Register now for the 71st Annual LLHSM Conference!

The 71st Annual League of Local Historical Societies & Museums (LLHSM) Conference is coming in May! This is the largest yearly gathering of local history and museum professionals in the state and is an excellent opportunity to network and learn with colleagues in a supportive environment. This year's conference will be held at the Middlebury Inn in Middlebury on May 9th.

Registration is now open and costs $35 for VHS Members and $50 for non-members. Registration fees include lunch, light breakfast, all sessions and snacks. Space may be limited, register early to reserve your spot!

This Year's Theme is "Doing History." As we move towards America’s 250th, it is essential to energize public engagement with history, inviting everyone to participate in the process of preserving and sharing their history, especially at the local level. At this conference we’ll explore some practical ways and some big ideas for how we can “do” history. From projects that involve students, to story collecting and storytelling, to practical information on working with your collections that can increase access and use. Support for this year's conference is provided by the Walter Cerf Community Fund.  

Here's the schedule for this year's conference: 

• 8:45 - 9:30 AM: Registration & Coffee
• 9:45 to 10:30 AM: Welcome & LLHSM Awards
• 10:45 to 11:45 AM: Concurrent Sessions 1
  • Public Outreach: Communications With Your Audience, Joe Rivers, Bob Cornellier, Bill Holiday, Lee Ha, and Carol Farrington, Brattleboro Historical Society
  • What’s Your Local Identity? Hannah Kirkpatrick, Program Coordinator, VHS
  • Coffee Conversation: Collections, Amanda Gustin, Director of Collections & Access, VHS
• 11:45 am to 1:00 PM: Keynote Discussion & Lunch: Collecting COVID-19, Project Director Amanda Kay Gustin, VHS
• 1:15 to 2:15 PM: Concurrent Sessions 2
  • Transforming Narratives: The Henry Sheldon Museum’s Commitment to “Doing History” Differently, Coco Moseley, Executive Director and Eva Garcelon-Hart, Archivist, Henry Sheldon Museum
  • Some Sampler Stories, Michele Pagan, Textile Conservator in Private Practice
  • Coffee Conversation: Marketing & Publishing, Andrew Liptak, PR & Guest Services Coordinator, VHS
• 2:15 to 2:30 PM: Break, Snacks & conversation
• 2:30 to 3:30 PM: Concurrent Sessions 3
  • Measure Twice, Move Once, Darlene Bialowski, Contract Museum Registrar and Fine & Decorative Arts Appraiser, Erica Donnis, Congressional Papers Archivist, University of Vermont, Margaret Tamulonis, Manager Collections & Exhibitions, Fleming Museum of Art, UVM
  • All In Vermont: Put Your History on the Map, Meg Mallory, Outreach Educator and Eileen Corcoran, Director of Service & Outreach, VHS

Full details and registration available here.