2010 Annual Meeting & Conference
Ohio Association of Historical Societies & Museums
Celebrate & Commemorate - Using History to Grow Your Organization
October 1 – 2, 2010, Embassy Suites, Dublin
OAHSM’s first annual meeting in 1960 brought together local historians to network and discuss common challenges and share innovative solutions. Fifty years later OAHSM is still bringing Ohio’s local historians together. This year’s meeting is made up of nearly 30 workshops and panel sessions, addressing such topics as time management, collections care, and attracting volunteers. There are also many opportunities to network during breaks, at meals, and during our Friday evening reception.
A brand new addition to the annual meeting is the “Tech Help Desk.” If you’re a beginner and want to create an email account or blog or use “Facebook” at your organization, “Tech Help Desk” is for you.
Register by September 10 and save!
Meeting Schedule and Sessions:
Friday, October 1:
8 am–3:30 pm Registration
8–10 am Continental Breakfast
8 am–3:30 pm History Marketplace Discover grant opportunities from the Ohio Humanities Council, learn about resources that can help you manage and promote your organization, and see what other history groups are up to. Reserve a space to showcase your organization. Register today to save your spot – space is limited.
9–9:50 am Concurrent Sessions
Workshop / Collections Management 201: Mastering Best Practices for Collections Care is for organizations wishing to take their collections management to a “good” and “better” level as described by the AASLH StEPs standards for Stewardship of Collections. Virginia Weygandt, director of collections at the Clark County Historical Society, will discuss developing a collection plan, a disaster plan, pest management and conservation plans, condition reports, humidity, light and temperature monitoring, and legal status of artifacts. (Note: this session ends at 10:50)
Workshop / Marketing Your Historical Society: Inspiration over Information Marketing is perhaps the most misunderstood part of what we do. Is it advertising? Branding? Brochures? And, how do we maximize marketing with ever shrinking budgets? Learn the answers to these questions and more without spending more money. Mark Holbrook of the Ohio Historical Society shares a simple approach to marketing.
Workshop / Tech Help Desk Appointments Do you want to set up an email account for your historical society or start a blog or begin using Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace? Mark the box on the meeting registration form and sign up for a Tech Help Desk appointment. Appointments available in three areas: Creating an e-mail account, Starting a blog or basic website, and Using Facebook, MySpace, or Twitter.
Make an appointment at one, two, or all three areas (just not all at the same time, please). By the end of your appointment, you will have created an email account, or blog / basic website or Facebook, Twitter, or MySpace account for your organization. Back at your institution, you’ll be able to use your new account. Tech Help Desk is available both mornings of the annual meeting. Your instructors are the staff of the Ohio Historical Society’s Outreach and Field Services Department.
10–10:50 am Concurrent Sessions
Workshop / Collections Management 201: Mastering Best Practices for Collections Care –continued. See description under 9 –9:50 concurrent sessions
Workshop / Engaging Your Board: Starting New Board Members Off Right Getting board members to “pull in the same direction” can be a challenge. Matching potential board members’ interests to your organization’s mission and setting expectations for new board members can help. Learn from Vickie Bondi of the Centerville-Washington Township Historical Society how one organization prepares its board members for their duties.Workshop / Tech Help Desk See description above.
10:50–11:10 am Mid-morning Break
11:15 am–12:05 pm Concurrent Sessions
Workshop / Time Management Basics Many local historical societies need more money but all local historians and leaders of local history groups know they need more time. Since a day is only 24 hours long, the challenge is to make the best use of the time you have. Rachel Sullivan of Impact Education will share tips to help you define priorities, delegate, and say “no” to extra demands on your time. You’ll learn how to manage your time and that of others wisely.
Workshop / Having Fun and Sharing History: How to Help Docents Do the Best They Can for Your Organization The impression your visitors have of your organization is largely a result of their interaction with your front line people, whether you call them “docents,” “tour guides,” or “interpreters.” Learn from Andrea Erbskorn, curator of education at Sauder Village how to help docents be the best and most knowledgeable representatives of your organization that they can be.
Workshop / Tech Help Desk See description above.
12:15–1:20 pm History Community Lunch & Keynote Address As we move into the 21st century, history organizations are increasingly challenged to find new ways to sustain themselves into the future. Enjoy lunch and networking with your friends in local history and hear OHS
Executive Director Burt Logan’s thoughts on sustainability for historical organizations and his observations about the state of history in Ohio $19
1:30–2:20 pm Concurrent Sessions Workshop / Focusing on Productivity Making your days as productive as possible takes skills—which you can learn! Rachel Sullivan of Impact Education will help you discover the difference between being busy versus productive (and how to be productive), identify time wasters in your day (and how to overcome them), and make priorities (and see them through).
Panel / Tough Times Don’t Last, but Tough Organizations Do: Thriving in a Downturn The “Great Recession” has adversely affected some historical societies. But for others, the best defense has been a good offense! Find out from Todd McCormick of the Logan County Historical Society, Bill Lawson of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society, and Wendy Zucal of the Dennison Rail Road Depot Museum how three organizations have made headway in these lean times, and leave inspired to press ahead at your organization.
Workshop / History in a Pod: How to Produce a Podcast for Your Organization For the absolute beginner, or just the curious, learn from Maggie Marconi of the Follett House / Sandusky Library, what a “podcast” is, how it can benefit your organization, and how to get started in “podcasting.” Then, with Amy Estep of eTech Ohio, discover the possibilities of podcasting by exploring what you can do in the podcast medium.
2:20–2:40 pm Mid-afternoon Break
2:45–3:35 pm Concurrent Sessions
Workshop / Selling the History Experience: How to Find and Sell Museum Store Merchandise If visitors enjoy themselves, they want to buy a memento of their good time—and school children always crave souvenirs from the “gift shop.” Find out from Becky Wildman, manager of the Ohio Statehouse Museum Shop, where to buy quality merchandise for your museum store, how to price it for a profit, and how to display it so it sells.
Panel / How to Make your Community and History a Destination for Travelers Your local historical society alone contains enough material to enthrall tourists, but you’ll increase the odds of getting visitors if you collaborate with other attractions to make your community a destination. Amir Eylon of the Ohio Tourism Division of the Ohio Department of Development, will tell you how to collaborate with others to make your community a destination. Debbie Stamper of the Clinton County Convention and Visitors Bureau, will explain how to build a mutually supportive relationship with your convention and visitors bureau.
Workshop / Take a Bite Out of Crime: Security Tips for Historic Sites and Museums Unfortunately, historic collections, public art, and various cultural sites are more and more the target of thieves, vandals, and others bent on “making a quick buck” or expanding their personal collection. Ohio is not exempt. The good news is that there are effective techniques you can apply to prevent theft, which you’ll discover from John Kleberg of Security Risk Management Consultants.
3:45–4:35 pm OAHSM Business Meeting OAHSM President Patricia Murphy of the Oberlin Heritage Center invites you to the annual business meeting to review OAHSM’s accomplishments during the past year and elect new officers for 2011. At the meeting, you will also learn of OAHSM’s new efforts to promote its value to Ohio’s community of local historians.
5:30–7:30 pm Evening Reception The Embassy Suites’ spacious salon and atrium is the backdrop to OAHSM’s annual meeting reception. Enjoy hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine, and soft drinks as you catch up with old friends and meet news ones. The reception is a relaxing opportunity to follow up on the great ideas you gathered from colleagues during the day’s workshops and panel sessions. $18 / $15 for OAHSM or OHS members
Saturday, October 2
8 am–2 pm Registration
8–9 am Continental Breakfast
8 am–3 pm History Marketplace See Fri., Oct. 1 for details.
9–9:50 am Concurrent Sessions
Workshop / Collections Management 101: Organizing Artifacts, Keeping Useful Records covers the basics of collection management: written policies, scope of collections, documentation of ownership, loan agreements, labeling and numbering systems, and record keeping. Led by Kay Fisher of the Clinton County Historical Society, the workshop is based on AASLH’s new StEPs standards for Stewardship of Collections. If your organization needs basic collections care guidelines and you don’t use a computer to manage your collection, this workshop is for you. (Note: this session ends at 10:50)
Workshop / Bringing History to Life, Literally!: How to Start a Living History Program Want to add living history to your organization’s repertoire of programs? Discover from living historian Anthony Gibbs of Historic Impressions and Joy Armstrong of Sylvania Historical Village the pros and cons of first person vs. third person interpretation, find out where to acquire costumes and props, get tips on how to develop living history characters, and learn how to engage an audience.
Workshop / Tech Help Desk See description under Fri., Oct. 1, 9–9:50 Concurrent Sessions.
10–10:50 am Concurrent Sessions
Workshop / Collections Management 101: Organizing Artifacts, Keeping Useful Records –continued. See description under 9 – 9:50 Concurrent Sessions
Panel / Speaking the Language of Teachers: How to Connect with Educators and Engage Their Students Does your historical society want to connect to students and teachers in your community? Are you uncertain how to engage with educators so they will use you as a resource? Learn from Corbin Moore of the Hamilton City Schools, Beth Weinhardt of the Westerville Public Library, and Megan Wood of the Ohio Historical Society how collaborations between historical organizations helped enhance the grade school social studies instruction. Hear what teachers are looking for and how you can become an educational resource.
Workshop / Tech Help Desk See description under Fri., Oct. 1, 9–9:50 concurrent sessions.
10:50–11:10 am Mid-morning Break
11:15 am–12:05 pm Concurrent Sessions
Workshop / A Window to the Past: Storefront Displays and Design Tips to Promote Your Organization Learn from volunteers Amy Atkins & Jean Beard of Fairfield Heritage Association how to inexpensively turn empty storefront windows on your Main Street into billboards that promote your society’s programs. Along the way, you’ll pick up tips and advice you can apply to other displays and exhibits by your organization.
Panel / The Primary Source: Making Collections Come to Life for Teachers and Students Teachers in Ohio need primary sources, the “raw material” of history to address the “learner outcomes” on state-mandated tests. Local historical societies are full of primary sources and want to excite young people about local history. Using the Ohio Historical Society’s Teaching American History Grants primary source activities as a case study, learn from Stacia Kuceyeski and the Faculty Services Department at Ohio Historical Society how you can make primary sources accessible to teachers and meet the demand for alignment to standards and testing.
Workshop / Tech Help Desk See description under Fri., Oct. 1, 9–9:50 concurrent sessions.
12:15–1:45 pm OAHSM Award Luncheon OAHSM Outstanding Achievement Awards honor the work of local historians who dedicate their time and talents to preserving and sharing community history. Attend the luncheon, honor winners’ achievements, and gather ideas for your historical society $19
2–2:50 pm Concurrent Sessions
Workshop / How to Preserve and Share Information from Oral History Interviews Do you have oral history recordings in storage? Are you unsure about the best ways to preserve them? Do you need tips on how to share the stories saved in your recordings? Find out how to preserve recordings and pick up ideas for presenting oral historical information from oral historian and archivist Steve Paschen of Kent State University.
Workshop / How to Plan Great Commemorations and Events The150th anniversary of the Civil War begins in 2011 and the bicentennial of the War of 1812 is a year later. Many places will be commemorating their roles in these events or celebrating their own community anniversaries. Learn from Rachel Barber of the Auglaize County Historical Society, Jackie Barton, Civil War 150 coordinator at the Ohio Historical Society, and Leianne Neff Heppner of the Summit County Historical Society how to plan commemorations that build partnerships, make history the focus, and create community legacies.
Workshop / You’ve Got a Friend: How to Use Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter to Promote Your Organization Social networking site like Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter offer ways to make local history a regular part of a history lover’s day. Noell Evans from Mills James Productions will introduce you to Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, and you’ll learn what all the brouhaha is about regarding social networking and discover the opportunities it creates for local historical organizations.
3–3:50 pm Concurrent Sessions
Workshop / How to Establish an Archive for Your Community There are irreplaceable historical materials in attics, closets, and basements all over your community—and grown children “who aren’t interested in this stuff.” Where will these materials be preserved for future generations? Jim Oda of the Piqua Public Library will walk you through the steps of creating a community archive and share advice about how best to insure the survival of your community’s history.
Panel / How to Find and Keep Great Volunteers, According to Great Volunteers For organizations that rely on volunteers, no volunteers can mean no historical society! Moreover, many groups in a community, not just historical societies, vie for the same pool of volunteers. During this panel, you’ll find out from three great historical society volunteers, Katie Sullivan, Chuck Malone, and Mary Lou M. DiDonato of the Ohio Historical Society, how they got involved and what keeps them active and happy. Apply their advice to your organization.
Workshop / Tips for Improving Exhibit Labels and Signage How many kinds of exhibit labels do you have in your museum? Handwritten labels, next to typewritten labels, next to labels printed on old dot matrix printers? Are they faded? Is the type hard for visitors to read? It’s time to redo your labels! Learn how to make the labels that don’t make your visitors squint and help them discover your history from Rosa Rojas, an exhibit designer at the Ohio Historical Society.
Registration Information, Accommodations & Other Important Details:
To Register Call or email the Local History Office of the Ohio Historical Society and request a registration form. Fill out the registration form and fax it to (614) 297-2233 or mail it to
OAHSM 2010 Annual Meeting and Conference c/o Local History Office, Ohio Historical Society, 1982 Velma Ave., Columbus, OH 43211-2497 (address also on form). Or, register online 24/7 through September 24 at www.ohiohistory.org/register. To register by phone using VISA, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover, call 1-800-858-6878 Monday - Friday 8 am - 4 pm through September 24.
Register by September 10 for best rates. See the registration form for details. Advance registration closes September 24. After September 24, you must register at the door October 1-2 at the higher on-site rate.
General Information Spouses and guests may register for special events, meals, and tours without registering for the full meeting. All sessions take place at the Embassy Suites Columbus in Dublin, 5100 Upper Metro Place, Dublin, Ohio. The hotel is accessible to people with disabilities. If you have dietary, mobility, or other special needs of which we should be aware, please contact the Local History Office at 1-800-858-6878 so we may accommodate your needs.
Accommodations A block of rooms has been reserved at the Embassy Suites Columbus in Dublin, 614-790-9000 / http://www.embassysuitescolumbusdublinhotel.com/. Mention the Ohio Association of Historical Societies & Museums annual meeting to receive the discounted conference room rate of $114.99+tax (single occupancy) and $119.99+tax (double occupancy). Be sure to book your reservation by September 9; after September 9, the block of rooms will be released and the hotel may charge higher rates. Parking is free.
A Word to the Wise Hotel rooms will be at a premium because of other events, so make your reservation early.
Directions The
Embassy Suites Columbus in Dublin is at 5100 Upper Metro Place, Dublin, Ohio which is located on Columbus’s northwest side, off of the I-270 outbelt. From I-270, take Exit 17A Dublin/161 exit. Follow 161/Rt 33 to Frantz Rd. Turn right onto Frantz Rd and go 1/2 block and turn right onto Upper Metro Place. Hotel is on the right.
Cancellation Policy Canceled meeting registrations will be refunded in full, less a $20 processing fee, through September 10, 2010. For further information, call toll-free 1-800-858-6878 or e-mail oahsm@ohiohistory.org. Hotel reservations must be cancelled at least 48 hours prior to stay.
Questions? Contact OAHSM Annual Meeting and
Conference, c/o Local History Office, Ohio Historical Society, 1982 Velma Ave., Columbus, OH 43211-2497, 1-800-858-6878, oahsm@ohiohistory.org.
The Ohio Association of Historical Societies & Museums’ Annual Meeting and Conference is organized for OAHSM by the Ohio Historical Society’s Local History Office.
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