Linda Norris, a Treadwell resident and the mind behind a thoughtful blog called The Uncataloged Museum, posed a provocative question yesterday: Are county historical societies dying? And if so, is it their own fault?
There's no question that part of the problem is the current financial crisis affecting all non-profits. But the crisis revealed weaknesses that already existed.
Norris, who got her start as a museum scholar and archivist at her county's historical society at age 14, has a big love for local history. But she's not one to pull her punches -- Norris has some tough words for museum-keepers who are allowing their local historical societies to suffocate under the weight of business-as-usual.
Part of the problem, she writes, is that historical societies have a hard time saying "no" to objects, and a harder time saying "yes" to new ideas:
Local historical societies are sinking in objects that have no provenance but were donated by someone because someone at the society couldn't say no. Without a collecting plan, the random rusty sad irons and white petticoats keep coming, barely cataloged and jammed into storage. Another inability--to say no to the people who say, "we've always done it this way" as a way of hindering progress.
Norris bemoans historical societies' general lack of engagement on the Internet -- where many history buffs are active, and where people who grew up in a town and have since moved elsewhere can connect with their roots.
All of this raises the question: How well are our local history-keepers doing at reaching out to their audience online?
At the very least, there are some interesting efforts afoot. In Delaware County, a very cool online local-history project launched with great fanfare this summer: The Power of History, a website designed to showcase the area's history in a way that would appeal to social-media mavens and the digitally-engaged.
The site looks great, and has a treasure trove of old photographs, maps, videos, and other info. But it's not truly living up to its promise. For one thing, although the Delaware County Historical Association collaborated on the project, the DCHA doesn't appear to be very active on the site -- indeed, the DCHA's own website, which looks pretty static, doesn't appear to link to the new site at all. And though its authors have promised to keep the new Power of History website current, it hasn't had a new post since the end of June. Its Facebook and Twitter feeds have been languishing, too.
As an editor of a website that publishes new content daily, I'm well aware of how difficult it is to keep things fresh. Building a website that draws in and supports a lively, engaged community isn't something you can do in a few weeks -- or even a few months -- and then walk away from. It's a perpetual effort.
In my humble opinion (not that you asked for it!), one of the folks who's doing it best in the area is Bovina historian Ray LaFever, who's keeping the flame of a tiny town's history very much alive on the Internet with just a free Blogger account. Proof that you don't need a lot of fancy digital bells and whistles -- just the persistence to keep the conversation going.
