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Please take a moment to introduce yourself to conference participants. You might like to tell us where you work, what city you are in, and about your role in the world of State and Local History. Don’t hesitate to tell us about your interests and why this conference is of particular interest to you.
Add your introduction in the “Share your thoughts/comments” space below, or click “reply” next to someone else’s post to offer your response to their introduction. Or call the LearningTimes record-by-phone system to record an audio introduction; select audio messages will appear here as well. The number in US/Canada is 1-800-609-9006 x8055. (Outside of US/Canada, call 678-255-2174 x8055).
We look forward to meeting you!
The Online AASLH Annual Meeting Team
HI! I am the Outreach Coordinator for three railroad museums in Council Bluffs, IA; The Union Pacific Railroad Museum, the Historic General Dodge House and the RailsWest Railroad Museum. My group, which will include staff and volunteers from the Council Bluffs Public Library, education volunteers from my program as well as staff from all three Museums. We are so excited to be a part of this opportunity!
Hi, I’m Lisa Adam, registrar and curator of artifacts at the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg, Texas. I’ll be attending the sessions with various members of our museum, including our director and our educator. We are a regional museum presenting the history of South Texas and northeastern Mexico.
Hello, This is my first experience with an on-line conference and I am looking forward to the opportunity. Time and money prevent attendance in Oklahoma but this gives me a chance to hear what’s happening in the Museum world first hand. I am the director of a small children’s museum in Mishawaka, IN. We are a hands-on history museum with strong ties to the community. Tours are brisk and we cater to school groups with emphasis on local history. Our museum also houses the Survive Alive house an interactive exhibit teaching fire safety to 1st, 3rd, and 5th graders. Our city firemen volunteer their time to teach 3 days a week. Check out our website at http://www.hlcm.org for more info on our facility.
Hi! Mary and Kathy here… We’re the staff for the Cabin, and will be tag-teaming the conference. Kudos to AASLH for offering an affordable for small museums to get the benefits of training without breaking the bank!!
Job Carr Cabin Museum tells the stories of the pioneer years and early formation of Tacoma, Washington, through the life and experiences of our great city’s first non-native permanent resident. We are housed in a replica cabin, built using photos and journals to provide the visitor with an authentic experience when they “step inside.” Our education program, which includes traveling trucks and field trip visits, was designed by a 3rd grade classroom teacher and the curriculum is accredited by Tacoma School District.
We look forward to learning from (and networking with) other small museum folks!
I meant to say “traveling trunks.” No, we don’t have a fleet of vehicles…
Hello, I am the City of Gladstone (MO) Economic Development Administrator. Our office is currently working to restore a National Registry Site that is a historic house. It will become a historic house museum. We are still in the planning stages and have just completed phase 1 of the restoration work which addressed all the exterior restoration on the home. We are still in the beginning stages of planning our museum and need all the help we can get! Attending our online conference are not only our volunteers but also other historic museum and tourism partners from our area/county.
To learn more about our efforts or see what we’ve accomplished to date please visit us at http://www.atkinsjohnsonfarm.com
Hello from Forney, Texas. The directors for the Forney Historic Preservation League and Spellman Museum of Forney History are looking forward to learning from this 2010 Online Conference.
Hello, I am the director of a Pioneer Museum in Utah. This is a wonderful affordable opportunity to learn about what others are doing. We are all volunteers and enjoy sharing our stories and artifacts with the young and the more mature visitor.
Hello from Los Angeles. I’m a graduate student (MPA- Nonprofit Management) at the University of Southern California. I write a blog called Know Your Own Bone (www.colleendilen.com) which focuses on the evolution of social change in museums and nonprofit organizations- with a strong focus on social networks, community engagement, and Generation Y. I’m excited to experience how AASLH is engaging networks and cultivating leaders/leadership strategies online.
It’s nice to virtually meet you all and I am looking forward to the conference this week!
Hello!
I am an interpretive park ranger at the James A. Garfield National Historic Site in Mentor, Ohio. Among other duties, I am the volunteer coordinator for our group of 30 or so folks. I am joined by Bridget Ambrisco, who manages the volunteer program for Cuyahoga Valley National Park, through the park’s friends group, Cuyahoga Valley National Parks Association. Also here are Mary Rhodes and Mimi Bogard from the First Ladies National Historic Site. We look forward to connecting with you tomorrow!
Hi, I am the founding curator/administrator of the Westchester Township History Museum, which is operated as an educational and cultural service of Westchester Public Library. The museum, which opened in 1998, is located in the Brown Mansion (no relation!) in Chesterton, IN, in the Indiana Dunes country, about 60 miles southeast of Chicago.
The museum is open free of charge five days a week. We offer temporary and permanent exhibits, public and school tours, monthly public programs, a free research service and a museum store.
I’m looking forward to attending the conference with our museum educator, registrar, volunteer coordinator and researcher.
Aloha,
I’m the treasurer for the Laupahoehoe Train Museum. We are the only train museum in Hawaii. Lisa Barton, our president, and Sue Dela Cruz, our outreach coordinator will be attending with me. We are looking forward to hearing about what everyone is doing to overcome our economic situation.
Salut! We are the Pointe Coupée Historical Society located in one of Louisiana’s (& America’s) oldest settlements. In addition to traditional historical society initiatives (such as lectures, state historic markers, and publications), we recently purchased and renovated (through generous donations) a former high school in the center of our parish (county) seat. We are in the beginning stages of developing the 3-story building into a sustainable museum and arts center for our community. I’m Angélique, the Society’s ED. Several board members will also be attending.
Bien merci, AASLH, pour ça-là!
Hello. This is my first opportunity to participate in this online conference. Our museum is a small one in Le Roy, Illinois. We had a board of several members, all of whom have gone well beyond retirement age and have since backed away from participating. We are very small, with just 6 board members and perhaps 10-12 volunteers. We currently face a monumental task of cataloging and inventory of what exactly our collection entails. I am looking forward to the conference and hope to gain some insight to bring back to the board members in order to facilitate a better way to manage our goals and objectives.
The museum is the Empire Township Historical Museum. We do not currently have a website but are working on one.
Melinda,
What a small world: I lived, worked, and went to school in Bloomington, IL, for years, and have been to Le Roy several times! I’m glad to see you here.
Hello from Crawfordsville, Indiana! I am Amanda Wesselmann, the Associate Director of the General Lew Wallace Study & Museum. The Museum is a National Historic Landmark with the mission to celebrate and renew the belief in the power of the individual spirit to affect American history and culture. My main responsibilities are coordinating volunteers and planning educational programs, though like many in small museums I also vacuum.
Hello,
We are graduate students in the M.A. program in public humanities at Brown University’s John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage.
Hello all. I am Anna from Fort Collins, Colorado. I am a recent graduate of a Public History program and looking to improve my skills. I am not currently associated with a museum or site but I am looking.
Many of the sessions sounded interesting and would be beneficial to me once I enter the field.
If you have attended Mountain Plains Museums Association and Colorado-Wyoming Association of Museums conferences so maybe we have run into each other.
Enjoy the conference.
We are members of the staff of the Missouri State Museum including educators, curators, and exhibit people. The museum is one of Missouri’s State Parks. Along with us may be some folks from other State Parks programs who are interested in attending.
The Missouri State Museum is located in the Missouri State Capitol.
Hello from Phoenix, Arizona!
I am a Museum Educator in the Education and Outreach Division at the Arizona Historical Society. We offer outreach/community programs, we are the institutional sponsor for National History Day, and we collaborate with many organizations around the state. I am part of a state-wide division and am excited to attend this session to share ideas around Arizona.
And I’m Holly Young, at Pueblo Grande Museum, just down the road from Megan. I’m normally the Curator of Collections, but my job duties have broadened somewhat, and I’m interested in a number of the issues being addressed by AASLH in this annual meeting.
Bob bd was my supervisor when he worked in the history center. I continue working as the volunteer and intern coordinaton. However, I have a private company called Family Legfacy Preserevations. I have been working with families and individuals helping them to capture their families’ histories for many years and have also tought that as a college writing course. I am developing the meterials and a website. I would appriciate suggestions and questions.
Hello All – Beth Beatty from Fort Mifflin on the Delaware, Philadelphia PA. I am a new Executive Director walking into an office that has been vacant for about 6 months and has deteriorated into disarray. I am hoping to use the conference to focus my vision and get useful suggestions.
Hello from California! I’m the Manager of Museum Services for California State Parks. We have museum collections in many of our 278 state parks throughout California. I am responsible for collections managment policy development, technical support, training for our collection managers, and many other duties as well. I usually attend the annual meeting in person, but couldn’t make it this year so I’m glad to share this online experience with all of you.
Hello from Auburn, NY. I am the Executive Director of the Seward House Museum. The Seward House is a NHL built in 1816 and home to William Henry Seward and his family. Seward was governor of NY, senator from NY and Secretary of State under President Lincoln. The home has been restored to its original beauty and features an unmatched collection of political and travel souvenirs, decorative arts and photographs that spans William Seward’s nearly forty-year political career.
Hi!
I am the education specialist from The National Archives at Seattle. I am also responsible for portions of the volunteer program. Grateful for the online experience if I am ever able to log on.
Hi,
I am the principal of a firm that consults on collections and interpretation, especially exhibit development. I’ve been doing this for 20 years in Atlanta, and get to work with a variety of small to mid-sized organizations, mostly museums and historical societies, but also schools, hospitals, and corporations.
Hello,
I am the president of a newly formed historical society in Milford in western NJ. I am a recent college graduate and I’m new to the nonprofit sector. Our organization does not have a museum or any physical facilities yet, but we have several ongoing projects such as an oral history collection, a 2011 community centennial festival, and a book about Milford’s history.
Hi,
I’m Jennifer Haines the Education Director at Seward House Museum in Auburn, NY. This is my first time doing anything like this. I’m really looking forward to the session.
Good Afternoon;
I’m Shirley Pierson, Mendota Museum & Historical Society, Mendota, IL. We have three museums in our Society; Union Depot Railroad Museum, Breaking the Prairie Museum (barn and chapel), and our historical museum, Hume-Carnegie Museum. I am a retired school teacher who took on the position of General Manager.
Good Morning,
I’m Alexis Parsons, the Museum Assistant at the Seward House Museum in Auburn, NY. I do many things at the museum including working on MAP. I really look forward to learning more.