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Communique Online
August 1, 2008
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Table of Contents:

Training Opportunities and Conferences 
Online Courses from the Northern States Conservation Center
Preservation Classess from SOLINET, Inc.
Programs
Discovery Saturday at the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum
August Programs at the Guilford Township Public Library
Writer's Conference Returns to Gary
Resources
Visitors’ Voices Affinity Group (AASLH)
IHS News
IHS Speakers Series: Indiana's Political Heroes
Lunchtime Concerts on the Canal: Convergence
Concerts on the Canal: Hot Licks & Cool Chicks: Women of Jazz
Movies in the Park: Citizen Kane
Help
Web Sites Sought for Annual Meeting Session
Awards
City of Fort Wayne Gives $1.2 Million to the History Center
Montgomery County Community Foundation Awards $17,500 to General Lew Wallace Study and Museum
Exhibits
Before TV at the Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County
Organizations in the News
NARA to Become Partner in the World Digital Library
Job Opportunities
Museum Educators at the Charlotte Museum of History in Charlotte, N.C.
Multiple Positions at the American Associations of Museums in Washington, D.C.
Off the Press
America’s Historic Sites at a Crossroads – NTHP Forum Journal

Training Opportunities and Conferences

Online Courses from the Northern States Conservation Center
In August and September, the following topics are offered by Northern States Conservation Center. These online museum studies classes can be completed at your office or home, taking 10-15 hours per week to complete. 

August
MS 208: Applying Numbers to Collection Objects (Aug 4-29)
MS 213: Museum Artifacts: How they were made and how they deteriorate (Aug 4- Sept. 12)
MS 101: Introduction to Museums (Aug 4-29)
MS 303: Found in the Collection: Orphans, Old Loans and Abandoned Property (Aug 4-29)
MS 001: The Problem with Plastics (Aug. 25-29)

September
MS 217: Museum Cleaning Basics (Sept. 2-26)
MS 108: Fundamentals of Museum Volunteer Programs (Sept. 2-26)
MS 205/6: Disaster Plan Research and Writing (Sept. 2-Oct. 31)
MS 202: Museum Storage Facilities and Furniture (Sept. 2-26)
MS 209: Collection Management Policies (Sept. 2- Nov. 14)
MS 109: Museum Management (Sept. 2-26)
MS 002: Collection Protection: Are you Prepared? (Sept. 22-26)

Class descriptions are at http://www.museumclasses.org/.

Sign up for a course at http://www.collectioncare.org/tas/tas.html

  • 000 level courses are one-week seminars on a single topic. They are not designed to be a comprehensive overview. Cost $75
  • 100 level courses are basic introductory overviews considered part of core museum professional knowledge. Cost $425
  • 200 level courses explore single subjects in more detail, often resulting in a product useful for your institution. Cost: $425
  • 300 level courses are advanced discussion courses centered on a single problem or issue. Cost: $425

If you have questions about the courses, call Helen Alten at (651) 659-9420 or e-mail her at helen@collectioncare.org.


Preservation Classess from SOLINET, Inc.
SOLINET, Inc., the Southeastern Library Network, is pleased to announce that there are still seats available in the following upcoming preservation classes. See details and link to descriptions below.

Demystifying Mold
This live online class takes place 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 26 with mandatory follow-up sessions Aug. 27 and 28.  The cost is $145 for SOLINET members and $195 for non-members; early bird discounts and late fees apply.

Disaster Recovery for Museum Collections
This class takes place at the Mint Museum in Charlotte, N.C., from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 27. The cost is $145 for SOLINET members and $200 for non-members; early bird discounts and late fees apply.

For more information or to register, contact SOLINET Education Services at (800) 999-8558, es@solinet.net or visit our Web site at http://www.solinet.net/ for full descriptions and online registration.

These classes are funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Division of Preservation and Access. Any registrant within the host state qualifies for the member rate.

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Programs

Please confim events specifics with sponsoring organization, especially if traveling any distance.

Discovery Saturday at the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum
This program takes place on Saturday, Aug 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum at 200 Wallace Avenue in Crawfordsville.

Deb King, Grounds Manager of the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum, is eager to fish from General Wallace’s moat, an activity that Wallace himself greatly enjoyed from 1898-1905.

“General Wallace had a ‘moat’ dug around half of his Study during its construction, and he stocked it with fish,” King said.  “He taught his grandsons how to fish from the moat, and it’ll be interesting to watch kids fish from it once again.”

This time, however, children who will have the opportunity to fish will do so without water, as the fish are made of cardboard and will attach to the kids’ cane poles with magnets.  This is one of the many activities planned for Discovery Saturday, a special event held in conjunction with the Lew Wallace—Gentleman Scientist exhibit on Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Other fun things being planned for Discovery Saturday include making “nature impressions” on sun-sensitive paper, exploring the grounds with the Museum’s new Nature Study Backpacks, and taking a behind-the-scenes tour of the Study’s basement, a place that is usually closed off to visitors.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to create a rudimentary fish ladder, similar to the one Wallace erected at Water Babble, his summer home on the outskirts of Crawfordsville.  “What’s a fish ladder?” King teased.  “You’ll have to come and see.”

This program was made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Montgomery County Community Foundation.  All ages are welcome to this special event and admission to the event is free.  Regular tours of the Museum are $3 for adults, $1 for students and free for children ages six and under.  For further information, contact the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum at (765) 362-5769 or e-mail info@ben-hur.com.


August Programs at the Guilford Township Public Library
All events take place at the Guilford Township Public Library at 1120 Stafford Road in Plainfield.  Visit http://www.plainfieldlibrary.net/ or contact Laura Day at (317) 839-6602 x 119 or LDay@PlainfieldLibrary.net for more information.

The Key Strummers
Saturday, Aug. 2 from 3 to 4 p.m.
What could be better than cool music on a hot summer’s day?  Help celebrate the end of the summer reading program.  Hear The Key Strummers from Indianapolis Public Schools’ Key Learning Community, a ukulele group devoted to reviving Indiana’s rural jazz traditions of the 1920s and 30s.  These talented children have performed with Garrison Keillor’s “A Prairie Home Companion” tour show and at Governor Frank O’Bannon’s memorial service, among others.  Be sure to enjoy many other library activities that day, beginning at 1 p.m.  Registration for The Key Strummers program is strongly suggested at (317) 839-6602 x 114 or online at http://www.plainfieldlibrary.net/.

Brown County’s Art Colony
Thursday, Aug. 7 at 7 p.m.
During the first quarter of the 20th century, Brown County was inspiration as well as home to several world-famous landscape painters.  Wabash College student Mitch Brown will discuss the history of Brown County’s art colony and its role in Indiana’s artistic prominence.  Registration is required at (317) 839-6602 x 114 or online at http://www.plainfieldlibrary.net/.

The Legacy of the WPA
Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m.
2008 is the 75th anniversary of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal labor programs, which provided unemployment relief during The Great Depression.  One of them, the Works Progress Administration, was responsible for construction of numerous post offices, roads, schools, sewer systems, recreational facilities, murals and public sculpture throughout Indiana.  Historian Glory-June Greiff will present a slide show/lecture about the legacy of the WPA.  Learn about efforts to preserve these artworks and structures and discover Indiana’s major role in using WPA labor for local projects.  Registration is required at (317) 839-6602 x 114 or online at http://www.plainfieldlibrary.net/.


Writer's Conference Returns to Gary
This program takes place on Saturday, Aug. 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the St. John Lutheran Church, 2235 W. 10th Avenue in Gary.

Professional writers and poets, including Chicago’s famed “Blues Poet” Sterling Plumpp, will return to Gary to offer workshops for local and area writers and aspiring writers on August 9. A continental breakfast and lunch will be served.

Workshop leaders will share proven success strategies in poetry, playwriting, novels, family and historical writing, publishing and copyright protection. Participants will learn how to start and finish a writing project and how to publish and protect their work. Writers and poets will have an opportunity to read excerpts from their work at the end of the conference. A prize for “best new work” will be given out of votes tallied from the listening audience.

The workshop is for adults, but high school students, ages 16 to 18, may attend with parental permission. The conference fee, including the two meals, is $20 per person. Students, ages 16 to 22 with valid student I.D.’s may attend for half-price. Book vendors may display books and other literary items for a table fee of $20 which will include their meals. Call (219) 882-6873 for registration and vendor details, or send an e-mail to ghcs@email.com.

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Resources

Visitors’ Voices Affinity Group (AASLH)
Would you like to talk with others and hear what they are learning about the visitor experience in history museums? Do you want to begin conducting visitor research or improve your current comment cards or surveys? Are you having problems getting your car repaired?

While we can't fix your car, we can help with the first two questions! The American Association for State and Local History's newest affinity group, Visitors' Voices, invites you to join them. Visitors' Voices brings together AASLH members who are interested in audience research and evaluation in history institutions. Whether you are just getting started in visitor research or you're an experienced researcher - or somewhere in the middle – you are welcome to join us (membership is FREE for AASLH members). Get started by joining our online discussion group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aaslh-visitorsvoices/. (Note: before you join, you may want to talk to your doctor as some people have reported such side affects as increased repeat visitation, savings in exhibit and program development, and increased funding from donors and government agencies.)

We also invite you to join us in Rochester, Ny., Sept. 9-12 for the 2008 AASLH annual meeting (http://www.aaslh.org/anmeeting.htm). Audience research and evaluation-related events include...

Pre-conference Workshop: "Evaluations: From Planning Through Production" (Tuesday, Sept. 9). The workshop will cover planning, resource allotment, fundamental data collection methods, and simple yet effective analysis techniques.

Affinity Group Luncheon: Visitors' Voices Affinity Group Luncheon (Wednesday, Sept. 10), Palladio Restaurant, Hyatt Regency Rochester. Pre-registration not necessary.

Conference Sessions:

  • "Performance and the Bottom Line: What Are the Keys to Measuring Success?" (Wed., Sept. 10)
  • "Creating Meaningful Visitor Experiences" (Wed., Sept 10)
  • "Learning from Visitors Through Performance Management" (Thursday, Sept. 11).
    "Success Stories in Visitor Studies" (Thursday, Sept. 11)
  • "Using Dialogue to Transform Visitor Experiences" (Friday, Sept. 12)
  • "Your Visitors are Calling – Feedback Can Transform!" (Friday, Sept. 12).

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IHS News

IHS Speakers Series: Indiana's Political Heroes
This free program takes place Wednesday, Aug. 6, from noon to 1 p.m. at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.

Geoff Paddock's new book, Indiana Political Heroes, features essays on eight Hoosier politicians that made a difference in Indiana and the nation's capital. Paddock will discuss distinguished Indiana Democrats and Republicans, such as Birch Bayh and William Hudnut, and focus on these politicians’ roles in important issues including the Watergate scandal, the creation of the EPA and national education reform.


Lunchtime Concerts on the Canal: Convergence
This event will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 6, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Canal Plaza at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.

The event is free to the public and is presented by Clarian Health and co-presented by Indy Parks and Recreation.

The featured performer for this concert is Convergence playing straight-ahead classic jazz.

Attendees may bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages to the concert. Attendees may NOT bring alcoholic beverages onto the premises. No pets and no smoking allowed on the Plaza.


Concerts on the Canal: Hot Licks & Cool Chicks: Women of Jazz
This concert is held in partnership with the Indiana University School of Music at IUPUI and will be held on Thursday, Aug. 7, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Canal Plaza of the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center. The event is free to the public.

The feature for this concert is Hot Licks & Cool Chicks: Women of Jazz with Vickie Daniel, Carolyn Dutton, Monika Herzig, Janiece Jaffe, Jennifer Kirk, and Paula Owen.

Free seating is available on the Plaza steps and on the greenway across the Canal. The cost for reserved table seating for four is $30 or $25 for IHS members; for tables of eight: $40 or $35 for IHS members. Tables may be reserved in advance by calling the Welcome Center at (317) 232-1882.

Attendees may bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages to the concert. Attendees may NOT bring alcoholic beverages onto the premises. All alcohol must be purchased on site.

No pets and no smoking allowed on the Plaza.

The Café, cash bar and outdoor grill will be open from 5 to 7:30 p.m.


Movies in the Park: Citizen Kane
This event will be held on Friday, Aug. 8, at dusk on the Canal Plaza at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.

The event is free to the public and is presented by Clarian Health and co-presented by Indy Parks and Recreation.

The featured film is Citizen Kane (1941, NR, B&W, 119 min.), a drama about a publishing tycoon directed by Orson Wells and edited by Hoosier Robert Wise.

No pets and no smoking allowed on the Plaza. Attendees may bring their own food and non-alcoholic beverages to the movie. Attendees may NOT bring alcoholic beverages onto the premises. Snacks are sold.

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Help
Web Sites Sought for Annual Meeting Session
Tim Grove, author of the "History Bytes" column in History News, will be chairing a session at the AASLH Annual Meeting on Thursday, Sept. 11 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. on the topic of evaluating the usability of Web sites. This session is modeled after a very successful session held annual at the "Museums and the Web" conference.

This session will demonstrate a very east and fun way to evaluate Web site usability. Audience members will volunteer to navigate various Web sites in front of the audience, expressing their thought process out loud. They will be given specific tasks – usually information to find. This helpful technique quickly shows challenges inherent in a Web site's navigation structure.

We are seeking Web sites to review during this session. A staff person representing each Web site must be present and will participate by suggesting tasks for the evaluator. If you would like to take advantage of a free evaluation by volunteering your Web site for this session, please contact Tom Grove at grovet@si.edu or (202) 633-2379 by Aug. 5

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Awards

City of Fort Wayne Gives $1.2 Million to the History Center
On rare occasion, if the stars and planet are properly aligned and the acolytes of Clio are diligent, the History Center will experience a windfall that will shower benefits for a generation.

One of those instances occurred in late May 2008, when the City of Fort Wayne allocated $1.2 million of CEDIT funds to the History Center to replace the museum’s HVAC system and stabilize and restore its exterior sandstone veneer.  This allocation represents the largest single donation tin the organization’s 87 year history. After decades of struggling with the Old City Hall Building (aka the History Center) and nearly two years of discussion with City administrators, the structural integrity of the museum will soon be significantly secured.

The air, bricks and mortar fundraising efforts described above are only two elements of a major gifts campaign that is nearly complete.  For several years the organization has been working to secure the necessary funding to complete several crucial facilities upgrades at the History Center.  In total, the History Center has raised 95% of its $1.7 million goal to stabilize and enhance the museum.


Montgomery County Community Foundation Awards $17,500 to General Lew Wallace Study and Museum
The Montgomery County Community Foundation has awarded $17,500 from the Irwin Lee Detchon Fund to the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum to fund a number of projects critical to the mission of the organization, including educational programming, electrical upgrades, and the establishment of a Legacy Gallery inside the Study building.

Museum Director Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko expressed gratitude for the grant, saying “the Montgomery County Community Foundation is a tremendous asset to our community.  With its resources and generosity, the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum continues to grow as a center for cultural activity and educational opportunity.  General Wallace would be a proud supporter of the Foundation.”

Other ventures funded by the grant include strategic planning for the Museum’s next five years with an independent facilitator, a stipend for a temporary assistant to catalog a portion of the Museum’s artifact collection, and electrical upgrades for the Museum grounds for the Taste of Montgomery County.  The next Taste will be held on the Museum grounds on Saturday, Sept. 6.

Since its founding in 1991, the Montgomery County Community Foundation has granted over $8 million to organizations throughout the Montgomery County community. For more information on the Foundation, visit http://www.mccf-in.org/.

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Exhibits
Before TV at the Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County
In 2009 Congress has decreed that all major television stations will stop broadcasting their programming in analog signal. To commemorate the end of the analog era in television, The Carnegie Museum of Montgomery County presents Before TV, an exhibit dedicated to celebrating life before television. View items from a bygone era and listen to radio programming and music, as well as oral histories from local people. Examine everyday life before TV, practice your penmanship and reflect on how much television has changed the world.

In conjunction with the new exhibition Before TV, the Carnegie Museum will host Family Game Nights on the First Friday of every month, from 5 to 8 pm, through December 2008. The first Family Game Night is this Friday, Aug. 1, 2008. Join us at the museum for card games, play checkers or chess and view the exhibit.

The Carnegie Museum is open for tours Wednesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional tours are available by appointment. Admission is free. For more information or to schedule a tour, call 765-362-4618 or visit www.cdpl.lib.in.us/carnegie. The Carnegie Museum is owned and operated by the Crawfordsville District Public Library.

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Organizations in the News
NARA to Become Partner in the World Digital Library
Archivist of the United States Allen Weinstein and Librarian of Congress James H. Billington recently announced that the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has become a founding partner in the World Digital Library (WDL).

NARA will contribute digital versions of important documents from its collections to the WDL, which will be launched for the international public in early 2009. These documents include the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, the Bill of Rights, the Emancipation Proclamation, Civil War photographs, naturalization and immigration records of famous Americans, and photographs by Ansel Adams, Dorothea Lange and Lewis Hine.
Proposed in 2005 by the Library of Congress in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, the WDL will make available on the Internet significant primary materials from countries and cultures around the world. The project’s goal is to promote international understanding and to provide a resource for use by students, teachers, and general audiences.

In addition to NARA and the Library of Congress, the WDL project partners include cultural institutions from Brazil, China, Egypt, Israel, Russia, Saudi Arabia and many other countries.

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Job Opportunities

Museum Educators at the Charlotte Museum of History in Charlotte, N.C.
Wanted: energetic, enthusiastic and guest-centered co-workers to help bring the stories of Charlotte, N.C. to inquiring minds! If you have a background in historic house interpretation and a track record of successfully working with guest tours and school groups we want you to join our staff at the Charlotte Museum of History.  For both positions listed below, an under graduate degree in history or museum studies and/or 2-3 years equivalent working experience are required. Please send resume and salary range required to:

Charlotte Museum of History
3500 Shamrock Drive
Charlotte, NC 28215
molan@charlottemuseum.org

Interpretation Manager

  • Works with Historian & Curator assisting in the research of all educational and curricular materials used for tours, training and educational information materials.
  • Re-writes and maintain updates for Docent Manual.
  • Creates Tour Cue Cards for homesite tour and galleries in the museum.
  • Assists with tours, school groups, events and programs.
  • Coordinates all volunteers and interns.
  • Responsible for Volunteer Program and Volunteer Recruitment.
  • Assists in research and construction of Interpretive Staff Costumes.
  • Helps keep Docent and Education Web sites updated.
  • Work week is Monday through Friday and will work all special events.
  • Responsible for Sunday Docents – on call if a docent does not show up or has an emergency.
  • Writes and maintains updates for "Guide By Cell" tours.
  • Teaches interpretation skills using teaching methods according to learning preferences.

Education Manager

  • Enjoys working with children and students.
  • Enthusiastic in disseminating history to students and adults.
  • In charge of program logistics using the Programs & Event Checklist to ensure all logistics are covered for an upcoming event.
  • Works with Historian & Curator to research historic accuracy for events.
  • Works with school groups visiting the site and provide outreach to the schools and maintains outreach materials including but not limited to Traveling Trunks.
  • Implements Home School programs.
  • Assists in development of the Alexander Family Room.
  • Organizes and runs Saturday Weekly Living History Programs.
  • Helps maintain and update education Web site.
  • Outreach speaking engagements.
  • Assists with all tours.
  • Works all events.
  • Work week is Tuesday through Saturday and all special events.
  • Fills in for Saturday tours if the docent has an emergency or does not show up.
  • Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.


Multiple Positions at the American Associations of Museums in Washington, D.C.
The American Associations of Museums recent posted three job openings:

  • Accreditation Program Coordinator
  • Museum Assessment Program Coordinator
  • Assistant Director, Accreditation

A description of each of these positions and details on how to apply can be found on the employment section of AAM's Web site at http://www.aam-us.org/aboutaam/employment/index.cfm.

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Off the Press
America’s Historic Sites at a Crossroads – NTHP Forum Journal
America’s Historic Sites at a Crossroads, published by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as special issue Forum Journal, presents the report produced by the Historic Site Stewardship in the 21 Century conference that was held in April 2007.   
 
This conference brought together a small group of experienced historic site professionals and representatives of professional associations and selected foundations for several days of thoughtful discussion about the issues facing historic sites. The planning partners were the American Architectural Foundation (AAF), the American Association of Museums (AAM), the American Association for State & Local History (AASLH) and the National Trust for Historic Preservation (NTHP). Financial support was provided by NTHP, AAF, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the National Endowment of the Arts.

The outcome of the conference was a call for a national conversation – in recognition that business as usual is not sustainable for this largest segment of the museum community. With strong consensus, the conference participants called for dramatic but responsible changes in some of the most basic professional assumptions and practices that guide the way historic sites are managed.  "The Call for a National Conversation" is available on the NTHP Web site (http://www.preservationnation.org/forum/spring-2008/), along with ordering information for the issue of Forum Journal, which has several articles that expand the discussion started at that meeting. 

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Note from the Editor:

Do you know someone who might want to receive Communique Online? Anyone may join the mailing list by e-mailing col@indianahistory.org.

If your historical organizations, genealogical society or museum has changed its address or phone number in the past six months, please send the updated information to Coordinator, Local History Services, at the above e-mail, or Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St., Indianapolis, IN 46202.

Communique Online is provided for the benefit of local historical societies and museums throughout Indiana. It is e-mailed to a subscriber list maintained by the Local History Services department of the Indiana Historical Society.

Anyone may subscribe. This is a free publication.

To be added or removed from the mailing list, simply e-mail col@indianahistory.org or call toll free (800) IHS-1830.

News releases from local societies are welcomed and may be faxed to (317) 234-0427, e-mailed to the above address or mailed to Local History Services, Indiana Historical Society, Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St., Indianapolis, IN 46202.

Please visit the IHS Local History Services Web site at www.indianahistory.org/LHS.