challenge history pragmatic historian

Birthday History Challenge

Today is my birthday. That makes it a great time for a birthday history challenge! I can credit my birthday for nudging me toward history, specifically astrology. Yes, astrology. That unscientific load of hogwash** that aligns human personalities to the constellations. I’m a Libra and a proud one, at that. The symbol for Libra is the scales of justice and I’m all about fairness and justice and balance. It’s the only symbol within western astrology…

Continue reading

history pragmatic historian

How to Take Meeting Minutes

If you’ve ever served on a nonprofit board, you’ll know a little something about minutes. Perhaps you’ve even taken them. In short, minutes are the notes taken about what has transpired during a board meeting. But they are more than mere notes. Minutes are the official record of the business of the board of directors for an organization. They are part of the organization’s legal history. They are so critical to an organization’s operation that…

Continue reading

challenge history pragmatic historian

Finding a Solution to Collections Backlogs

Pretty much every museum has them, unless they have a massive army of curators or registrars madly accessioning items as they come in the door. They are the dreaded . . . Collections Backlogs. [Cue the offstage scream.] The Museum Cataloging Process With the downsizing of the Silent Generation and retiring Baby Boomers, both of whom amassed a good many items during the post-World War II pro-consumerism era, museums are being flooded with items being…

Continue reading