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 Workshop 
Free to Minnesota Residents. Funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.

In-Person Hinging Works of Art on Paper
October 6 @ 10 am to 4 pm (CT) - Minneapolis: Midwest Art Conservation Center - This hands-on workshop at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis provides training in techniques and materials for hinging works of art on paper. Participants will prepare wheat starch paste, practice water-tearing Japanese paper for hinges, and work with study collection examples, leaving with a completed mock-up. Instruction is led by conservators Dianna Clise and Rebecca Clendinen. Location: Weisman Art Museum. Cost: Free for Minnesota residents; $300 nonmembers. Learn more » 

AASLH History Hour: Civic Practice
July 28 @ 2 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - Join a discussion and community-building event led by Madeleine Rosenberg exploring how history organizations can support and expand civic practice, particularly at the local level. Cost: Free. Learn more » 

Makerspaces for Museums and Historic Sites
July 23 @ 2 to 3:15 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History – Explore how makerspaces offer engaging, hands-on ways for the public to interact with history, enhancing visitor engagement, sparking creativity, and deepening connections to history and culture. Tim Betz, author of Making History: Makerspaces for Museums and Historic Sites, provides real-world examples and practical guidance on designing and implementing makerspaces that complement existing exhibits and collections, integrating activities for diverse audiences that foster collaboration, learning, and exploration. Cost: $25 members/$45 nonmembers. Learn more »

Another World is Possible: Building Fictional Worlds to Inspire Real-World Change
July 23 @ 9 to 11 am (CT) - St. Paul and Online: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - Highly interactive workshop on using science fiction and fantasy techniques to help people imagine how your mission could become reality and to communicate your organization’s work in more visionary ways. Participants should bring a favorite fictional world to discuss, along with a notebook or computer for writing. Location: St. Paul and Online. Cost: $50 members/$70 nonmembers. Learn more »

Planning and Budgeting for Fundraising Success
July 27 @ 9 to 10 am (CT) - Online: Ohio Museums Association – Information-packed session with Kerri Mollard to help museum development professionals create achievable fundraising goals and budgets based on giving histories, probabilities, and the current climate, rather than fill-the-gap numbers. Participants gain new skills and confidence to level up fundraising using real-world data. Cost: $15 members/$20 non-members. Learn more »

From Collections to Connections: Facilitating Access and Activation
July 30 @ 1 to 2 pm (CT) - Online: Connecting to Collections Care - This webinar highlights the Museum of Anthropology’s Collections Access Program at the University of British Columbia, which supports Indigenous access to and engagement with cultural belongings held in museum collections. Presenters will share approaches to reconnecting communities with ancestral materials, examples of community collaboration, and practical strategies for activating collections in both museum and community contexts. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Mold in Collections
July 30 @ 9:30 am (CT) - Online: Conserv - Dr. Morena Ferreira, preventive conservator and mold specialist, introduces the fundamentals of mold in collection environments, including causes, risk factors, and practical approaches to prevention and monitoring. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Dashboards: Making Your Data Work for You
August 4 @ 12 to 1 pm (CT) - Online: Propel Nonprofits - This webinar explores how to design and use dashboard reports effectively, covering key components, practical applications, and examples to help organizations turn data into actionable insights. Cost: Free. Learn more »

New Tools to Create Dynamic Collections Resources for Your Organization
August 11 @ 11 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: Center for Conservation of Art and Historic Artifacts - This webinar explores how to transform static spreadsheets into dynamic, maintainable databases using CCAHA resources such as the Preservation Glossary and Vendor Database. It highlights strategies for improving internal workflows and creating more effective, updatable collections care resources. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Event Planners Incubator
August 11 @ 1 to 2 pm (CT) - Online: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - This lightly facilitated virtual gathering brings together nonprofit event planners to exchange ideas, troubleshoot challenges, and gain inspiration from peers. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Preserving the Now: Archiving in Times of Crisis
August 12 @ 11 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: Connecting to Collections Care - This workshop features Invisible Histories co-founders Josh Burford and Maigen Sullivan discussing how a community-based archive is preserving at-risk LGBTQ history in the U.S. South through community outreach, volunteer engagement, and shared preservation efforts. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of the risks facing marginalized histories today, along with practical strategies for preserving local and vulnerable records. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Basics of Fundraising
August 13 @ 12 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - This virtual workshop introduces core fundraising concepts and strategies for history organizations of all sizes, with a focus on small institutions with limited staff and resources. Participants will learn practical approaches to building donor relationships, setting achievable goals, and strengthening individual giving programs through hands-on activities and guided discussions. Cost: $100 members/$150 nonmembers. Learn more »

Building an Effective Executive Director + Board Chair Partnership
August 19 @ 9 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: Propel Nonprofits - This workshop helps executive directors and board chairs strengthen their partnership by clarifying roles, building trust, and aligning on shared leadership practices to support organizational success. It is designed for pairs attending together and includes practical guidance for improving communication and reducing board-staff stress. Cost: $95. Learn more »

Age is Not a Limitation: What Happened When We Took Older Adults Seriously as Creators
August 24 @ 9 to 10 am (CT) - Online: Ohio Museums Association - This session examines the Akron Art Museum’s Creative Aging Institute as a model for integrating older adults into core audience development and programming. Presented by Merry Pertoski, it explores how positioning adults 55+ as active creators fosters social connection, lifelong learning, and community engagement while challenging age-related stereotypes. Participants will gain insights into building inclusive, sustainable programs that support healthy aging and meaningful participation. Cost: $15 members; $20 nonmembers. Learn more »

Designing History Walking Tours
August 27 @ 12 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - Aja Bain, AASLH’s Director of Professional Development and Publications and an experienced Nashville tour guide, shares practical guidance on creating engaging and memorable historic walking tours. This session covers essential elements, interpretive strategies, and adaptable approaches for sites of any size, location, or budget. Cost: $100 members; $150 nonmembers. 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

Technical Leaflets
The American Association for State and Local History (AALSH) offers hundreds of Technical Leaflets. These How-to guides are for those seeking information on management and administration, interpretation, research practices, preservation techniques, or any other subject related to public history practice. There’s probably a Technical Leaflet that will help. Free for AASLH members. AALSH also provides select technical Leaflets as free resources to nonmembers. Learn more »

MALHM Lending Library
Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums maintains a lending library service to provide access to titles that help organizations meet or exceed best practices and standards. Available titles can be viewed through an online portal, Libib.com. Patrons may only checkout or place holds on titles after creating a free account. The account will provide MALHM with basic patron information to track lent items and usage of the lending library. Learn more »

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

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 »