At a rapid pace these days, old newspapers are being digitized and made openly available to researchers, and as I work on projects I often find additional collections of these valuable publications. Some are completely digitized and fully text searchable, while on demand PDFs make up others. Either way, as we undergo a revolution in…
Year: 2014
Working to Develop and Share Community Stories for Traveling Exhibit, Hometown Teams
I am pleased to serve as a “museum capacity building consultant” for a Smithsonian Institution Museum on Main Street traveling exhibition, Hometown Teams. While touring Maryland from February 2014 to November 2015, this program explores the connection between sports and American culture. A team of consultants will help host institutions identify regional stories, develop engaging content,…
An Unconventional Technique: Looking for a Police Officer When Researching the Past in a New Community
I often have the opportunity to investigate rich, deep, and varied narratives about the past in unfamiliar towns and communities. The distinctive heritage of these places, along with the complex forces that connect communities and families to their roots, is something I enjoy digging up during my research. One unconventional technique I have honed over my decades of…
Wilmington Library Has Valuable Storehouse of Information in the Delaware Index
The Wilmington Library, established in 1788, has been collecting Delaware materials for centuries, and the reference department has many useful resources. But one gem that should not be overlooked is the “Delaware Index,” a unique pre-computer age catalog of 3 x 5 cards and vertical files with materials from 1922 to 1977. For the better part…