The latest issue of Curator: The Museum Journal was recently posted online. This issue contained a number of interesting approaches to issues in the museum field. One article I found particularly interesting was Rhianedd Smith's "Searching for "Community": Making English Rural History Collections Relevant Today." The article can be read online here. Smith's work focuses … Continue reading Community and Relevancy in Rural Museums
Sharing Archival Photographs in a Digital World
Check out my latest post at the ActiveHistory.ca site. The post talks about options for cultural heritage organizations looking to share photograph collections online through free or low coast image hosting and image sharing sites.
Hidden No Longer: Keeping Indigenous Heritage Alive
If you're a member of the Canadian Museums Association you should soon be receiving the November/December issue of Muse. This month's cover article, "Hidden No Longer: Keeping Indigenous Heritage Alive" is written by yours truly.The article focuses on the role heritage museums have played in presenting indigenous culture and history to the general public. It … Continue reading Hidden No Longer: Keeping Indigenous Heritage Alive
Seasonal Exhibits: Holiday Heritage
It's that time of year, Christmas merchandise has already started to fill the malls, and the beginning of the commercial holiday season is looming ever closer. In the heritage field a lot of organizations are beginning to plan and develop exhibits and activities that coincide with the upcoming holidays. As a child, one of my … Continue reading Seasonal Exhibits: Holiday Heritage
Quilts Galore
In my previous job as a Digitization Facilitator, for an OurOntario project, I had the opportunity to work with a number of great local history collections. A few of these collections contained quilts made and donated by community members. I was instantly impressed by the work and community memory contained in so many of these … Continue reading Quilts Galore
Tangible History: Artifacts as Gateways to the Past
Powder Flask, McCord Museum, M975.61.76My most recent post can be seen over on the ActiveHistory.ca site. The post, "Tangible History: Artifacts as Gateways to the Past" focuses on the use of artifacts as primary sources in historical research and in educational settings.
Museum of Online Museums
I recently came across the Museum of Online Museums (MoOM) site. The site is one of the initiatives undertaken by Coudal Partners, a company focused on design, web publishing, advertising, and commerce. Sadly the site isn't useful as a searchable database of museum exhibits and it is a bit awkward to navigate. However, it does … Continue reading Museum of Online Museums
Open Source Options For Heritage Organizations
My most recent post focusing on the open source software alternatives available to heritage organizations can be seen over at the Active History Group Blog. The post focuses primarily upon the benefits of using open source exhibit design and photo manipulation tools such as Google Sketchup, GIMP, and Inkscape.
The Battle of Standardization
My recent foray into the archival world has provided me with a renewed appreciation for standardization of descriptive techniques. Rules for Archival Description (RAD) is a national (Canadian) set of rules for archival description. The first edition of RAD was established in the 1990s and has since become common place in most quality archives in … Continue reading The Battle of Standardization
Built Heritage: Round Barns
There are reportedly only three 12-sided round barns in Canada. Two of which happen to be located not far from where I'm currently living. One is found just outside of Thessalon, Ontario is currently being used as a gift shop. This building was built in 1928 by local resident Alex Campbell, Jr.. The barn's roof … Continue reading Built Heritage: Round Barns