BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Mass History Commons - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://masshistorycommons.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Mass History Commons REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/New_York BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20210314T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20211107T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20220313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20221106T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20230312T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20231105T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20240310T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20241103T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20250309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20251102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20260308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20261101T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250321T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250321T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20250317T193507Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250324T174553Z UID:34268-1742558400-1742563800@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversation on the Commons: Putting the Public in Publishing History DESCRIPTION:Putting the Public in Publishing History\nMarch 21\, 2025\n12:00-1:30pm \nThe gold standard of having done research in local history used to be to get it published. Is publishing the imprimatur from the history community that it once was? If you want to bring your information to the public\, or sell it\, might you as well create a website or (gasp!) self-publish? Or does it have advantages to having your or your organization’s book published by an actual publisher? What does it take to get a publisher interested in your work? And what does it get you? What series are out there? What trends? Join us for a conversation with and tips from two seasoned pros from the publishing world: Mary Dougherty from the University of Massachusetts Press and Erin Vosgien from Arcadia Publishing. \n  \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \n  \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. Questions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n  \nAbout our speakers: \nMary Dougherty (she/her/hers) became the third director of UMass Press in 2014. Before coming to UMass\, she worked at both Bedford/St. Martin’s and Houghton Mifflin in Boston. She earned a PhD in American literature from Rutgers. Mary collaborates with all members of the Press staff\, and she manages the Press’s financial and strategic planning\, university relations\, and fundraising. She also manages the Juniper Literary Contest. \nErin Vosgien has been an acquisitions editor with Arcadia Publishing\, the nation’s leading publisher of regional and local history\, for 22 years. Born and raised in New England\, she currently resides in New Hampshire with her family. Her work through Arcadia has allowed her to combine her love of history and writing with the joy of connecting with historians\, community groups\, and archives across the county to share their passion for their community’s stories. \n\nConversations on the Commons Where people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-putting-the-public-in-publishing-history/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/MHA-COTC-2.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250228T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250228T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20250205T221523Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250220T162347Z UID:34114-1740744000-1740749400@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Reality Check: How Much Funding Is at Risk for MA History Organizations? DESCRIPTION:Reality Check: How Much Funding Is at Risk for Massachusetts History Organizations? \nFriday\, February 28th from 12-1:30pm on Zoom \n\nA Conversation on the Commons that will break down exactly how federal funding changes will impact history organizations in Massachusetts. Featuring David Slatery of Mass Cultural Council\, Katherine Stevens of Mass Humanities\, and Elizabeth O’Connell of the Massachusetts Archives.\n\n \nFederal funding is in great turmoil at the moment. Join us in breaking down what funding and projects stand to be affected in the realm of public history in Massachusetts. Which sources in Massachusetts are connected to federal funding\, which are part of the state budget\, and which are a little of both? What funding is private? How can your organization find out the funding sources for particular grants and initiatives? Part 2\, coming this fall\, will consider how we should respond and advocate.\n\n \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. Questions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n  \nAbout our panelists: \nElizabeth O’Connell has spent the last three years working in digital archives at the Massachusetts Archives\, and has been the head of the Digital Team for the past year. Her team works to preserve and make accessible online historic states’ records; particularly those records of historically marginalized groups\, records of international interest\, and records on delicate physical media. She also serves on the State Historical Records Advisory Board where she advises on matters related to digital record preservation and digitization.  \nDavid T. Slatery has served as Mass Cultural Council’s Deputy Executive Director since 2012. Under the Executive Director\, Dave provides executive leadership and support and counsel to the Agency and Council Members. He also serves as Chief Legal Officer for the Agency. \nKatherine Stevens is Director of Grants and Programs at Mass Humanities. \n  \n\nConversations on the Commons Where people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-reality-check-how-much-funding-is-at-risk/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events),Mass History Alliance ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/MHA-COTC-1.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20250110T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20250110T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20241220T180230Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241220T180230Z UID:34043-1736510400-1736515800@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Rev(ing) Up History: Promoting Tourism for the Big Anniversary DESCRIPTION:Rev(ving) Up History: Promoting Tourism for the Big Anniversary \nFriday\, January 10\, 2025\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \n\nA Conversation on the Commons featuring Sheila Green of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism and Jonathan Lane of Rev250\n\n \nAmerica’s Semiquincentennial is just around the corner and Massachusetts is preparing for two years of commemoration. What events might your site plan? Are there ways to promote your organization’s Revolutionary story? Is there funding available to participate in the commemoration? Join us for a Conversation with Sheila Green of the Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism and Jonathan Lane of Revolution 250 to learn about statewide efforts to “rev up” tourism in 2025 and 2026\, and how you can get involved. \n\n \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. Questions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons Where people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-revving-up-history/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events),Mass History Alliance ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/COTC_Jan25.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241213T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241213T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20241210T204953Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241216T162909Z UID:34003-1734091200-1734096600@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: The "Joys" of Holiday Programming DESCRIPTION:Candles\, Gifts\, Community Cheer: The “Joys” of Holiday Programming \nFriday\, December 13\, 2024\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \n\nA Conversation on the Commons featuring Aida Gennis\, co-chair of the Holiday Open House at the Grout-Heard House Museum in Wayland since 2003.\n\n \nIt’s December and we’re up to our necks in cookies and lights. What are the opportunities and pitfalls of creating joy around the winter holidays? Does your organization do holiday programming? Is it traditional or non-sectarian? What sorts of activities are a part of it? Does it have a historical motif? Join us for a conversation on the gifts conveyed by and pitfalls to avoid in holiday programming.\n\n \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. Questions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons Where people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-the-joys-of-holiday-programming/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events),Mass History Alliance ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/COTC_Dec.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20241122T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20241122T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20241107T165340Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241216T163045Z UID:33934-1732276800-1732282200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: How to Make a Living in History DESCRIPTION:How to Make A Living in History \nFriday\, November 22\, 2024\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \n\nA Conversation on the Commons featuring two panelists from very different experiences\, and with very different career paths\, in the public history field.\n\n \n“What are you going to do with that degree?” the history major is asked. It’s tough enough to get a job in the history field\, let alone to truly make a living. How might you go about finding a job and then building a career that will enable you to support yourself in the public history field? Join us for a Conversation on the Commons with Ted Clark of Hubtown Tours and Rachel Hoyle of The Shirley Eustis House on November 22 from 12 – 1:30pm.\n\n \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. Questions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons Where people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-how-to-make-a-living-in-history/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events),Mass History Alliance ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/MHA-COTC.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240531T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240531T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20240505T171954Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241216T163215Z UID:33046-1717156800-1717162200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Public History in Our Public Consciousness DESCRIPTION:Public History in Our Public Consciousness \nFriday\, May 31\, 2024\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nDuring an election year\, the media likes to reference historical numbers and facts. People quote their versions of what is the ‘true’ history of their country/state/city\, sparring on who did what to whom and when. What does history\, in all of its many forms\, look like in the public consciousness? Is there a more productive way to engage history in the political process? How is public history of use to those of us in the field in an election year? How can we be of use to the community? How might historical organizations model productive uses of history? How might historical organizations engage people from across the political spectrum or encourage civic reflection rooted in history? \nJoin us for a conversation tackling these and similar issues on Friday\, May 31\, 12:00-1:30pm with Margo Shea\, Professor of Public History at Salem State University\, and Noelle Trent\, Executive Director of the African American History Museum in Boston and Nantucket. \nBring your lunch and questions\, observations\, successes\, and failures! And join us for an engaging\, possibly difficult\, and certainly worthwhile discussion. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-public-history-in-our-public-consciousness/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events),Mass History Alliance ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Conversation-on-the-Commons-Public-History-in-Our-Public-Consciousness.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240322T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240322T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20231208T181045Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241216T163821Z UID:33044-1711108800-1711114200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Exhibit Planning\, Part 2 DESCRIPTION:Exhibits: What’s a Small Museum to Do? Part II – Building and Implementation \nMarch 22\, 2024\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nWe’ve all visited exhibits in larger museums that lead us to scratch our heads in envy. So smart\, so wonderfully inviting to interaction\, so beautiful\, so … expensive. Moreover\, our visitors\, not in the least their kids\, have been to those places as well. How can a small museum create exhibits to work with the public’s sophisticated expectations? Is it all about hiring expensive designers\, consultants\, cabinet makers\, and computer specialists? Join us for two back-to-back Conversations on the Commons entitled Exhibits: What’s a Small Museum to Do? Part I will tackle concept and design — in other words\, the planning. Part II will take on the installation and technology — that is\, the implementation. \nJoin us with your questions\, ideas\, successes\, less-than-successes\, and comments on Friday\, March 22\, noon to 1:30\, for part two of this Conversation! We’ll discuss the nitty gritty of practical exhibit building and implementation. Hard hats not included! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-exhibit-planning-part-2/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/The-Mass-History-Alliance-Presents-1.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240315T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240315T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20231208T180357Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241216T163920Z UID:33042-1710504000-1710509400@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Exhibit Planning\, Part 1 DESCRIPTION:Exhibits: What’s a Small Museum to Do? Part I – Design and Conception \nFriday\, March 15\, 2024\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nWe’ve all visited exhibits in larger museums that lead us to scratch our heads in envy. So smart\, so wonderfully inviting to interaction\, so beautiful\, so … expensive. Moreover\, our visitors\, not in the least their kids\, have been to those places as well. How can a small museum create exhibits to work with the public’s sophisticated expectations? Is it all about hiring expensive designers\, consultants\, cabinet makers\, and computer specialists? Join us for two back-to-back Conversations on the Commons entitled Exhibits: What’s a Small Museum to Do? Part I will tackle concept and design — in other words\, the planning. Part II will take on the installation and technology — that is\, the implementation. \nJoin us with your questions\, ideas\, successes\, less-than-successes\, and comments on Friday\, March 15\, 12-1:30pm for the first part of this Conversation. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-exhibit-planning-part-1/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/The-Mass-History-Alliance-Presents-1.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240223T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240223T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20231208T175348Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240219T172516Z UID:33040-1708689600-1708695000@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Navigating Born-Digital Materials DESCRIPTION:Navigating Born-Digital Materials \nFebruary 23 2024\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \n\n\n\nSocial media posts\, correspondence\, oral histories\, videos of events\, twitter poetry\, community bulletin boards\, photographs. Any number of forms of born-digital media and correspondence vie for the attention of archivists and curators of small historical organizations — and not only in the inbox or online. The questions surrounding collecting and preserving them are materially different from the past\, when we collected paper\, or even when we digitized paper-based collections. \n\n\n\n\n\nDoes your organization hesitate to collect materials whose only existence is digital? What do you collect of your own records? Other materials? How do you choose? How do or should you keep them safe? What about formats? Do you have a budget and what are budget-friendly practices? \n\n\n\n\n\nOn February 23 at noon\, join Massachusetts Digital Archivist Elizabeth O’Connell\, in conversation with Amita Kiley of the Lawrence History Center and Penni Martorell of Wistariahurst in Holyoke\, for a conversation on collecting and preserving born-digital materials\, both as part of your own record keeping and to collect the 21st century. We’re going to take a stab at developing guidelines for our digital collecting. Bring your practices\, questions\, and tips for retaining our sanity! \n\n\n\nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n  \nAbout our presenters: \nElizabeth O’Connell has spent the last three years working in digital archives at the Massachusetts Archives\, and has been the head of the Digital Team for the past year. Her focus has been on identifying and making accessible records of marginalized groups in Massachusetts\, preserving oral histories\, and digitizing records of international interest. She also serves on the State Historical Records Advisory Board where she assists with matters related to digital record preservation and digitization. She believes that digital archives are the future of archives and a way to make more equitable access to our shared history. She has an undergraduate degree in Art History from the University of Kentucky and a Masters of Library and Information Science from Syracuse University. \nAmita Kiley was raised in Lawrence\, MA and graduated from Northeastern University in 2004 with a B.A. in American History. Her experience growing up in Lawrence fostered a love of the city and its history. In 2001\, she began working at the Lawrence History Center as a preservation assistant as part of Northeastern University’s Co-operative Education program. She continued her work there after graduation and in 2015 moved into her current role as collections manager and research coordinator. Amita also manages LHC’s social media\, supervises volunteers\, and handles walk in visitors\, school groups\, and researchers. She is a Trustee of the White Fund\, the Lawrence Public Library\, and the Strikers’ Monument Committee of Lawrence\, MA. She co-edited the book Covid Conversations: Voices from Lawrence & Lowell\, Massachusetts in 2023. Amita enjoys introducing others to LHC’s mission of collecting\, preserving\, sharing\, and animating the history and heritage of Lawrence and its people. \nPenni Martorell is passionate about her work as curator of collections at Wistariahurst Museum and is Holyoke’s City Historian. When she is not managing and preserving collections and the archive\, or organizing history exhibits and lectures; she is providing opportunities for community organizations\, college classes\, school groups\, and the public to engage with local history through presentations and workshops. She is continually redefining Wistariahurst as a place of engagement and as a repository of local shared memory. She lectures on Holyoke’s industrial history; local textile and paper industries; and women history makers. She has led workshops on preserving heirlooms\, and basic textile preservation. Martorell served 5 years on the State Historical Records Advisory Board\, and she is a lecturer at Simmons University Graduate School of Library and Information Science where she tasks her students to accept the challenges of becoming 21st-century archivists. \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-born-digital-materials/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Add-a-subheading.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240119T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240119T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20231208T173242Z LAST-MODIFIED:20240109T000142Z UID:33038-1705665600-1705671000@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Planning for Change DESCRIPTION:Planning for Change \nA Conversation on the Commons featuring Kayla Coleman\, Executive Director of the New England Museum Association\, and Susan Robertson\, recently retired Executive Director of Gore Place. \nJanuary 19\, 2024\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nDespite the fact that we are all planning to live forever\, sooner or later our organizations must grapple with the issue of transition and succession.  The replacement of an Executive Director or Board President is always accompanied by some degree of angst and institutional change.  Executive successions\, especially\, are a chance to start fresh – they require the organization to take a hard look at its current state\, at its aspirations for future programming\, and at changes in its mission and focus. Join us for this Conversation on January 19 with Kayla Coleman\, recently appointed Executive Director of NEMA\, and Susan Robertson\, recently retired Executive Director of Gore Place\, two panelists on opposite ends of the succession planning process! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-succession-planning/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Conversations-on-the-Commons.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231208T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231208T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20230924T201544Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231119T224345Z UID:32242-1702036800-1702042200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Oh Snap! Photography in Collections DESCRIPTION:Oh Snap! Photography in Collections \nDecember 8\, 2023\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nThey say a picture is worth a thousand words\, but what if it has no date\, place\, or known face? Panelists Martha Mahard (Simmons University) and Ron Polito (UMass Boston) will take us through the process of dating\, identifying\, and then preserving photographs in museum collections. What are the best practices for handling\, cataloging\, and preserving photographs? What clues can we see in photographs to help us fill in the blanks about their settings and subjects? How can we facilitate digital access to these materials? Join us for this Conversation on December 8 from 12-1:30pm! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. This Conversation will be livestreamed on our YouTube channel. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n  \nAbout our panelists: \nDr. Mahard retired in 2005 after 35 years in various Harvard University libraries. While at Harvard she began teaching courses in photographic archives\, preservation management\, and digital preservation at Simmons GSLIS. Upon her retirement she became a full-time Professor of Practice at Simmons. where she developed and taught new courses and directed the successful Cultural Heritage concentration. In 2014 she undertook an assessment of the Boston Public Library’s Print Department leading to a project to inventory the prints and photographs in the collection. When the project ended in 2019\, over 135\,000 works of art on paper\, and over 250\,000 photographic prints and negatives had been inventoried. Dr. Mahard is the co-author of Preservation Management Handbook: A 21st Century Guide for Libraries\, Archives\, and Museums\, with Ross Harvey\, and Libraries\, Archives and Museums: Insights from the Field\, with Michele Cloonan and Peter Botticelli. \nRon Polito has been studying early Boston and Massachusetts photographers for almost 50 years and has served several terms on the Photographic Historical Society of New England’s Board of Directors (phsne.org). A number of his articles can be found in The Daguerreian Annual and The New England Journal of Photographic History. He is also coauthor of the Directory of Massachusetts Photographers\, 1839-1900\, now available online. His most recent works were the 2020 monograph\, T. E. Marr (& Son): Isabella Stewart Gardner’s Photographers—and More: Their Lives\, Their Work\, Their Photographic Techniques\, and material on Simon Wing & Company in the 2022 PHSNE Journal. Now retired\, he was a faculty member and administrator at the University of Massachusetts Boston. His study collections of nineteenth-century Boston and Massachusetts photographers are now part of the Boston Athenaeum’s photographic collection. \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-photography-in-collections/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Add-a-heading.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231117T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231117T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20230924T200516Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231116T171217Z UID:32240-1700222400-1700227800@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: The Ins and Outs of AI for Historical Organizations DESCRIPTION:The Ins and Outs of Artificial Intelligence \nNovember 17\, 2023\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nHeads-up – here comes Artificial Intelligence! How can generative AI tools like ChatGPT\, Bard\, Poe\, ChatPDF and others help advance our work?  Are they difficult to use?  Can they be fun?  Which are the most reliable sources for chatbots? What are some examples of how AI can help with administration\, fund-raising\, programming and the many other tasks that keep librarians and cultural heritage workers hopping?  Join us for a conversation and demonstration with Joanne Riley (Healey Library Archives and Special Collections\, UMass Boston) and Jane Stimpson (Massachusetts Library System) about using AI creatively and productively at libraries\, historical organizations\, and small museums. Join us with your questions and experiences\, good and bad\, as well as with your ideas and practices\, and start bending the arc of the future to our advantage. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n  \nAbout our Panelists: \nAs University Archivist and Curator of Special Collections at UMass Boston\, Joanne Riley managed Healey Library’s archival research collections and related academic and community-based initiatives between 2010 and 2017\, followed by a five-year stint as Interim Dean of Healey Library. She now enjoys serving as the library’s Digital Initiatives Archivist\, which calls on her long experience in digital humanities\, especially the design of structured data models to store and retrieve cultural heritage information. Joanne was the founding director of the “Mass. Memories Road Show” program at UMass Boston\, an early participatory archiving initiative\, and she conceived and directed the “1919 Boston Police Strike Project” that engaged a team of volunteers in researching the lives of those who participated in that historic event. Joanne’s work is centered on empowering researchers\, faculty\, students and community members to apply digital technology to advance humanities initiatives within academia and in the cultural heritage sector. \nJane Stimpson (she/her) is a Consultant with the Massachusetts Library System and consults in areas related to library instruction and educational technology. Before joining MLS\, Jane was a librarian for 13 years in community college and joint-use libraries\, focusing on instruction\, reference\, and outreach. She holds a BA in Spanish and Political Science from Williams College and an MS in Information Studies from the University of Texas at Austin School of Information. In her spare time\, she enjoys baking\, crosswords\, and yoga. \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-the-ins-and-outs-of-ai/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events),Mass History Alliance ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/The-Ins-and-Outs-of-AI-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231027T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20230924T195514Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230924T195514Z UID:32238-1698408000-1698413400@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Separating Fact from Fiction: Historical Halloween Programming DESCRIPTION:Separating Fact from Fiction: Historical Halloween Programming \nOctober 27\, 2023\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nAn upcoming Conversation on the Commons\, presented by the Mass History Alliance. More details will be provided soon. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-historical-halloween-programming/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/placeholder_blue.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20231020T140000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20231020T153000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20230924T194249Z LAST-MODIFIED:20231017T022150Z UID:32235-1697810400-1697815800@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Gender and Sexuality History at Your Site DESCRIPTION:Conversations on the Commons: Gender Inclusion: Not Just for Pride Month! \nOctober 20\, 2023\, 2:00-3:30 p.m. \nA Conversation featuring Joan Ilacqua of The History Project and Ken Turino of Historic New England. Moderated by Gloria Greis of the Needham History Center & Museum. \nToo often we schedule programs to check off boxes. Instead\, diversity and inclusion should inform all of our programming throughout the year. \nIn this Conversation\, Panelists Joan Ilacqua (Executive Director of The History Project) and Ken Turino (Manager of Community Partnerships and Resource Development at Historic New England) will discuss how we address (or fail to address) issues of gender diversity/gender equity/gender identity in our museums. How can we practically make our staff and visitors in the LGBTQ+ community feel more included? What information already lies hidden in our collections? How do we research and document LGBTQ+ history in our communities? What have we failed to see? What have we failed to say? How do we make our program planning more equitable and inclusive\, and not just send out a little highlight factoid every June? \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-gender-and-sexuality-history/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/The-Massachusetts-History-Alliance.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230929T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230929T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20230922T224456Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230925T233155Z UID:32227-1695988800-1695994200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Financial Management for Historical Organizations DESCRIPTION:Financial Management for Historical Organizations \nSeptember 29\, 2023\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nTreasurer is the hardest board position to fill for small nonprofits. Not only does the treasurer do the (usually fairly simple) books\, but they report to the Massachusetts and Federal Government. The requirements are murky\, the schedule gets lost when the position changes hands. When do you need to file what kind of 990? And to whom? What do you do if it has to be filed online? What’s to file with the Massachusetts Attorney General and when? Accounting firms cost an arm and a leg\, especially for small historical organizations with little or no staff and shoestring budgets. Should you hire a pro anyway? Go it yourself and hope for the best? \nJoin us for a conversation that will clear up some of these questions and discuss what kind of financial records your organization should be keeping. We’ll share tricks and tips about software and links for filing. Join us and share your tips\, experiences\, and fiascos. Together we can come up with enough knowledge to (hopefully) save us all a bunch of money! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nAbout Our Speaker: \nMark Romboli is a retired financial executive with over 40 years experience in financial and management accounting for companies ranging in size from $5M to $100M. He also has experience as a treasurer of small non-profits. He currently works as a consultant with MDR Consulting. \n  \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-financial-management/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/092923-COTC-PR-IMG.jpeg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230915T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230915T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20230908T190519Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230908T190519Z UID:32174-1694779200-1694784600@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Show Us the Money! Grants for Historical Organizations DESCRIPTION:Show Us the Money! Grants for Historical Organizations \nSeptember 15\, 2023\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nA conversation with John Galuzzo of the MHA and South Shore YMCA\, Lisa Simmons of Mass Cultural Council\, and Stacia Caplanson of Preservation Massachusetts\, moderated by Mass History Alliance Commons Coordinator Rachel Hoyle. \nGot funds? We’re starting off the season with a bread-and-butter session about grants for Massachusetts historical organizations. Join us for a conversation about what’s available for programming\, for staff\, for buildings. We’ll also talk about how to get into the grants game\, and how to present a program or project so it’s attractive to a funder. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nWe will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the conversation. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-grants-for-historical-orgs/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Show-us-the-Money.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230407T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230407T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20230329T133915Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230329T133915Z UID:31665-1680868800-1680874200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Sustaining Engagement: High Schoolers and History DESCRIPTION:Sustaining Engagement: High Schoolers and History \nApril 7\, 2023\, 12:00-1:30 p.m. \nA conversation with Bob Nasson of the Concord Review\, Carina Ohlen of RevSpaces\, and Elyssa Tardif and Simbrit Paskins of Mass Historical\, moderated by Salem State Professor Margo Shea \nHow do historical organizations build new audiences and partners in our communities? What brings young people through the door? How are we reaching and partnering effectively with high school students? How can we inspire interest and passion about the past and help build connections between past\, present and future that are relevant to young people? Join us on April 7 to hear from a panel from Massachusetts Historical Society\, Revolutionary Spaces\, and the Concord Review to explore and brainstorm best practices for engaging young people in history and historical thinking! Moderated by Margo Shea of Salem State. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-high-schoolers-and-history/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Sustaining-Engagement-High-Schoolers-and-History.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230120T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230120T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20221221T031843Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230113T020540Z UID:31385-1674216000-1674221400@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Historical Reenactors DESCRIPTION:Historical Reenactors: Hobby\, Avocation\, Profession\, Lifestyle? \nJanuary 20\, 2023\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nA conversation with historical reenactors Clare Hurley\, Chris Hurley\, and Sarah McDonough\, moderated by Eric Peterson\, Executive Director of the Waterworks Museum and Vice President of the Mass History Alliance \nMany of us love history\, but there are some that take their enthusiasm for the past to extraordinary lengths: they actually live history. They immerse themselves in a particular historical era\, assuming the identities of historical types or specific individuals for hours or even days at a time. Their commitment is not just measured by time and money invested\, but by attention to historical accuracy. Studying the period\, eating the food\, making\, and wearing the clothes\, learning the social conventions\, firing the weapons: it’s an all-in devotion to getting the details right. But what is it about reviving an historically accurate event or person that inspires living history practitioners to endure itchy\, ill-fitting clothes\, weather events\, long marches\, and endless practice? Is it the thrill of public performance? Fulfillment from teaching accurate interpretations? Camaraderie amongst the avid? Join local reenactors as we explore their long-time allegiance to bringing the past back to life. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Christopher J. Hurley has a B.A. in Mass Communications from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst\, an M.A. in Software Engineering from Brandeis University and works for a medical software company. He has been a historical reenactor since 2007\, usually in portrayals related to the era of the American Revolution. Although he’s often seen as a nameless militiaman in countless battles\, Chris has portrayed distinct individuals caught up in the tides of history. In the annual Battle of Lexington reenactment\, Chris portrays Asahel Porter\, a released prisoner of the British Regulars who may be the first fatality of the Revolution. Chris is a board member of The Lexington Minute Men.\n \n \n \n \n \n Clare L. Hurley holds a BS in Biology from Framingham State University and a MMHS from the Heller School for Social Policy and Management\, Brandeis University. She has been working at the Heller School editing manuscripts related to health economics for nearly 25 years. She began in the hobby of 18th century reenacting in 2005 for the Woburn Historical Society and was joined by her husband in that hobby a couple of years later. She participates in numerous events with the Lexington Minute Men. She is also part of the Lexington Historical Society (LHS) Colonial Singers and Linen and Lace\, a three-person musical group performing Colonial-era music. While Clare mainly participates in 18th century reenactments\, she has also portrayed a Pilgrim\, a civil war nurse\, and an Irish maid (complete with a counterfeit brogue) circa 1910. Clare is a board member of the Woburn Historical Society.\n \n \n \n \n \n Sarah McDonough has an M.A. in Museum Education from Tufts University\, specializing in 18th century social history and material culture\, as well as a background in theater. Currently the Public Programs Manager at Lexington Historical Society\, Sarah began her work in Lexington as a costumed museum educator and tour guide in 2009\, and joined the world of reenacting in 2013. Over time\, Sarah’s historical hobbies have grown from simple sewing to hearth cooking and spinning thread on a spinning wheel. She is a member of His Majesty’s 10th Regiment of Foot\, a British Army reenactment group\, and is a volunteer at Minuteman National Park and Newport Historical Society\, where she has portrayed a wide range of colonial women from tavern keepers to codfish aristocracy.\n \n \n \n \n \n Eric Peterson has a BA in History from Vassar College. In 2009\, while earning a Masters in Museum Studies from Harvard’s Extension School\, he volunteered at the newly created Metropolitan Waterworks Museum in Chestnut Hill\, MA and has worked there ever since. For the past 5 years\, he has served as the Executive Director of the Waterworks Museum. Committed to strengthening public awareness of the vital importance of history by helping to protect the sites\, artifacts and organizations that bring the past into the present\, Mr. Peterson currently serves as Vice President & Treasurer of the Massachusetts History Alliance. He is also a co-founder of Industrial History New England.\n \n \n \nQuestions? Email commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-historical-reenactors/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/cotc_featured_20230120.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221209T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221209T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20221130T230414Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221201T225132Z UID:31312-1670587200-1670592600@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Collecting for the 21st Century DESCRIPTION:Collecting for the 21st Century \nDecember 9\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nWith Carolyn Goldstein\, Public History and Community Archives Program Manager at University Archives & Special Collections\, Healey Library at UMass Boston\, and Susan Navarre\, Executive Director of the Fitchburg Historical Society \nAs historical organizations increasingly take on the role of relevance to a wider audience\, we need to collect different “stuff” from a more diverse population. Perhaps your town has changed over the past century and your collections do not reflect the local histories of people and groups who are now a vital part of your community. How do you go about enriching your collections with their stories and connecting them to older histories? What are the obstacles and successes you have met with? How have you partnered with different individuals and groups to make sure your collections do not only speak to the distant past? Join us on Dec. 9\, 12:00-1:30 for a conversation on the art of proactive collecting of community history in the twenty-first century.  \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE.\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Carolyn Goldstein coordinates the Mass. Memories Road Show and teaches public history at UMass Boston. Together with Andrew Elder\, she is the co-developer of RoPA\, the Roadmap for Participatory Archiving. RoPA is an online resource that guides libraries and cultural organizations through the process of collaborating with community members to plan engaging and inclusive participatory archiving events and to create digital collections.\n \n \n \n \n \n Susan Navarre has been the Executive Director of the Fitchburg Historical Society since June 2013. She studied Art History at the graduate level at Boston University; after receiving a B.A. in Art History from Bryn Mawr College. She has been a project humanist for MA Humanities-funded programs and has spoken at the Massachusetts History Conference\, where she is currently on the organizing committee. Under her leadership\, the Fitchburg Historical Society has received Bridge Sponsorships and other funding from Mass Humanities. She is currently active as a board member for the Fitchburg Cultural Alliance and member of the Fitchburg Cultural Initiative Advisory Committee and Board of Directors of Mass History Alliance. She has spoken on Fitchburg history at Fitchburg State University\, the Fitchburg Senior Center\, to the City Council\, and for numerous local clubs. Susan lives in Leominster and grew up in the Detroit area.\n \n \n \nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-collecting-for-the-21st-century/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/cotc_featured_20221209b.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221118T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221118T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20221028T172213Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221113T222248Z UID:31051-1668772800-1668778200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Yoga in the Museum DESCRIPTION:Yoga in the Museum: Sharing Innovative Programs for Historical Organizations \nNovember 18\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nJoin Bob Perry\, Executive Director at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation\, and Saria Sweeney\, Community Programming Coordinator at Old Colony History Museum\, for a conversation about how history organizations can broaden their base of support through programming that moves well beyond the traditional tours and exhibits. Yoga? Maker spaces? Music? Bike repair? Cooking? What exciting new (or long-term) programs do you offer to your community? How did you develop your program? How is it funded and staffed? What is community response? And what do’s and don’ts can you share with your history colleagues across the Commonwealth? \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE.\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n(Featured image courtesy of the Peabody Essex Museum.) \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Saria Sweeney has been the Community Programming Coordinator at the Old Colony History Museum since 2016\, growing alongside the Museum’s program offerings from a part-time to full-time employee and now facilitating over 100 programs a year.\n \n \n \n \n \n Bob Perry is Executive Director at the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation\, a small industrial museum in a historic textile mill in Waltham\, Massachusetts where he’s led the organization since June 2015. Bob’s path to museum work was wholly unconventional. He spent 30 years in food service\, the first 8 years managing at Herrell’s Ice Cream and the last 22 at The Elephant Walk\, Cambodian and French restaurants which he co-founded in 1991. After leaving restaurant life behind in 2013 Bob led Local First organizations in Brookline and Waltham and the revival of the Watch City Steampunk Festival. A native Bostonian\, Bob grew up in Asia before finishing high school in Connecticut and finally returning to the Boston area for keeps upon starting college. His happy home includes two dogs and two cats – all rescues – and for fun he races sailboats year-round on Boston Harbor.\n \n \n \nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-yoga-in-the-museum/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/cotc_featured_20221118-scaled.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221021T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221021T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20221014T150701Z LAST-MODIFIED:20221014T154543Z UID:31049-1666353600-1666359000@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Neutrality and Engagement for Historical Organizations DESCRIPTION:Neutrality and Engagement for Historical Organizations \nOctober 21\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nMuseum people are talking a lot about whether their organizations should be politically “neutral” in their presentation and interpretation of history. But what is neutrality? Or what does it mean for museums and historical organizations to be engaged in the questions that confront us today\, such as diversity\, climate change\, or violence? How do organizations decide on their programming? Veteran museum directors Gloria Greis and Tom Putnam join us for a conversation that tackles the question of “neutrality” from a practical or process-oriented rather than prescriptive direction. How does a museum decide what exhibits or programs to present? How do you bring a variation of viewpoints into your work?  Do you consider the political import of what you are doing and how does that work? Do you get pressure and how do you deal with it? Who do you look to for examples of good work or best practices? What is your process of going from idea to reality? Join us and share your experiences! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE.\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Gloria Polizzotti Greis been Executive Director of the Needham History Center & Museum since June 2002. She has worked in museums since 1985. She has also taught both Anthropology and Museums Studies at the college level\, and had experience teaching in a museum setting with high school and elementary school classes. Dr Greis is a Needham resident. She holds a PhD in Anthropology\, specializing in the archaeology of prehistoric Europe. She is the author of two books on archaeology; a book and three films on local history; several articles on history\, archaeology and various other topics; and writes a weekly local history blog. She is Chair of the Needham Historical Commission\, sits on several municipal committees and nonprofit boards\, and is an elected Fellow of the Massachusetts Historical Society.\n \n \n \n \n \n Tom Putnam is the former Executive Director of the Concord Museum and former Director of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. He served for eight years as a member of the board of directors of Mass Humanities\, the Commonwealth’s state humanities council including two years as Chair. A graduate of Bowdoin College and the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University\, he was a Thomas J. Watson Fellow in Quebec\, Canada; a Fulbright Scholar in Senegal\, West Africa; and the recipient of a Harry S. Truman Scholarship. He began his career teaching history in a public high school in Maine. And for close to a decade\, he directed a federally funded Upward Bound program helping low-income high school students from throughout New England to be the first in their families to attend college.\n \n \n \nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-neutrality-and-engagement-for-historical-organizations/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/neutrality-and-engagement-image.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20221007T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20221007T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20220927T214506Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220930T141849Z UID:31044-1665144000-1665149400@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Blogging History DESCRIPTION:Blogging History: Creating Rare and Valuable Internet Content \nOctober 7\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nHistorical organizations are sitting on that rare and valuable beastie on the internet: interesting content. This makes blogging an attractive option for sharing local history\, showing what you have\, and exploring issues concerning history and society. On October 7\, 12:00-1:30 p.m.\, we will have a conversation with veteran history bloggers Elaine Clements of the Andover Center for History and Culture and History Buzz\, and Anthony Vaver of the Westborough Center for History and Culture at the Westborough Public Library (author of Westborough Center Pastimes) about their experiences. What do they write about? What do they NOT write about? Do they have one author or more? What kids of responses do they get? Do they repurpose information and blog posts? How often do you need to write/publish to make it successful? What are the advantages and disadvantages of different platforms? What are some of the do’s and don’ts of blog writing? Join us for a wide-ranging conversation and share your successes and the obstacles you have had to overcome in your blogging experiences! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE!\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Anthony Vaver directs the Westborough Center for History and Culture at the Westborough Public Library\, where he writes a monthly blog. Before taking this position\, he wrote and maintained the blog EarlyAmericanCrime.com and wrote two books about the topic.\n \n \n \n \n \n Elaine Clements has been Executive Director of the Andover Center for History and Culture (ACHC) since 2001. She has a Master’s degree in Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program. Prior to ACHC\, Elaine worked with Historic New England and was the director of the Museum of Early Trades & Crafts in Madison\, NJ. Sharing local history stories has been a key part of Elaine’s work in museums. The pandemic opened opportunities to take local history research and writing to a new level.\n \n \n \nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-blogging-history/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/COTC_featured_20221007.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220923T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220923T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20220911T224035Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220923T004226Z UID:30524-1663934400-1663939800@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Be an AASLH History Leader DESCRIPTION:You Could Be a National Leader! Learn about the AASLH Leadership in History Awards  \nSeptember 23\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nWith:\nAASLH History awards representatives Pilar Garro (Massachusetts representative) and Gavin Kleespies (Region 1 representative)\n2021 AASLH History award recipients Charan Devereaux\, of Somerville Museum\, and Adda Maria Santos\, of Somerville High School \nThe American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) has been giving Leadership in History awards for over 75 years. These awards are available to institutions of all sizes\, from all-volunteer to statewide organizations. They aim to recognize superior and innovative achievements in many different types of projects\, including publications\, exhibits\, public programming\, and more. Award winners come from all over the country\, from organizations of all kinds\, sizes\, and budgets and serve as models and inspirations for others in the field. If your organization did something great or was really creative and you think the project is worthy of an award\, come find out about AASLH Leadership in History program.  \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE.\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Gavin Kleespies is the Director of Programs\, Exhibitions\, and Community Partnerships for the Massachusetts Historical Society and has been with MHS since 2014. He has worked in public history for over twenty-five years including being the executive director of two historical societies\, most recently in Cambridge\, Massachusetts. He has been appointed to the Massachusetts 250th Commission\, the Massachusetts Historical Commission and the Cambridge Historical Commission and serves as a board member for the Massachusetts History Alliance and the Fenway Alliance. He is a regional representative for the AASLH Leadership in History Awards and serves on the AASLH 250th Task Force. He has been elected a member of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Historical Society. He did his undergraduate work at Bard College\, where he majored in economics and then received a master’s degree from the University of Chicago with a concentration in American History.\n \n \n \n \n \n Pilar Garro is a 20-year museum veteran with an expertise in administration and community building working at myriad organizations in Massachusetts. Currently\, Ms. Garro is the Portfolio Business Director of the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum in Lincoln\, MA; a flagship property operated by The Trustees of Reservation. She oversees the museums’ various earned revenue streams along with the preservation and maintenance of the site.  Previously\, Ms. Garro worked at the House of the Seven Gables in Salem\, MA\, Crane Estate in Ipswich\, another Trustee’s property\, and Historic New England’s Beauport\, the Sleeper-McCann House in Gloucester. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Wheaton College and a Master of Arts in Museum Studies and Applied Arts from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She attended the Attingham Summer School\, devoted to the study of the English Country House\, in July 2010 and is a past board member of the New England Museum Association\, Salem Historical Society and North of Boston Convention and Visitors Bureau. Ms. Garro is looking forward to becoming more involved in Lincoln\, MA and MetroWest.\n \n \n \n \n \n Charan Devereaux is the curator/producer of “Faith in a City: Exploring Religion in Somerville\, Massachusetts\,” a project created in partnership with 20 local religious communities and exhibited at the Somerville Museum. Her earlier project\, “Union Square at Work: Photographs\, Stories and Music from Somerville’s Oldest Commercial District” was also exhibited at the Somerville Museum. A former Research Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School\, Charan’s projects have received support from Mass Humanities\, The Boston Foundation\, the National Endowment for the Humanities\, Somerville Arts Council\, the New England Foundation for the Arts\, the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the Passim Iguana Fund.\n \n \n \nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversation-on-the-commons-be-an-aaslh-history-leader/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Conversations-on-the-Commons-1-1280x720-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220408T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220408T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20220206T002924Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220402T235155Z UID:14046-1649419200-1649424600@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: 250th Anniversary of the American Revolutionary War DESCRIPTION:Casting A Broader Net: Telling New Stories for the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolutionary War \nApril 8\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nA Conversation with Patrice Todisco\, Executive Director of Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area; Jonathan Lane\, Coordinator of Revolution250; and Juliet Jacobson\, Board member of the Pioneer Valley History Network \nWe’re hard by the 250th anniversary of the Revolution and plans are cropping up everywhere. Across the Commonwealth\, they seem to have one thing in common: a need to explore the smaller\, human stories of the American Revolution. The approaching semiquincentennial is an opportunity to tell a multifaceted history that includes the experience of all people in the Commonwealth: militia members\, heroes\, women\, servants\, enslaved\, rich and poor\, children and adults\, loyalists and patriots. They plan to share stories we’ve known\, and stories we still need to uncover. Are you ready to start planning for 2026? What’s out there? What angle is your town taking? \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE.\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jonathan Lane has more than 30 years’ experience in public history\, tourism and cultural programming. While his employment has led him to many leading institutions\, including Plimoth Plantation\, the American Antiquarian Society\, Berklee College of Music and now\, the Massachusetts Historical Society\, his historical studies has taken him to libraries and archives throughout the U.S. and United Kingdom. He is the author of numerous small monographs\, and the editor of From the Potomac to the Etowah\, the Civil War Correspondence of Alonzo Hall Quint. He is currently the Coordinator of Revolution 250\, a consortium of more than 70 organizations across the Commonwealth\, working together on the commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution.\n \n \n \n \n \n Juliet Jacobson is a user interface and user experience designer specializing in history and humanities websites and interactive exhibits for museum settings. She has designed many award-winning\, family-friendly sites about American history and other humanities topics.\n \n \n \n \n \n As the Executive Director for the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area\, Patrice Todisco works in partnership with the National Park Service to oversee the implementation of programs and projects designed to interpret\, promote\, and preserve the cultural\, natural\, and historic resources of 45 communities in Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire. With a background in cultural landscape management\, urban planning\, and landscape architecture\, she has held leadership positions in the public and non-profit sectors managing organizations\, projects and processes that preserve\, expand\, and enhance the public realm and urban open space. As a writer\, landscape historian and independent researcher\, Patrice explores themes relating to culture\, design\, and the environment.\n \n \n \nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-2/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/REV-250-Convo.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220318T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220318T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20220206T002750Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220927T214017Z UID:14043-1647604800-1647610200@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Filmmakers and Historical Organizations DESCRIPTION:Filmmakers and Historical Organizations \nMarch 18\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nWe’re taking public history to the silver screen in the next Conversation on the Commons! In our latest topic\, “Filmmakers and Historical Organizations” we’ll welcome twice Emmy-nominated producer Andrew Giles Buckley\, and New York Times best-selling author\, award-winning documentary producer\, and long-time history enthusiast Rick Beyer to present on their filmmaking projects with Massachusetts history connections. Have you worked with a filmmaker? Created your own video? Would you like some tips on how to create compelling video? Join us to learn about filmmaking\, innovative public history\, and their fascinating projects! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE.\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Rick Beyer is an award-winning documentary filmmaker\, a New York Times best-selling author\, and a long-time history enthusiast. He wrote and produced the PBS documentary The Ghost Army\, telling the story of an extraordinary U.S. Army deception unit in WWII. He also co-authored a bestselling book on the unit\, The Ghost Army of World War II\, and is president of the Ghost Army Legacy Project. Beyer has made documentary films for The History Channel\, A&E\, National Geographic\, and others. He is the author of the popular Greatest Stories Never Told series of history books. His most recent book\, Rivals Unto Death\, is a compelling account of the fateful rivalry of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. He leads historical tours in the US and Europe\, and has appeared on CBS\, Fox News\, MSNBC\, NPR\, CNN and elsewhere. After more than 30 years in Massachusetts\, he now lives with his wife Marilyn Rea Beyer\, in Chicago.\n \n \n \n \n \n Andrew Giles Buckley is the Host and Producer of Hit & Run History\, a historical novelist\, travel book author\, opinion journalist and world-class storyteller. A two-time Emmy-nominated producer\, Andrew founded Hit and Run History in 2008\, and the public media series has been hosted on GBH’s History site and broadcast on Rhode Island PBS and on local stations from DC to LA. Recipient of over 70 Massachusetts Local Cultural Council Grants and two grants from MassHumanities\, Andrew takes his film crew down to the street level to investigate lesser known chapters of history with a travel element — less Ken Burns and more Anthony Bourdain. He lives in Chatham with his daughter and their two dogs\, cat and rabbit.\n \n \n \nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-filmmakers/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/featured_cotc_20220318.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220304T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220304T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20220206T003311Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220228T224033Z UID:14050-1646395200-1646400600@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: The Community Preservation Act DESCRIPTION:The Community Preservation Act: In Your Backyard \nMarch 4\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nWith\nMassachusetts History Alliance Advocacy Committee\nChase Mack\, Communications Director\, Community Preservation Coalition\nJason Molina\, Chair of Shrewsbury’s Community Preservation Committee\nLinnea Servey\, Chair of Lancaster’s Community Preservation Committee \nWhat is the Community Preservation Act? How can it be used to preserve history on the local level? What are allowable uses? How can your community adopt this bylaw? What kinds of local advocacy need to be done to pass CPA in a town? What are some of the strategies used in running a successful grassroots CPA adoption campaign? Join moderator Erika Briesacher of the MHA Advocacy Committee for a conversation about Community Preservation! \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE.\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Linnea Servey worked to bring the CPA to Lancaster with educational forums presented to Town Boards and via zoom meetings. The article passed at ATM with an overwhelming margin and passed at the ballot with a comfortable margin.\n \n \n \n \n \n Chase Mack has been the Communications Director for the Community Preservation Coalition since 2016. The Coalition is a nonprofit organization that helps municipalities in Massachusetts understand\, adopt\, and implement the Community Preservation Act (CPA)\, as well as advocating for CPA at the state level.\n \n \n \n \n \n Jason Molina was the Campaign Manager for the ballot question committee\, Community Preservation Shrewsbury\, which led the Town of Shrewsbury to successfully adopt CPA in November 2020. The road to adoption was challenged by local opposition which necessitated the use of a citizen’s petition to trigger the ballot question. Despite uncertainty with a pandemic raging\, the committee still made great progress to champion Town Meeting and voter support through campaign efforts such as a road show with town boards\, public outreach\, mailers\, newspaper articles and letters to the editor\, and a structured social media presence. Despite a pandemic\, a local debt exclusion on the ballot at the same time\, and no support from town officials\, Shrewsbury voters welcomed CPA with an impressive 59% approval. Following the successful campaign\, Jason was appointed as an At-Large member of the Community Preservation Committee and currently serves as their chairperson.\n \n \n \n \n \n Dr. Erika L. Briesacher is an Associate Professor of History at Worcester State University\, where she specializes in German History and museum studies\, teaching in the areas of museum studies\, material culture\, German/French/European history\, public history\, and nationalism. She got her Ph.D. in European History from Kent State University in 2012\, and her Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Museum Studies and MA in Historical Studies from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 2005 and 2006 respectively. She has two books forthcoming: Nordic Days: Festival\, Identity\, and Culture in Lübeck\, 1920-1960 (Lexington Books\, 2022) and Make Me a Mask: Material/Cultural of a Pandemic (Kent State University Press\, forthcoming).\n \n \n \nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-4/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/featured_COTC_20220304.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220218T000000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220218T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20211003T024151Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220212T171331Z UID:7054-1645142400-1645191000@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Working with the Digital Commonwealth DESCRIPTION:Sharing Your Stuff: Working with the Digital Commonwealth \nFebruary 18\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. \nWith Jake Sadow\, Statewide Digitization Project Archivist at Boston Public Library\, and Betsy McKee\, Secretary and member of the Collections Committee at Longmeadow Historical Society \nHave you considered working with the Digital Commonwealth to digitize any of your collections and get them online? Join us for a conversation on what it takes to do so\, with Jake Sadow of the Boston Public Library. What does it take to get your collection up on the Digital Commonwealth? Are there any obstacles and challenges? What part is easy? What does it take to prepare? Do you have to be an archivist to do this? What is the “rights” situation and how much does it cost? \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE! \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Jake Sadow is the Statewide Digitization Project Archivist for the Boston Public Library. He project manages the Statewide Digitization program\, serving as a liaison between Massachusetts-based cultural heritage institutions and digitization staff at the Boston Public Library. He has worked with over 300 institutions to get their cultural heritage collections online\, including libraries\, museums\, historical societies and universities. He also acts as an educator\, raising awareness among library and information professionals of issues in digitization and promoting conversations between institutions to address those issues.\n \n \n \n \n \n My interest in antiques and history began when I lived in an old house in western New York. We started married life with hand-me-down furniture to furnish our two-room apartment. We began to appreciate that our “used” furniture was a lot nicer than the typical cheap student furnishings. I completed my Masters’ degree in Nursing and practiced as a Family Nurse Practitioner. We moved to Massachusetts and purchased our second old house. A chance discovery revealed that the original owner was a gravestone carver. Since that time\, we have tramped over hundreds of old cemeteries in multiple states and taken some 36\,000 photos. I am the President of the Longmeadow Cemetery Association and the Pioneer Valley History Network. I am also on the board of the Longmeadow Historical Society. I am a member of the Springfield Weavers’ Guild\, and my paying job is at Historic Deerfield.\n \n \n \nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-working-with-the-digital-commonwealth/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/COTC-promo-MHA.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220204T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220204T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20220114T002824Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220131T020454Z UID:11586-1643976000-1643981400@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Community History DESCRIPTION:Community History: What is it\, and what can it do for you? \nFebruary 3\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. *new time* \nWhat is Community History? What formats does it take? What is the difference between local history and community history? How can we embrace both? How does community history practice require historical organizations to change their understanding of history? What are the challenges and rewards? Has your organization participated in projects that gather and share history from the local community? Are you interested in doing so? Join us for a conversation on the necessity\, joys\, and rewards of engaging with community members in doing history on February 4\, noon-1:30 with Lee Blake\, President of the New Bedford Historical Society and Penni Martorell\, curator of collections at Wistariahurst Museum and Holyoke’s City Historian \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE!\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Penni Martorell is curator of collections at Wistariahurst Museum and Holyoke’s City Historian. Martorell’s work at Wistariahurst includes managing and preserving collections and archive\, organizing history exhibits and lectures; providing opportunities for community organizations\, college classes\, school groups and the public to engage with local history through presentations and workshops. She lectures on Holyoke’s industrial history\, local textile and paper industries\, and women history makers. She has lead workshops on preserving heirlooms\, basic textile preservation and is an oral history trainer. Martorell served 5 years on the State Historic Records Advisory Board and has served 6 years as Vice President of The Pioneer Valley History Network. Her passion is book and printing history.\n \n \n \n \n \n As president of the New Bedford Historical Society\, Lee leads a grassroots organization that preserves and celebrates the legacy of African Americans\, Cape Verdeans and Native Americans in her hometown of New Bedford\, MA. Her leadership\, vision\, and work to re-claim the history of Black people in New Bedford has changed the historical narrative of New Bedford and raised the awareness of its role as an important center of freedom and abolitionism during the 19th century. The Society has led the efforts to restore and preserve the Nathan and Mary Johnson House\, the first home in freedom of Anna and Frederick Douglass\, an Underground Railroad site and now a National Historic Landmark. Lee has been awarded 6 National Endowment for the Humanities grants over the past 15 years for the professional development of teachers across the country on the intersection between New Bedford’s history as a maritime port\, the Underground Railroad\, and African American history.\n \n \n \nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-community-history/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/cotc_featured_community-history.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220121T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220121T133000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20211120T194113Z LAST-MODIFIED:20220114T180100Z UID:7828-1642766400-1642771800@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: All About Objects DESCRIPTION:All About Objects: Artifact Care\, Description\, and Management \nJanuary 21\, 2022\, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m. *new time* \nWith Valarie Kinkade\, Principal of Museum and Collector Resource\, LLC\, and Stacen Goldman\, Curator at the Framingham History Center \nFiligree or verdigris? Crazing or cracking?  There’s a lot of talk about archival processes\, but what about object care and description? Do you know how to deal with that mildewed leather portfolio? Pigeon poop on statues or memorials? How do you tag a porcelain teapot? Describe an old painting?  What guidelines do you use? Do you have guidelines for your enthusiastic volunteers? Tell us about your projects\, share your sources\, and let’s connect over a conversation on object collections. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER HERE!\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Before beginning Museum and Collector Resource\, Valarie Kinkade worked for nearly 2 decades in curatorial and collections management in a wide variety of museums\, including the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History\, a Frank Lloyd Wright House\, house museums dating from the 17th and 18th centuries and as the Curator of the U.S. Coast Guard Museum. In the 1990’s she founded Museum and Collector Resource to address a growing need for short-term\, museum-quality collections care\, registration\, museum planning\, exhibit development\, research\, collections moves\, and collections management systems consulting. MCR clients include small\, volunteer-run\, house museums\, tribal cultural centers\, African American museums and HBC’s\, large historical societies\, art museums\, science centers\, religious institutions\, high net worth private collectors\, and multi-national corporations.\n \n \n \n \n \n Stacen Goldman has worked in local history for ten years\, and has been the Curator at the Framingham History Center for the past six. Her work is focused on democratizing historical collections and imagining creative ways of engaging with history through material culture. The goal of her work is to make people feel immersed\, empowered\, and emotionally invested in community history. Stacen holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Bard College and a Master of Arts in History with a certificate in Historical Agencies and Administration from Northeastern University. She was previously the director of the South End Historical Society in Boston.\n \n \n \nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-all-about-objects/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/object-care.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220107T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220107T113000 DTSTAMP:20260423T072923 CREATED:20211120T193702Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211231T155640Z UID:7824-1641549600-1641555000@masshistorycommons.org SUMMARY:Conversations on the Commons: Teaching New England Slavery to Kids DESCRIPTION:Teaching New England Slavery to Kids\n \nA conversation with Kristin Gallas\, principal at Interpreting Slavery \nJanuary 7\, 2022\, 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. \nJoin us for our latest Conversation on the Common where we tackle the topic of “Teaching New England Slavery to Kids.” Kristin Gallas is the project manager for education development at the Tsongas Industrial History Center and recently published Interpreting Slavery with Children and Teens. Her work offers advice\, examples\, and replicable practices for slavery-related school and family programs at museums and historic sites. Come and learn with Kristin and share your questions and knowledge. We’d love to hear about the challenges you’ve faced\, as well as the great programs you have developed around this topic. Join us for an informative\, practical conversation with public historians across the Commonwealth. \nRegistration is free. REGISTER NOW!\n \nThis Conversation will be livestreamed. We will do our best to monitor your questions and comments during the livestream. A recording will be publicly available in the Conversations on the Commons Archive. \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n Kristin Gallas is a principal at Interpreting Slavery. She facilitates workshops for museums and historic sites on developing comprehensive and conscientious interpretation of slavery and speaks regularly at public history and museum conferences. She is the co-editor\, with James DeWolf Perry\, of “Interpreting Slavery at Museums and Historic Sites” (Rowman & Littlefield\, January 2015)\, and author of the forthcoming “Interpreting Slavery with Children and Teens” (Rowman and Littlefield\, September 2021). She developed the Tracing Center on Histories and Legacies of Slavery’s public history efforts and oversaw the design of workshops for educators. Kristin holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary history education from the University of Vermont and a master of arts in museum education from George Washington University. She has led the education and/or interpretation departments at the Montana Historical Society\, the USS Constitution Museum\, and currently at the Tsongas Industrial History Center.\n \n \n \nQuestions? Be in touch with Caroline Littlewood: commons@masshistoryalliance.org \n\nConversations on the Commons \nWhere people from Massachusetts history organizations get to vent\, empathize\, laugh\, complain\, think\, collaborate\, brainstorm\, plan\, and in general be up to no good. URL:https://masshistorycommons.org/event/conversations-on-the-commons-teaching-new-england-slavery-to-kids/ LOCATION:Online\, MA\, United States CATEGORIES:Conversations on the Commons (events) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://masshistorycommons.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/cotc_featured_teachingslavery.png ORGANIZER;CN="Mass History Alliance":MAILTO:commons@masshistoryalliance.org END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR