Conferences and Continuing Education

Sharpen your skills by attending training.

The following list is gathered by the Local History Services team. Please send updates as needed.

Sections
Workshops/Courses
On-Demand Workshops
Continuing Education Resources
Conferences/Meetings
Awards

Workshops/Courses

FREE Upcoming Midwest Art Conservation Center Workshops 
Free to Minnesota Residents. Funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society. Learn more »

Write or Update Your Emergency Plan
February 11, 18, & 25, 2026 @ 10 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: This 3-session online course covers emergency preparedness fundamentals, the essential components of an emergency plan, and how to develop and customize a plan for your organization. It addresses major and minor emergencies, extended closures, and emergencies within larger disasters. Participants work with an emergency plan template, complete a risk assessment, and draft a plan to share with their institution and board, with recommended independent work between sessions. Cost: Free for Minnesota residents/$400 for non-residents.

Write Your Long-Range Preservation Plan
March 11, 18, & 25, 2026 @ 10 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: This 3-session online course guides participants in drafting a Long-Range Preservation Plan (LRPP), focusing on preservation fundamentals, assessment, and prioritization of collections care goals. The course is designed especially for small institutions and includes group activities plus recommended independent work. Learn to use your LRPP for conservation goals and competitive grant proposals. Cost: Free for Minnesota residents/$400 for non-residents.

Stronger Together: Building Meaningful Communities of Practice for Museum Teams
December 11 @ 2 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: Texas Historical Commission - Balancing cultural heritage stewardship with community service requires collaboration, but time and resources often pose challenges. This webinar explores developing communities of practice to break down silos, pool resources, and build resilience during tough times. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Introducing the Magnetic Media Crisis Committee (MMCC)
December 12 @ 12 to 1 pm (CT) - Online: AIC & FAIC - This lecture introduces the Magnetic Media Crisis Committee (MMCC), a collaborative group addressing the preservation crisis of degrading magnetic media collections like tapes and films through knowledge-sharing, advocacy, and tool development.​ Cost: Free members/$20 nonmembers. Learn more »

Bringing Conservation to Younger Audiences: Holly Maxson Conservation Grantees on Outreach
December 12 @ 1 pm (CT) - Online: AIC & FAIC - Hear from Holly Maxson Conservation Grant recipients about innovative outreach strategies that introduce middle school through undergraduate students to conservation careers through hands-on projects, curriculum development, and STEAM-connected activities.​ Cost: Free. Learn more »

Where Does Governance Stop and Management Begin?
December 17 @ 12 to 1 pm (CT) - Online: Propel Nonprofits - Clarify the essential boundaries between board governance and staff management to strengthen collaboration and mission achievement in nonprofits. This webinar addresses common role overlaps and provides practical guidance for effective partnership. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Authentic and Timely Feedback
December 18 @ 10 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - This virtual workshop teaches how to deliver feedback as a tool for growth rather than criticism, with strategies to tailor it effectively to individual team members and foster stronger relationships. Cost: $50 members/$70 nonmembers. Learn more »

Introduction to Financial Management (Winter 2026)
January 12 - February 8, 2026 (8 weeks) - Online: American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) - This online course offers an accessible introduction to financial management for history organizations of all sizes. Topics include understanding income and expenses, budget creation, endowment basics, and linking financial health to mission relevance. The course includes weekly lessons, discussions, assignments, and optional live office hours, designed to help participants build practical financial skills. Cost: $199 AASLH members/$299 nonmembers (10% discount for STEPS participants). Learn more »

Collections Management 100 - Collection Development
January 12 - March 8, 2026 (8 weeks) - Online: American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) - This 8-week online course covers foundational principles of being a collecting organization, including the purpose of a Collection Management Policy and its relation to museum mission. Participants will draft key policy sections on Collection Development and practice applying these through example objects. Ideal for those working with or overseeing collections in small to mid-sized institutions. Cost: $230 AASLH members / $330 nonmembers (10% discount for STEPS participants). Learn more »

Basics of Archives
January 12 - March 8, 2026 (8 weeks) - Online: American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) - This beginner-level course introduces historical organizations and individuals to managing and protecting archival collections. It covers archives basics including acquisition, processing, housing, access, outreach, and digital records. The course combines self-paced lessons with facilitator support and peer discussions to build core archival skills. Cost: $230 AASLH members/$330 nonmembers (10% discount for STEPS participants). Learn more »

Online Demand Courses

American Association for State and Local History - Arcus Leadership Program Courses
Specifically designed for emerging and mid-level professionals and volunteers, these self-paced courses help participants understand the most critical topics in the history field and incorporate that understanding into their work. Start these courses any time.

• Accessibility for Historical Organizations
• Creating Engaging Social Media Content for Historical Organizations
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for History Organizations
• Foundational Principles of LGBTQ+ Inclusion
• Introduction to Fundraising
• Introduction to Indigenous History
• Program Planning for Nonprofits 

Museum Collections Documentation and Data Cleaning
Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) and the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) - Provides essential museum documentation information for museum staff with all levels of knowledge. It begins with an introductory overview and ends with specific documentation issues. Learners can take the modules in order or choose a module or two that fits their needs. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Preservation Housekeeping for Heritage Sites and Small Museums
Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) and the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) - Covers guidelines, best practices and resources for the regular upkeep of historic interiors and exteriors as well as the contents of historic buildings. This one- to two-hour self-paced course has been designed for those who work or volunteer in small museums or heritage sites and who have little to no training in conservation. Learn more »

Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference Breakout Session Recordings
View conference recordings from the February 26-27 Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference Rochester.

• Digital Accessibility 101
• How AI Can Help, Not Hinder Your Work
• Podcasts Place in Tourism Marketing: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
• Multi-Cultural Diversity Advertising
• Outdoor Recreation for Economic Development
• Web Strategy That Works

Digital Stewardship Training Courses for Tribal Libraries, Archives, Museums, and Small Public Libraries
OCLC's WebJunction, in partnership with Washington State University's Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation, is creating a series of 10 free online courses for staff at tribal archives, libraries, museums (TALMs), and small public libraries on digital stewardship and community-centered curation of cultural collections. Learn more »

Finding New Sources of Funding in Challenging Times:
National Preservation Institute - This 45-minute on-demand course will help you think beyond traditional sources of financial support to fund cultural resource projects. Learn how to evaluate a cultural resource project for its value in serving broader community needs. Review traditional funding types versus alternative sources that can be redirected to meet project goals. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Document Conservation - Northeast Document Conservation Center has many webinar training programs on paper, books, and similar items and topics. Learn more »

Nonprofit Education - Propel Nonprofits and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits feature local training.

Online continuing education

Interpreting African American History and Culture Resource Kit
The American Association for State and Local History's free "Interpreting African American History and Culture Resource Kit" is made up of AASLH conference sessions, webinars, History News, technical leaflets, and books that address topics such as working with descendant communities, celebrating Juneteenth, interpreting slavery for a variety of audiences, and the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement on museum practice. Check it out »

Free Collections Care webinars
Connecting to Collections Online Community offers a series of free, online courses about the preservation of archival and historical collections. Check their website for dates and upcoming programming.

Planning for Changes in the Archives: 12 steps for undertaking collection relocation
Recorded Webinar: Midwest Archives Conference - The presenter walks through the 12 steps so you’ll have a framework to follow for your project. This framework helps focus your plans and ensures you consider possible options. These steps have been honed through experience moving archives and special collections materials. Watch video »

Webinar Recording: Oral History at a Distance: Conducting Remote Interviews
Oral History Association - This timely webinar addresses the dynamics of conducting remote oral history interviews. It begins with an analysis of the pros and cons of conducting distance oral history interviews, then addresses aspects of interviewing in a distance environment, breaking down the interviewer and narrator experience in these exchanges, and offer direction on best approaches for interviewing at a distance. This session will cover best practices for recording archival-quality oral history interviews, then discuss in depth the tools and techniques available to enable the user to follow best practices in a remote setting. Listen »

Webinar Recording: Insurance 101: Practical Considerations for Protecting Institutional Collections and Loans
Connecting to Collections - This webinar recording is appropriate for all levels of experience from beginner to expert as an introduction and review of collections insurance basics and how they are an integral part of collections care. We will examine loss prevention, loss control and how to protect the collection through good housekeeping, landscaping, managing patrons, and during transport of objects. In addition, examples of recent claims and outcomes to illustrate how insurance responds to loss and damage will be presented. Watch the recording »

A Guide to Approaching Audiovisual Digitization
This paper was written through support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The information discussed in the paper is meant to help collection holders prepare their materials and their technology systems for a digitization initiative, as well as give a brief overview of digitization workflows. There is also a discussion of some of the updates made to the BAVC workflow over the last two years. This section may be of interest to those interested in the technical and procedural aspects of digitization workflows. Download paper »

Community Reflection on Black Lives and Archives
Recorded Webinar: Society of American Archivists - Society of American Archivists’ statement on Black Lives and Archives. The vitality of American archives depends on the safety of archives workers and an explicit commitment to social responsibility, justice, and anti-racism in the work that we do and the organizations we work within. As part of this the SAA Council convened a forum of reflection to move toward healing and understanding, of which a recording of this event is now available. Listen »

'Talking About Race' Is a New Online Resource by the National Museum of African American History
Last week, The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) released a new, online portal discussing race, racism, and racial identity. The new web portal, “Talking About Race,” was launched as a way to help everyone, including families and communities, talk about racism and racial identity and the way these forces shape every aspect of society, from the economy and politics to the broader American culture. Learn more »

Online information for exempt organizations
IRS Exempt Organizations has developed an educational website with an online version of their popular workshop for Small and Mid-Sized 501(c)(3) organizations, plus mini-courses on other topics of interest, including information on the redesigned Form 990.

Reflecting on Museum Labor
A course in the Museum Studies program at University of Illinois at Chicago, centered on public engagement, produced a magazine/newspaper-style publication containing useful information about labor rights, history, and museums/places associated with celebrating labor movements and history. It also has interviews with folks in the field and activities like a custom labor-themed cocktail list. Download PDF »

Cultural Institutions at Times of Social Unrest
Recording of Carla Hayden and Lonnie Bunch discussing the future of their institutions and how they remain accessible and relevant during a period of global pandemic coupled with nationwide protests against injustice. Watch webcast »

Preservation 101
Northeast Document Conservation Center offers a set of free online courses in the basics of caring for objects.

Conferences in and around Minnesota

2025 North Star Genealogy Conference: Charting Your Ancestral Course
October 24-25 @ 9 am to 6 pm - Eagan: Minnesota Genealogical Society at Eagan Community Center - Join this two-day event featuring acclaimed genealogists David E. Rencher, Chief Genealogical Officer for FamilySearch, and J. H. “Jay” Fonkert, former MGS president. Gain insights on ancestral research and connect with fellow genealogists. Cost and registration details available on the Minnesota Genealogical Society website. Learn more »
 

Regional and National Conferences

Midwest Archaeological Conference and Plains Anthropological Society Joint Conference
October 29 to November 1 - Iowa City, IA: Connect with leading archaeologists and anthropologists, explore the latest research, and engage in dynamic workshops and networking events. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to collaborate, share discoveries, and celebrate the rich heritage of the Midwest and Plains regions. Learn more »

Lost Region Recovery Project Conference
November 15 @ 8 am to 6:45 pm - Sioux Falls: Middle West Review - This academic conference held at the Washington Pavilion brings scholars and community members together to address challenges facing Midwestern studies, foster open dialogue, and plant seeds for renewal and growth in the field. The schedule features short presentations on the region’s history, culture, and identity, and panel discussions on reviving scholarship and building community. Location: Schulte Room, Washington Pavilion. Cost: $40. Learn more »

American Historical Association 139th Annual Meeting - Call for Proposals 
January 8 to 11, 2026 – Chicago: American Historical Association – Attend the AHA's largest yearly gathering of historians in the United States, featuring sessions on diverse historical topics, innovative methods, and the uses of history in public and academic venues. Historians and related scholars are encouraged to submit proposals for sessions and poster presentations. The event fosters lively interactions among participants and showcases the full diversity of historical scholarship. Cost: Varies by registration type. Learn more »

2026 MALHM Conference
April 28 to 30, 2026 - Save the date for the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums Annual Conference & Meeting in Mankato, Minnesota, which brings together local history professionals from across Minnesota for three days of sessions, networking, and learning with a full schedule of workshops and presentations focused on museum and historical society work. Attendees can connect with peers, exchange ideas, and discuss best practices in collections management, education, marketing, community engagement and more. This event provides a platform to expand skills and deepen connections within the local history community. MALHM offers scholarships for first-time attendees to support participation in the Annual Conference, covering all events, sessions, meals, and including a $300 stipend. Details available on the MALHM website »
 

Awards

Minnesota History Awards
Since 2009, the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums has recognized outstanding history work by local organizations at its Annual Meeting. A formal nomination process is conducted and reviewed by a panel of peers to determine award recipients. There are two award programs: the Minnesota History Awards and the Lifetime Achievement Awards. Learn more »

AASLH Leadership in History Awards
American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) bestows the Leadership in History Awards in recognition of excellence in the field of state and local history. Learn more »

Association of Midwest Museums Awards
Each year, the Association of Midwest Museums honors members throughout the Midwest region for leadership, career achievements, and best practices. Learn more »

• Distinguished Career Award: honors individuals in mid- to late museum careers whose leadership, vision, and creativity have positively impacted staff and communities, leading to lasting change in their institutions.
• Promising Leadership Award: recognizes individuals in the early stages of their museum careers (paid staff, interns, board members, and volunteers) who have demonstrated leadership through projects or service to teams/departments.
• Best Practices Award: recognizes innovative projects or community collaborations by museums and cultural organizations that advance best practices or establish new ones to fulfill their missions.
• Groundbreakers Award: honors museums or cultural organizations that have challenged conventions, confronted uncomfortable truths about their histories, and engaged in collaborative efforts for change. 

Midwestern History Association Awards

• Jon Gjerde Prize for best book on Midwestern history
  January 15 - (Deadline): The Jon Gjerde Prize is given annually by the Midwestern History Association to the author(s) of the best book on Midwestern history published during the previous calendar year (2024). Learn more »
• Dorothy Schwieder Prize for best article on Midwestern history
  January 15 - (Deadline): The Dorothy Schwieder Prize is awarded annually for the best article on Midwestern history published during the previous calendar year (2024). All articles on Midwestern history that were published in peer-reviewed journals are eligible for the prize. Learn more »
• Alice Smith Prize in Public History
  January 15 - (Deadline): The Alice Smith Prize in Public History honors a public history project completed in the previous calendar year (2024) that contributes to broader public reflection and appreciation of the Midwestern past. Projects by individuals, groups, community organizations, businesses, or other organizations or work done in support of such projects may be nominated. Learn more »