History 21 The Podcast - 1.19 History Directors Spill the Tea

What’s it like running a county historical Society? Sam Klocksien, Executive Director of the Isanti County Historical Society, sits down with Rebecca to talk about the ins and outs of running a museum - from helping people with research to mowing the lawn yourself.

Hosts Rebecca Desens, ACHS Executive Director, Sara Given, ACHS Volunteer Coordinator and Erin McBrien, ACHS Archivist.

Isanti County Historical Society

Located along the northern boarder of Anoka County - The History of Anoka County residents doesn’t always stop at the boarder

The Isanti County Historical Society was established on November 16, 1964 in Braham, Minnesota by an original committee of eight persons. ICHS became an official organization of Isanti County and an affiliate of the Minnesota Historical Society on April 20, 1965. Artifacts depicting indigenous groups of the area, and the immigration of early European residents to the county, as well as those of their descendants in the 1900s made up a majority of the Society’s collection. In July 2011, an arson fire destroyed over 70% of the historical collection. Digital collections were also lost with the destruction of local computers. At present, the digital archive houses over 30,000 artifacts, documents and photos stored online. The permanent archive housed at the Heritage Center is slowly growing, as committed Isanti County natives bring their collections to the Society for consideration.

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Map of Isanti County showing the different Townships.

Sam Klocksien’s sophmore picture in the 1992 Anoka High School yearbook.

An adult Sam Klocksien in front of an early 1900s vintage automobile.

Anoka County Library Minute

Curators: Behind the Scenes of Natural History Museums by Lance Grande (508 GRA) Lance Grande, a Richfield native, has spent most of his curatorial career at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. This book details some of the most interesting phases of his work, which include assignments on excavation sites and an entire chapter devoted to Sue, the Field Museum’s most famous exhibit of one of the most complete and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex skeletons in the world. Those who might be interested in museum work will appreciate his description of the path he took to build his career beginning with college at the University of Minnesota and leading to a position in executive management as the Field Museum’s senior vice president.
A Fool’s Errand: Creating the National Museum of African American History and Culture in the Age of Bush, Obama, and Trump by Lonnie G. Bunch III (069 BUN)
This book details the myriad challenges encountered by Lonnie Bunch, the founding director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, to get the Smithsonian’s newest museum off the ground. It’s an excellent case study in the tangled web of political, legal, financial, and ethical issues museum directors face when founding and running a cultural institution. It’s also inspiring, as Bunch describes his personal journey to bring this museum, his labor of love for many years, to fruition; it was far from a sure thing at the outset.
The Rape of Europa (DVD 709.043 RAP and on Kanopy.com)
This extraordinary documentary describes the Nazi plunder of European art during WWII and the unsung heroes who saved as much of Europe’s cultural heritage as they could. Among those who are credited with saving the great works of Western art are the famous Monuments Men division of the U.S. Army, whose story is told in this film. The efforts to repatriate these famous works of art to their rightful owners, both families and countries alike, continues to this day.
Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits: Inside the Fight to Reclaim Native America’s Culture by Chip Colwell (970.00497 COL)
Here’s another work that describes the many practical challenges that arise when a group seeks to protect its cultural heritage. Native American tribes led an effort to compel museums to return their sacred cultural artifacts to them. Their advocacy prompted the enactment of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. Chip Colwell is an anthropology curator at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. He expertly writes of the continuous balancing act between the religious freedom of Native Americans and the academic freedom of scientists and researchers that he performs to do his job legally and ethically. This book raises interesting questions of who owns the past, while explaining in detail the process of repatriation of cultural artifacts.
American Treasures: The Secret Efforts to Save the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address by Stephen Puleo (973 PUL)
This book describes the fascinating efforts the U.S. government took during wars like the war of 1812 and WWII to protect the nation’s most revered original documents from potential threats. Puleo nicely weaves the history of these documents with stories of the lengths to which the U.S. government has gone to protect them.
Libraries
I Work at a Public Library: A Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks by Gina Sheridan (020.9 SHE)
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to work in a public library, this fun, quirky read is the book for you. It includes verbatim transcripts of hilarious exchanges librarians have with the full spectrum of humanity that walks through the front doors of America’s public libraries each day.
This Is What a Librarian Looks Like: A Celebration of Libraries, Communities, and Access to Information by Kyle Cassidy (020 CAS)
This work of visually compelling photojournalism contains photos of United States librarians and their personal thoughts about their work. It includes essays from guest authors Neil Gaiman, Peter Sagal, and Paula Poundstone, among others, about what libraries mean to them. It also includes chapters from librarians who work with special collections such as the archivist overseeing the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library, the librarian at the Franklin Public Library in Wisconsin who created the American Girl Doll lending program, and a bookmobile librarian. There’s another interesting chapter describing the work of the sumerologist managing the Tablet Room at the University of Pennsylvania, which collects clay tablets. He refers to the Tablet Room as “The Library of Mud.”
Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (Kanopy.com)
Frederick Wiseman’s mesmerizing documentary gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at one of the greatest libraries in the world. This film will make you look at libraries differently as you see what it takes for an institution of this intellectual depth and breadth to provide the resources and services it does at its 92 locations.
Personal Collections
For the Love of Books: Designing and Curating a Home Library by Thatcher Wine and Elizabeth Lane (002.075 WIN)
This book about books is mostly an interior design book, with the striking photography one expects. There are many visual ideas for those looking to display their books, as well as useful tips on organization and proper shelving practices as you create and curate your own collection.
The Little Free Library Book by Margret Aldrich (027 ALD)
Margaret Aldrich is a Minneapolis journalist with a Little Free Library in front of her house. You may have seen these small, charming boxes in front yards in recent years. Aldrich authors a book explaining the Little Free Library movement, founded in Hudson, Wisconsin in 2009 with a take-a-book, return-a-book philosophy. The book contains dozens of interviews with homeowners who have their own Little Free Libraries. They describe the joy of establishing one of these little collections as well as the issues they face hosting one. The excellent appendix includes contact information, construction designs, and installation instructions for those who are considering chartering their own Little Free Libraries.
Organizing and Preserving Your Heirloom Documents by Katherine Scott Sturdevant (929.1 STU)
Those of you who would like to start a family archive will find valuable information in Sturdevant’s book. There are chapters on where to locate copies of these documents, but most of the book addresses how to store, organize, and annotate those documents so other family members can access and learn from the collection.
How to Archive Family Photos: A Step-by-Step Guide to Organize and Share Your Photos Digitally by Denise S. May-Levenick (771.46 MAY)
Many of you have vast personal digital photo collections. Learn how to create a collection that future generations can enjoy. This book will help you organize these photos found on phones and cameras and thumb drives so they can more than a digital scrapbook.