PVHN talk 2026

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Summary:

Building on a review of the 130 groups in the PVHN and a brief survey of  how they have used digital technology from  their web sites, to collection-building and cataloging, this talk explores how to grow their audiences, make collections more accessible, and collaborate on related goals by leveraging digital technologies. Display and collection technologies, and methods for selecting the optimal ones both in scale and cost, will be discussed.

Abstract:

There are 130 museums, societies and commissions in the Pioneer Valley dedicated to sharing history.  They are represented by public web sites; some have digital collections online.  This talk explores ways to expand these, especially how to apply technology to collections that have yet to be shared or even digitized.  Some of this work requires collection expertise or even special training.  This talk addresses the important topics of selecting collections software, of where to find needed training, how to afford it, and explores methods of collaboration and coordination of local groups with the goal of better accessing digitizing resources.

This presentation takes as its premise that each local history organization has similar goals: to bring local information to their local audience, which is also what keeps them viable and functioning. Some have collections of various sorts, some significant libraries and local persons to share their history. They are often visited by people from afar with an interest in their personal family history, or scholarly archival work. Organizing and prioritizing useful, relevant material – especially as donations come in – in a usable, accessible format requires significant expertise. This talk explores ways in which digital platforms and technologies might be further leveraged, potentially in a collaborative fashion, in support of such common goals.

The speaker, Rich Roth, draws from over three decades of work both with several local history museums, and creating the major database of Shakers (on Shakerpedia) which pulls from journals/diaries and  records in a dozen different formats.