From the Field – Public History at UMass Boston

Category: From the Field (page 1 of 6)

Scene from the NEMA tour of special collections held by the Barnum Museum, Bridgeport, CT. Courtesy of the Barnum Museum. This image may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the Barnum Museum.

NEMA at 100 – Museums on The Move Centennial Conference, 2018

By: Kristine Malpica

At the ripe old age of 100, the New England Museum Association (NEMA) seems to be going stronger than ever. That’s my impression, based on this year’s centennial conference in Stamford, Connecticut, attended by nearly 1000 people from the northeast region. This year’s theme, Museums on The Move, offered attendees a reflective look at the history of this organization, from its humble origins as a philanthropic project begun by Delia Griffin, founder of the Boston Children’s Museum, and a handful of colleagues, to its present status as one of the nation’s leading advocacy organizations for museums (www.nemanet.org).

So, what’s changed since NEMA’s inception? This year’s conference featured for the first time TED-talk style “storytelling sessions,” presenting 20 minute case studies. Also new was the “Collections Corps” service project, organized by the Registrar and Collections Care Specialists and Conservators PAGs, which assisted Connecticut’s Shelton Historical Society with a collections project.

NEMA at 100 featured some new and unique presenters, too. Instead of the usual keynote address by a single individual, several speakers, representing a cross-section of disciplines and fields offered short reflections on a wide range of topics including “Art as Healing,” “Museums and Civic Dialogue,” “Diversity, Youth and Museums,” and “The Future of History.” These talks culminated in a multi-media performance by Kledia Spiro, who recounted her compelling personal and professional journey from war-torn Albania to becoming a competitive powerlifter and now an emerging professional at the Fitchburg Art Museum. Her performance was anything but traditional!

So, what did I learn at NEMA? One of the biggest challenges at any conference is choosing what to attend. The NEMA conference offers many sessions specifically focused on career development, especially for emerging professionals. At the informal Independent Museum Professionals Affinity Group for established and emerging professionals, I learned about the challenges faced by independent museum contractors, including how to create an equitable project budget and fair price for contract labor. Uncovering Your Inner Compass, an interactive workshop focusing on discovering core values that help navigate our paths with purpose, took a more personal approach to career planning. This provided an opportunity to reexamine my motivations and core beliefs, as they relate to my academic and career goals. In a Career Conversation with Larry Yerdon, Executive Director of Strawberry Banke in Portsmouth NH shared his specific career path through a variety of cultural organizations. This helped me to better understand the real life journey of a museum executive, serving as a useful professional model. At the Newcomer’s Reception, a mix and mingle of young and emerging museum professionals, I met students and museum staff, with whom I discussed academic and career-related topics of mutual interest.

NEMA at 100 also offered opportunities for guided experiences at local museums. Bridgeport’s P.T. Barnum Museum staff led a group tour of the exhibit The Real Deal: P.T. Barnum’s Legacy in Bridgeport. The exhibition revealed Barnum’s entrepreneurial career as an innovative museum proprietor and visionary big top circus promoter, who exhibited and represented some of the most fantastical and novel objects and people. However, we also learned that Barnum was not just an exploitive capitalist; he was also a progressive politician and ardent supporter of abolition and women’s rights, who worked for social change. Our visit included a special hardhat tour of the building badly damaged by a tornado, leading to an in depth discussion of the challenges of natural disaster planning and recovery for museums. We were also treated to a behind the scenes visit to the archives and collections, where the curator showed us a range of artifacts not on view to the public.

Full-color poster, “Scenes from a Long and Busy Life,” featuring a portrait of P. T. Barnum, surrounded by vignettes illustrating highlights of his life and career. Ca. 1881. Courtesy of the Barnum Museum. This image may not be reproduced in any form without written permission from the Barnum Museum.

Perhaps most importantly, I learned about recent community engagement and cultural preservation efforts in the museum community. The session Museums in Puerto Rico, focused on Hurricane Maria’s devastating impact on museums and socio-cultural institutions across the island in 2017. The panel was moderated by museum professionals working in Puerto Rico and the mainland at Museo de Arte Contemporaneo de Puerto Rico; Harvard Puerto Rico Winter Institute; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico, and Boston Children’s Museum. This session presented current museum outreach and community engagement projects, post-hurricane recovery efforts by museums and their role in preserving cultural resources and identity.

Professor Pedro Reina-Perez, professor of history at the University of Puerto Rico San Juan and the Harvard Puerto Rico Winter Institute, warned of the startling possibility that much of the island’s cultural patrimony could be lost, through a combination of natural disaster and the auction of university and museum collections to repay debts. He spoke about the importance of culture– “Culture equals identity. For colonial people culture is the most important thing.” This stark reality check was by far the most impactful moment of my NEMA experience. It also prompted me to speak with Professor Perez about ways that students and museum professionals might provide assistance or support to universities or cultural institutions on the island, and closer to home. As a father of a current UMass Boston undergrad, he was eager to engage in further discussion of how history students might help. I look forward to continuing this dialogue and hopefully connecting our communities in creative and compassionate ways.

So, why should you go to NEMA? It’s a great opportunity to meet and engage with new and seasoned museum and history enthusiasts from around New England, share your stories and experiences and learn from others as a student and emerging professional.

There are also a number of sources which can fund your NEMA conference professional development. For more information about NEMA scholarships: https://www.nemanet.org/conference-events/conference/2018-nema-conference/scholarships/.

I would like to thank the Graduate Student Assembly for funding my NEMA conference. For more information: https://gsaumb.wordpress.com/programs-and-grants/professional-development-grant-pdg/

Clara Silverstein at Mason Memorial during Historic Newton's Cemetery Walking Tour, 2017

Alumni Spotlight: Clara Silverstein

November 27, 2018 / Heidi Gengenbach / 0 Comments

Clara Silverstein is the Community Engagement Manager at Historic Newton in Newton, Massachusetts. A public/private partnership between the Newton Historical Society and the City of Newton, Historic Newton “inspires discovery and engagement by illuminating our community’s stories within the context of American history.” Silverstein has worked for Historic Newton for more than three years now, but the career path that led her there was anything but ordinary.

Before working in community engagement, Silverstein had a long career as a journalist and author. But when journalism became an unsustainable career because of the changes in the marketplace, she decided to apply her research skills and interest in American history in a new field: public history.

Clara Silverstein, photograph provided by Silverstein, 2018

“I changed careers when I was over age 40. It wasn’t too late!” Silverstein recalled of her decision to switch careers. She looked at many programs in the Boston area before deciding to enroll in the public history track of the history MA program at UMass Boston. “I liked UMass because it didn’t seem to focus on the MA merely as a stepping stone to a PhD,” she said. “The schedule also seemed flexible for someone who already had family responsibilities and part-time work. Best of all, it was affordable.”

While at UMass, Silverstein worked with the Tracing Center on the History and Legacies of Slavery, which prepared her for her later work at Historic Newton, where she interprets the Underground Railroad and slavery. Utilizing her already strong research skills, she completed the program with a thesis comparing the interpretation of the founding story of America at Jamestown, Virginia and Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Two Visitors, Historic Newton House Tour, 2017

After graduating with her Master’s in History, Silverstein did freelancing and contract work before finding a permanent role at Historic Newton. There, as Community Engagement Manager, she plans and manages public programs, including lectures, walking tours, panel discussions, and an annual House Tour attended by more than 400 people. She also manages Historic Newton’s social media accounts, newsletter, and press outreach. “I like finding creative ways to interest the public in history, whether it’s leading a tour about sports heroes or posting an interesting fact about the city on social media,” Silverstein told us.

Since Historic Newton aims to interpret local history in the context of American history with special emphasis on social justice, there is no shortage of creative opportunities for Silverstein. At Historic Newton, she emphasized, “We like to connect past the past with the present.” In the past, for example, the institution has hosted a panel linking activism around abolition in the 19^th century with the current Black Lives Matter movement. Their latest panel event, which took place on November 4^th, was a discussion about the history of language around race, LGBT issues, and disability.

Clara Silverstein giving an introduction at a Historic Newton Event, Newton Center, MA

A rich and diverse collection supports the Silverstein’s efforts to bring history to life for the public. Historic Newton collects a variety of documents and photos that relate to the history of Newton, plus many objects that relate to the material culture and institutions in the city. From maps and records of abolitionist societies to clothing and kitchen tools, Historic Newton preserves and makes accessible the records and items that give insight into the city’s past.

Despite loving her work, like many public historians in small institutions, Silverstein finds it challenging to manage a mountain of responsibilities during a 40-hour work week. Inevitably, she has to let some things– like social media posting– slide when she is overloaded with event planning. Yet she finds ways to get it all done, making use of the assistance of interns whenever possible (take note, current public history students!).

Maintaining a sustainable work-life balance makes it possible for Silverstein to set aside time after hours for her passion for writing. She just published her first novel, a work of historical fiction entitled Secrets in a House Divided: A Novel of Civil War Richmond. (If you’re looking for something to read over Christmas break, you can find it here!)

Ultimately, Silverstein is glad to have left her career in journalism behind. With an eye to the future, she stated, “I want to stay involved in interpreting American history to the public no matter what form it takes – writing, speaking, planning programs, leading tours. I think I have found my calling in life!”

Clara Silverstein and others at the Jackson Homestead Renovation Celebration, 2016

Her advice to current students?

Take advantage of your proximity to Boston and visit its rich historical resources while you’re in school so you can learn how various sites interpret history. Appreciate the opportunity discuss what you’re reading with professors and mentors who structure your learning. Once you leave school, that’s gone!

Jennifer Bolmarcich of the Archives & Special Collections at Amherst College delivers her presentation on "Heavy Small Collections" at the NEA Fall Meeting

I took a lot of notes in order to discuss Jennifer Bolmarcich's presentation on "Heavy Small Collections" with my tablemates at the NEA Fall Meeting.

Navigating Academic Conferences with Social Anxiety: The NEA Fall Meeting

November 6, 2018 / Heidi Gengenbach / 0 Comments

By: Violet Hurst

On Friday, October 26^th, I attended the New England Archivists’ (NEA) Fall Meeting at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston. The theme of the meeting was “Our Common Code: Ethics in Archives,” and it gave archivists and allied professionals the opportunity to discuss archival ethics in three areas: appraisal and acquisitions, description, and access.

As a second-year graduate student in the Archives Track of the history program at UMass Boston, I wanted to attend the Meeting in order to learn more about current ethical issues in the archival profession. I looked forward to listening to panelists discuss their experiences and share their knowledge, and I was excited to hear the plenary address by the Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi. I was excited to being surrounded by a community of professionals who cared about such things as ethical issues, something that many professions overlook, or even actively ignore. But I knew that there was another, more anxiety-inducing reason that I, as a graduate student and soon-to-be job-seeker, was attending the conference: to network.

The Venerable Tenzin Priyadarshi. Photograph by Christopher Michel, 2016.

Since early high school, I have struggled with moderate social anxiety that flares up when I am confronted with unfamiliar, public social situations. At academic conferences, I feel a sense of inferiority as I am confronted with a sea of (seemingly) confident students and professionals. I find it difficult to start conversations with people whom I’ve never met, especially when there is the pressure to appear knowledgable, interesting, and in all ways hire-able. I feel overwhelmed by the constant need to be “on”– from when I’m making connections with professionals in the field to when I’m pouring myself a cup of coffee in the conference reception area.

Despite my anxiety, I find it both personally rewarding and professionally necessary to attend academic conferences like those hosted by NEA. At conferences, students like me have the opportunity to learn from the real-life experiences of archivists in the field. We are able to participate in conversations about the most current trends and issues in our chosen career. We can ask questions from those who have worked in the field for years, and we have the opportunity to learn from a rich diversity of people. Most importantly, we have the opportunity to introduce ourselves, for the first time, to members of the tight-knit archival community.

My name badge and program from the NEA Fall Meeting, October 26, 2018

During my undergraduate education in history, I lived under the blissful impression that networking was something that only those entering the business and finance world would have to face. It was only in graduate school that I learned that networking is an inescapable aspect of entering the professional world that very few students are able to avoid entirely. Over the past year and a half, I’ve had to attend conferences, workshops, community events, and informational interviews that took me out of my comfort zone, and along the way I’ve formulated strategies to deal with my anxiety in these situations. I share them here in the hopes that they might help others with social anxiety navigate the academic conference.

1. Look for the familiar.

When attending an academic conference or workshop, there is a lot of pressure to spend the whole day making connections with new people and entering into new spaces. It can be useful to take a minute to remember that not everything about the conference is new and overwhelming. There is bound to be a face in the crowd you recognize, or a event space or setup that is familiar– or even a brand of complimentary tea that you like. Making yourself more comfortable in a new space goes a long way toward making you ready to interact with new people.

Pavilion, John F. Kennedy Library, Boston, MA. Photograph by Violet Hurst

At the NEA Fall Meeting, I was lucky enough to recognize several faces in the crowd from previous internships and from my graduate program. I was also very familiar with the building and the conference space at the JFK Library, having interned there from May 2017 to August 2018. These things made me feel like I was on solid ground and made me comfortable enough to engage with elements of the conference that were unfamiliar.

2. Learn the schedule.

Eliminating your uncertainty about the structure of the day is another way to make you more comfortable at a conference. At most conferences, a full schedule of programming is readily available in programs or handouts at the registration desk. Knowing in advance when breaks are and whether you will have to get up and move around for different sessions can help the day go more smoothly. I also like to look at the topics of upcoming panel discussions or presentations in advance in order to start thinking about things I may have to contribute to the conversation.

3. Take notes.

I never used to know what to say when starting a conversation at an academic conference. It can feel so unnatural or even awkward to walk up to someone you’ve never met and start a conversation. Fortunately, conferences provide you with plenty of material to talk about. I find that it’s useful to take notes about things that spark my interest during presentations and discussions. Then, during breaks, lunch, or other unstructured time, I can turn to someone and say something like “It was so interesting when ___ talked about ___. Have you encountered a similar situation in your work?” If I’m feeling really bold, I’ll even seek out a presenter to ask a question or have a discussion about the themes of a particular presentation.

I took a lot of notes in order to discuss Jennifer Bolmarcich’s presentation on “Heavy Small Collections” with my tablemates at the NEA Fall Meeting.

Despite my fears, I’ve found that most people are excited to talk more about their work and their experiences.

4. Don’t be afraid to take a break during breaks.

This may sound non-controversial on its face, but traditionally, breaks at conferences are considered the time to network. If you’re comfortable enough to network during breaks, go for it! But if you need to take some time for yourself, absolutely do that. Find a quiet spot to clear your head and decompress for a minute– even if that quiet spot is in your car or a bathroom stall. Taking time to recharge will make you more ready to go out there and network at other times, like during lunch or transition periods.

5. Hold onto perspective.

If you walk away from a conference kicking yourself for your inability to network, remember that it’s still good that you went. If all you do at a conference is listen and learn, you’ll likely walk away from the day with new ideas, perspectives, and questions that will make you a better professional in the long run. Perhaps you’ll even emerge with a better sense of which people and institutions are doing work that aligns with your interests.

It’s also important to remember that not all networking happens at the day of the event. You may meet presenters or participants at some point down the road (it’s a small [archives] world, after all), and you’ll be able to refer back to having heard or encountered them at a previous conference, workshop, or community event.

Jonathan Green delivers a talk on the compass and navigation in Milton’s history for the January 2016 Fireside Chat.

Always Night at the Museum

October 18, 2018 / Heidi Gengenbach / 0 Comments

By: Jonathan Green

Sign on Canton Avenue marking the location of the Suffolk Resolves House and identifying it as the headquarters for the Milton Historical Society. Photograph by Jonathan Green.

Since 2014, I have served as the resident caretaker of the Suffolk Resolves House (SRH) located in Milton, MA and curator for the Milton Historical Society (MHS). Over the past four years I have answered one question numerous times: “What is it like being the caretaker for a historic house?” Normally when I reply, I try to convey the fun and humor that I find in the position and simply say, “It is always night at the museum!” The truth, however, is a bit more complex. Serving as a resident caretaker requires constant awareness as to what is happening inside and outside the house to preserve the structure and its collections, while also ensuring that the house and grounds remain safe, functional, and attractive spaces for visitors. In applying for the position, I sought a new professional challenge, and I found exactly that.

Resident caretakers must embrace the phrase “other duties as assigned.” Initially I envisioned dedicating most of my time to collections management and interpretation. Instead, I spent the first few months getting to know the house, and occasionally its collections, by dusting, vacuuming, linseed oiling, polishing, clearing out wasp nests, and attempting to get a handle on the house’s mouse problem. Regardless of my professional interests and aspirations, the house always came first, and I had to be prepared to address problems as they developed.

Sure, it is a unique job, but serving as a resident caretaker is a lot like being a homeowner. A resident caretaker, like a homeowner, must focus on maintaining the interior and exterior of the house, as well as the objects stored inside it. Seasons and weather often dictate how and when certain things are to be done. For example, unfinished thresholds require linseed oil every other fall before cold weather sets in. Other duties like checking mouse traps and bait stations, emptying dehumidifiers—the SRH has three—and dusting and vacuuming the house and its collections occur daily, every other day, and weekly, respectively. As the phrase “spontaneous needs” suggests, this only represents a glimpse of required maintenance.

Front of the Suffolk Resolves House in August 2017. Photograph by Jonathan Green.

As with anything, however, there are exceptions; in this case two. First, the SRH serves as the MHS’s headquarters. As resident caretaker the MHS’s Board of Trustees acts as my landlord, which means they establish rules, approve expenditures, and determine when the house transitions from private residence to MHS function space. When my wife and I are away from the house longer than twenty-four hours, we have to notify the MHS board, so they can arrange to have someone check the house daily. Other rules include no pets, no children (i.e., dependents living with the caretakers), and the caretakers can only store personal belongings in the three private rooms—bedroom, den, and bathroom—and the kitchen. That adds up to just under 700 square feet- and the kitchen becomes a public space for events. Second, there is no compromise when it comes to what is best for the house and its collections. As resident caretaker my personal tastes regarding décor, ideal interior temperature, and desire (or lack thereof) to conduct maintenance do not matter. While at times the job can be demanding, it is always fun and immensely rewarding.

Emma and Jonathan Green decorating the Suffolk Resolves House in November 2014 for their first Christmas open house as resident caretakers. Photograph by Jonathan Green.

Nine months each year, my focus turns to public engagement. This happens several ways. Open houses are the most common, when we invite the public to view the house, grounds, and collections. For these events my fellow board members and I don our docent caps and field any number of questions about the house, the MHS’s collections, and Milton’s history.

For the 2017 Fireside Chats, I invited Alex Dubois, Curator for the Litchfield Historical Society, and Tom Begley, Executive Liaison for Administration, Research, & Special Projects at Plimoth Plantation, as guest lecturers. Photograph by Jonathan Green.

Fireside Chats in January and February are intimate events that welcome twenty guests to attend a lecture prepared and delivered by the curator at the SRH, complete with cozy fire and refreshments. The Fireside Chats bring together one or more objects from the MHS’s collection to tell a unique and engaging history. My favorite event, however, is the Fifth Grade Tours. In May and June, the SRH is one of several stops on tours that immerses Milton fifth-graders in the town’s historical landscape. After arriving at the SRH, fifth-graders engage in a hands-on Backyard Archaeology activity, and, without fail, these students ask stimulating questions and offer exceptional answers.

For example, when examining a lace-makers lamp we discussed how veteran lace-makers earned the right to sit at first light—right next to the lamp—while less experienced lace-makers sat further from the lamp. One student asked why the more experienced lace-makers needed to sit closer to the lamp. “Aren’t they better at it,” she asked. “So why do they need more light? Don’t the ones [lace-makers] who aren’t as good need more light?” Moments like this, when I did not have an answer, forced me to be the best educator I could by simply admitting I do not know but that I can find the answer. Public engagement like this is what sustains the MHS and is a key component of the caretaker’s responsibilities.

Collaboration. Is. Essential. In December 2014, this contractor repaired a cracked bullseye window pane in the back door of the Suffolk Resolves House. Photograph by Jonathan Green.

Collaboration is essential. My first week in the position, the MHS president asked my wife, “Are you going to be able to help Jon with all the work? There is a lot of work that goes into this and he’ll need your support.” He was absolutely right. At times, the position can be labor intensive, which is why organizations hiring for resident caretakers frequently hire a dynamic duo rather than a solo caretaker. Plus, resident caretakers cannot know it all. This is why at times I feel something like a general contractor. When the HVAC system’s coolant line malfunctioned in the middle of July, I had to coordinate repairs with the contractor and arrange to have a board member meet the technician at the house because my wife and I could not get off work. You do not have to know everything to care for a historic house, but you do need to be able to troubleshoot, locate experts, and collaborate.

Though you may be doubting it, resident caretakers do have social lives. On average I dedicate about ten hours a week to my responsibilities as caretaker and curator. Most of the duties become part of a weekly routine, so we still go out on weekends. We are even allowed use of the museum spaces to host family and friends. Fun fact: my wife threw my thirtieth birthday party at the house. Just like there is life after thirty, there is life after the duties of caretaker and curator are complete.

After four years serving as resident caretaker and curator for the MHS, there is still never a dull moment. Whether caring for the house and grounds, the diverse collections, or interacting with the public, this job has been one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. The beauty of the position is that it regularly puts you outside your comfort zone, forcing you to directly confront new challenges by learning, adapting, creating, and collaborating. If that does not sound cool, remember that as resident caretaker, it is always night at the museum.

Jonathan Green received his MA in history (public history track) from UMass Boston in 2016. He is currently Assistant Director of Archives and Digital Assets Manager at Stonehill College.

Joan Ilacqua at a History Project Event

Alumni Spotlight: Joan Ilacqua

October 11, 2018 / Heidi Gengenbach / 0 Comments

When Joan Ilacqua graduated from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington with a bachelor’s degree in American History and Studio Art: Sculpture, she wanted to contribute to history in a hands-on way. She sought and earned jobs and internships at several national parks, including Yosemite National Park and Great Smoky Mountains National Park. However, having graduated during the Recession, Ilacqua decided that seasonal jobs weren’t sustainable. She began looking for graduate programs in the Boston area.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, 07 April 2007. Image is in the public domain.

“I got advice that I could either go to the ‘big name’ program and use that name as I was job hunting, or the ‘little name’ program and do as much as work as possible to network myself,” she recalls. “I chose UMass because it gave me the opportunity to make connections, to work with other young professionals, and to learn from other experts in the field all at a public university. I gained experience from both archives and public history classes that I continue to use in my outreach work today.”

When she entered UMass, Ilacqua initially focused on archives, but soon switched to public history. While in the program, she made good on her decision to make as many connections in the field as possible, working at the JFK Library, UMass Boston University Archives and Special Collections, and the Center for the History of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She also interned at The History Project: Documenting LGBTQ Boston “because I had an interest in queer history but also because I wanted to volunteer for an organization that could not afford to pay an intern.”

Joan started at The History Project in 2013, and she remains involved with the organization five years later as co-chair of its Board of Directors. “I find it so fulfilling as a queer archivist to be able to contribute to documenting, preserving, and sharing LGBTQ history,” Ilacqua says, “and I’ve gained a wealth of management, fundraising, outreach, and events experience.”

Joan Ilacqua and other volunteers for The History Project: Documenting LGBTQ Boston

In addition to sustaining the connections she made at The History Project, Ilacqua now works a the Center for the History of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, an institution she first worked for as a graduate student. The Center “serves to enable the history of medicine to inform contemporary medicine and deepens our understanding of the society in which medicine is embedded.” Ilacqua’s initial role at the Center was as an oral historian, leading efforts to collect stories and other artifacts about the 2013 Boston Marathon Bombing. After the project ended, she continued to work on other oral history and outreach projects for the Center, including the history of diversity and inclusion.

Joan Ilacqua, Archivist for Diversity and Inclusion at the Center for the History of Medicine, 2018.

In June of 2015, Ilacqua was promoted to Archivist for Women in Medicine. Just last week, on October 1^st, the Center expanded the program’s mission to include documenting all people underrepresented in medicine, changing Ilacqua’s title to Archivist for Diversity and Inclusion. Among her many duties in this role, she will advocate for donations of archival materials crated by underrepresented leaders in medicine, establish new collections and acquire accruals to existing collections, build new relationships with potential donors, and promote the inclusion of underrepresented people in medicine through social media, lectures, exhibits, and events. Currently, she is working on an exhibit on the history of diversity and inclusion at Harvard Medical School in collaboration with the school’s Office for Diversity Inclusion & Community Partnership, which is the culmination of an extensive oral history project. The exhibit will be entirely digital in order to promote access throughout the campus community.

Of her position, Ilacqua says, “I find it incredibly rewarding that I get to help cement [records creators’] place in history by making sure that their stories and experiences are documented. Without original documents, and without representation, how can historians write history? I get to make sure that these stories and experiences are preserved.”

The Center for the History of Medicine preserves a diversity of voices in its archival holdings. Notable among its collections are the Miriam F. Menkin papers, 1919-2003 and the Equal Access Oral History Project records. Menkin was a laboratory assistant to John Rock, the scientist who performed the first in vitro fertilization of a human egg in 1944. Her collection only exists because her files were included in the Rock papers, and were separated out once the Center’s processing archivist realized that she was the creator of the records. Menkin’s contributions to the understanding of human fertility wouldn’t be known if her collection hadn’t been saved. The Equal Access Oral History Project began as an attempt to collect the story of affirmative action at Harvard Medical School and grew to include the perspectives and experiences of faculty, students, and alumni about diversity and inclusion at HMS. This project is particularly poignant because these stories aren’t represented anywhere else in the Center’s collections.

The Countway Library of Medicine, home of the Center for the History of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, 1965.

Ilacqua’s passion for diversity and inclusion extends beyond the workplace. As mentioned, she continues to volunteer for The History Project. She is also currently serving a term on the New England Archivists’ Inclusion and Diversity Committee. She hopes that her work on that committee will “help build and maintain an inclusive environment at NEA…in a field that is overworked, underpaid, and often does not create pathways for diversity.”

Through her work at the Center for the History of Medicine, The History Project, and professional organizations, Joan Ilacqua has put her passions for public history, archives, and diversity and inclusion to good use.

Her advice to students seeking to break into in field?

Make as many connections as you can while you are a student. Go to conferences, present at conferences, go to networking events (Drinking at Museums is a great way to meet people and NEA regularly holds networking events), volunteer, get involved with museum and archivist Twitter, read archivist and public historian blogs, do informational interviews. People want to help students, so don’t hesitate to reach out to alumni or to professionals that you admire – the worst thing that can happen is that they say no.

To learn more about the Center for the History of Medicine, its collections, and upcoming events, please click here. Many thanks to Joan Ilacqua for her participation in our Alumni Spotlight series!

Public History at UMass Boston