Half-Day History Skills Workshops
The Historical Society of Michigan is proud to announce History Skills Workshop Series for 2012 as it continues to provide educational opportunities to small- and mid-sized historical organizations. Our half-day workshops cover a wide spectrum of topics, ranging from caring for historic objects made from wood to copyright issues for historic collections.
Half-day workshops are held from 9 a.m. to noon at either the HSM Main Office at 5815 Executive Dr., Lansing, Michigan or the HSM Ann Arbor Office at 2117 Washtenaw. Registration is $39 for HSM members and $79 for non-members (non-member registration includes a one-year HSM membership).
To register for a workshop, call (800) 692-1828 or visit our Online Registration page.
*No refunds within a week before each workshop. Your cancelled registration fee, however, can be transferred to another workshop in the series within one year of the date of your original workshop date.
Friday, March 9
HSM Ann Arbor Office (2117 Washtenaw)
Caring for Historic Objects made from Wood
Bill Witkowski, Conservator, Michigan Antique Preservation Co.
This workshop is designed for small museums and other historical organizations that struggle with how to properly care for artifacts made of wood. The presenter will start with an overview of wood, its life-cycle, and how natural changes occur within artifacts over time. He will then discuss ways that museums can minimize these changes and protect their wooden artifacts by following the best practices for handling, storage, display, and treatment. Workshop participants will have a chance to share and inquire about examples from their own collections.
Friday, March 23
Cobblestone Farm, 2781 Packard Road, Ann Arbor
Basic Care, Storage, and Display of Historic Textiles
Frances Faile, Conservator and Professional Associate of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works
This workshop is designed to help small museums and other historical organizations properly manage their historic textile collections. The presenter will cover basic care and handling for a variety of historic textiles. She will also cover inexpensive storage solutions and mounting techniques for display. Workshop participants will also have a chance to share and inquire about examples from their own collections.
Friday, May 4
HSM Main Office - Lansing (5815 Executive Dr.)
Historic Books: How to Identify, Mend, Collect and Care for Valuable Volumes
Jay Platt, West Side Book Shop
Do you work with or collect old or collectable books? This workshop will discuss how to identify valuable volumes, care for and catalogue books, and build a library. It will also cover storage considerations, basic mending techniques that are archival safe, and issues related to book collecting.
Friday, July 13
HSM Main Office - Lansing (5815 Executive Dr.)
Fading Photos: How to Identify, Scan, Restore & Archive Historic Photographs
Robert Myers, Berrien County Historical Association
This workshop will assist small museums, historical societies, and interested collectors in identifying and preserving their historic photographs. The presenter will review basic conservation techniques for damaged images, type identification for early photographs, how to avoid deterioration of your images, storage recommendations, digital scanning for access, and how to approach cataloging issues. There will also be plenty of time for workshop participants to ask questions and have hands-on experiences.
Friday, August 3
HSM Main Office - Lansing (5815 Executive Dr.)
Fabricating Professional Exhibits for Under $500
Tamara Barnes, Historical Society of Michigan
Building professional-looking exhibits on a shoe-string budget has actually gotten easier in recent years with the many advances in graphic design and printing technologies. The presenter will discuss several low-cost options for designing and mounting displays. Using examples from her experiences working in small museums, Barnes will take participants through multiple project budgets—all under $500. Participants will also have a chance to practice several tricks of the trade, including foam-core mounting and vinyl letter application.
Friday, August 17
HSM Main Office - Lansing (5815 Executive Dr.)
Copyright Issues for Historic Collections
Portia Vescio, Archivist, MSU Archives
Julia Frankosky, Copyright Librarian, MSU Archives
Unsure of how to protect your historic images online? Need help developing usage policies? These are just a couple of topics that will be explored in this informative presentation. Speaking from the perspective of historical collections, the two presenters will highlight the parts of copyright law that are especially important to small institutions.
Friday, September 7
HSM Main Office - Lansing (5815 Executive Dr.)
Basic Archives
Marian Matyn, Archivist, Clarke Historical Library
This workshop is designed for small museums and other historical organizations that struggle with how to collect, organize, maintain and make available archival materials in their collections. The presenter will discuss the best practices related to donor documentation, arrangement and description issues, how to handle photographs, public access issues, and much more.
Friday, October 26
HSM Main Office - Lansing (5815 Executive Dr.)
Advanced Archives
Marian Matyn, Archivist, Clarke Historical Library
This workshop is designed for small historical organizations with some level of archival experience and those who have already attended our Basic Archives workshop. The presenter will take a more in-depth approach to accession records, re-housing methods, and documentation for a variety of archival collections. The presenter will also discuss best practices in the care and handling of materials, public access issues, and much more.
Friday, November 2
HSM Main Office - Lansing (5815 Executive Dr.)
Researching and Documenting Historic Textiles
Veronica Kandl, Historic Textile Specialist
Historic clothing and other textiles are often the most undocumented part of any museum’s collection. With more than 20 years of curatorial experience, the presenter will speak about the benefits of tackling these collections. She will also describe research techniques using samples from her own collection. Participants will have a chance to ask about examples from their own collections in this interactive workshop.
Friday, December 7
HSM Main Office - Lansing (5815 Executive Dr.)
Grant Writing for Special Projects
Tamara Barnes, Historical Society of Michigan
This workshop will look at the applications of three granting agencies—a local corporate community-giving program, the Michigan Council for Humanities Project Grant, and the Heritage Preservation Conservation Assessment Program—to show how small museums and historical organizations can fund a variety of projects by utilizing resources at local, state, and national levels.