Conferences and Continuing Education

Sharpen your skills by attending training.

The following list is gathered by the Local History Services team. Please send updates as needed.

Sections
Workshops/Courses
On-Demand Workshops
Continuing Education Resources
Conferences/Meetings

Workshops/Courses

From Narrative to Action: Leveraging Storytelling for Success in Communications and Fundraising
June 27 @ 10 am to 12 pm (CT) -St. Paul/Online: Minnesota Council of Nonprofits - Storytelling plays a crucial role in driving awareness, garnering support, and inspiring action. However, for small communication teams within nonprofits, crafting compelling narratives can be a daunting challenge, especially when operating as a “department of one.” Simultaneously, leveraging the power of story-based marketing is key to driving donor engagement, securing support, and maximizing fundraising efforts. In this workshop, learn to harness the power of storytelling in communications and fundraising and explore strategies to collect, craft, distribute and effectively tell stories across multiple teams. Cost: $50 members/$70 nonmembers. Learn more »

Succession Planning for Cultural Institutions, Part One: Research Findings
June 28 @ 11 am - Online: Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts - Cultural sector professionals juggle multiple roles and resources efficiently, with staff transitions requiring careful succession planning and knowledge transfer. In 2023, 15 arts organizations collaborated on the Collections Stewardship Succession Planning Initiative, supported by the Conservation Center and Lyrasis. This initiative aims to enhance succession planning for collections care and management roles in cultural institutions. Join in for a presentation on the findings of this report. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Integrated Pest Management: The Plan and Implementation 
July 1 - Museum Study - Join Carnegie Museum of Natural History Conservator Gretchen Anderson for this four-week online course in which participants will learn how to apply IPM principles to their specific situation and institution. A draft plan and specific implementation strategies will be developed and discussed. Even though our institutions have different challenges the exchange of ideas presents the opportunity for us to help each other brainstorm solutions that will work for our situation. Cost: $400. Learn more »

Choosing and Using Safe Materials for Collection Housing
July 9 @ 12 pm - Online: Connecting to Collections Care - Learn how materials are assessed for suitability to make informed purchasing decisions. This webinar covers testing methods for storage, display, and transport of collection objects, including how to interpret test data and the significance of passing an Oddy test. Discover resources for storage organization, mount design, and material selection. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Succession Planning for Cultural Institutions, Part One: Research Findings
July 10 @ 11 am - Online: Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts - Join cultural sector professionals for a presentation on resources developed as part of a Cultural Stewardship Succession Planning Initiative. During the session, they will share examples of tools that have been developed to support succession planning for collections care and management roles, including knowledge transfer guides, sample policies and communications templates, checklists for successful staff transitions, and a framework for internal advocacy for succession planning. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Preventing and Responding to Mold in Book and Paper Collections
July 11 @ 11:30 to 1:30 pm - Online: Northeast Document Conservation Center - Mold can seriously threaten cultural heritage materials. In this 1-hour webinar, participants will learn how to assess and identify mold, clean moldy materials safely, and prevent future mold outbreaks through proactive preservation measures. Cost: $45. Learn more »

Dashboards: Making Your Data Work for You
July 17 @ 12 to 1 pm (CT) - Online: Learn how to make your data – from community impact to financial information – more digestible and useful for making decisions. In this webinar, they’ll discuss the purpose and use of dashboard reports, learn the components of useful dashboard reports, and share some examples. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Insuring Historic Properties in an Increasingly Challenging Marketplace—What You Need to Know
July 16 @ 2 pm - Online: National Trust of Historic Places - Learn about the challenges of insuring historic properties, with fewer companies willing to provide coverage and rising premiums. Learn about the current state of the insurance industry and potential solutions.  Cost: Free. Learn more »

What’s Your Damage
July 22 @ 5 pm (CT) _ Online: Backlog • Archivists & Historians - All memory workers encounter collections materials that are physically damaged or beset by mold or pests. Knowing how to identify problems and having a plan to respond quickly to them makes for better stewardship so that collections are usable into the future. This webinar will cover the identification of common problems that threaten collections, give some guidance on when to get professional conservators involved, and explain methods to better protect collections by preventing risks. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Jingle All the Way: Maximizing Your Museum's Holiday Potential 
July 23 @ 2 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - Learn how your historic house or museum can boost community engagement during the holiday season. Get fresh ideas to maximize holiday season potential at your institution. Cost: $25 members/$45 nonmembers. Learn more »

Condition Reporting and Art Handling
July 24 @ 9 am to 4:30 pm - Minneapolis: Midwest Art Conservation Center - Condition reporting is a central part of collections record keeping. This full-day workshop combines art handling training with an introduction to the basics of documentation for accession records, outgoing loans, and damage reports. The class will cover a wide range of materials and artifact types and introduce a selection of simple examination tools. Participants will practice handling on study collection materials and learn how to approach each item with objectivity and consistence for condition reporting. Location: Weisman Art Museum. Cost: $300. Learn more »

What Nonprofits Need to Know About Fiscal Sponsorships – Live Q&A
July 25 @ 1 pm (CT) - Online: Blue Avocado Webinar - Led by panelists Colleen Lazanich, CEO of CalNonprofits Insurance Services, and Brian Johnson, Head of North American Actuarial Advisory of Guy Carpenter, this webinar will provide an overview of fiscal sponsorships, including: types of fiscal sponsorships; considerations for sponsors and their projects; and how insurance is impacted. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Online Demand Courses

American Association for State and Local History - Arcus Leadership Program Courses
Specifically designed for emerging and mid-level professionals and volunteers, these self-paced courses help participants understand the most critical topics in the history field and incorporate that understanding into their work. Start these courses any time.

Museum Collections Documentation and Data Cleaning
Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) and the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) - Provides essential museum documentation information for museum staff with all levels of knowledge. It begins with an introductory overview and ends with specific documentation issues. Learners can take the modules in order or choose a module or two that fits their needs. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Preservation Housekeeping for Heritage Sites and Small Museums
Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) and the Canadian Heritage Information Network (CHIN) - Covers guidelines, best practices and resources for the regular upkeep of historic interiors and exteriors as well as the contents of historic buildings. This one- to two-hour self-paced course has been designed for those who work or volunteer in small museums or heritage sites and who have little to no training in conservation. Learn more »

Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference Breakout Session Recordings
View conference recordings from the February 26-27 Explore Minnesota Tourism Conference Rochester.

Digital Stewardship Training Courses for Tribal Libraries, Archives, Museums, and Small Public Libraries
OCLC's WebJunction, in partnership with Washington State University's Center for Digital Scholarship and Curation, is creating a series of 10 free online courses for staff at tribal archives, libraries, museums (TALMs), and small public libraries on digital stewardship and community-centered curation of cultural collections. Learn more »

Finding New Sources of Funding in Challenging Times:
National Preservation Institute - This 45-minute on-demand course will help you think beyond traditional sources of financial support to fund cultural resource projects. Learn how to evaluate a cultural resource project for its value in serving broader community needs. Review traditional funding types versus alternative sources that can be redirected to meet project goals. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Document Conservation - Northeast Document Conservation Center has many webinar training programs on paper, books, and similar items and topics. Learn more »

Nonprofit Education - Propel Nonprofits and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits feature local training.

Online continuing education

Interpreting African American History and Culture Resource Kit
The American Association for State and Local History's free "Interpreting African American History and Culture Resource Kit" is made up of AASLH conference sessions, webinars, History News, technical leaflets, and books that address topics such as working with descendant communities, celebrating Juneteenth, interpreting slavery for a variety of audiences, and the impact of the Black Lives Matter movement on museum practice. Check it out »

Free Collections Care webinars
Connecting to Collections Online Community offers a series of free, online courses about the preservation of archival and historical collections. Check their website for dates and upcoming programming.

Planning for Changes in the Archives: 12 steps for undertaking collection relocation
Recorded Webinar: Midwest Archives Conference - The presenter walks through the 12 steps so you’ll have a framework to follow for your project. This framework helps focus your plans and ensures you consider possible options. These steps have been honed through experience moving archives and special collections materials. Watch video »

Webinar Recording: Oral History at a Distance: Conducting Remote Interviews
Oral History Association - This timely webinar addresses the dynamics of conducting remote oral history interviews. It begins with an analysis of the pros and cons of conducting distance oral history interviews, then addresses aspects of interviewing in a distance environment, breaking down the interviewer and narrator experience in these exchanges, and offer direction on best approaches for interviewing at a distance. This session will cover best practices for recording archival-quality oral history interviews, then discuss in depth the tools and techniques available to enable the user to follow best practices in a remote setting. Listen »

Webinar Recording: Insurance 101: Practical Considerations for Protecting Institutional Collections and Loans
Connecting to Collections - This webinar recording is appropriate for all levels of experience from beginner to expert as an introduction and review of collections insurance basics and how they are an integral part of collections care. We will examine loss prevention, loss control and how to protect the collection through good housekeeping, landscaping, managing patrons, and during transport of objects. In addition, examples of recent claims and outcomes to illustrate how insurance responds to loss and damage will be presented. Watch the recording »

A Guide to Approaching Audiovisual Digitization
This paper was written through support from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The information discussed in the paper is meant to help collection holders prepare their materials and their technology systems for a digitization initiative, as well as give a brief overview of digitization workflows. There is also a discussion of some of the updates made to the BAVC workflow over the last two years. This section may be of interest to those interested in the technical and procedural aspects of digitization workflows. Download paper »

Community Reflection on Black Lives and Archives
Recorded Webinar: Society of American Archivists - Society of American Archivists’ statement on Black Lives and Archives. The vitality of American archives depends on the safety of archives workers and an explicit commitment to social responsibility, justice, and anti-racism in the work that we do and the organizations we work within. As part of this the SAA Council convened a forum of reflection to move toward healing and understanding, of which a recording of this event is now available. Listen »

'Talking About Race' Is a New Online Resource by the National Museum of African American History
Last week, The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) released a new, online portal discussing race, racism, and racial identity. The new web portal, “Talking About Race,” was launched as a way to help everyone, including families and communities, talk about racism and racial identity and the way these forces shape every aspect of society, from the economy and politics to the broader American culture. Learn more »

Online information for exempt organizations
IRS Exempt Organizations has developed an educational website with an online version of their popular workshop for Small and Mid-Sized 501(c)(3) organizations, plus mini-courses on other topics of interest, including information on the redesigned Form 990.

Reflecting on Museum Labor
A course in the Museum Studies program at University of Illinois at Chicago, centered on public engagement, produced a magazine/newspaper-style publication containing useful information about labor rights, history, and museums/places associated with celebrating labor movements and history. It also has interviews with folks in the field and activities like a custom labor-themed cocktail list. Download PDF »

Cultural Institutions at Times of Social Unrest
Recording of Carla Hayden and Lonnie Bunch discussing the future of their institutions and how they remain accessible and relevant during a period of global pandemic coupled with nationwide protests against injustice. Watch webcast »

History Responds to Crisis Workshops Recordings Now Available
Recordings are now available of online workshops with sessions focused on planning and responding to the unexpected. From planning for massive disruptions in operations to preparing your museum and collection for an extended period of closure to staying in touch with your members. View Recordings »

Free ADA training
Ten free training lessons regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act are available online from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Preservation 101
Northeast Document Conservation Center offers a set of free online courses in the basics of caring for objects.

Conferences

International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection 2024 Annual Conference
June 15 - 19, 2024
InterContinental Hotel Chicago Magnificent Mile, Chicago, IL

Association of Midwest Museums Conference
July 31 - August 3, 2024
Hilton Columbus at Easton, Columbus, OH

ARCHIVES*RECORDS 2024 - Society of American Archivists 
August 14 to 17, 2014
Chicago, IL/Online: 

American Association for State and Local History Annual Conference
September 11 - 14, 2024
Mobile Convention Center, Mobile, AL

Digital Collections Summit - MuseumNext
October 22 & 23, 2024
Online

International Conference of Indigenous Archives, Libraries, and Museums
November 12 - 14, 2024
Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel, Palm Springs, CA