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.

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

Workshops/Courses

250-Con-Header graphic250 Con
February 27 & 28, 2025 - Online: American Association for State and Local History - Join in for 250 Con, a pivotal event as organizations prepare for the 250th anniversary of the United States! With less than two years left, it's time for history enthusiasts to solidify their plans for this transformative occasion. Major initiatives are already in motion, and the impact of the Semiquincentennial will depend on our collective efforts. The two-day event will feature a keynote conversation with leaders from the Library of Congress, National Archives, and Smithsonian, along with presentations on key initiatives, breakout sessions for networking, and a virtual meet-and-greet with state 250th commissions. Don’t miss the chance to get involved and generate enthusiasm for this once-in-a-generation event. Cost: $50 members/$75 nonmembers. Learn more »

History Leadership InstituteAASLH Announces New Location for the History Leadership Institute and Opens Registration for 2025 Cohort
The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) announced that beginning in 2025, the History Leadership Institute (HLI), a key professional development program for mid-career history professionals, will be hosted by the Minnesota Historical Society in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after two decades at the Indiana Historical Society. Established in 1959, HLI helps participants develop essential skills and connections through an immersive curriculum that addresses pressing issues in the field. AASLH President John R. Dichtl emphasized the transformative nature of HLI, while Minnesota Historical Society CEO Kent Whitworth expressed excitement for the partnership. This move aims to enhance innovation and collaboration in training future leaders of the history profession. Learn more »

Midwest Art Conservation CenterTwo Upcoming FREE Midwest Art Conservation Center Workshops 
Free to Minnesota Residents. Funds provided by the State of Minnesota from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund through the Minnesota Historical Society.  Learn more »

Looking Ahead with a Long-Range Preservation Plan
January 9, 16, and 23, 2025 @ 10:30 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: Midwest Art Conservation Center - A Long-Range Preservation Plan (LRPP) will help your institution to prioritize preservation needs and develop concrete goals for the short-, medium-, and long-term. In this 3-session online course participants will draft their own LRPP and learn how to use it to achieve conservation treatment goals and to submit competitive grant proposals for state and federal funding. The course will also focus on key concepts of preventive conservation and how to assess preservation goals at your institution. This workshop includes group participation activities and a recommended 4-6 hours of independent work time outside of class. Cost: FREE Minnesota Residents/$400 Non-Minnesota residents. 
 
Write (or Re-Write) Your Emergency Plan
February 12, 19, and 26, 2025 @ 10:30 am to 12 pm (CT) - Online: Midwest Art Conservation Center - This online course will cover the fundamentals of Emergency Preparedness, explain the essential components of an Emergency Plan, and walk participants through the steps to develop a plan for their own organizations. Provisions for both major and minor emergencies will be discussed, as well as how to address a disaster within a larger emergency. Participants will work with a plan template and will customize it for their own needs and risk factors. Each participant will be required to complete an institutional risk assessment questionnaire (time estimate 2-4 hours) and work on their own institution’s plan (time estimate 4-6 hours) between the sessions. They will conclude with a draft of their new Emergency Plan to share with their institution and board. Cost: FREE Minnesota Residents/$400 Non-Minnesota residents.

Care of Newspaper Clippings
January 7, 2025 @ 12 pm (CT) - Online: Connecting to Collections Care - This webinar will explore the rapid deterioration of newsprint and provide various approaches and tools for preserving newspaper collections. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Cultural Competency
Beginning January 6, 2025 - Online  Museums Study - Creating culturally competent organizations is essential for reflecting and responding to the communities we serve, impacting our programs and collections. Join Helen Wong Smith for a 4-week online course to learn the skills needed to enhance cultural competency and improve relationships within organizations and communities. Cost: $400. Learn more » 

12 Golden Rules of Nonprofit Finance
January 8, 2025 @ 12 to 1 pm (CT) - Online: Propel Nonprofits - Nonprofit financial health can seem like an elusive, nuanced, and subjective judgment call. From budgeting to operating reserves, if you follow the 12 Golden Rules of nonprofit finance, you’ll be on your way to a better understanding of nonprofit financial health. This session is a great introduction for those who are new to nonprofit finance. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Introduction to the AASLH Awards Program
January 15, 2025 @ 2 to 3 pm (CT) - American Association for State and Local History - Since 1945, AASLH has given Leadership in History Awards to recognize excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history, uplifting diverse organizations from across the country. If you're curious about their awards program, join their free informational webinar to learn more about the program and the nomination process. Applications are due by March 1 for the 2025 season. Cost: Free. Learn more »

Open Source Software
January 27, 2025 @ 5 pm (CT) - Online: Learn more about open source software and why it might be the perfect fit for your archives. In this webinar, they'll explore the advantages of using open-source software over proprietary alternatives, focusing on its long-term benefits for archival management. As archivists, we are stewards of our collections, responsible for ensuring their preservation and accessibility for future generations. Open-source software supports this mission by offering greater flexibility, transparency, and community-driven improvements. Unlike proprietary software, which can become obsolete or unsupported, open-source solutions are continuously developed and maintained by a global community. This means you can trust that the platforms you choose will remain robust and adaptable, even as technology evolves. Cost: Free. Register »

Designing Accessible Online and In-Person Presentations
January 30, 2025 @ 2 to 3:15 pm (CT) - Online: American Association for State and Local History - Designing accessible presentations is crucial to effectively reach the nearly quarter of the American population with disabilities, whether online or in person. Simple adjustments like using microphones, captioning, and ensuring good lighting can make your presentations more inclusive and impactful. Cost: $25 members/$45 nonmembers. 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

Digital Directions- Minnesota Digitial LibrarySave the date and call for proposals for Upper Midwest Digital Collections Conference, May 6-7, 2025
The Upper Midwest Digital Collections Conference and the Minnesota Digital Library Annual Meeting will take place together on May 6-7, 2025. This in-person event will be held at the Union Depot in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The theme for the conference is "Digital Directions: Lessons Learned and Future Pathways."

Help make this a great conference by sharing your experience and expertise by submitting a program proposal. While the planning committee has suggested a list of potential topics, they welcome proposals on any relevant subjects related to digital collections. The deadline for submitting proposals is Friday, December 6, 2024. Contact Planning Committee Co-Chairs Molly Huber and Sara Ring with any questions. Learn more »

2025 Midwestern Archives Conference in Minneapolis
The Midwestern Archives Conference will hold its 2025 annual meeting, Serving It Up, in Minneapolis, Minnesota from April 10-12, 2025. Session proposals are due August 20, 2024.