will be most helpful.

From the Blog

This week's blog post is from Kanabec History Center. Have a blog? Let us know!

More MN Blog posts

Captivating Public History – Ask a Mortician - Pragmatic Historian

Arfstrom — driven to create - Anoka County Historical Society

From the Eight-Hour Day to the $15 Minimum Wage: A Conversation Between the Past and the Present - East Side Freedom Library

Women and High School Basketball 1920s Style - Sherburne History Center

How Titans Scooped up the Range - Minnesota Brown

“A demand for justice and law enforcement”: a history of police and the Near North Side - Historyapolis

From the Tube

This week's video is from Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County. Have a video channel or podcast? Let us know!

More MN Tube posts

March of the Governors #1: Henry Hastings Sibley - Ramsey County Historical Society

Outsiders Within: Korean adoptees Jane Jeong Trenka and Ami Nafzger share their stories - University of Minnesota Press

Miss Geneva Tweten, the woman who saved Phelps Mill - Otter Tail County Historical Society

A History of Traveling Black in America from Dr. Mia Bay - Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County

Bunny Wiggles - Maplewood Area Historical Society

A Public History of 35W: Resisting Expansion - Hennepin History Museum

Interview with Carl Crawford - St. Louis County Historical Society

Baseball of Murray County by Bill Bolin - Murray County Historical Society

Job Opportunities

Minnesota Historical Society's Job Announcement, Internship,  Fellowship, and Volunteer Opportunity pages.

MNHS

Senior Payroll Specialist - MN History Center

Interpreter III, Lead - Snake River Fur Post

Historic Site Guide - Snake River Fur Post

Site Guide - Kelley Farm

Site Guide - Kelley Farm

Interpreter II - Jeffers Petroglyphs

Site Guide - Jeffers Petroglyphs

LOCAL

Request for Proposals
Metro Area Historical Society Collaborative (Dakota County Historical Society, Hennepin History Museum, Olmsted History Center, and Ramsey County Historical Society) seeks a qualified consultant (contractor) to engage in a 10-month project to conduct a survey of partnering organizations history and collection related to Minnesota’s computing history. Contingent upon successful grant funding.

Site Educator (Tour Guide)
Dakota County Historical Society, Dakota County, seeks a Site Educator (Tour Guide).

Summer Camp Counselor
The Bakken Museum, Minneapolis, MN, seeks a Summer Camp Counselor.

Outreach Programs Coordinator
The Bakken Museum, Minneapolis, MN, seeks an Outreach Programs Coordinator.

REGIONAL

Interpretation Coordinator
La Crosse County Historical Society, La Crosse, WI, seeks an Interpretation Coordinator.

Assistant Curator
John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI, seeks an Assistant Curator.

Public Program Specialist
National WWI Museum and Memorial, Kansas City, MO, seeks a Public Program Specialist. 

Director
Gerald R. Ford Library, Grand Rapids, MI, seeks a Director. 

Education & Outreach Manager
Trumbull County Historical Society Warren, OH, seeks an Education & Outreach Manager.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL

Digital Engagement Editor
Science History Institute, Philadelphia, PA, seeks a Digital Engagement Editor.

Senior Curator of Social Maritime Histories
Mystic Seaport Museum, Mystic, CT, seeks a Senior Curator of Social Maritime Histories.

Executive Director
Woodlawn Museum, Gardens & Park, Ellsworth, ME, seeks an Executive Director. 

Chief Curator
Houston Museum of African American Culture, Houston, TX, seeks a Chief Curator.

Exhibition Designer
Washington State Historical Society, Tacoma, WA, seeks an Exhibition Designer.

Assistant Curator of Black History and Cultural Heritage
History Colorado, Denver, CO, seeks an Assistant Curator of Black History and Cultural Heritage.

Education Coordinator
Trinidad History Museum - History Colorado, Trinidad, CO, seeks an Education Coordinator.

Living History Manager & Exhibit Fabricator
Museum of the Rockies, Bozeman, MT, seeks a Living History Manager and an Exhibit Fabricator.

Archivist
Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK, seeks an Archivist.

INTERNSHIPS/VOLUNTEERS/FELLOWSHIPS

Internship
Anoka County Historical Society, Anoka, MN, seeks an Intern for Federal Cartridge Company Collections Processing.

Board Member
Scott County Historical Society, Shakopee, MN, seeks a Board Member. 

Board Member/Treasurer
Hopkins Historical Society, Hopkins, MN, seeks a Board Member/Treasurer.

Public History Intern and Tour Guide
The Mining & Rollo Jamison Museums, Platteville, WI, seeks a Public History Intern and Tour Guide.

Historian-in-Residence
John G. Wolbach Library at the Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, is offering a Historian-in-Residence Fellowship. 

Additional Job Postings in the Field »

Do History Here

Image used by permission from the Nobles County Historical Society.

Exhibits: Two new exhibits open at the St. Louis County Historical Society 
April 1 - Duluth: St. Louis County Historical Society - The first exhibit spotlights Joseph “Joe” P. Gomer, a Duluthian who fought in WWII as a member of the first African American unit of the Army Air Corps. Gomer was part of the 99th Pursuit Squadron (later known as the 99th Fighter Squadron), which was formed in January 1941 in Tuskegee, AL. The pilots in that unit were nicknamed “the Tuskegee Airmen.”

The second exhibit features Harold “Bo” Conrad from Duluth, who in 1963 as a 12-year-old, won the Soapbox Derby National Championship in Akron, OH. About 75,000 people watched and cheered as Bo raced down the street at 40 miles per hour and won the final race by four inches. Bo was the only Minnesotan to ever win the Soap Box Derby National Championship. For more information call 507-373-8003.

Program: BECHS Research Center and Introduction to New Online Resources 
April 1 - Online: 4 p.m. (CT). Blue Earth County Historical Society - Staff team up to present the resources available for family historians in the Research Center both in-person and online. We will be showing the new search feature for our website resources and how that can be helpful for researchers. Cost: No cost. Learn more »

Discussion Group: Talking Ancestors Genealogy Group
April 10 - Online: 11 to 12 p.m. (CT). Blue Earth County Historical Society - Talking Ancestors is an informal discussion group open to anyone who likes to talk genealogy. This program is brought to you through Zoom. To get a link to the chat, please register. Registration open now. Cost: No cost. Learn more »

Drop-in Program: Tying the Knot
April 11 - Bloomington: 1 to 4 p.m. Pond-Dakota Mission Park - Use a simple rope-making tool to fabricate a section of rope to take home, then finish off the ends with a whip knot. Learn all about rope – a very important tool on the frontier. Hear the story of Samuel Pond’s wedding when several of the guests were snowed in with the couple after they tied the knot. Cost: No cost. For more information call 952-563-8674.

Panel Discussion: Looking Back to Move Forward: The Housing Crisis
April 15 - Online: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Hennepin History Museum - A virtual panel of local historians and housing experts will discuss the historical roots of today’s housing crisis in the Twin Cities, asking: How did we get here? How can a shared understanding of history help us carve a better path forward? Cost: Pay as you can. Learn more »

Teacher Event: Educator’s Evening
April 22 - Albert Lea: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Freeborn County Historical Museum, Library, & Village - Designed for educators of all grade levels and subjects, this free event will connect them to the museum's educational opportunities, and staff and volunteers. Educators are invited to join in for refreshments while exploring the Museum’s offerings: updated exhibits, developing educational tools, interactive tours, and the Research Library. Staff and volunteers will be on hand to provide guided tours and answer questions. Sign up on-site for school tours. Cost: No cost. For more information call 507-373-8003.

Continuing Education

Highlighted Museum: Clarissa Community Museum, operated by the Clarissa Historical Society, Clarissa, MN.

Women in Preservation Symposium
April 5 to 7 - Online: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. (CT). National Society of The Colonial Dames of America and the Smithsonian Institution - A three-day celebration of women and their pivotal role in American preservation. Join in for dynamic discussions with more than 30 scholars, museum professionals, and powerful, everyday advocates. Additionally, enjoy access to five-minute “Flash Talks” of Smithsonian staff and collections, listen in on pithy interviews between emerging and museum-greats, and expand your understanding of “women’s work” and their national, lasting, and important impact on preservation. Cost: No cost. Learn more »

Sustaining and Advancing Indigenous Cultures: Museum Summit
April 6 - Online: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (CT). Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries & Museums - The goal of the “Sustaining and Advancing Indigenous Cultures” Museum Summit is to establish a sustainable structure that will improve museum services for Native populations. Today’s Summit will share the needs of Native museums, identify issues, and launch the development of a prioritized action plan. Cost: No cost. Learn more - Agenda »

Residential Architecture of the 1950s and 60s
April 7 - Online: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. (CT). Rethos - This class examines the social and historical influences that defined the unique residential styles and trends most associated with the mid-mod era. They'll look not only at common forms like the Cape Cod and the ranch house, but also some high-style examples designed by prominent architects. Cost: Pay what you can.
Learn more » 

Public Programs and the Bottom Line
April 7 - Online: 9 to 10:30 a.m. (CT). New England Museum Association - In this workshop, presenters will discuss funding models for public programming, how to determine what a program will cost to put on, and how to decide whether and how much to charge for admission. They will present some models and best practices, and lead a group discussion about the challenges that participants have run into. Cost: $10 members/$15 nonmembers. Learn more »

Technical Workshops: Digital Accessibility & Inclusion
April 8 through 29 - Online: 1 p.m. (CT) Museum HUB - Learn best practices and tips to ensure virtual programs and digital projects are accessible and inclusive of people with disabilities. Cost: No cost. Learn more »

• April 8: Get Inspired
• April 15: Intro to Digital Accessibility and Inclusion
• April 22: Live/Streamed Program Accessibility
• April 29: Accessibility in Digital Collections

What’s Best for My Collection? New Approaches to Environmental Monitoring
April 20 - Online: 12 to 1:30 p.m. (CT). Connecting to Collections Care - This webinar is a chance to look at what’s standing in the way of your organization having better environmental monitoring and a better collection environment. They will be discussing a free software tool offered by Conserv that’s designed to help you turn your environmental data into actionable information for your organization. Cost: No cost. Learn more »

Affinity Community Meet-Up: Educators and Interpreters
April 21 - Online: 3 to 4 p.m. (CT). AASLH’s Educators and Interpreters Affinity Community to connect, share ideas, and network with colleagues from coast to coast. This topical session will include icebreakers and small group discussion. Bring your worries, questions, and what you’re excited about in the coming months or years. Cost: No cost. Learn more »

TIPS & TOOLS

New resource launched: the NCPH Digital Projects Directory

Curatorial vs. Marketing in Museums

Additional Educational Opportunities »

Fund Your Mission

Humanities Initiatives at Community Colleges
May 20 - (Deadline): Humanities Initiatives at Community Colleges support community colleges’ commitment to educating students on a variety of educational and career paths. The program funds curricular and faculty development projects that help strengthen humanities programs and/or incorporate humanistic approaches in fields outside the humanities. Each project must be organized around a core topic or set of themes, drawn from humanities areas of studies such as history, philosophy, religion, literature, and composition and writing skills. Each project must also incorporate a broader institutional vision for the humanities at a community college.
Learn more »

Humanities Initiatives at Tribal Colleges and Universities
May 20 - (Deadline): National Endowment for the Humanities - This grant program helps strengthen the teaching and study of the humanities by developing new humanities programs, resources, or courses, or by enhancing existing ones. Applicants are encouraged to draw on the knowledge of outside scholars who would contribute expertise and fresh insights to the project. Learn more »

TIPS & TOOLS

Unraveling the potential of digital fundraising for museums

Additional Funding Opportunities »  

News

Tip Jar

Wi-Fi in Older Buildings

Are you located in an old building and your wireless internet connection is not consistent? Older buildings have a lot of materials that may interfere with the wireless signal and also historic material that hinders where the wiring for these receptacles can be placed.

Check out the following articles to learn more about how to create well-connected wifi in an old building:

How Do You Solve Wi-Fi Challenges in Older Buildings? - This article talks about why wifi is difficult in old buildings, stone, plaster, etc. It also recommends a wifi survey, going from room to room and seeing where the connectivity issues are. 

Update Building Systems Appropriately - The Whole Building Design Guide has a Historic Preservation subcommittee. The subcommittee has a section called “B. Information and Communication Technology” which talks about sensitive additions to historic buildings regarding wiring. You need to scroll down to find this.

Wi-Fi in historic buildings: signal different - This article talks about the different ways to transmit the wireless network inside a building and even possibly outside of the building.

From the Heritage Preservation Department
Reminder: Due to COVID-19 all Heritage Preservation Department staff (Grants Office and Local History Services) are working remotely until further notice. If you need to connect with a specific staff member, please email them directly.

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