Partner Benefits:

• Receive an additional 10% discount off the IHS member price for an LHS workshop a second set of workshop materials for your organization’s resource library.
• Implement what you learn in LHS workshops with the assistance of a follow-up consultation by LHS staff.
• Ask LHS staff to set up a consultation with Development, Marketing, Collections, Exhibitions or other IHS departments. 
• Request the Collections Issues Trunk to teach your staff and the public about common collections care issues at no cost to your organization.
• Host and set the topic for a LHS “In Your Neighborhood” meeting. 
• Advertise an event or exhibit in this enhanced “Partners’ Platform” in Communiqué Online once a year.
• Attend Partners’-only events.

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Gaming the Future of Museums Webcast
This free Webcast will be held on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 1 p.m.

Are you ready for the future? The world is changing at a rapid pace, and the American Association of Museum's new Center for the Future of Museums helps museums be prepared by bringing you forecasts of the future and provocative ideas from leading thinkers on how museums can help build a better future.

One trend, highlighted by the new CFM forecasting report Museums and Society 2034 (http://www.futureofmuseums.org/reading/publications/), is the growing expectation of our audiences that they be engaged in creating their own museum experience. This is driven, in part, by the massive popularity of computer gaming.

CFM has recruited leading games designer and researcher Dr. Jane McGonigal to share her thoughts on how museums can take advantage of this trend.

Please join us as she addresses Gaming the Future of Museums, challenging museums to consider:

• What makes games so compelling, even addictive?
• How can museums become experiences as engaging as games?
• Given the vast number of hours millions of people invest in playing complex online games, how can museums harness this creativity with opportunities for their audiences to contribute to advancing their missions?

For more information and to register for this free Webcast (lecture followed by online discussions), visit http://www.futureofmuseums.org/events/lecture/index.cfm.

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

Eleanor Roosevelt Dinner Program from the Ohio County Historical Museum
This event will be held on Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. at Heritage Hall on Main Street in Rising Sun.

As the Second World War ended, America experienced the loss of its stalwart leader, President Franklin Roosevelt. After thirteen years as First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt hoped to retire and perhaps write her memoirs. By 1948 the world had changed dramatically and so had Eleanor.

In this program, she shares with the audience her tragedies and triumphs. Born into opulent wealth of America’s “Golden Age” she would grow from the shy homely orphan into a confident, driven woman. Affected by personal tragedy, she would emerge as a champion of civil rights, an author and a stateswoman. She is best summed up by President Harry S. Truman, who dubbed her “The First Lady of the World.”

The cost of the dinner is $12 for members and $15 for nonmembers. To attend the program only (which begins at 7:30 p.m.), the cost is $5 for nonmembers and $4 for members.

Register by Jan. 22. For more information about the event or museum please call Bill Dichtl at (812) 438-4915.

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IMLS Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services Grants
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is accepting grant applications to the Native American/Native Hawaiian Museum Services program. NANH grants support projects that promote enhanced learning and innovation within museums and museum-related organizations and are available to federally recognized Indian tribes, Alaskan Native Villages and corporations and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians.

The application deadline is April 1, 2009.

Grant funding for the NANH program ranges from $5,000 to $50,000 and provides opportunities for Native American tribes and Native Hawaiian organizations to sustain heritage, culture and knowledge by strengthened museum services in the following areas:

• Programming: Services and activities that support the educational mission of museums and museum-related organizations.
• Professional development: Education or training that builds the skills, knowledge and professional capacity of staff–paid or volunteer–who provide or manage museum service activities.
• Enhancement of museum services: Support for activities that enable and improve museum services.

Awards will be announced in Sept. 2009.

For more information, including NANH guidelines and the application, visit www.imls.gov/applicants/grants/nativeServices.shtm.

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Indiana Historical Society Historic Document Preservation Program
The Conservation Department of the Indiana Historical Society is pleased to offer the Historic Document Preservation Program to assist small museums, libraries and historical societies with a variety of services as an extension of the IHS mission to preserve the history of Indiana and its stories. 

• Collection assessment surveys
  IHS conservators perform compile written assessments and surveys for nonprofit organizations with historic collections. Working both independently and in conjunction with the Institute of Museum Services and Heritage Preservation in Washington, D.C., collection assessment surveys involve a site visit and provide information to help prioritize preservation needs for the small museum. The reports may then be used by the organization to communicate concerns to board members, community fund raisers and for regional and state grant funds.
  
  
• Conservation Treatment
  IHS has designed and constructed the premier paper conservation lab in the state – offering state-of-the-art facilities and equipment and a staff with more than 25 years of experience in treating paper-based artifacts and photographs.  Treatments may include surface cleaning, mount removal, stain reduction, washing, and mending and/or stabilization through re-housing. Much of the cost of this work is underwritten by IHS, which maintains the staff, infrastructure, equipment and expertise for a successful outcome.
  
  Contact Ramona Duncan-Huse, Senior Director, Conservation, specializing in managing the preservation and treatments to paper-based collections. Please contact her at (317) 234-0093 or rduncan@indianahistory.org for fees and information about your collection’s preservation needs.
  
  
• Microfilm, digital scanning and moving image conversion
  Our preservation imaging staff has many years of experience in the careful handling and imaging of historic paper-based and filmed materials. Our labs have digitized more than 15,000 historic items including documents, maps, photographs, nitrate film negatives, glass plate negatives, ledger books, scrapbooks and panorama views. We also have experience converting moving film images with sound to DVD.
  
  We’ll walk you through the process and provide you with images that follow the best standards of practice in the field. Your organization will retain the copyright to the digital image we provide and we are happy to supply you with information that may be utilized in a grant or private funding format.
  
  Please contact David Turk, Manager, Preservation Imaging at dturk@indianahistory.org or (317) 232-4592 for fees and to discuss your reformatting needs.

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Integrated Pest Management Seeking Examples of Freezer Specifications
The Integrated Pest Management Working Group (Treatment subgroup) is looking for examples of freezer specifications from various institutions.

Our hope is to compile these specifications and post them on the http://www.museumpests.net/ Web site as a resource for institutions looking into purchasing freezers to treat infestations.

This information would accompany fact sheets already posted about recommendations and procedures for low temperature treatments, which can be found on the http://museumpests.net/tools/treatments.htm (along with fact sheets for other types of treatments).

If your institution has a freezer you are happy with (or if you have cautionary tales of freezers you have not been happy with) it would be enormously helpful if you can find the time to put together the basic specs. We can edit and compile them for posting. We won't use the name of your institution unless you give us permission but your location will be helpful information – i.e. country, and if U.S., what region.

Here is the basic information we are looking for, based on the recommended minimum temperature at 20 degrees below 0 Celsius, maintained constantly so that cycling (as in "frost-free" freezers) does not bring freezer temperature above that.

• Type (i.e. chest freezer, walk-in)
• Brand
• Model
• Size
• Price
• Year purchased
• Brief description of capabilities (lowest temperature capable of reaching and maintaining)
• Have you had adjustments made to the freezer so that it can maintain adequate low temperature?
• How do you monitor the temperature? Are you doing any independent check of the temperature (e.g. dataloggers) and if so what equipment are you using?
• Comments on maintenance and any other related experiences

An example can be found on http://museumpests.net/tools/treatments.htm in the posted document "Pest Treatment Case Study: Low Temperature Pest Management Treatment at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian."

Please send your information to the address below.

Emily Kaplan, Conservator
National Museum of the American Indian
Cultural Resources Center
4220 Silver Hill Rd.
Suitland, MD 20746
(301) 238-1418
Fax: (301) 238-3201
kaplane@si.edu

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Create a Landmark Contest
The annual Create a Landmark Contest, sponsored each May by Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana and the Indiana State Museum, teaches children about community history and preservation as they build models of local landmarks.

Teachers use the contest to teach about community landmarks and to help students develop self-esteem and respect for others, cooperative learning, communication skills, time management and problem-solving. The contest meets Indiana Academic Standards in a variety of disciplines, including social studies, English, math and more.

The class winning first prize receives $200, second prize winners earn $150 and third prize wins $100.

Models are displayed at the Indiana State Museum in Indianapolis for two weeks. Students and teachers participating in Create a Landmark can visit the museum for free on the day of the contest. Each participating student will also receive two vouchers good for admission for parents or accompanying adults.

For more information about Create a Landmark rules or help in selecting a landmark, call Suzanne Stanis at Historic Landmarks at (317) 639-4534 or (800) 450-4534, or e-mail stanis@historiclandmarks.org, or visit http://www.historiclandmarks.org/Resources/Classroom/CreateLandmark/Pages/default.aspx.

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Sticks and Stones in the Clark Gallery of the Honeywell Center
The Honeywell Center in Wabash is hosting a display of artwork by Rod Crossman through Feb. 15. 

The Sticks and Stones exhibit is sponsored by Dr. and Mrs. Richard Day and features oil paintings depicting hunting, fishing and animal life. Also included in the display are several abstract pieces, which are typically not included in his exhibits.

Crossman's paintings have been published on the covers and pages of sporting magazines, books and journals. His work has been exhibited and collected worldwide, including the Smithsonian, Chicago Art Institute, Woodson Art Museum, Ward Museum, High Museum and the most elite galleries. He has designed trout, turkey and duck stamps for several states and is a generous donor to many wildlife, environmental and conservation causes.

The Clark Gallery is open every day from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Artwork may be purchased through the Center’s box office between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. 

For more information, visit http://www.honeywellcenter.org/.

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Indiana through the Mapmaker’s Eye at the Tippecanoe County Historical Association through Feb. 20
Because of the way we use them, we assume maps to be complete and accurate. No map, however, can show all aspects of reality, so the mapmaker chooses the information that will best convey his message and sometimes slants the information to serve his purposes. This exhibition examines four ways people have used maps through the years: as documentation, as tools, as political images and as art. Some of the maps included in the display are an 1833 tourist pocket map of Indiana; a 1910 Sanborn Company fire insurance map of Bloomington; Thomas Kitchin's 1747 map of French settlements in North America; an 1881 bird's-eye view of Mount Vernon, Indiana; and a circa 1880 scale model map of the University of Notre Dame.

This traveling exhibit is on loan from the Indiana Historical Society. For more information about the IHS traveling exhibit program, go to www.indianahistory.org/LHS and click on "Traveling Exhibit."

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Civil War Items Stolen from the Augusta Museum of History
Over the weekend several Civil War items were stolen from the Augusta Museum of History.  They aren't high dollar items but are meaningful to the Museum's collection.

The items stolen include:

• Georgia $500 note Civil War Era
• A Confederate States of America $20 note
• The Bank of South Carolina currency for $.10
• Seated Liberty half dollar
• City Council of Augusta $.25 note number 955 Civil War era
• Augusta $1 bill Civil War era
• Pair of earrings made of hair
• Hair jewelry brooch
• Ring link chain made of meat bones (brown) with approximately 25 links

If anyone tries to donate or sell these items, please contact your local police department.

To read the full story, visit http://www.wjbf.com/jbf/news/crime/article/civil_war_era_items_stolen_from_museum/10074/.

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Regional:

Curator at the DuPage History Museum in Wheaton, Ill.
The curator oversees the management of the museum collection, archival materials and objects, including acquisition, preservation and exhibition of items. The curator provides leadership, coordination and supervision for historical exhibition and collection of management projects, especially as it relates to preservation issues.

To view the full details and download an application, visit http://www.wheatonparkdistrict.com/pgs/employment/list.html.

Applications and resumes taken at:
Wheaton Park District
1777 Blanchard St.
Wheaton, IL  60189
Phone: (630) 510-4952
Fax: (630) 510-4951
jobs@wheatonparks.org

The deadline to apply is Feb. 6.

National:

Part-Time Education Director at the Fort Larned Historical Society in Larned, Kan.
The Fort Larned Historical Society, owner and operator of the Santa Fe Trail Center Museum/Library in Larned, Kan., is seeking a self-motivated, creative and energetic individual as Education Director to handle the museum's educational programming. 

The Education Director is responsible for developing and presenting guided tours to scheduled groups as well as for the recruitment, training and scheduling of volunteers who also conduct tours through the museum. All staff members will assist with the planning and installation of exhibits in the main galleries of the museum as well as the outside buildings. The Education Director will take the lead in researching and developing the interpretive text for the exhibits. This position is also responsible for researching and scheduling occasional traveling exhibitions.

A four-year bachelor degree is required. An education emphasis is desirable. Knowledge of Western history is a plus for this position and the ability to work with volunteers, other staff members and the general public is necessary. Candidates must have good written and verbal communication skills. Computer skills are also needed and grant writing experience is desirable.

This is a half time position with a starting salary of $10 per hour. The position is currently open and will be filled when the ideal candidate has been identified.  Applicants should send a letter of interest, resume, names and contact information for three references via U.S. mail or e-mail to:

Ruth Olson Peters, Museum Director
Santa Fe Trail Center
1349 K-156 Hwy.
Larned, KS 67550
director@santafetrailcenter.org
(620) 285-2054

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Exhibit-F Blog
An exhibit entitled Cold War Berlin: Life at the Breaking Point is scheduled to open at the Diefenbunker Museum in Ottawa, Canada, in May of 2009. This exhibit, at its heart, is a student project, however, it has developed into a two-year exhibit with the possibility of traveling.

The blog is essentially a diary of the progress and once the exhibit opens will hopefully have adequately captured the entire process.

Any professional feedback, advice, comments, suggestions, criticism or insights would be most welcome.

The blog can be found at http://exhibit-f.blogspot.com/.

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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 organization, 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.