Discussions and Questions

Ongoing Discussions

Remembering Charlie Nelson (New Question and 12 messages) Friends and colleagues in local history remember the life and public service of Charlie Nelson.

Charlie Nelson making a point about how log buildings shed water.

What makes a good history book? (4 messages) Good stories well told, rather than lots of information carefully arranged. And, index, photo numbers, and other accessibility features are essential. What else?

What do you call a museum? (2 messages) Are words like Society and Museum turn-offs to the public? Or do they still convey the meaning they always have?

Job Announcements

Development Associate

Ramsey County Historical Society in St. Paul seeks a part time development associate to assist the Executive Director in implementing a comprehensive fundraising program, with specific emphasis on individual gifts. More Information.

Curator

Minneapolis Public Library seeks project curator for the traveling exhibition, "Out at the Library: Celebrating the James C. Hormel Gay & Lesbian Center." Application deadline is February 6, 2007. For more information contact Melinda Ludwiczak.

Local Events

Really Cool Ice House Program

Frontier history comes alive at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 10, when big blocks of ice weighing 250 pounds each will be cut on Lake Rebecca and transported to the ice house at the LeDuc Historic Estate. At 2 p.m., author Duane Thein will tell the amazing winter survival story of Father Joseph Goiffon, a French missionary in Minnesota in the 1860s. Program is free, but donations are encouraged.

January Sampler

Minnesota Association of Museums January Sampler will be at the Minnesota History Center on Saturday January 27, 2007 from 3 to 5 p.m. RSVP to Nina Clark by 12 noon on Friday January 26.

News

New Research Tool

Footnote.com recently launched operation. The site contains millions of digital images that document American history, and more than 20,000 related to Minnesota alone. The site should be useful in helping your researchers and History Day students.

10 Most Endangered Due This Week

Preservation Alliance of Minnesota will accept nominations for its annual 10 Most Endangered Historic Minnesota Properties list until Friday January 26, 2007.

Upcoming Conferences and Workshops

Register Now for Spring Workshops

Register online for the Minnesota Historical Society's popular spring workshops. This year we consider "Raising the Bar: Excellence in Local History." Come join friends and colleagues for intriguing sessions on historical markers, archaeology, and solving the space crunch, among many others.

Disaster Preparedness

Midwest Art Conservation Center and Minnesota Association of Museums present "Writing and Updating Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Plans for Cultural Collections." The workshop will be held twice, once each at the Richfield Historical Society on Tuesday March 6, 2007, and at the Tweed Art Museum in Duluth on Wednesday May 16, 2007. More Information.

Field Note

The spring workshops offered by the Minnesota Historical Society are an excellent opportunity to question specialists while at local historical organizations just like yours. Below participants carefully consider how they might reach schoolchildren while attending the spring 2006 workshop in Buffalo at the Wright County Historical Society.

Suzi Hunn of the Minnesota Historical Society talks about how to reach schoolchildren to a corwd seated at tables. Around them are a red tractor and truck in an exhibit at the Wright County Historical Society in Buffalo.