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Activities

Relevant Vocabulary and Terms

archive

An archives is a place where people can go to gather firsthand facts, data, and evidence from letters, reports, notes, memos, photographs, and other primary sources. 

authorship

Communities decide how to interpret, preserve, and make accessible their own historical past.  They are the interpretive voice to remember their experiences and collective pasts in their own terms.

community collections

Created BY and FOR the communities they represent.  

co-create

Create something by working with others.

museum

Museums enable people to explore collections for inspiration, learning and enjoyment. They are institutions that collect, safeguard and make accessible collections, which they hold in trust for society. 

oral history

Material collected in an interview setting with a witness to or a participant in an event or a way of life and is grounded in the context of time and place to give it meaning.

It is recorded for the purpose of preserving the information and making it available to others.  The term refers to both the process and the final product.

Colorado Library and Cultural Institution Survey About Community Work

We surveyed local librarians and archivists about their participation, interest in, and barriers to collecting local history in their communities. Unsurprisingly, the feedback shows that libraries and museums are essential resources already doing local history work in communities and typical challenges include funding, space, and networking to build relationships.

History Colorado created an online Local History Librarian group that meets quarterly to discuss relevant topics for community engagement and local history work.  If you’re interested in joining, please contact shaun.boyd@state.co.us.

Return to COmmunity Centered Collections→

Bibliography