Archiving Your Gigabytes: Preserving COVID-19 and other digital collections October 9, 2020, 1:00pm - 2:30pm A Conversation with Veronica Martzahl, Digital Records Archivist at the Massachusetts Archives, Kathie Gow, Curator […]

400 Years and Beyond: Commemorating historic events in the twenty-first century October 23, 2020, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. A Conversation with Linda Coombs, board member of Plymouth 400 and […]

History Funding from Local Cultural Councils: Talking through and workshopping LCC grant applications November 6, 2020, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. A Conversation with Ymelda Laxton, Assistant Curator at Scottish […]

Six Months and Counting of COVID: What are you doing? November 13, 2020, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. A conversation with Nina Zannieri, Executive Director of the Paul Revere Memorial […]

Baking with Historians December 18, 2020, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Join Margo Shea and Noah Berman as they prepare holiday treats, share historical recipes and cookbooks, and offer tips […]

Researching and Discussing Slavery in Massachusetts A conversation with Kristin Gallas, principal at Interpreting Slavery, and Meadow Dibble, Director of Atlantic Black Box January 22, 2021, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 […]

Archives’ Hour with the State Historical Records Advisory Board A conversation with Alejandra Dean, Digital Archivist at the Massachusetts Archives, and Evan Knight, Preservation Specialist for the Massachusetts Board of […]

“Get up, Stand up”: Preserving history from the ground up February 19, 2021, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Advocacy for history starts in our neighborhoods and community centers, when we […]

The first in a quarterly series of Conversations on the Commons: Show and Tell edition! March 5, 2021, 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Commons Show and Tell! Share with us […]

From bake sales to the annual calendar, most historical organizations occasionally sell something to raise funds. Many have also hosted someone’s event, upon occasion. But what does it take to make this a regular part of  your income?  What’s involved in having a shop, merchandising your collections, or running an event or wedding venue? Have you tried it? Where do you have things printed or made? What are some questions you have? Do you stock 200 logo tees or work with print on demand suppliers? How are you doing at creating income?

It’s been one long year of ups and downs since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are still wearing our masks and social distancing while anxiously awaiting vaccines and wondering about a "new normal." After all this time, how are you doing? How is it affecting your organization? Are you open? What are you planning for the summer? What are your challenges in staffing, engaging visitors, and the bottom line? Join us for a peer to peer conversation about COVID-19 and the public and local history field in Massachusetts. This conversation will be moderated by Brianne Zulkiewicz, Visitor Services and Administrative Coordinator at Wistariahurst Museum.

Take it outside! 2021 one is the year of the garden as many cultural institutions try to adjust their programming and exhibitions to provide safe and engaging experiences to their patrons. What outdoor activities are you planning this summer? How are you adjusting your usual programming to COVID-19? What exciting new things are you planning? Walking tours, bike tours, gardens, outdoor exhibits, fire pits...tell us when you're going outside and what you're going to do there. Join colleagues from across the state to share your challenges and successes.