Hoosier Heritage Alliance Assessment of Indiana Collections: We Want You!
1,038 sent. 139 returned. 161 more needed.

Help us reach our goal of 300 responses by mailing in your survey by Feb. 28, 2009. 

The Hoosier Heritage Alliance Survey of Indiana’s collections' needs and management was mailed on Sept. 1 to collecting organizations statewide.

Your organization’s responses to the survey will help the Hoosier Heritage Alliance partners will make a set of recommendations specific to Indiana’s needs and develop a plan of action. 

You can download a new copy of the survey at http://www.indianahistory.org/lhs/Surveyfinal.pdf or contact Toni Lynn Giffin, collections survey assistant, at tgiffin@indianahistory.org or (317) 695-4884 to receive a copy by mail. For more information, visit http://www.indianahistory.org/lhs/hha.html.

A Celebration of Indiana’s Natural Heritage at the Indiana Historical Bureau
On Saturday, Dec. 6, the Indiana Historical Bureau and WFYI Indianapolis will host A Celebration of Indiana’s Natural Heritage from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Indiana State Library and Historical Building located at 315 W. Ohio St. in Indianapolis.

All materials in the Indiana Historical Bureau Book Shop will be available at 20% off list price.

A main feature of the day is the release of the 2-DVD set of the 4-part documentary, The Natural Heritage of Indiana, produced by WFYI and now airing on public television throughout Indiana. Marion Jackson, editor of the major publication that inspired the documentary, will sign copies of the book.

Russell Mumford and John O. Whitaker will sign their new publication, Mammals of Indiana, and Alan McPherson will sign several of his publications related to the natural heritage of Indiana. Also adding to the celebration will be representatives from natural heritage and environmental agencies and organizations with information about their programs.

For a digital version of this release and further information about this event, visit www.IN.gov/history or http://www.naturalheritageofindiana.org/.

Victorian Holiday Tea at the Morris-Butler House
This event will be held on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 2 to 4 p.m., and on Saturday, Dec. 13, and Saturday, Dec. 20, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Morris-Butler House in Indianapolis

Many of our most beloved Christmas traditions became popular in the Victorian era, including the Christmas tree. Another favorite indulgence dates back that far too: afternoon tea. Enjoy the elegant trappings of a Victorian Christmas Tea at the Morris-Butler House. Tour all three floors of the 1865 landmark, lavishly decorated for the holidays, and learn about Victorian Christmas traditions both familiar and unfamiliar. The tour ends with old-fashioned flavored tea, cranberry-orange scones, cucumber sandwiches, spice cookies, gingerbread, Victorian snow cake, cinnamon orange tea and the making of a special holiday craft—an event guaranteed to usher in a meaningful holiday season. Tea provided exclusively by Tea’s Me Café.

Tickets are $25 for members of Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana and $30 for non-members (membership is available for additional $15).

Reservations are required. Please contact the Morris-Butler House staff at (317) 636-5409 or mbhouse@historiclandmarks.org for reservations.


Holiday Open House at the Bartholomew County Historical Society
This event will take place on Saturday, Dec. 6, from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Bartholomew County Historical Society located at 524 Third St. in Columbus.

Come help celebrate as the museum is decorated in festive greenery! Enjoy the musical entertainment, make an ornament to take home and sample the cookies and hot cider as we deck the halls for the season. Also, see our newest exhibit, Over the Top!: Winter Hats and Head Coverings of the County.

Admission is free with a donation of a non-perishable food item to benefit area families for the holidays.

For more information call (812) 372-3541.

Walter Tharp at the Fort Wayne History Center
This event will be held on Sunday, Dec. 7, from 2 to 3 p.m. at the History Center located at 302 E. Berry St. in Fort Wayne.

Join us at the History Center as Walter Tharp speaks about his memories as the display manager for Wolf and Dessauer's various department stores in Fort Wayne.

Tharp was one of the first African-Americans to hold such a position in Fort Wayne. He started working at Wolf and Dessauer while still in high school, graduating from Central High School in 1946. He worked at W and D from 1946 to 1984. For decades, Tharp was in charge of purchasing materials and designing the famous and nostalgic W and D holiday displays, which generations of Fort Wayne residents remember most fondly. The animatronic elves and children on display during the Festival of Gingerbread were his purchases many years ago and used in W and D displays.

Admission to the History Center is $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and students, and free to children age five and under and History Center members.

For more information, call (260) 426-2882, or visit http://www.fwhistorycenter.com/.

Annual Christmas Home Tour in Greentown
The Greentown Historical Society will sponsor this annual tour on Sunday, Dec. 7, from 2 to 7 p.m. in Greentown.

The cost is $8 for adults in advance or $10 at the door, $5 for youth ages 12 to 18 and free for children under 12.

Tickets are available at the History Center in the Greentown Antique Mall located at 115 E. Main in Greentown.

Homes on the tour include:

• The home of Larry and Barbara Hensler at 3828 N. County Rd. 700 E.
• The home of Kent and Bev Evans at 7557 E. County Rd. 500 N.
• The home of Rebecca Jarrett at 302 S. Meridian St.
• The home of Colleen Ladd at 219 S. Meridian St.
• The home of Lamoine and Sue Clouser at 10012 E. County Rd. 400 S.
• The Greentown History Center at 103 E. Main St.

For more information contact Sally Imbler at (765) 628-7174 or Jean Simpson at (765) 628-7674.

Holiday Shows at the Honeywell Center
The Honeywell Center in Wabash continues the holiday season with four more performances.

• Phil Vassar
  This event will take place on Friday, Dec. 12, at 7:30 p.m. Sponsored by Pefley's Farm Equipment, the concert will feature Vassar singing and playing the piano in accompaniment with five other musicians.  Vassar will perform several well known-songs including “Just Another Day in Paradise,” “This is My Life,” and his newest single “Love is a Beautiful Thing.”  Tickets cost $75, $34, $25 and $20.
  
  
• Mike Super
  This event will take place on Saturday, Dec. 13, at 7:30 p.m. Prepare for a high-energy, interactive evening of amazing magic and illusions when Mike Super takes the stage. Mike entertains all ages with his mind-boggling tricks, sense of humor, and atmosphere of the show, complete with high-tech lighting and sound. Audience members will even have the chance to win a car that Mike will "steal" from Dorais Chevrolet and make it appear on stage! Tickets cost $50, $32.50, $24.50 and $19.50.
  
  
• Dino
  This event will take place on Sunday, Dec. 14, at 3 p.m. Rejoice in this holiday season with Christian piano showman Dino. Dino has received many honors, which include Grammy nominations for Chariots of Fire and soundtrack for the movie The Apostle, seven Gospel Music Association Dove awards, a Telly Award, and a headline performance at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Tickets cost $25, $18 and $12.
  
  
• Fort Wayne Philharmonic
  This event will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Sing along with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic as they perform traditional holiday favorites such as “Sleigh Ride,” selections from the Nutcracker and Christmas classics. Tickets cost $15.

Tickets may be purchased by visiting the box office from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, by calling (260) 563-1102, visiting http://www.honeywellcenter.org/ or by dialing *tix from your Centennial Wireless phone.

Old Fashioned Christmas at the Canal Park
This event will take place on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 14, from noon to 4 p.m. at the 1850s Canal Park located 11 blocks north of the courthouse light on Washington St. in Delphi.

Buy unique crafts in the Cabin Crafts Gift Shoppe. Warm yourself at the fireplace. Smell the potpourri. The Old Fashioned Christmas will feature hot apple dumplings with ice cream, wooden toys, old time crafts, demonstrations of copper work, blacksmithing and much more.

Santa will visit on Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m.

This event is free to the public.

For more information call (765) 564-2870 or visit http://www.wabashanderiecanal.org/.

Children’s Activity Day: 19th Century Christmas at the Elkhart County Historical Museum
This event will be held on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Elkhart County Historical Museum located at 304 W. Vistula (State Rd. 120) in Bristol.

Children’s Activity Day features ornament making, popcorn stringing, Christmas card decorating and carol singing. Santa will also stop in to read a special Christmas story and listen to what you want for Christmas. A challenging “I-Spy” scavenger hunt through the museum’s exhibits and some tasty treats will round out the day.

In coordination with this event, the Bristol Public Library will have special 19th century Christmas themed displays and activities planned from now until the Children’s Activity Day on Dec. 13, including a preschool reading week complete with story time and Christmas crafts.

The museum and library will be working together for all five of the Children’s Activity Days the museum has planned for the next year. Families can look forward to weeklong activities based on the themes of the local music industry, Regional Native Americans, farm life and immigrant holiday customs.

Admission is free to all Children’s Activity Days

For more information, please contact Rebecca Oestreich at (574) 848-4322 or rebecca@elkhartcountyparks.org.


Christmas Victorian Tea at the Henry County Historical Society
This event will be held on Dec. 14 from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Henry County Historical Society located at 606 S. 14th St. in New Castle.

Come see the Grose Mansion all decorated for Christmas. Stop in at the museum gift shop. Christmas music will be played, and refreshments will be served throughout the day.

For additional information call (765) 529-4028.

Brown Bag Lunch: Terry Amick at the Scott County Heritage Center and Museum
This event will be held on Dec. 17 at noon at the Scott County Heritage Center and Museum located at 1050 S. Main St. in Scottsburg.

Terry Amick will discuss his travels to Israel. Amick has visited Israel a number of times and will share stories and observations from his trips.

The program is free to the public. Those attending the event supply their own lunch and the museum provides drinks and desserts.

The museum provides the Brown Bag Lunch programs September through May each year on the third Wednesday of the month at noon. Each month features a different speaker covering a wide variety of topics and typically lasting about an hour. On Jan. 21, Jeremy Risen will speak about the Scott County Home.

For more information call (812) 752-1050.

The Spirit of Kwanzaa at the Center for History in South Bend
This event will take place on Tuesday, Dec. 30, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Center for History located at 808 W. Washington St. in South Bend.

The one-day celebration features dancers, gospel music, arts and crafts, and authentic African food. In a talk by Akila and Joseph Karanja, the traditional meaning of Kwanzaa will be explored along with the relevance of its seven principles in today’s world.

The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa (Nguzo Saba) are: Unity, Self-Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity and Faith. Kwanzaa is an African-American cultural holiday conceived and developed by Dr. Maulana Ron Karenza, who led the first celebration on Dec. 26, 1966. Kwanzaa is observed for seven days, from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1, by Africans and American-Americans of all religious faiths and backgrounds.

The event is free to the public.

For information call (574) 235-9664 or visit http://www.centerforhistory.org/.

Boxley Lecture Series 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial Events in Sheridan
Abraham Lincoln’s life and leadership will be the focus of the 2009 Boxley Lecture Series in Sheridan as students and residents will have opportunities to learn more about the president during the nation-wide bicentennial celebrating his birth.

The admission-free program, set to introduce Fritz Klein, a leading Lincoln interpreter, is built-out this year to include publicly screened documentaries. This is the second year for the heritage/cultural enrichment program, a collaborative of the Sheridan Community Schools, Sheridan Public Library and Sheridan Historical Society. It has been endorsed as an official program of the Indiana Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission.

• FilmFest
  The FilmFest events will be held at the Sheridan Middle School Auditorium. It has been renamed “The Hippodrome Theater” to celebrate a well-known movie and entertainment venue formerly residing on Sheridan’s Main Street.
  
  A film and documentary, Gore Vidal’s Lincoln, starring Mary Tyler Moore and Sam Waterston, will be shown in two parts on Monday, Jan. 5, and Tuesday, Jan. 6, at 6:45 p.m.
  
  An assortment of video clips that showcase some lesser known facts about Lincoln will be shown on Jan. 26 at 6:45 p.m.
  
  
• Boxley Lecture Series Featuring Lincoln Interpreter Fritz Klein
  This event will be held on Thursday, Feb. 19, at 6 p.m. at the Sheridan Middle School Auditorium.
  
  Fritz Klein, now serving as the official Lincoln interpreter for the National Parks Service, is considered one of the nation’s foremost Lincoln actors. Klein, who was graduated from Concordia College in Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1970, began acting as a hobby in 1975.  He portrayed Abraham Lincoln in the mid-70s during city celebrations and began full-time acting in 1980. He has performed in 35 states for film and television as well as on stage as a motivational speaker.  Klein resides in Springfield, Ill., performing for more than 500,000 annual visitors.
  
  
• Exhibits at the Sheridan Public Library
  The Faces of Lincoln will be on display Jan. 31 through Feb. 26, and Freedom: A History of US will be open Feb. 28 through March 31 at the Sheridan Public Library. Both exhibits are from the Indiana Historical Society. Admission is free.

For questions or more information call (317) 758-5845.

SAA Awards: Native American Scholarships Fund
The Native American Scholarships Fund is an endowment established to foster a sense of shared purpose and positive interaction between archaeologists and Native Americans.

Since 1998, the SAA has used the endowment income to award the annual Arthur C. Parker Scholarship in support of archaeological training for Native Americans who are students or employees of tribal, Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian cultural preservation programs. National Science Foundation Scholarships for Archaeological Training for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians are also awarded through the Native American Scholarships Committee.

The application process for the Arthur C. Parker Scholarship and NSF Scholarships is easy and straightforward, with an annual due date of Dec.15.

For 2009, the SAA will offer the Arthur C. Parker Scholarship and three National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships for Archaeological Training for Native Americans and Native Hawaiians.

Applications can be found online at: https://ecommerce.saa.org/saa/staticcontent/staticpages/adminDir/A-ACPNSFS.cfm?CFID=2753576&CFTOKEN=63139246

Free Abraham Lincoln Classroom Poster from the Bicentennial Commission
Celebrate the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth this February 2009 with the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission’s free classroom poster!

The front side, suitable for classroom display, is a portrait of Lincoln, while the reverse contains resources for educators, offering suggestions for incorporating Lincoln’s legacy into the classroom.

To request this poster, please call (202) 707-6998 or visit http://www.abrahamlincoln200.org/ and click on “For Teachers.”

On the Web site, schools can also sign up to participate in the Lincoln Legacy School recognition program. To participate, submit your plans to celebrate the bicentennial using the application found on the Web site. Schools that apply for the Lincoln Legacy School program will receive a certificate for framing and will be listed in a national register.

Las Posadas
This event will be held on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in Indianapolis.

The event is free to the public.

Join the Indiana Historical Society and the Eiteljorg Museum in this annual holiday treat celebrating the Latino Christmas tradition Las Posadas – a re-enactment of Mary and Joseph’s search for room at a “posadas” or inn. Families will first assemble at the History Center to learn about the traditions surrounding Las Posadas. They then will gather along the canal where a choral director will lead them in songs that represent Mary and Joseph’s plea for shelter and, eventually, the innkeeper’s offering of his stable. At the end of the procession, families are invited into the Eiteljorg to tour exhibits, enjoy pan dulce and ponche and break piñatas.

Schedule

• 4 to 5:30 p.m.: Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center
• 5:30 to 6 p.m.: Central Canal procession
• 6 to 8 p.m.: Eiteljorg Museum

With support from the Consulate of Mexico in Indianapolis, Christ Church Cathedral, the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library and the Indianapolis Art Center.

Holidays in the Heartland
This series of displays will be exhibited through Jan. 3, 2009, at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.

This series coincides with the winter holidays and features a mix of photos, props, traditional holiday decorations and original items. These themed displays picture Hoosiers playing outside in the snow and preparing holiday goodies. They showcase Indiana’s Santas, a wide array of old holiday greeting cards and pay homage to the Christmas tree.

IHS collections provide rich resources to create these scenes. Jean Shepherd’s movie A Christmas Story provides fodder to create a vignette and photo op for our visitors to Lacy Gallery. The remainder of the building will be decorated with beautiful Christmas trees and colorful holiday attire.

The event is free to the public.

For more information about these events call (800) 447-1830 or visit http://www.indianahistory.org/.

How to Prepare Your Nonprofit for an Economic Recession
This paper by Richard Male is available online from the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training. To view the paper, visit http://www.grassrootsfundraising.org/fmd/files/27_3_prepare_for_recession.pdf.

Paleontology Portal Collection Management Module
This site is intended as a central resource on collection management for anyone who has an interest in fossil collections, from museum and lab professionals, to avocational collectors, to school and university students.

If you are responsible for the care of a fossil collection in an institution, know people with a private collection, work with students who are thinking about a career in paleontology, collection management or conservation, or just are interested in what museums do with all those fossils, this site is for you.

This site is divided into four sections describing the main activities in managing a fossil collection. The functions of each activity are explained with detailed information, samples of documents and forms from museums, and links that you can follow to access to resources on other sites.

For a brief overview of the main activities you can view the case study showing a fossil specimen that is being processed into a museum collection. You can also jump directly to a compilation of many of the site's tools and resources.

To view the site visit http://www.paleoportal.org/.

Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative
A dozen federal agencies are launching an initiative to establish a common set of guidelines for digitizing historical materials. Basing its efforts on a combination of collaborative research and combined experience, the Federal Agencies Digitization Guidelines Initiative will address a variety of issues related to the complex activities involved in the digitization of cultural heritage items.

Two working groups have been formed, one addressing content that can be captured in still images, the other involved with content categorizing sound, video or motion-picture film.

The initiative includes a new Web site at http://www.digitizationguidelines.gov/.

The Federal Agencies Still Image Digitization Working Group will focus its efforts on content such as books, manuscripts, maps and photographic prints and negatives. The Federal Agencies Audio-Visual Working Group will address standards and practices for sound, video and motion picture film.

IRS Charity Information
The IRS offers valuable information for non-profits online at http://www.irs.gov/charities/.  Featured this month is a link for resources for managers of new and small tax-exempt organizations under ABC's for Tax-Exempt Organizations.  As you gear up for 2008 tax reporting, consider reviewing the materials offered.