You probably know many of the icons on my phone's home screen. What you may not know is that you can create a shortcut icon for your own website, for quick one-tap access. See that purple M? That's the icon for our website.

How did I do that?

The process varies, depending whether you have an I-Phone or an Android. But no matter what system you use, it takes just a few steps

Let's look at I-Phone first.

1. Use Safari to go to your website.
2. Look at the bottom of your screen (left photo, above). See the box with the upwards arrow in the middle? Tap on it.
3. A pop up screen (right photo, above) will appear. Tap on the icon that says "Add to Home Screen."
That's it! You're done.

The process is just as quick for Android.
1. Use Google Chrome to go to your website.
2. At the right of your URL window the top of your screen, see the 3 vertical dots? Tap on those.
3. A pop-up window will appear (left photo, below). Tap on "Add to Home screen." Another window (right photo, below) will tell you "An icon will be added to your home screen so you can quickly access this website."
That's it! You're done.

Feel free to use this information to tell your audience how to create a shortcut to YOUR website.

Got any tips (on smart phones or anything else) that will help your local history peers? Contact Coordinator Marci Matson or comment here.

For the past year, we have posted our newsletters - typically sent to only our members - online for everyone in the local history community. Free! Yes, we admit that it's a way to lure in more members and attract new people to our conference and new events like the Fall Workshop and MALHM Mingle.

We're happy to say that strategy has worked. If you still need more convincing, check out the Fall issue of our newsletter - just one of our new member benefits, which also includes a discount on Gaylord Archival products.

Read about "How to host an Instameet," a gathering of Instagram photographers. Glensheen's Marketing Manager Jane Pederson and Instagrammer Rachel Ewell, co-founder of the group @MNCommunity, talk about their recent Instameet #sunriseatGlensheen that produced these great photos by @MNCommunity (left) and @jlberge5 (right) below.

If you're struggling to find enough interesting photos for your Instagram feed, an Instameet can generate 200 to 30o photos AND help you reach a new (and most likely younger) audience.

Those groups who have plenty of funding can ignore our story on "How to win funding from your local townships." The other 99 percent can learn tips on how to successfully ask for this often untapped funding source. Chris Schuelke from Otter Tail County Historical Society, Jill Wohnoutka from Kandiyohi County Historical Society, and Dustin Heckman from Goodhue County Historical Society tell how they went from almost no township funding to thousands of dollars annually from their local groups.

Even though the year is far from over, it’s not too early to start thinking about nominations for the 2017 annual  Minnesota History Awards, for projects completed during 2016.

Nominate projects accomplished in 2016 in  the following categories: Behind the Scenes, Collections, Partnerships, Publications, Public Programs, Preservation and Lifetime Achievement.

Applications are due Feb. 3, 2017 and winners will be honored at the 2017 MALHM Conference, April 26-27, in Walker, Minnesota.

Categories include the Lifetime Achievement Award, created last year for individuals who have demonstrated leadership within their organization, their community, and to Minnesota’s history community in the preservation and promotion of local and state history.  Experience should total 25 years in Minnesota.

See our Awards page for  more information about all categories and definitions, as well as examples of winners from past years to inspire you.

Nominations should be complete but concise and use the  Lifetime Achievement Awards or Minnesota History Award packets. To fill in the form, use Adobe Acrobat as your default PDF viewer.

The Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums created the awards in 2008 to honor the excellent work performed in Minnesota’s public history community. In addition to highlighting those who have achieved excellence, the program intends to use the example of winners to show the rest of our peers how it can be done, hopefully raising the quality of everyone’s work.

Please contact  Minnesota History Awards Chair Jill Wohnoutka at 320-235-1881 or by email if you have any questions.

For the first time, the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums will offer program advertising and event sponsorship for its annual conference.

“We actually had businesses contact us first to find out a way to reach our audience,” said MALHM Treasurer Jill Wohnoutka, who also serves as the conference chair. “We didn’t want to miss out on this opportunity to earn income and grow the conference, so we created ad and sponsorship rates.”

To attract a widely known keynote speaker, MALHM is seeking a $1,000 sponsor. MALHM also would like a $600 sponsor for a half-day event on Tuesday, April 25, the day before the two-day conference (April 26-27) at Chase on the Lake in Walker, MN. Sponsorship benefits include listing in the program and on MALHM website, as well as in the program distributed to attendees and circulated to Minnesota’s 500-plus local history organizations.

If MALHM finds a sponsor, this would be the first time programming would extend beyond the two-day conference.

“With advertising and sponsorship income, we hope to offer more programming and still keep costs affordable for the local history community,” said MALHM President Dustin Heckman.

The MALHM Conference offers two days of sessions for perhaps the lowest price for any professional conferences: just $60 for members and $75 for non-members last year. (This year’s prices have not been set.)

In its inaugural year, advertising rates are relatively low, beginning at just $30 for 1/8 page, to give the small to mid-sized local history organization a cost-effective way to reach colleagues.

To discuss sponsorship opportunities or for more information, contact Coordinator Marci Matson at 612-500-7460.