• MS236: Education in Museums
  This class is instructed by Karin Hostetter and will be held Aug. 31 through Sept. 25. The cost is $425.
• MS243: Making Museum Quality Mannequins
  This class is instructed by Helen Alten and will be held Aug. 31 through Sept. 25. The cost is $425.
• MS205/6a: Disaster Plan Research and Writing
  This class is instructed by Terri Schindel and will be held Aug. 31 through Oct. 9. The cost is $425.
• MS217: Museum Cleaning Basics
  This class is instructed by Gretchen Anderson and will be held Aug. 31 through Oct. 9. The cost is $425.
• MS201: Storage for Infinity: An Overview of Museum Storage Principles
  This class is instructed by Helen Alten and will be held Aug. 31 through Oct. 9. The cost is $425.
• MS109: Museum Management
  This class is instructed by Sue Near and will be held Aug. 31 through Oct. 2. The cost is $425.
• MS002a: Collection Protection – Are you Prepared?
  This class is instructed by Terri Schindel and will be held Sept. 14 through 18. The cost is $75.
• MS011: Gallery Guides
  This class is instructed by Karin Hostetter and will be held Sept. 7 through 18. The cost is $75.
• MS209: Collections Management Policies for Museums and Related Institutions
  This class is instructed by Bill Tompkins and will be held Sept.14 through Nov. 27. The cost is $425.

For more information or to register, please visit http://www.museumclasses.org/.

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

Madison County Historical Society Treasure Sale
This event will be held on Friday, Aug. 21, from 2 to 7 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 22, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Madison County History Center located at 7 W. 11th St. in Anderson.

Even if it rains or is blistering hot, you will be cool inside at the sale. The "Treasure Sale" includes a large number and variety of items including books, puzzles, bicycle, prints and paintings, decorative household items and many surprises priced just right. Bring your friends and family for an enjoyable outing! The proceeds will be used by the Society for needed equipment and supplies.

For more information, please visit http://andersonmchs.tripod.com/.

NEH National Digital Newspaper Program Grants
NEH is soliciting proposals from institutions to participate in the National Digital Newspaper Program. NDNP is creating a national, digital resource of historically significant newspapers published between 1836 and 1922, from all the states and U.S. territories.

Successful applicants will select newspapers – published in their state or territory in English between 1836 and 1922 – and convert, primarily from microfilm, over a period of two years, approximately 100,000 pages into digital files, according to the technical guidelines outlined by the Library of Congress.

NEH expects to award cooperative agreements of up to $400,000 each for a two-year period. The cooperative agreement will take the form of partnership between the award recipients and NEH, with technical support provided by the Library of Congress. NEH will consult with recipients on the final selection of titles, production milestones and the evaluation of the technical specifications for the program. LC staff will verify the compliance of the digital files with the technical specifications for the program, before they are incorporated into the NDNP database. The cooperative agreement will set forth the terms and conditions between NEH and the award recipients.

Any U.S. nonprofit organization is eligible, as are state and local governmental agencies and tribal governments. Individuals are not eligible to apply.

The application deadline is Nov. 3, 2009.

For full details and application instructions, please visit http://www.neh.gov/grants/guidelines/ndnp.html.

Gene Stratton-Porter Festival
This event will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12, in Historic Irvington.

Visit Historic Irvington to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Hoosier writer and naturalist Gene Stratton-Porter's classic novel The Girl of the Limberlost with family activities, films, discussions, shopping, dining and more!

The day will feature crafts, activities, art exhibitions, displays and specials at the Irvington Branch Library, BookMama's Inc., Edibles Organic Food Market and Blooming Dragon Emporium. Dining specials at The Legend Classic Cafe and Dufour's in Irvington.

• 11 a.m.: Library
  Gene Stratton Porter documentary screening and discussion with filmmaker Nancy Carlson
  
• Noon to 6 p.m.: Blooming Dragon Emporium
  Wild Side of Irvington art exhibit with artists on site
  
• 1:30 p.m.: Library
  Gene Stratton-Porter historic interpreter
  
• 2:30 p.m.: Irving Theater
  Gene Stratton-Porter: America's Most Famous but Forgotten Naturalist presentation by Randy Lehman
  
• 3:30 p.m.: BookMama's Inc.
  Conversation on the environmental and literary legacy of Gene Stratton-Porter with the Indiana Historical Society
  
• 7 p.m.: Irving Theater
  Dramatic readings of Stratton-Porter's works
  
• 7:30 p.m.: Irving Theater
  Screening of the 1934 feature film The Girl of Limberlost (donations requested)

The Gene Stratton-Porter Festival is brought to you by the Indiana Historical Society, BookMamas Inc., Irvington Branch Public Library and The Irving Theater with support from The Legend Classic Café, Dufour's in Irvington, Edibles Organic Food Market, Blooming Dragon Emporium and other local businesses.

For more information, please visit http://www.indianahistory.org/.

Tour Guide Classes at the Northern Indiana Center for History
Do you love old houses, local history and talking with people? The Center for History is accepting registrations for those interested in giving guided tours of the museum’s two historic houses, Copshaholm and the Worker’s Home.

A new class of docents is being formed to begin a seven-week training session taking place weekly from 9 to 11 a.m. starting on Tuesday, Sept. 22. Training sessions are offered twice yearly.

In-depth information about the architecture and furnishings of Copshaholm, as well as the Oliver family, Oliver Chilled Plow works, historic businesses and the Historic West Washington District is provided as part of the classes. The museum offers 90-minute tours of its historic houses daily for visitors and school groups. Docents can volunteer on a regular or as-needed basis.

In addition to the training course, Center for History volunteers receive complimentary continuing education, invitations to visit historic sites in the community and opportunities to meet new friends who share common interests in local history.

Tremendous work is accomplished by volunteers at the Center for History, and an added benefit is the friendships formed with staff and other volunteers.

To register or for more information, contact Deb Neumann, Volunteer Coordinator, at (574) 235-9664 x 264.

Honeywell Center Accepting Entries for Annual Themed Art Competition
The Honeywell Center’s Clark Gallery has announced "America" will be the theme for its annual art competition sponsored by MutualBank with additional support from the Wabash County Arts Council.

Any medium will be accepted as long as it depicts patriotism to reflect the "America" theme. "Think eagles, Statue of Liberty and flags," said Andrea Zwiebel, Gallery Coordinator. 

Entries will be accepted on Aug. 25 and 26.

The entry fee is $20 and covers up to three entries. 

Other guidelines and an entry form are available on the Honeywell Center Web site at http://www.honeywellcenter.org/.

The exhibit will be on display Aug. 28 through Sept. 24, with an artist reception scheduled for Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public.  Acceptances are appreciated. Contact Zwiebel at (260) 563-1102 x 501 or az@honeywellcenter.org for more information.

Northern Indiana Center for History Receives ArtsEverywhere Grant
An ArtsEverywhere grant in the amount of $5,000 has been awarded to the Northern Indiana Center for History by the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County in support of a lecture, theatre and film series as well as other programs related to the exhibit, Lincoln: The Man You Didn’t Know, which explores Lincoln’s boyhood in Indiana, his connections to Indiana as an adult and Indiana’s reactions to his years as President.

The exhibit is presented by The Museums at Washington and Chapin, comprising the Center for History and Studebaker National Museum. The exhibit and its programs are also sponsored in part by National City, South Bend Tribune, Villing and Company, Inc., WSBT Radio Group, and AT & T Real Yellow Pages.

The Lincoln Lecture, Theatre and Film Series includes the dramatic performances Mary, the Widow of Abraham Lincoln featuring Donna McCreary and An Afternoon with Mr. and Mrs. Lincoln featuring Max and Donna Daniels. Both will give audiences a deeper insight into the cultural and personal lives of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln.

Lectures in the Lincoln Series will include Looking for Lincoln, Schuyler Colfax: The Radical Republican, Valley of the Shadow, Christmas in the Confederacy, Collecting Lincoln and Local Underground Railroad History.

The Lincoln film series will be shown on the first Friday evening of each month, beginning Sept. 4. They include: Our American Cousin, Young Mr. Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln, The Prisoner of Shark Island, Friendly Persuasion, The Littlest Rebel and Virginia City.

All programs are free with the purchase of a museum admission.

National:

Curator of Collections and Exhibits at the McMinn County Living Heritage Museum in Athens, Tenn.
The Curator of Collections and Exhibits reports to the Executive Director.

Primary responsibilities include overseeing and implementing the management and care of the collection of over 7,000 artifacts including maintaining, updating and refining the PastPerfect collections database. Duties also include working with other members of the staff and volunteers to plan and enact all exhibits and programming and working closely with the Staging Committee with regard to collections management policy, accessioning, de-accessioning and loans, as well as planning and redevelopment of the current exhibit space within the next five years. Other tasks as assigned.

This is a permanent full time position. Some evening and weekend work is required. Individuals hired for this position will be required to give consent to criminal, child abuse and credit checks.

Competitive candidates will have:

• Broad understanding, interest and enthusiasm for Tennessee history.
• Excellent communication, public speaking and presentation skills.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationship with staff, trustees, volunteers, donors, visitors, collectors, professional colleagues and other members of the community.

Education: B.A. or higher in Museum Science, Museum Studies, Museum Administration, Anthropology or related field.

Qualified candidates should forward their resume and cover letter to The McMinn County Living Heritage Museum, P.O. Box 889, Athens, TN 37371; fax to (423) 745-0329; or e-mail to dhutsell@birch.net with RESUME in the subject heading. Deadline for Applications is 5 p.m. (EST) on Aug. 31.

Bringing History to Life: First-person Historical Presentations in Elementary and Middle School Social Studies by Ronald Vaughan Morris
Imagine a Founding Father visiting a classroom today, or a sailor from the War of 1812, an Amish man, a 19th-Century pioneer, or even a Civil War veteran. Ronald Morris has spent more than 25 years bringing these characters into classrooms and inspiring other educators to do the same. He now is synthesizing his vast knowledge and experience into a resource for all types of educators who help elementary and middle school aged children develop a love of history. Pre-service teachers can use this book as a model for developing their own styles of teaching social studies. Museum educators can use Bringing History to Life to enliven their presentations with students. Teachers in the classroom can use this resource to help their students develop first person presentations by reading about many examples across the grades. This resource is especially important as school districts reduce their budgets for field trips to popular museums that interpret history using this popular method. With this book as inspiration, educators can continue Bringing History to Life for their students.

Ronald Vaughan Morris teaches elementary and early childhood social studies methods to graduate and undergraduate students at Ball State University.

The book is published by Rowman and Littlefield and costs $44.50 for Cloth or $19.95 for Paper.

For more information or to order, visit http://www.rowmanlittlefield.com/.

The Civil War in American Memory Audio Podcast
This podcast from the Gilder Lehrman Institute features The Civil War in American Memory by Gary Gallagher

Since 1996, the Gilder Lehrman Institute has presented eminent historians discussing major topics in American history. Now you can hear these great historians on your computer, iPod or other portable media player. In this podcast, Gary Gallagher, John L. Nau III Professor in the History of the American Civil War at the University of Virginia, discusses different Civil War narratives that emerged in the popular consciousness after the war. From the “Lost Cause” rhetoric of the defeated Confederacy to the “Emancipation Cause” advanced by the Union, Gallagher explains the ways in which these narratives created a new American identity.

For more information or to hear the lecture, please visit http://www.gilderlehrman.org/wp/?p=367.

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.