Lending Library

​The Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums (MALHM) provides a lending library service for the purpose of providing access to titles that will lead to organizations meeting or exceeding best practices and standards. 

For more information or to access titles, visit our lending library page. 

Online Collections Crash Course

The two-part course is free and registration is required to receive the zoom link. 
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A lot will be covered including why we collect, how to conduct intake, and how to practically store and photograph your collection. You will leave with helpful resources including sample forms and a script to practice saying "no" to those items you just can't take. 
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About the course leaders:
Heather Hoagland is Executive Director of the Scott County Historical Society. Heather started her museum career in Washington, D.C., where she worked at the Smithsonian, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and Ford’s Theatre Society. She moved back to the midwest in 2015 where she worked at Hennepin History Museum and the Midwest Art Conservation Center before joining SCHS.

Claudia Nicholson is The Museum Lady. She has spent her entire career studying, using, and caring for historical objects and helping museum visitors make meaning from them. With a Master’s in Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program, she has worked for the National Archives, the South Dakota State Historical Society, the Minnesota Historical Society, and the North Star Museum of Boy Scouting and Girl Scouting. She is currently an independent consultant.

Adam Smith is an Archives Technician in the Minnesota State University, Mankato University Archives where he gets to work with student workers on a variety of projects, manage and process the collections (mostly 2D, but a little 3D) and assist researchers. Prior to Minnesota State Mankato, he worked as a Curator at the Stearns History Museum and Carver County Historical Society.

What does the Alliance do?

Minnesota's local history groups formed an alliance in 1991. Even though we serve different communities throughout the state, we share a common mission of connecting people to nearby history. Some of us have professional staff, but many of us are small, volunteer-run societies. Together, we work to raise the quality of work in the local history field in Minnesota. The Minnesota Alliance for Local History Museums serves the approximately 500-plus local history groups throughout the state with professional training, awards for excellence, mutual assistance in times of disaster and more.

Become a member today!