history by Tim Grove

Going Beyond Digitization Congratulations to the AASLH Award of Merit Winners listed below. any history organizations The Boca Raton Historical Society received an award specifically have begun to think about for their excellent website. The other winners’ projects included a Web component. how they can use their websites to educate the Boca Raton Historical Society public, not only about con- www.bocahistory.org Mtent but also about process. While most of the recent activity related to websites Minnesota Digital Library Coalition Minnesota Reflections reflections.mndigital.org has focused on digitization and making collections available online, the obvious The History Project: Interpreting GLBT Boston next step is teaching researchers of all www.historyproject.org ages how to use the materials well and to think critically about historical sources. 9th Judicial Circuit Court Judge Cecil Poole Biography Project The sites below offer a variety of ap- www.cecilpoole.com proaches to showing the research process. Some are more successful than others, but all demonstrate an attempt to help is important in history and what kinds of activity introduces various tools along the people understand how historians draw information it provides. Other sources of way, including a microscope and chemical conclusions from primary source mate- information include condition reports, spot tests. The activity is available in both rial. The examples are targeted to teach- historical photographs, and oral history text and flash versions. ers and students. audio segments. The developers are ex- perimenting with a series of live forums The Library and Archives of National Museum of American with the curators that facilitate an ex- Canada History, Smithsonian Institution change between the classroom and cura- www.collectionscanada.ca/ www.objectofhistory.org tors. The project aims “to provide smaller forgery/index-e.html This work in progress is a partner- museums and historical societies with a Detecting the Truth: Fakes, Forgeries, and ship between the National Museum of model for creating similar materials us- Trickery, a site targeted to younger ages, American History and George Mason ing their own collections and expertise.” looks at the process of authenticating University’s Center for History and New In January 2008, the CHNM will offer a photographs, maps, documents, paint- Media (CHNM). The site debuted in downloadable package that will include ings, money, and stamps using items held February 2007 with the goal of providing templates, a database structure, and a at the Library and Archives of Canada. teachers and students of American history guide to creating object lessons using the The site discusses the techniques and with access to both the museum’s col- software. This free package will be avail- tools that conservators, archivists, and lections and its curatorial expertise. The able to all interested users and will be librarians use to distinguish the real from primary focus is the study of material cul- composed using open source software. the false. An online activity allows users ture, using objects as primary sources. A to apply the information they learned to secondary focus is the process of collect- Museum of London identify a forged stamp. ing or answering why objects have value. www.museumoflondon.org.uk/learning/ The site features six important objects features_facts/voh/Voh_kit/index.htm The Oriental Institute at the from the museum’s collections including This “virtual object handling work- University of Chicago an icon of the civil rights era (a section shop” is targeted to younger children and mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu of the Greensboro lunch counter) and a is an engaging way to teach about object The online activity Dig into History: revered object from early American his- analysis. It features three everyday objects Mesopotamia simulates an archaeo- tory (the desk on which Thomas Jefferson from the Museum of London’s collec- logical dig of ancient sites in Iraq and wrote the Declaration of Independence). tion, representing the Roman, Tudor, was funded in part by the Institute of A variety of materials encourages us and Victorian periods. A cartoon figure Museum and Library Services. A car- to look closely at the objects. In short named Molly guides users as they analyze toon figure of an archaeologist named videos, curators talk about why they col- the objects. Through standard question- Fahima Muhammed guides the user to lected the specific objects and provide ing strategies, Molly explains how his- three locations and shows how archae- historical context showing why the object torians and curators study artifacts. The ologists dig for artifacts. Along the way,

h i s t ory n e ws 5 users can record information about the Administration/Office of War Information opportunities to reach audiences. The artifacts they have found and learn some hired Collier to document day-to-day more tools we provide to teachers to help of archaeology’s policies and procedures. life in America emphasizing issues of civil them teach critical thinking skills through The artifacts are focused around three defense and public morale, the images primary sources, the more future genera- themes: agriculture, the development of provide a snapshot of ordinary life across tions will see the value of preserving his- writing, and science and inventions. After the United States. Three lesson plans in tory. But what about the adults who don’t a successful dig, users can also curate a an activity format encourage the user to understand how historians draw differing museum exhibition using photographs of examine photographs closely. One offers a interpretations of historical events? What the artifacts found in the dig. comparison of historical photos with pho- can we do to teach them? I’d like to hear tographs from today. Another encourages about websites or projects in progress that University of New Mexico discussion of the photographs using the target adult audiences with information americanimage.unm.edu website www.flickr.com. The third allows about the historical research process. t This NEH-funded site focuses on pho- the user to create his or her own propa- tograph analysis. It features a collection of ganda film using Collier photographs, video History Bytes is a forum for discussing World War II-era photographs by John clips, and posters from the WWII era. web issues facing all types of historical Collier, Jr. held at the Maxwell Museum institutions. Tim Grove can be contacted at of Anthropology at the University of These sites, although targeted for use [email protected]. New Mexico. Because the Farm Security by younger students, provide valuable

v The American Association for State and Local History Acknowledges and appreciates these Institutional Partners and Patrons for their extraordinary support

Institutional Partners and Patron Members pay membership dues of $1,000 or more for organizations and $250 or more for individuals.

Institutional Idaho State Historical Society Montana Historical Society Tennessee State Museum Partners Boise, ID helena, mt Nashville, TN Illinois State Museum National Heritage Museum Virginia Historical Society Arizona Historical Society springfield, Il Lexington, ma Richmond, VA Tucson, AZ Indiana Historical Society National Museum Wisconsin Historical Society Arizona State Capitol Museum Indianapolis, IN of American History Madison, WI Phoenix, AZ Washington, DC Indiana State Museum Atlanta History Center Indianapolis, IN Nebraska State Historical Society Patron Members Atlanta, GA Lincoln, NE Japanese American Mr. Ellsworth H. Brown Belle Meade Plantation National Museum North Carolina Division of madison, WI Nashville, TN Los Angeles, CA Archives & History Ms. Virginia Margaret Carnes Raleigh, NC Billings Farm & Museum Kansas State Mount Kisco, NY Woodstock, VT Historical Society, Inc. Ohio Historical Society Ms. Lori Gundlach Cincinnati Museum Center Topeka, KS Columbus, OH Fairview Park, OH Cincinnati, OH Kentucky Historical Society Old Sturbridge Village Ms. Leslie Starr Hart Colonial Williamsburg Frankfort, KY Sturbridge, MA Fredericksburg, TX Foundation Louisiana State Museum Pennsylvania Historical Williamsburg, VA Mr. Eric N. Johnson New Orleans, LA & Museum Commission Fulton, IL Harrisburg, PA Colorado Historical Society Maryland Historical Society Denver, CO Ms. Katherine Kane Baltimore, md Sen. John Heinz Pennsylvania Hartford, CT Regional History Center Conner Prairie Massachusetts Historical Society Fishers, IN Pittsburgh, PA Ms. Kathleen Stiso Mullins boston, ma Lafayette, IN State Historical Society of Iowa Delaware Public Archives Michigan Historical Center Dover, DE des moines, ia Mr. John Robinson, III Lansing, MI St. Louis, MO The Hermitage, Strawbery Banke Museum Minnesota Historical Society Mr. George L. Vogt Home of President portsmouth, nh St. Paul, MN portland, or Andrew Jackson Strong Museum Missouri Historical Society Hermitage, TN Rochester, NY Mr. Charles Wasserhott IV St. Louis, MO Kingston, PA The History Channel New York, NY

6 Winter 2007