About the Mass History Conference
What is it?
The Massachusetts History Conference is held in early June each year. Its purpose is to support public local history. The conference features panel discussions and workshops on topics of interest to small museums and other historical organizations and people who work with them. Over the past decade the conference has featured a wide array of relevant themes and speakers.
Who participates?
Anyone is welcome to participate. Most participants are volunteers and staff members of public history organizations, small museums, and other historical organizations; consultants and interns; and local history scholars. Although the programming is geared toward supporting historical organizations in Massachusetts, members of the general public may also attend. We do not require organizational affiliation.
What does this program do?
There is no central historical society in Massachusetts, and participants see the Mass History Conference as the best annual opportunity for the Massachusetts history community to network, share expertise and think together. Many regard it as a crucial part of the fabric of the Massachusetts history community, a moment for disparate organizations to learn and think about their work in preserving and interpreting Massachusetts history.
How do I participate?
Online registration opens sometime in April. To keep abreast of conference information, subscribe to the Mass History news mailing list. We usually call for suggestions for presentations in December.Who funds it?
The conference does not have independent funding, and it is dependent on its institutional sponsors and your donations. Funders of the 2014 Mass History Conference include: Mass Humanities, Massachusetts Historical Society, University of Massachusetts Amherst Public History Program, University of Massachusetts Boston Public History and Archives Track, The Colonial Society, and Elizabeth & Ned Bacon.
