With the 2017 MALHM Annual Meeting and Conference set for next week in Walker, Minnesota, we're already looking ahead to the next sites for our biggest annual event: Marshall (2018), Red Wing (2019) and Austin (2020).

MALHM solicited bids to find the locations and bring on new partners in planning activities to explore the area. "Who better to connect us with local history than the organizations that collect, preserve and tell the history of their own communities?" said Jill Wohnoutka, MALHM Treasurer and Conference Chair.

Each host committee, composed  of local museums and the area Convention and Visitors Bureau, will help plan pre-conference activities, mixers and possibly sessions that occur outside of the conference room setting.

2018 - Marshall, Minnesota
Local history groups sponsors: Lyon County Historical Society. The conference will be held at the beautiful Southwest Minnesota State University campus, which offers a full-service large conference center. We'll have room to grow and possibly offer a vendor hall for the first time. Expect to enjoy some Schwan's ice cream, as the Lyon County History Museum offers an ice cream counter to visitors.

2019 - Red Wing, Minnesota
Local history groups sponsors: Goodhue County Historical Society and the Pottery Museum of Red Wing. 2019 marks the 150th anniversary of Minnesota's oldest county historical society, GCHS, located in the historic river town of Red Wing. The community is also home to Red Wing Pottery, Red Wing Shoes, the American Ski Jumping Museum and more!

2020 - Austin, Minnesota
Local history group sponsors: Hormel Historic Home, Mower County Historical Society and SPAM Museum. Austin offers a large Holiday Inn and Conference Center and room for the Conference to expand. With the community's connections to SPAM and the Hormel family, expect to see some "SPAMples" on the appetizer menus, along with other local products.

MALHM's annual conference grew out of a one-day workshop and has grown to two days with 24 sessions, as well as a pre-conference event. This year's conference brings in record attendance of more than 120 people from 70-plus history groups throughout the state of Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Unfamiliar Stories Project Coordinator (Temporary)
What is the Unfamiliar Stories Project?
Storytelling is something we can find across all cultures. It is in our nature as humans to want to listen to, learn
from, and share stories. Sometimes those stories are our own and sometimes they are stories we have simply
heard. We are a group of history folks that are working together to create a model for communities to follow
so that everyone has a method to collect, preserve, and share their own unique stories. We are focusing two
communities (Hmong and Somali) where unfamiliar stories are being shared and kept. We will be gathering
information from community members and organizations through focus groups and surveys. We know that
incredible cultural resources and stories are integral parts of these “unfamiliar” communities, and our goal is
to connect with those community members in order to preserve and share that knowledge.

Position brief
We are looking for two (2) responsible Project Coordinators who will facilitate meetings with Hmong and
Somali communities and organize project activities in cooperation with and under the direction of the
Unfamiliar Stories Action Team and its Chair, Mai Vang.

Responsibilities
• Coordinate activities, resources, equipment and information for the Unfamiliar Stories Project
• Liaise with community members to identify and define project requirements, scope and objectives
• Help prepare and maintain project activities, timeframes, schedule and budget
• Act as the point of contact and communicate project status adequately to all participants
• Monitor working hours
• Create and maintain project documentation, plans, and reports
• Attend focus group trainings

Requirements
• Previous experience in working with diverse community organizations and individuals
• Previous experience in project management
• Excellent client-facing and internal communication skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Solid organizational skills including attention to detail and multitasking skills
• Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office

Dates
April 24 – June 30, 2017, with possibility of continuing, dependent on funding.

Salary and benefits
Stipend $1,000

To apply
Submissions due April 14, 2017 with a cover letter and resume to: Mai Vang, mnvang@gmail.com. See printer friendly version of this posting here.

This project is supported by legacy amendment funding through a partnership with the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums and the Minnesota Historical Society.

The Golden Valley Historical Society (GVHS) seeks proposals from qualified contractors to provide professional curatorial and exhibit design, fabrication, and installation services for the development of interpretive exhibits for the Golden Valley Historical Society museum in Golden Valley, MN.

Prospective consultant firms shall submit one (1) electronic copy (sent via e-mail) of their proposal, fee schedule, and budget/scope template (Appendix A) no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 5, 2017 to: crystal.boyd@colorado.edu. All proposals must be clearly marked "Exhibit Fabrication – Golden Valley Historical Society" in the subject heading.

The RFP is currently posted on the GVHS facebook page as well as here on the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits website.  More information can be found on the GVHS website

The MALHM Conference offers more sessions than ever this year, with 24 sessions over two days. We worked hard to find speakers and topics that the local history community requested. (See our Program Guide for details.)

We also listened to survey feedback and comments that attendees wanted more time for networking. Sure, people learn in a classroom setting, but attendees also get as much help from chatting with their peers at our mixer events, connecting over lunch, or trading ideas after the sessions are done for the day.

So this year, you'll see more time allotted for lunch, as well as our traditional evening events, like this one held last year at the Kandiyohi County History Museum.

We'll have an informal mixer to open the conference at Chase on the Lake's cozy fireside bar, beginning at 8 p.m., Tuesday, April 26. As an incentive to arrive on time, we'll provide free beverages and appetizers the first half hour followed by a cash bar.  Please come even if - or maybe especially if - you don't know anyone. This is a great time to put names with faces, relax and get to know others in the local history community.

On Wednesday after the conference ends for the day, the Cass County Historical Society in downtown Walker will provide special open hours for MALHM, from 4:15 to 6 p.m. Chat with colleagues while checking out the exhibits and learning about the Leech Lake area.

Explore Walker and have dinner on your own, or join a group heading to Benson's Eating and Drinking Emporium. We've reserved a party room for dinner, followed by an evening mixer at 7:30. The evening will include informal networking time, as well as - drum roll, please - our first Minnesota History Trivia Challenge!