News of the Profession |
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News of the Profession: |
American Association for State and Local History Releases Statement of Support for State and Local Historical' Agencies In response to the nationwide trend of decreasing support provided to history organizations by state governments, the board of directors of the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) adopted a statement supporting state and local historical agencies at its June 2003 meeting. "Support of State and Local Historical Agencies in America: A Statement of Concern," was distributed to historical organizations, the CEO"s of each state historical society and museum, and each state"s governor and secretary of state. In the statement, the AASLH expresses its deep concern over the cuts in funding of historical organizations, stating that these "reductions demonstrate a wanton disregard of the relationship of the past to the future of the democratic institutions that define America and its position in the world." The AASLH emphasizes that keeping and making available historical records is an essential part of the democratic experience. This is apparent in newly freed countries, such as Iraq today where, in examining previously closed governmental archives, "the past is confronted and a future of new possibilities can be envisioned." University of Oregon Professor Ellen Herman has created the first web site on the history of child adoption in the United States. The Adoption History Project, located at <http://www.uoregon.edu/~adoption/>, is a digital public history resource, profiling people, organizations, topics, and studies that shaped the theory and practice of modern American adoption. Hundreds of images and primary documents illustrate such topics as the orphan trains, infertility, sealed records, eugenics, baby farming, telling, and transracial, international, and special needs adoptions. "Currently, there is almost nothing about adoption history available on the Internet," notes Herman. "Many people with personal and professional ties to adoption may not be aware that adoption has a history at all. I hope the site will begin to fill this gap and tell the fascinating story of adoption"s past." The web site will also be of interest to high school and college teachers who cover child welfare, family life, public policy, and related issues in their history and social studies classes. The Adoption History Project is supported by the National Science Foundation and the Center for History and New Media. Ellen Herman, an OAH member, is the author of The Romance of American Psychology: Political Culture in the Age of Experts (University of California Press, 1995) and is currently completing a book, Kinship by Design, about the history of child adoption in the twentieth-century United States. Recently, what was considered a noncontrover sial piece of legislation (S. 500 and H.R. 332) proposing a Reconstruction Theme Study--and a possible new National Park Service site focusing on the story of Reconstruction--has come under fire from southern heritage groups. Representative Joe Wilson (R-SC), the sponsor of the House version of the bill, has been targeted to receive letters opposing the study, which would focus federal dollars and public attention on the unique Reconstruction era resources located in Beaufort County, South Carolina. The most vocal opposition has come from the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), an organization comprised of descendants and relatives of Civil War era Confederates. Recently, the SCV passed a resolution opposing the theme study alleging that the study would be one-sided, and would ignore the "blight of reconstruction . . . dominated by occupying federal troops and . . . carpetbagger rule." The SCV also expressed concerns that the Beaufort Arsenal would be turned over to the National Park Service. Jefferson Mansell, Director of the Historic Beaufort Foundation, however, disputes the claims of the SCV. "American history is not always pretty," he said. "It is often controversial and it is always open to interpretation. Our goal . . . is that the National Reconstruction Study Act will recognize the trials, tribulations, and injustices suffered by all South Carolinians and the success and failures of that Federal program." Mansell also stated that there were no plans to turn the Arsenal over to the federal government. Senator Fritz Hollings"s (D-SC) version of the legislation (S. 500), that has already passed the Senate and has been sent to the House for consideration, has the greatest chance of being enacted. Last year, the senator secured funding of $350,000 for the study in the FY-2003 Interior Appropriations bill, but freeing up the funds for the study is dependent on the passage of an authorization bill. Consideration of both the Hollings and Wilson bills remains pending before the House Subcommittee on National Parks, Recreation, and Public Lands, which has yet to schedule a hearing. --Bruce Craig Exploring and Collecting History Online (ECHO) announces a new suite of free, user-friendly software suitable for historians interested in developing interactive web sites. George Mason University"s Center for History and New Media <http://chnm.gmu.edu/> sponsors ECHO, a project dedicated to Internet-based collection and preservation of the history of science and technology <http://echo.gmu.edu/>. ECHO is funded by a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. ECHO Managing Director Dan Cohen developed the software to address the needs of public and social historians interested in incorporating new media into their work. The three applications--Web Scrapbook, Survey Builder, and Poll Builder--allow users to easily and efficiently organize Internet-based history projects and develop on-line surveys and polls. A preliminary version of ECHO"s "Practical Guide" to collecting history through the Internet is available on their site. A more complete version will appear in 2004. In honor of Memorial Day and in celebration of the American spirit, the Library of Congress recently launched a web site highlighting its collections of veterans" stories, patriotic music and community life. The site, "Courage, Patriotism, Community," is accessible at <http://www.loc.gov/courage>. The site has three main components: Experiencing War: Stories from the Veterans History Project; Patriotic Melodies: Selections from I Hear America Singing; and Community Roots: Selections from the Local Legacies Project. Experiencing War <http://www.loc.gov/warstories/> features selected stories from the Library"s Veterans History Project in the American Folklife Center. Created by an act of Congress in 2000, the Veterans History Project provides veterans--and the civilians who supported them--the opportunity to record their wartime experiences. These stories are told through video, audio, and written accounts from twenty one veterans and civilians. Patriotic Melodies <http://www.loc.gov/patrioticmusic/> illustrates the close connection between patriotism, music, and the expression of the American spirit. It features some of America"s most important patriotic tunes, such as "The Star Spangled Banner" and "My Country "Tis of Thee," and the stories behind the creation of each. Community Roots <http://www.loc.gov/folklife/roots/> documents America"s local festivals, community events, and other grassroots activities. These resources come from the larger "Local Legacies" collection--a joint project of the Library of Congress and the U.S. Congress that was initiated during the Library"s bicentennial celebration in 2000 to document the nation"s multicultural traditions at the turn of the twentieth century. One local tradition has been selected to represent each state, the District of Columbia, the territories and trusts. This presentation highlights the ways in which Americans celebrate their diverse cultural backgrounds. |
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