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

Workshops/Courses

Museums Today: NAGPRA Compliance, Meaningful Collaboration, and Transparency in Exhibitions
April 17 @ 5 to 6 pm (CT) - Online: George Washington University Museum/Textile Museum - Cat Shteynberg, assistant director and curator of exhibitions at the McClung Museum of Natural History and Culture, will present their 2023 exhibition, “The Repatriation of Archaeology and Native Peoples of Tennessee.” Here, over 300 unprovenanced and/or NAGPRA-protected items were removed from a longstanding permanent gallery. Employing Stephen Lubar’s notion of “exhibiting emptiness,” the museum transformed the space into dialogue on repatriation in collaboration with Native partners and the University of Tennessee’s Office of Repatriation. Cost: Free. Learn more »

DHPSNY: Understanding Dew Point
April 18 @ 1 pm (CT) - Online: Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts - This webinar covers the basics of understanding dew point and how it relates to relative humidity in a collections environment. Topics discussed will include the effects of passive climate control on dew point, the ways mechanical systems control dew point, reading dew point graphs, and other tips for data analysis. Build your understanding of this important moisture measurement to improve your institution's preservation goals and energy usage. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Building a Dream Workplace: How a Union Can and Can't Help
April 18 @ 9 to 10:30 am (CT) - Online: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - What do you know about unions? If you have not worked in a unionized environment, you may have ideas based on the opinions of friends and family or the media and entertainment. What do you know about a union contract? What does it typically cover? What is outside its purview? How can labor and management work together for the benefit of all? Join Commissioners Carrie Foster and Roger Moore of the Federal Mediation & Conciliation Service for an interactive discussion of these topics and more. If you are interested in learning more about a unionized workplace this is for you. Cost: $50 members/$75 nonmembers. Learn more »

Arrangement and Description: Fundamentals
April 18 & 19 @ 9 am to 5 pm - Minneapolis: Society of American Archivists - This two-day in-person course hosted at Minneapolis Institute of Art introduces the basic principles, concepts, and tools archivists use to establish physical and intellectual control over archival records. 
Instructors Pam Hackbart-Dean and Mary McRobinson will help students:

  • Apply the common arrangement of various types of collections and material formats.
  • Identify the essential elements of a finding aid.
  • Evaluate and understand the day-to-day decisions made in arranging and describing archival materials.
  • And more!

Community Archives Workshop 
April 19 @ 10 am to 12 pm (CT) - Minneapolis, in-person and online: Liberal Arts Engagement Hub - The Liberal Arts Engagement Hub hosts this workshop to explore how we interact with and care for archival materials in our daily lives and in our domestic spaces. Whether in our homes, in our community spaces, or online, we all hold materials that have the power to amplify or silence our histories. Come discuss with three archivists - Ego Ahaiwe Sowinski, Ellen Holt-Werle, and Aiden Bettine - how you can make an impact with your own materials. Location: Pillsbury Hall, University of MN. Registration required »

Switching Planes: Harnessing Transferable Skills for Success
April 23 @ 5 pm (CT) - Online: Association of Academic Museums and Galleries - Learn from industry leaders how to leverage your skills within and outside the museum realm. Gain insights to navigate career transitions confidently, recognize and apply transferable skills effectively, and open doors to exciting opportunities. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Climate and Weather History as Local History
April 24 @ - 2 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - Interested in exploring how local history museums can play a role in addressing climate change? Presenters will delve into the significance of local weather observations and records, shedding light on how museums can educate visitors about weather patterns and the climate crisis. Explore strategies for interpreting these valuable local records and engaging with the pressing issue of climate change. Cost: $25 nembers/$45 non-members. Learn more »

Managing Cash Flow
April 24 - 9 to 11 am (CT) - Online: Propel Nonprofits - While standard nonprofit financial reports – the budget, income statement, and balance sheet – provide important management information, these statements alone do not tell whether there is enough cash on hand to pay for an unexpected expense, to take on a new opportunity, or even to cover payroll next month. This workshop will help you anticipate and prepare for the ebb and flow of cash coming in and going out of your organization and identify ways to avoid and manage cash flow challenges. Cost: $60. Learn more »

OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program
April 25 @ 12 pm (CT) - Online: Connecting to Collections Care - In this webinar, attendees will learn how small and mid-sized institutions can best use the services that Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides through this program. Two museums that hosted consultants will also talk about their experiences and how they used their time spent with the consultants to make their workplaces safer for the objects and employees they work with. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Storytelling for Impact
April 30 @  2 pm (CT) - Online: Firespring - The presenter will go through tips, techniques and tools to help the modern marketer tell better and more impactful stories to activate their audiences around ideas and actions. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Regional Emergency Networks: VACDaRN’s Response to Vermont’s Severe Weather and Flooding 
May 1 @ 12 to 1 pm (CT) - Online: Connecting to Collections Care - As part of FAIC’s annual May Day programming, two members of the VACDaRN Steering Team will speak about their work in the immediate aftermath of Vermont’s severe weather and flooding on July 10, 2023, the long tale of recovery, and what they learned we need to improve before the next disaster.  Cost: Free. Learn more »

Dreaming of AI: A Crash Landing into AI in Collections Management
May 2 @ 10 am (CT) - Online: Balboa Park Online Collaborative - Amy Adams, Collections Information & Access Manager at the National Museum of the Royal Navy, will discuss the museum's early use of AI technologies in collections management, highlighting past trials, current efforts, and initial findings. Learn more »

Midwest Archives Conference Annual Meeting
May 2 through 4 - Des Moines, IA: Midwest Archives Conference - The conference theme this year is “Sowing Seeds of Change,“ a nod to Iowa’s historic role in agriculture. It also acknowledges that archival work is evolving and changing, requiring archivists to adapt and implement new approaches to the work. Learn more »

Writing K-12 Lesson Plans for Museums online course begins on MuseumStudy.com
Starts May 6 - online course: Museum Study - This four-week course is designed to teach museum educators how to develop and write formal lesson plans for K-12 programming. Students will review a wide variety of K-12 lesson plans from different types of museums. Each week's lecture, chat, and assignment will be iterative, and students will end the course with a finished lesson plan that they can put into use at their museums. Cost: $400. Learn more »

Reuse in Real Estate: Helping Clients Make Sustainable Choices
May 9 @ 2 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: Rethos - While many consumers think sustainability requires new "green" products, reused materials are our best option to reduce our carbon emissions and energy usage. You will learn where to find local reuse and repair resources, how to best share information with clients, and why reuse is essential to building a more sustainable future. Cost: Free for general public. Learn more »

Legal Issues in Collections Care: Abandoned Property
May 16 @ 11 am (CT) - Online: Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts - Sarah Kapellusch, Registrar at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum discusses what is abandoned property, when is something abandoned, how to identify your own abandoned property, and what to do with it once it’s been identified as such. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Agricultural History Society Annual Meeting
June 5 through 8 - Las Cruces, NM: Agricultural History Society - The conference theme this year is Borderlands, Marginal Spaces, and Agriculture In-Between. Examine how humans have interacted with boundaries and in-between spaces in agricultural history and engage with scholarship that might inform contemporary debates around borders. Learn more »

2024 Queer History Conference 
June 10 through 13 - Fullerton, CA:  Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender History (Affiliate of the American Historical Association) - The Conference will showcase dozens of panels with scholars working on the study of the queer past. Location: California State University Fullerton. 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.

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 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 »

History Responds to Crisis Workshops Recordings Now Available
Recordings are now available of online workshops with sessions focused on planning and responding to the unexpected. From planning for massive disruptions in operations to preparing your museum and collection for an extended period of closure to staying in touch with your members. View Recordings »

Free ADA training
Ten free training lessons regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act are available online from the U.S. Department of Justice.

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

Conferences

Small Museum Association Annual Conference
February 19 - 21, 2024
Omni Richmond Hotel, Richmond, VA

National Council on Public History
April 10 - 13, 2024
Hilton Salt Lake City Center, Salt Lake City, UT

Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums Annual Conference and Meeting
April 23 - 25, 2024
Duluth Entertainment Convention Center, Duluth, MN

American Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting and MuseumExpo
May 16 - 19, 2024
Baltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, MD

American Institute for Conservation Annual Meeting 
May 20 - 24, 2024
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT

International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection 2024 Annual Conference
June 15 - 19, 2024
InterContinental Hotel Chicago Magnificent Mile, Chicago, IL

Association of Midwest Museums Conference
July 31 -  August 3, 2024
Hilton Columbus at Easton, Columbus, OH

American Association for State and Local History Annual Conference
September 11 - 14, 2024
Mobile Convention Center, Mobile, AL

International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums
November 12 - 14, 2024
Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel, Palm Springs, CA