ANOKA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

THE ANOKA COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY GATHERS COMMUNITY STORIES TO CREATE A COMMON MEMORY OF ANOKA COUNTY'S EXPERIENCES. OFTEN, THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH RESIDENTS BRINGING IN FAMILY ITEMS UNSOLICITED AND SHARING THE STORY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ITEMS. SOMETIMES, THOSE ITEMS AND STORIES FEEL ENGAGING ENOUGH TO WARRANT AN ORAL HISTORY RECORDING, PODCAST EPISODE, NEWSLETTER ARTICLE, OR EXHIBIT. SOMETIMES, ACHS SEEKS INFORMATION AND COLLECTION ITEMS BASED ON AN INDENTIFIED VOID IN THE ARTIFACT DATABASE-- SUCH IS THE CASE WITH THE VETERANS VOICE PROJECT, FOCUSED ON THE MOST RECENT VETERANS SERVING FROM THE GULF WAR TO THE PRESENT, THE MANUFACTURING PROJECT COMING UP IN A FEW YEARS, OR ECHOES OF BRAVERY, A CALL FOR THE STORIES OF VIETNAM ERA FAMILIES. ACHS GATHERS ADDITIONAL STORIES DURING PROGRAMS, AS PARTICIPANTS SHARE THEIR EXPERIENCES AND FAMILY HISTORY. WE COLLECT SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS AND COMMENTS.

PRESERVING THIS MATERIAL MEANS CORRECTLY STORING COLLECTIONS ITEMS IN A BOX, ON A TUBE, OR HANGING IN A FIREPROOF LOCKER. IT ALSO MEANS DIGITIZING DOCUMENTS AND MAPS, TAKING INVENTORY OF ARTICLES OF CLOTHING FOR DAMAGE, PHOTOGRAPHING 3D ITEMS FOR REFERENCE PURPOSES, AND MAINTAINING A FACILITY ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE TO PRESERVATION. GETTING PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT THE COLLECTIONS REQUIRES PROGRAMMING LIKE BEHIND-THE-SCENES TOURS AND THE ADOPT-AN-ARTIFACT PROGRAM. THESE ALLOW THE PUBLIC, MEMBERS, AND FRIENDS TO SEE HOW THE ACCESSIONING PROCESS OCCURS, UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERING SYSTEM, AND FEEL MORE CONNECTED TO THE ITEMS ACHS HOLDS FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD. THE ROBUST VOLUNTEER PROGRAM AT ACHS ALLOWS PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND SKILLS TO PARTICIPATE IN PRESERVING LOCAL HISTORY. WHETHER IT'S SCANNING IMAGES, FILING, OR DATA ENTRY, OUR VOLUNTEERS BRING A SENSE OF COMMUNAL ACCOMPLISHMENT TO THE MUSEUM WHILE GIVING STAFF A CHANCE TO MENTOR AND GUIDE PEOPLE INTERESTED IN PUBLIC HISTORY.