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Preservation Classes 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.

Introduction to Preservation
This live online class will be held on Thu., April 17, from 2-4 p.m. EST, with a mandatory follow-up on April 24 and May 1.

The cost is $145 for SOLINET members and $195 for non-members. Early bird discounts and late fees may apply.

For more information about this course visit http://tinyurl.com/2dtxq8.

Introduction to Grants for Preservation
This live online class will be held on Fri., April 18, from 10 a.m.-noon EST.

The cost is $100 for SOLINET members and $150 for non-members. Early bird discounts and late fees may apply.

For more information about this course visit http://tinyurl.com/76eeb.

For more information or to register for these courses, contact Vanessa Richardson at (800) 999-8558, e-mail vrichardson@solinet.net or visit our website at www.solinet.net for full descriptions and online registration.

Civic Engagement at Historic Sites Workshop
This workshop will be held on April 21, 2008, at the Oak Park Public Library in Oak Park, Illinois.

Civic Engagement at Historic Sites will explore the benefits of community engagement, outline the successful skills and strategies needed for facilitating dialogues and discussions, how to identify appropriate partners and forge collaborations that are mutually beneficial, suggest methods for constructing tours that support civic engagement and provide tools for assessing and planning civic engagement initiatives.

The registration deadline is March 21.

For more information or to register visit www.aaslh.org/workshop.htm or call (615) 320-3203.

World of the Model T International Conference
In 2008, the "Car of the Century" turns 100. Celebrate this landmark event by attending the conference on July 17-19 in southeastern Michigan.

Two full days of programming will satisfy auto historians and enthusiasts of all persuasions. Discuss, listen and explore presentations on the impact and influence of the Model T Ford in the United States and the world. Spend a day with expert guides visiting historic sites associated with the Model T story. Enjoy a full day of presentations and programs at The Henry Ford, including a closing banquet in Greenfield Village.

Plan now to attend this once-in-a-lifetime celebration. Registration information can be found at http://www.thehenryford.org/events/modelT/conferences.asp.

Seminar for Historical Administration
This event will be held from Nov. 1-22, 2008, at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center in Indianapolis.

For 49 years, the Seminar for Historical Administration (SHA) has provided an intensive residential professional development experience for history professionals.

SHA is specifically targeted to full-time, paid staff of history museums, historic sites, preservation or other history/museum organizations with three to ten years of experience and who are now in a position of administrative responsibility or are preparing for such a position.

SHA is the longest-running professional development seminar in the country and the only one sponsored by six major history organizations: American Association for State and Local History, American Association of Museums, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, the Indiana Historical Society, the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

SHA employs case studies, workshops, forums and field trips to present and engage the best practices and ideas of history organization leadership and management.

Topics include trustee relations, interpretation, financial management, museum and community, marketing, trends in history and society, historic preservation, ethics, exhibitions, fundraising, managing change and human resources.

The SHA tuition is $1,200, and lodging with some meals included is $1,355.

Applications are available at http://www.aaslh.org/histadmin.htm and are due by May 15.

Programs

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

Little Women Novel Tea
This “novel” experience with IUPUI English Professor Jane E. Schultz will take place at the Morris-Butler House on Sat., March 29, from 1-3 p.m.

Bring your copy of Little Women to the Second Empire-style house museum and enjoy a traditional Victorian tea in the elegant dining room. Whether you’ve just finished the book or are about to start, this afternoon tea is perfect for you! Over delicious treats featured in the book, such as gingerbread, chicken salad sandwiches, fresh fruit, buttermilk scones and ice cream, we'll discuss the novel, investigate its historical setting and examine the author's unique life. End the afternoon by making a bookmark to take home!

Tea provided exclusively by Tea’s Me Café.

Tickets are $18 for members and $22 for non-members. Reservations are required.

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

Friends of the Indiana State Archives Annual Meeting
The 18th annual meeting will be held at noon on Tue., April 8, 2008, at the Indiana Medical History Museum, 3045 W. Vermont St., Indianapolis, Indiana.

Dr. James Fuller, University of Indianapolis associate professor of history, will present The Problem with Papers: Oliver P. Morton and the Archives at the meeting.

For years historians have assured would-be biographers of Governor Morton that such a project cannot be done because "there are no personal papers and the public records have all been used to the point that there is nothing more to say." How does a biographer address this "problem with papers," or, more accurately, of having few papers?

The meeting will begin with a buffet luncheon. A brief business meeting will follow immediately and will include the election of officers and board members for the coming year. Attendees may stay for a brief tour of the museum following the program.

The price of the luncheon is $15 per person, including tax and gratuity, payable at the meeting.

Reservations are requested by Fri., April 4. They may be made by leaving word with Connie Rendfeld, either by telephone at (317) 925-3671, or by e-mail at carendfeld@aol.com.

Three One-Act Mysteries in Victorian Theater by Candlelight
The President's Theater at the President Benjamin Harrison Home will stage Victorian Theatre by Candlelight performances of three one-act mysteries of Deceived, Doomed and Departed in three rooms of the presidential mansion at 1230 N. Delaware St. in Indianapolis.

The event will take place on April 18-19 and 25-26 and May 2-4 at 8 p.m., plus a matinee on Sun., May 4, at 2 p.m.

The three plays to be presented depict three groups of people trapped in isolated areas, three mysteries that need to be solved; three episodes of mounting terror.

They are:

In Memoriam – A story of deception unfolds in the front parlor in Marlene Remington’s play, an adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians. This play has a surprise ending that even Christie would have found shocking. Five people, each with a dark past, are invited to a party on a remote island in the St. Lawrence Seaway. The guests find that they have been abandoned with no means of escape. As their numbers start declining, they desperately try to deduce who among them is the murderer. In Memoriam is directed by Organ with a cast of Sue Beecher, James Hayes, Steve Skelton, Jim Trofatter, Steve Viehweg and Donna Wing.
Sorry, Wrong Number – Doom abounds in the master bedroom in Lucille Fletcher’s acclaimed play. An invalid woman isolated in her New York City apartment overhears a telephone conversation about a murder plot. Evidently the wires have crossed. As she tries frantically to solicit help for the intended victim, she pieces together a chilling puzzle. Sorry, Wrong Number is directed by Jim Trofatter with a cast including Bev Gray, Gary Larreategui, Erika Organ and David Pleiss.
The Door – The departed await us in the dining room in John Murray’s play. On an isolated cliff on the Maine coast, a private duty nurse arrives at the home of her patient, a man injured in an accident. She is not permitted to see her patient, who is kept behind a locked door by his wife. Is she to become a prisoner in this desolate mansion? And what lies behind the door? The Door is directed by Donna Wing, creative director of the Victorian Theatre by Candlelight, with a cast of Jill Murrell and Susie Townsend.

Audience members will rotate through each of three rooms of the Presidential mansion, experiencing suspense and intrigue while sitting within the four walls of the “stage.” Candlelight and other ambient lighting will provide a unique atmosphere that will draw the audience into the mystery; they will be more than mere spectators.

Tickets are $18 per person and $15 for members, seniors and students.

Reservations are required and can be secured by calling (317) 631-1888. For more information visit www.presidentbenjaminharrison.org.

Military Re-enactments Coming to Fort Harrison
Three military re-enactments, all open to the public, are coming to Fort Harrison State Park.

The first, a Vietnam tactical demonstration, will take place on April 19. The camp will be open to the public from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. The "battle" will be staged at 2 p.m.
On May 10 and 11, the second battle of Fall Creek, part of the Civil War, will be re-enacted. The camp will be open to the public from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m. each day. The public "battle" will begin at 3 p.m. on May 10, and 2 p.m. on May 11.
The Fort returns to peacetime until Sept. 20, when a World War II tactical demonstration will take place. The camp will be open to the public from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., with the battle demonstration commencing at 2 p.m.

The year's military events will close on Nov. 15 with the USO dance/Casablanca night at The Garrison.

For more information on any of these events, call Jeff Cummings at (317) 591-0122, or write to M20CW, Museum of 20th Century Warfare, P.O. Box 501277, Indianapolis, IN 46250.

Funding Opportunities

2008 Save America’s Treasures Grants
These grants are available for preservation and/or conservation work on nationally significant intellectual and cultural artifacts and nationally significant historic structures and sites. Grants are administered by the National Park Service (NPS) in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Eligible activities include the conservation treatment and preservation of nationally significant intellectual and cultural collections. This includes documents, photographs, books and works of art on paper.

The award levels are $25,000 to $700,000 on a 1:1 matching basis.

Collections must be of national significance. See the guidelines at http://www.nps.gov/history/hps/treasures/ for more information.

The deadline is May 20, 2008.

This year ALL applications must be submitted through www.grants.gov, the Federal government grant Web site. Paper applications will not be accepted.

Be sure to register EARLY with Grants.gov – the registration process can take up to 3 weeks.

The Northeast Document Conservation Center can help you prepare by generating estimates and helping with descriptions of the conditions of your collections. To discuss a grant project, contact Walter Newman at waltern@nedcc.org or call (978) 470-1010.

IHS News

Family Day: Circus Day
This event will be held on Sat., March 29, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center.

The performances and workshops are free of charge, and there is an additional cost for food and activities.

Start clowning around and celebrate Indiana’s circus history at the eighth annual Circus Day, featuring live animal shows, clowns, magicians, stilt walkers and unicyclists; magic, juggling, acrobatics, dog tricks, humor and more.

Activities include: circus workshops, face painting, balloon sculpture, crafts, photo opportunities, carnival games and a calliope. Snacks will be available for purchase.

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

South Shore Line Centennial Conference: The Last Electric Interurban Railway
This conference, presented by the Midwest Railroad Research Center of the Indiana Historical Society, will take place from June 26-28 at the South Bend Regional Airport.

The cost for the three days of activities is $45.

For more information or to register visit http://www.indianahistory.org/southshoreline.htm.

Help

Volunteers Needed to Learn and Practice Preservation Skills
The IHS Conservation lab is seeking ten volunteers to work on Mon., April 28 and/or Tue., April 29, with lab staff and to learn how to surface clean a very large collection of heavily soiled paper items including books, pamphlets and letters.

Would you like to learn about how to apply surface cleaning techniques to historical paper collections and volunteer your time to help conserve an actual research collection? Volunteers will learn about a variety of surface cleaning techniques and which technique is appropriate in individual treatment cases. We ask that you devote at least a four-hour time period to practice and assist the cleaning of part of an extensive collection of rail road material which will be cataloged by our Printed Collections staff and made available for research to the public.

Ramona Duncan-Huse, senior director of Conservation, will be available throughout the day to instruct and answer questions about your institutional collections. We hope to see some familiar faces from the preservation workshops conducted by Ramona through Local History Services, and look forward to hearing from you!

Please contact Alex Trumbull, conservation technician, by April 15 at atrumbull@indianahistory.org or (317) 234-0094.

Exhibits

Family Patterns of Tradition
This quilt exhibit will be held at the Hinkle-Garton Farmstead in Bloomington on Sat., March 29, from 1-4 p.m.

The thirty-two quilts were created by two generations of the Brown family of Butler County, Kentucky, from the 1940s through the 1990s. Special family pieces and reminiscences add to the exhibit’s sense of family and place.

Members of the Wylie House Quilters group will be demonstrating onsite as they complete personal projects, and visitors of all ages will be invited to try their hand at quilting!

The farmstead is located at 2920 E. 10th St. in Bloomington. The site is free and open to the public.

For more information call (812) 336-0909 or visit www.bloomingtonrestorations.org.

New Artists Show
This juried show will highlight area high school students’ work in 11 mediums.

The award ceremony and reception will be held on April 6 from 2-4 p.m. at the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, located at 102 S. 10th St., and the exhibit will be on display from April 8 through May 3.

2008 marks the 29th year for this partnership between the Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Kappa Kappa, a not-for-profit philanthropic sorority that exists only in Indiana, and the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette.

The following high schools have been invited to submit works for the juried show:
Attica, Benton Central, Central Catholic, Concord, Crawfordsville Senior, Faith Christian, First Assembly Christian Academy, Frontier, Jefferson, McCutcheon, Rossville, Seeger Memorial, West Lafayette and William Henry Harrison.

For more information, visit www.artlafayette.org.

Job Opportunities

Collections Assistant at Minnetrista
The Collections Assistant will assist archivist and collections manager in day-to-day activities of the department, including, but not limited to, processing object and archival collections; handling, moving and storing objects and archival material; conducting inventories; scanning; photography and researching collections.

Qualifications include a Bachelor’s degree in American or public history, museum studies or a related field or substantial work completed toward such a degree. Completed internship in museum collections preferred.

This position requires demonstrated organizational skills, planning and project management skills; proficiency with technology including database management, scanning, digitization, Microsoft Office products and digital photography; experience doing research using primary and secondary resources; excellent communication skills, both oral and written; ability to work both independently and as part of a team; ability to climb ladders and lift up to 50 lbs. PastPerfect collections management software experience preferred. Must have a valid driver’s license and be willing to travel.

To apply send a cover letter, resume and references to:

Terri Hutchison
Director of Human Resources
Minnetrista
1200 N. Minnetrista Parkway
Muncie, IN 47303-2925
thutchison@minnetrista.net
765-213-3540 x139
765-741-5110 (fax)

On the Internet

WoodsUp
This is a new Web site for 4th through 8th-graders from the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

For fun while learning, visit www.WoodsUp.com to find out about:

Art and music
The Environment
History
Peace and Justice
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin
Faith and Values

A special section for parents and teachers is also included.

Report: Museums and Libraries Engaging America’s Youth
The Institute of Museum and Library Services has produced this Final Report of a Study of IMLS Youth Programs, 1998-2003.

The report includes the findings from more than 400 surveys of museum and library programs that serve youth from ages 9 to 19.

For the complete report, visit http://www.imls.gov/pdf/YouthReport.pdf.

Orphans Corner

Books Available
Library of Congress, Subject Headings, IV volumes, 1993. One set only.

Due to the weight of the books, they must be picked up at the Indiana Historical Society, Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center, 450 W. Ohio St., Indianapolis, IN.

Call (800) 447-1830 and ask for Local History Services or e-mail jharris@indianahistory.org.

Items will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

Note from the Editor

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 col@indianahistory.org or 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.