22nd Annual VSA Conference
The annual Visitor Studies Association conference will be held July 21 through 25 in St. Louis, Mo.

Conference sessions reflect a wide range of strategies and methods for better understanding and addressing relevance, public value and impact. There are more than 60 sessions, a Marketplace of Ideas, lively networking events and much more to stimulate your thinking and increase your skills and knowledge.

Keynote speakers include:

• Maria Rosario Jackson, Director of the Urban Institute's Culture, Creativity and Communities Program
• Maxwell L. Anderson, The Melvin and Bren Simon Director and CEO of the Indianapolis
  Museum of Art
• Emily Zimmern, President and CEO, Levine Museum of the New South
• Beverly Sheppard, President, Institute for Learning Innovation

Prior to the conference VSA offers fourteen full- and half-day workshops for all levels covering a broad range of topics including:

• Visitor Studies 101 – Evaluating Impact
• Measuring Attitude
• Audience-Based Inquiry
• Prototype Testing with Mechanical Interactives
• The World of Market Research
• Strategies for Evaluating Web sites
• And more!

The cost for early bird registration before May 15 is $280 for members, $310 for nonmembers and $110 for students. After May 15, the cost is $325 for members, $360 for nonmembers and $130 for students.

For conference and workshop information and registration, please visit http://www.visitorstudies.org/.

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

Events at the Putnam County Museum in Greencastle
These events will be held at the Putnam County Museum at 1105 N. Jackson St. in Greencastle.

• International Back to Back Wool Challenge
  This event will be held Saturday, May 9.
  
  The Putnam County Spinners and Weavers Guild is holding a Back to Back Challenge.  In this they will blade shear a Shetland sheep, spin the wool "in the grease" (without washing it first), then knit a sweater in eight hours! Thus the name Back to Back! The team will consist of a shearer, four spinners and four knitters.  All age groups are represented in this effort: the shearer is a high school student and some of the others are grandmothers with all levels of expertise.  There will also be an official time keeper and assessor.
   
  This event started in New Zealand as a fund raiser for cancer research.  Donations will be accepted throughout the event for local cancer research.  The sweater will be in the Museum's silent auction later in the year. 
   
  Come out and support this local effort, be a part of something worldwide and watch time honored traditions at work in this modern world.
  
  
• Victorian Age Tea with The Victorian Lady
  This event will be held Saturday, May 16, at 10 a.m.
  
  Kandie Carle created this one-woman show in 1996. The presentation is not a fashion show.  Rather, Carle takes her audience on a journey of discovery by using clothing and accessories as a tool. She dresses in layer upon layer of the clothing of the chosen period and as each piece is added, she explains how it was worn, as well as when and where it was appropriate. Throughout the presentation she shares insights into the clothing, lifestyle, manners, etiquette and customs of men, women and children. Included are interesting anecdotes and “myth busting.” The performance is full of audience interaction.
  
  The cost for this event is $5 per person and includes light refreshments. 

Please make reservations by Wednesday, May 13, by calling (765) 653-8419 or e-mailing museum2@co.putnam.in.us.

For more information about any of these events, call (765) 653-8419.

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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Grants
The Indiana Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts are offering grants through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. This act provides $50 million in grants for art projects and activities which preserve jobs in the nonprofit arts sector threatened by declines in philanthropic and other support during the current economic downturn. 

Forty percent of funds will be distributed through State arts agencies and regional arts organizations and 60 percent of the fund will be competitively awarded directly by the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Qualifying organizations may apply directly to both the NEA and IAC, but may only receive money through one source. 

For more information, please visit http://www.in.gov/arts/2563.htm.

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Historic Indiana Newspapers on Microfilm Available
In 1980 the Indiana Historical Society created an outreach service called the Indiana Newspaper Project to help preserve the states oldest newspapers.  For 25 years using the highest standards, over ten million pages of Indiana historic and current newspapers were captured onto microfilm. 

Over 19,000 master reels from the IHS collection are now in chilled storage, preserving these images for the next 300-500 years. Many local Indiana libraries and universities make these films available for research locally. All duplicate negatives of these master reels are still available for purchase by libraries wishing to fill gaps in their collection or replace heavily used copies that may show wear. 

Titles of newspapers by county with inclusive dates may be searched on our online catalog at the IHS Web site at www.indianahistory.org/Microfilm_catalog.asp 

For more information, call David Turk, manager, IHS Preservation Imaging, at (317) 232-4592.  

The IHS has recently granted permission to the Readex American Historical Newspaper Project to digitize several reels of the Indiana Democrat from 1830-1841. For permission to digitize any microfilm produced and copyrighted by the IHS, and associated fees, contact Ramona Duncan-Huse, senior director, IHS Conservation and Preservation Imaging, at (317) 234-0093.

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In Your Neighborhood Meeting in Bristol
Local History Services staff will be available for short consultations at the site below. You are invited to meet, share and connect with other historical organizations and county historians. Feel free to call in advance about issues you are facing or just drop in to ask a question or share a success story.

• Tuesday, May 12, 1 to 2 p.m.
  Elkhart County Historical Museum, 304 W. Vistula St., Bristol

Concerts on the Canal Returns and Moves Location for 2009
The Indiana Historical Society is pleased to announce the lineup for its 2009 Concerts on the Canal series. Due to building renovations at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, this season will take place just two blocks north of the History Center at, and in partnership with, the American College of Sports Medicine, located at 401 W. Michigan St., along the Canal in downtown Indianapolis.

2009 Lineup (concerts last from 6 to 8 p.m. unless otherwise noted):

• May 28
  Summer Swings with the Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra
  
  
• June 4
  Banjo Meets Broadway with Robin Hopkins and Kathleen Miller along with the Mike Lucas Trio
  
  
• June 11
  Cabaret on the Canal with American Cabaret Theatre featuring Shannon Forsell
  
  
• June 18
  Indy Jazz Fest Warm-up with the IUPUI Jazz Ensemble and special guests, in partnership with IUPUI Department of Music and Arts Technology
  
  
• June 25
  Music of the Americas with In-Fusion Latin Jazz, in partnership with IUPUI Department of Music and Arts Technology
  
  
• Saturday, July 4, 4:30 to 9:30 p.m.
  Independence Day Bash with the Indianapolis Municipal Band (5 p.m.) and the Impalas (7:30 p.m.) 

An outdoor grill and cash bar will be on-site, and free seating is available on the Canal walk area behind the reserved tables. As always, attendees may bring their own food and nonalcoholic beverages to the concert – but all alcohol must be purchased on site. No pets and no smoking are allowed on Plaza.

Tables are on the grass and in the shade. The cost is $40 for a table of eight for nonmembers and $35 for members. Half-tables are available for $30 or $25 for members.

For parking and additional information, visit http://www.indianahistory.org/. For reservations, call the IHS Welcome Center at (317) 232-1882. The 2009 Concerts on the Canal Series is sponsored by Lewis Wagner, LLP. The 2009 Concerts on the Canal media partner is WFYI.

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AASLH Educators and Interpreters Committee Showcase Seeking Participants
This event will be held on Thursday, Aug. 27, during the break from 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the AASLH annual meeting in Indianapolis.

The E&I Committee sponsors a free showcase of outstanding education and interpretation programs in the exhibit hall, much like a brief marketplace of ideas. We would like to feature several costumed interpreters from sites that offer excellent first person and/or museum theater presentations.      

The exact setup changes with each meeting venue, but the usual arrangement is a set of tables where institutions can display panels, laptop demonstrations, hands-on materials, etc. and/or position a costumed interpreter to both illustrate a character performance in first person and explain the program in third person. We've found that costumed interpreters add a great deal of interest and help attendees get involved in the event in the brief time available.

If you are going to attend the AASLH conference and feel that you have samples of engaging programming you'd like to share, the showcase is for you! We need to have a complete list of participants by Friday, Aug. 7.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Linnea Grim at (434) 984-9834 or lgrim@monticello.org.

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Historic Landmarks Foundation Accepting Nominations for Three Awards
Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana wants to reward people who restore, maintain and promote historic places. The nonprofit organization gives three awards and invites nominations from the public.

The Servaas Memorial Awards recognize people who have raised awareness of historic preservation. The Servaas Awards come with cash: $2000 in the nonprofit category and $1000 to winners in the individual and youth-serving categories. Each winner also receives an original Servaas sculpture, executed in maple by Indiana artist John McNaughton.

Individuals, nonprofit organizations, businesses and developers are eligible to win the Cook Cup for Outstanding Restoration, named in honor of the family that transformed the landmark French Lick and West Baden Springs Hotels in southern Indiana. The Cook Cup, a large vintage-looking trophy, honors the owner who has transformed a historic structure through a complete, high-quality, inspiring restoration. The structure must be in use, and the restoration completed within the past two years. The structure may be restored for its original use or adapted to a new purpose.

Historic Landmarks Foundation presents the Servaas Memorial Awards and Cook Cup for Outstanding Restoration on Sept. 12 in Indianapolis.

The John Arnold Award for Rural Preservation recognizes farmers who preserve historic buildings – farmhouses, barns, outbuildings and landscape features – for continued agricultural use. Presented on Farmer’s Day at the Indiana State Fair, the Arnold Award comes with a pass to the Fair, overnight accommodations in Indianapolis and an outdoor marker.

Anyone may submit for Historic Landmarks Foundation’s awards, including the owner.

To download the award criteria and nomination forms, visit http://www.historiclandmarks.org/. The nomination deadline is June 1 for each award.

To suggest a project that may be eligible or learn more about each award, contact Tina Connor at Historic Landmarks Foundation at (317) 639-4534, (800) 450-4534 or connor@historiclandmarks.org.

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Mishawaka at 175 and Appeal to Patriots: The Lincoln Highway at the Center for History in South Bend
The following exhibits are currently on display at the Center for History located at 808 W. Washington St. in South Bend:

• Mishawaka at 175
  Now through Jan. 31, 2010.
  
  Alanson Mead Hurd was a New Yorker who traveled to Detroit in the 1820s and entered the iron business. In 1832, noting reports of large bog iron deposits in the St. Joseph Valley of northern Indiana, the entrepreneurial Hurd planned to construct a blast furnace in the area, with a vision of a large profit potential in developing the area’s iron resources. And the rest, as they say, is history or at least the history of Mishawaka’s founding.
  
  The exhibit looks at not only people in Mishawaka’s history but also chronicles the city’s commerce. For most of the past 175 years, Mishawaka’s identity has revolved around its industry, with a great variety of its products having been sold nationally and even internationally.
  
  Mishawaka at 175 explores the stories of some of Mishawaka’s more well-known citizens, some who achieved national fame. The city’s ethnic diversity is showcased in another area of the exhibit and includes the story of the 1,000-plus Belgians who came to Mishawaka between 1890 and 1914, settling primarily in the West End, where they formed a community around St. Bavo Church and the Broederenkring Club. Photographs and artifacts also help tell the history of Mishawaka’s schools, culture and leisure.
  
  
• Appeal to Patriots: The Lincoln Highway
  Now through Jan. 24, 2010.
  
  In a time when a car trip on roads other than interstates is almost unheard of, it’s hard to imagine there was a time when nearly all of America’s 2.5 million miles of road were dirt. Yet, less than 100 years ago, in 1912, that was the case. At the same time, the automobile industry was burgeoning, the first Indianapolis 500 had taken place, and ideas for a brand new highway system – specifically, the Lincoln Highway – were beginning to soar.
  
  Appeal to Patriots features a stellar selection of photographs and an interesting array of memorabilia to tell the fascinating story of the Lincoln Highway. Visitors are sure to be amazed by the famous road’s history and its impact on America, both as the first coast-to-coast highway and also as the prototype to the Interstate Highway System, established by President Dwight Eisenhower in 1956.

Admission to the Center for History is $8 for adults, $6.50 for seniors, $5 for youth ages six to 17, and free for members and youth ages five and under.

The Center for History is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

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

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A Perfect Likeness: Care and Identification of Family Photographs at the Hagerstown Museum and Arts Place
The identification and care of the most common 19th-century photographic processes are showcased in this traveling exhibition. Sponsored by the Indiana Historical Society and the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester, N.Y., the exhibition focuses on identifying and caring for such common 19th-century processes and formats as the daguerreotype, ambrotype, tintype and carte de visite.

"Although there is a profession dedicated to conserving photographs, much of the research does not trickle down to the average person with cherished family photographs," says Joan Hostetler, guest curator. "The goal of this exhibition is to bridge the gap by relaying information to the public on identifying, dating and caring for their photographs."

The many different components of this exhibition have a broad appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds. The exhibition's goal is to increase the public's awareness of the care and preservation of family photographs

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Historic Landmarks Foundation announces Indiana’s 10 Most Endangered
Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana announced its 10 Most Endangered, an annual list of Hoosier landmarks in jeopardy.

“The properties that achieve 10 Most Endangered status are important and irreplaceable,” says Marsh Davis, president of the nonprofit preservation organization. “They’re extremely challenging to save,” he adds, “and worth aggressive measures. These landmarks should be preserved – for use today and for future generations.”

Some of the 10 Most are long-vacant and dilapidated structures that have outlived their original purposes. Urban sprawl threatens one site while neglect and out-of-the-way locations add to the jeopardy faced by others. The economy complicates the fates of several landmarks on the list, with redevelopment financing and grants increasingly difficult to secure.

Historic Landmarks Foundation uses the Most Endangered list to bring public attention to the imperiled sites and mobilize support for their preservation. The nonprofit preservation organization puts the ten places at the top of its "to-do" list, taking active steps to improve their prospects. Since the inception of the Most Endangered program in 1991, Historic Landmarks Foundation counts 51 saves and 10 losses.

The 2009 Most Endangered list includes five landmarks making repeat appearances, joined by five new entries:

• Historic windows, statewide
• Indiana Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s Home, Knightstown
• Jacobs Wild Animal Circus Barns, Peru
• Old Perry County Courthouse, Rome
• Snow Hill Covered Bridge, Franklin County
• Bush Stadium, Indianapolis
• Old Lowell School, Lowell
• Maple Grove Road Rural Historic District, Bloomington
• Syracuse Depot, Syracuse
• Washington Avenue Historic District, Evansville

The prospects of three places on the 2008 Most Endangered list, Colgate-Palmolive factory complex and giant clock in Clarksville, the Jennings Building in New Castle, and Indianapolis Public School #97 – improved enough that Historic Landmarks Foundation removed the critical label. Two sites – Twin Bays in Lawrenceburg and Wollenmann House in Ferdinand – were moved to a watch list for continued monitoring and advocacy.

To find out more about each of the 10 Most Endangered, visit http://www.historiclandmarks.org/ or contact Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana at 340 W. Michigan St., Indianapolis, IN 46202 or by phone at (317) 639-4534 or (800) 450-4534.

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Cynthia Ogorek Named Distinguished Friend by South Suburban Heritage Association
At its 23rd annual cultural history conference, the Homewood-based South Suburban Heritage Association announced this year’s winner of its Distinguished Friend of South Suburban Heritage award. The recipient was Cynthia Ogorek of Calumet City.

“We usually don’t make the award to one of our own,” said Elaine Egdorf, president of the association. “But Cynthia’s contribution to our local history community has been consistent and broad.”

Ogorek, who is the owner of The Public Historian based in Calumet City, has been a practicing historian in the southern suburbs of Chicago for over twenty years.

“I was excited to be nominated for the award,” said Ogorek. “It is wonderful to be recognized like that, but doubly so because it comes from my colleagues who have been working just as long to bring our history into the limelight.”

Ogorek, a native of the Calumet Region, was named Outstanding Alumna of 2008 by the History and Political Science Department of Purdue Calumet last November. She earned her masters in U.S. history at Purdue in 1996 and also holds a certificate from the Seminar for Historical Administration at Colonial Williamsburg. She has published two award-winning books on the region’s history, The Lincoln Highway Around Chicago and Along the Calumet River. She is a past-president of the Calumet City Historical Society and currently serves on the board of the Calumet Heritage Partnership.

The South Suburban Heritage Association was founded in the mid-1980s as a means to locate and identify resources related to the history and culture of the south Cook County area. It also seeks to strengthen and promote its member organizations. The annual conferences have delved into topics as varied as transportation heritage, the French in the southern suburbs and religious diversity. This year’s program celebrated the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth with a look at his influence on the southern suburbs.

Past recipients of the Distinguished Friend of the Southern Suburbs have included Dr. Kenneth Schoon, professor of geography, Indiana University Northwest, the Star Newspapers, Illinois Senator William F. Mahar and Geoffrey Baer, producer of regional history programs on WTTW-Channel 11 Chicago.

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National:

Part-Time Museum Educator at Southwestern Michigan College in Dowagiac, Mich.
Southwestern Michigan College has an opening for a part-time, approximately 29 hours per week, Museum Educator.

The Museum Educator is responsible for the design and implementation of educational programs for visitors and school groups. Other responsibilities include: historical research, training volunteers and providing assistance to the Director of the Museum. The ideal candidate will have prior experience working in a museum or educational setting. A Bachelor’s degree, organizational skills, effective interpersonal, oral and written communications skills are required.

The review of candidates will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

Computer literacy is required.

Interested applicants should mail a cover letter stating desired position, resume and a completed SMC application to:
Human Resources
Southwestern Michigan College
58900 Cherry Grove Rd.
Dowagiac, MI 49047

To download the SMC application, visit http://www.swmich.edu/.

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IRS Updates for Organizations

• IRS Reminds Small Organizations to File e-Postcards
  The IRS reminds small calendar year tax-exempt organizations to file their electronic Form 990-N, known as the "e-Postcard," by the May 15 deadline.  
  
  To get more information about the annual electronic filing requirement for organizations whose annual gross receipts are normally $25,000 or less, go to http://www.irs.gov/. 
  Non-calendar year "e-Postcard" filers must file the annual electronic notice by the15th day of the 5th month following the end of their annual accounting period. 
  
  For more information, please visit http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=207660,00.html.
  
  
• Notice 2009-43:  Public Comment Invited on Recommendations for 2009-2010 Guidance Plan
  The Department of Treasury and the IRS invite public comment on recommendations for items that should be included on the 2009-2010 Guidance Priority List.  The Office of Tax Policy and IRS use the Priority List to identify and prioritze the tax issues that should be addressed through regulations, revenue rulings, revenue procedures, notices and other guidance for the year beginning July 1, 2009. 
  
  For more information, please visit http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-09-43.pdf.
  
  
• Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF Due Date & Extension Requests
  Calendar year exempt organizations that file Forms 990, 990-PF, or 990-EZ are reminded that their annual information returns are due on May 15.  An organization may request an initial automatic extension of time to file its annual information return by filing Form 8868 by the due date of the return.  For more information, see Form 8868 and its instructions.
  
  Forms 990, 990-EZ and 990-PF for non-calendar year organizations are due on the 15th day of the 5th month following the end of their annual accounting period. 
  
  For more information, please visit http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8868.pdf.

How to Investigate the U.S. Copyright Status of a Work, Part III Article
This article from Lawdit Reading Room is available at  http://www.lawdit.co.uk/reading_room/room/view_article.asp?name=../articles/20-APR-CR-investegations-p3.htm.

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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.