Category: general

Blogging History: Web 2.0 products Create Opportunities

In York, PA an active community of bloggers share stories about the past and Jim McClure, a York Daily Record columnist, has written about the transformations associated with these and other web 2.0 products.

Here are some of  Jim’s observations:

  • “For the past 75 years, those doing York-area history were a successive handful of serious-minded, well-intentioned scholars who wrote some, but mostly spoke and gathered research about our past. Others doing history navigated their ideas and research through this filter.  With the Web, what some call the democratization of information is playing out, and York County’s longtime vertical world of historical research has flattened out”
  • “The Web offers a wide open opportunity for other historical, cultural and community groups.  Many are struggling to retain membership and gain an audience at their museums . . . “ 
  • “People gather virtually in this digital space to exchange information about their diverse local history interests.

The article mentions Blake Stough’s preservingyork.com website as a prime examples of  a site that is providing engaging content while growing a “virtual community.”

Check out Jim’s full article here.

Attended Workshop on Inclusive Interpretation

“Inclusive Interpretation” was the subject of a workshop I attended last week at Historic London Town.  Opportunities for museums and libraries to become more inclusive as community centers for dialogue about important issues was the central theme.  Susie Wilkening, the curator of museum audiences for Reach Advisors and Jack Tchen, the co-founder of the Museum of Chinese American Museum, expertly lead us through discussion about interpreting challenging issues, how to create dialogue based programs to involve visitors, and how America’s changing demographics are affecting museums, during the day.  It was a helpful workshop and has provided me with new ideas to use in interpretive programs.

Day After Thanksgiving is the National Day of Listening

The Story Corp, a national organization that has helped over 50,000 people share life stories with family and friends, has designated the day after Thanksgiving as the “national listening day.” On this special day, when the holiday shopping season gets underway, people are encouraged to set aside time to record a conservation with someone important to them.  What a wonderful idea to encourage people to record the living memories of their families, communities and other aspects of the past.

Chautauqua Presentation: Maryland in the Era of Woody Guthrie

The Maryland Humanities Council examined some memorable social reformers during the July Chautauqua.  Offered each summer throughout the state, the series utilizes scholars to interpret important characters from our past.  This year there were performances about Woody Guthrie, Jackie Robinson, and Eleanor Roosevelt.

For each living history interpretation an additional scholar opens with an associated program. I opened for Woody Guthrie with a talk about the Chesapeake region in the folk musician and social critics era. I had a great time putting that photo-illustrated program together, as we examined the Great Depression, World War II and the arrival of the Cold War in Maryland.

chautaqua
This flyer is for the Chautauqua which was making its way through Maryland in 1913. The Humanities Council brought these programs back about ten years ago, and lots of people look forward to this annual summer entertainment.