Museums and history organizations do amazing things. We put on creative, educational and impactful programs that engage audiences of all ages. We collect and preserve important objects, documents and photographs of our cities, towns and regions. We design exhibits and engage online to tell the stories of our communities. And we are always looking for […]
In Local History Services, we spend quite a bit of time in the company van traveling the state bringing exhibits to local organizations. Although many of these sites are museums or libraries, we have also been known to deliver them to senior living facilities, adult continuing education centers and even hospitals. Every site has its […]
I travel all over the state working with local historical organizations of all types, and I love what I do. I meet interesting people. I get to talk to them about cool, and sometimes difficult, history. I am fortunate to get up close and personal to the stories of Indiana’s local communities. I wouldn’t have […]
Did you know that the Indiana Historical Society has a team of field services staff who work with our colleagues at history organizations all over Indiana? If you haven’t heard of Local History Services, it’s probably because we don’t spend much time in the building. We’re road warriors, traveling thousands of miles each year to […]
We often talk about embodying our mission, vision, and goals in what we do as museums. For instance, we say we will protect and preserve the items in our collection. So we buy nice acid-free boxes and carefully handle our items to help them stick around as long as possible. But what about the other […]
In the Local History Services department, we get to work with historical organizations all across Indiana on everything from collections care training to traveling exhibits. And, we spend a lot of time thinking about why museums do what they do. What is the importance of museums to their communities? Are they integral to our society? […]
When I am on the road with the Local History Services department, the folks who run local history organizations often ask, “What boxes, folders and supplies should we buy?” The question originates in the uncertainty surrounding not just how to house existing objects in the collection but also how to house new objects after they […]
As pressures on cultural institutions grow, it is becoming more important for those institutions to show their stakeholders that they are working to increase their sustainability. One of the best ways, but certainly not the easiest, is to develop and implement a strategic plan. A good strategic plan sets mission-centered goals for the institution, provides […]
We keep things. Plain and simple. As a society we have a hard time letting things go. Even as minimalism continues to be the latest fad, there are reportedly 58,000 self-storage facilities in the United States. As museums we keep things also. For both museums and individuals, it is important to frequently ask yourself why? […]
We keep things. Plain and simple. As a society we have a hard time letting things go. Even as minimalism continues to be the latest fad, there are reportedly 58,000 self-storage facilities in the United States. As museums we keep things also. For both museums and individuals, it is important to frequently ask yourself why? […]
