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

In-Person

IN-PERSON: Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums History Hike
September 19 @ 11 am to 3 pm - Banning State Park & Pine County Historical Society -
Join your colleagues for an inaugural History Hike. Enjoy a history-filled hiking trip at Banning State Park, plus lunch & a short tour at the Pine County Historical Society. Free, but attendees will be responsible for their own museum admission ($5) and lunch. Learn more »

IN-PERSON: Free Archaeology Lab Tours: Uncovering Local Histories Through Archaeology

September 19
- 9:30 to 11:30 am
- 12:30 to 2:30 pm
September 26
- 9:30 to 11:30 am
- 2:30 to 2:30 pm

106 Group invites participants to explore how archaeology reveals local histories that may not survive in written records. During this interactive program, visitors will tour 106 Group’s archaeology laboratory and learn how archaeologists study artifacts, landscapes, and other forms of material evidence to understand the people, places, and communities that shaped the region. Guided activities include examining modern and historical artifacts, participating in a simulated artifact-screening exercise, and considering how specialists interpret physical evidence to construct historical narratives. The tours will also feature artifacts and discoveries from a recently excavated urban archaeological site in the Twin Cities, illustrating archaeology’s role in documenting and elevating stories that are often underrepresented in traditional sources. The program is recommended for participants ages 10 and older; attendees under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult. Location: 106 Group offices, 550 Vandalia St., Suite 102, St. Paul. Cost: Free. Learn more »

IN-PERSON: 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 Safe Storage: Making Boxes + Mounts for Collections
October 15 to 16 @ 10 am to 4:30 pm. This two-day, hands-on workshop introduces stable and inert materials for collection storage and display, along with the protective and environmental benefits of storage enclosures. Participants will learn basic box-making skills, create a tool-storage box and a custom box and support for an example or personal collection item, and leave with a starter set of box-making tools. Led by preventive conservator Bailey Kinsky, the workshop is geared toward library and archival materials but applies to all collection types. Location: St. Olaf College Archives, Northfield, MN. Cost: Free Minnesota residents; $600 nonresidents. Learn more »

Online

The Dos and Don’ts for Nonprofits with Elections
September 17 @ 1 to 2:30 pm (CT) - Online: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - Learn what nonprofit organizations can legally do to encourage voter and election engagement while remaining nonpartisan. This live workshop will cover practical strategies for involving staff and constituents in ways that align with an organization’s mission, provide concrete resources, and include time for questions. Participants will leave better prepared to engage their communities confidently and appropriately ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Introduction to Individual Donor Development
September 22 @ 1 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - Learn how to develop a dependable base of individual donors and build unrestricted, recurring support for your organization’s mission. Led by Steve Boland, director of Next in Nonprofits, this workshop will address identifying prospective donors, moving people from initial interest to sustained support, using peer-to-peer outreach to expand a donor base, and establishing donor-stewardship processes with appropriate automation and online tools. Participants will also learn how to create an annual calendar of fundraising campaigns rather than relying solely on restricted institutional grants. Cost: $50 members; $70 nonmembers. Learn more »

Stewarding Your Cultural Institution’s Future: Financial Decision-Making for Every Role
September 23 @ 12 to 1 pm (CT) - Online: Virginia Association of Museums - Will Nixon, Senior Director of Finance for the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, examines fiscal stewardship as a responsibility shared across museum roles. Participants will gain a practical framework for weighing decisions through mission, public trust, and sustainability; communicating program and resource needs; and making informed choices that support long-term institutional health. Cost: Free. Learn more »

The Rowing History Project: A Case Study in Digitizing Collections
September 24 @ 11 am (CT) - Online: Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts - Explore how Philadelphia’s historic Boathouse Row rowing clubs collaborated to preserve and share their collections through a new digital platform as rowing-history museums face closures nationwide. CCAHA Digital Archives Specialist Kaitlyn Pettengill will join Rowing History Project members Hannah Cerino, Christopher Doyle, and Rick Stehlik to discuss the complex, interoperable digital project that enables 15 historic boathouses and their clubs to make their stories and collections accessible without a physical museum. Presented in conjunction with the online platform’s official launch, the webinar also addresses the sustainability of community-based archives through digital tools and preservation practices. Cost: Free. Learn more »

SMAll Talk: Museum Horror Stories
September 24 @ 6 pm (CT) - Online: Small Museum Association - This SMAll Talk conversation invites small-museum professionals to share challenging and memorable moments—from red tape and visitor complaints to damaged collections and poor management—and reflect on how they responded. Following a brief presentation, participants will join facilitated discussions to exchange ideas, learn from peers, and find a little catharsis together. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Safely Caring for Hazardous Materials
September 24 @ 1 pm (CT) - Online: Collections Care & Conservation Alliance - This webinar examines the practical realities of caring for hazardous or potentially hazardous collection materials. Through four case studies, presenters will discuss how they triaged immediate risks and developed protocols for future situations, with an emphasis on balancing human safety and collections longevity when materials may endanger staff, visitors, or other objects. Cost: $10 members; $15 nonmembers. Learn more »

Archival Reference
September 28 @ 5 pm (CT) - Online: Backlog Webinar - This session examines how archives can support meaningful collection use by identifying what researchers need to access and understand materials. Participants will explore reference services across in-person, online, and email-based settings, along with the shared responsibilities of archivists and users in caring for collections. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Accessibility by Design: Empowering Staff for Human-Centered Change
September 29 @ 12 to 1 pm (CT) - Online: American Alliance of Museums - This interactive webinar helps museum staff at all levels advance accessibility as an organization-wide, human-centered practice. Based on the methodology in Museum Accessibility by Design, participants will examine physical, cognitive, linguistic, social, and organizational barriers; identify biases that limit inclusion; and develop concrete priorities for institutional change. Cost: Free members; $40 nonmembers. Learn more »

Understanding Governance: A Quick Introduction
September 29 @ 2 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - This free webinar offers a concise introduction to governance for history organizations, combining brief presentations with breakout-room discussions for peer learning and conversation. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Strengthening History Communications: Reframing the Value of History and Your Institution
September 30 @ 12 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - Drawing on findings from AASLH’s Reframing History project, this half-day workshop helps history practitioners communicate their institutions’ value more effectively to public audiences. Participants will explore how Americans understand history, discuss common communications challenges with peers, and begin crafting stronger messages for fundraising, advocacy, media outreach, websites, and other public-facing materials. Cost: $100 members; $150 nonmembers. Learn more »

Museums Today: Creating Digital Exhibitions: A Practical Guide
September 30 @ 5 pm (CT) - Online: Association of Academic Museums and Galleries - Dr. Morgan Joseph Hamilton and Dr. Zida Wang, co-editors of Creating Digital Exhibitions: A Practical Guide, will examine the theory and practice of developing exhibitions for digital spaces. The conversation will consider how digital exhibition-making differs from simply placing museum content online, requiring intentional approaches to curation, technology, audience engagement, interpretation, accessibility, infrastructure, and evaluation. Participants will explore how online exhibitions can create distinct opportunities for learning, participation, access, and creative expression while addressing limited resources, evolving technologies, changing visitor expectations, ethical considerations, and institutional responsibilities. Learn more »

Bridging Historical and Civic Practice
October 1 @ 2 to 3:15 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - Part of AASLH’s History & Democracy Initiative, this webinar explores how history organizations can help strengthen American civic culture and democratic life. It pairs broad perspectives on the history field’s public role with practical case studies of programming and partnerships that support civic participation, productive dialogue, community connection, critical thinking, collective problem-solving, and collaboration across sectors. Designed for history practitioners at all career stages and organizations of any mission, size, or location, the session is also relevant to professionals in adjacent fields seeking stronger partnerships with the history sector. Cost: $25 members; $45 nonmembers. Learn more »

When Resources Fall Short: Supporting Museum Security Teams Through Technology
October 15 @ 1 pm (CT) - Online: International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection - Join IFCPP, Art Sentry, and the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts for a practical case study on using technology to support museum security teams facing staffing shortages, budget constraints, difficult gallery sightlines, and visitor concerns. Chief of Security Ken Nielsen and Art Sentry Sales Manager Carrie Heflin will discuss lessons learned and considerations for strengthening collection protection without compromising visitor experience, followed by a Q&A and peer discussion. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Core Issues Briefing Series, Fall 2026
October 7 to November 4 @ 2 to 3 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - A five-part webinar series on urgent issues facing history organizations, including engaging younger generations, understanding the U.S. history sector and workforce, doing history in polarized times, and disaster preparedness. The series draws on AASLH research and partner expertise from Made By Us. Cost: $25 members/$45 nonmembers per webinar or $100 members/$205 nonmembers for a webinar bundle of all five. Learn more »

October 7: Engaging Younger Generations at History Organizations
October 14: Understanding the U.S. History Sector
October 21: Doing History in Polarized Times
October 28: Disaster Preparedness for History Organizations and Sites
November 4: Understanding the U.S. History Workforce

Genealogy for Library, Archives and Museum Services
November 2 to December 13 - Online: University of Wisconsin–Madison iSchool - This six-week, instructor-led course is designed for library, archives, local history, and museum staff with little or no previous genealogy experience. Participants will build confidence in assisting patrons with family history research while developing practical knowledge of genealogical resources and services. Cost: $275. 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

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 »

Museum Learning Hub Free Recorded Webinars: Managing Website Projects

These sessions help small museums handle website updates, redesigns, and digital platforms using step-by-step guidance, even with a small staff or volunteer team.

Intro Session: Get Inspired! - Hear from museum professionals who manage flexible, affordable website projects with volunteers, staff, and community partners during periods of change.
Technical Workshop 1: Plan for Success - Learn step-by-step methods, guides, and checklists for setting goals, planning project phases, and building a website team, even with limited staff.
Technical Workshop 2: Setting Content Priorities - Learn how to organize website content, identify gaps, use tracking tools, and develop affordable ways to share stories online.
Technical Workshop 3: Managing the Project - Participants learn how to manage technical resources, avoid common website project problems, plan a successful launch, and maintain a website after it goes live.

Museum Learning Hub Free Recorded Webinars: Managing Digitization Projects
These free recorded webinars from Museum Learning Hub guide museum staff through planning, carrying out, and sustaining digitization projects, from defining goals and managing budgets to metadata, imaging standards, workflows, and long-term digital preservation.

Intro Session: Get Inspired! - Learn from museum staff who planned and completed digitization projects that made their collections available online, including their goals, budgets, partnerships, and technology choices.
Technical Workshop 1: Digitization: Strategy and Purpose - Explore how to define your project’s purpose, audience, and access goals, and learn how metadata helps people find and use digital collections.
Technical Workshop 2: How to Build a Digitization Project - Learn how to plan a digitization project, set priorities and goals, decide whether to work in-house or with a vendor, and prepare for long-term needs.
Technical Workshop 3: Imaging Standards and Logistics in Digitization Projects - Learn how to choose equipment, set up workspaces, apply imaging standards, conduct quality checks, preserve files, and expand your digitization work over time.

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 »

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 »