Open Forum

Greetings
Ive been wrestling with the question: Whats so important about history?
It's been bothering me so much that Im thinking of doing a session at our regional museum association convention. Im not sure the question is worded correctly yet.

Any answers, suggestions, thoughts are appreciated.


Alan Ransenberg
Lead Alchemist
The Alchemy of Design
7556 NE Stanton St
Portland OR
97213
503 381 2676

There are a lot of good and valid answers to your question. See, for example, Lynn Hunt's book, HISTORY WHY IT MATTERS (2018). But for me, certainly at this moment in our national history, the most compelling reason to preserve, study, and interpret history is that it can help to foster a sense of agency--the conviction that each of us has the ability to influence, to shape, our families, neighborhoods, communities, and even the political economy of our country. In short, that all of us are actors in history. This concept is central to "next practice" in all kinds of museum. For examples, see the concluding chapter of my 2016 book, INTERPRETING AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY AT MUSEUMS AND HISTORIC SITES or check out the burgeoning historic sites that commemorate the civil rights movement.

Avi

Avi Decter, Managing Partner, History Now

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Avi Decter
Managing Partner, History Now
Philadelphia, PA
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-06-2018 04:34 PM
From: Alan Ransenberg
Subject: Nagging question

Greetings
Ive been wrestling with the question: Whats so important about history?
It's been bothering me so much that Im thinking of doing a session at our regional museum association convention. Im not sure the question is worded correctly yet.

Any answers, suggestions, thoughts are appreciated.


Alan Ransenberg
Lead Alchemist
The Alchemy of Design
7556 NE Stanton St
Portland OR
97213
503 381 2676

Original Message------

There are a lot of good and valid answers to your question. See, for example, Lynn Hunt's book, HISTORY WHY IT MATTERS (2018). But for me, certainly at this moment in our national history, the most compelling reason to preserve, study, and interpret history is that it can help to foster a sense of agency--the conviction that each of us has the ability to influence, to shape, our families, neighborhoods, communities, and even the political economy of our country. In short, that all of us are actors in history. This concept is central to "next practice" in all kinds of museum. For examples, see the concluding chapter of my 2016 book, INTERPRETING AMERICAN JEWISH HISTORY AT MUSEUMS AND HISTORIC SITES or check out the burgeoning historic sites that commemorate the civil rights movement.

Avi

Avi Decter, Managing Partner, History Now

------------------------------
Avi Decter
Managing Partner, History Now
Philadelphia, PA
------------------------------

Take a look at the History Relevance campaign, which is set up to answer exactly this question. --Steve

------------------------------
Steven Lubar

author, Inside the Lost Museum: Curating, Past and Present
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 11-06-2018 04:34 PM
From: Alan Ransenberg
Subject: Nagging question

Greetings
Ive been wrestling with the question: Whats so important about history?
It's been bothering me so much that Im thinking of doing a session at our regional museum association convention. Im not sure the question is worded correctly yet.

Any answers, suggestions, thoughts are appreciated.


Alan Ransenberg
Lead Alchemist
The Alchemy of Design
7556 NE Stanton St
Portland OR
97213
503 381 2676

Mr. Lubar is on point.  My collection of PDFs from historyrelevance.com include: "HistoryRelevanceValueStatement," "Value of History in Policy Making 2015," & from the National Council on Public History "History Relevance & Media NCPH News 2017 03."

------------------------------
Paul C. Thistle
Director/Curator (retired)
Stratford ON
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 11-07-2018 07:06 AM
From: Steven Lubar
Subject: Nagging question

Take a look at the History Relevance campaign, which is set up to answer exactly this question. --Steve

------------------------------
Steven Lubar

author, Inside the Lost Museum: Curating, Past and Present

Original Message:
Sent: 11-06-2018 04:34 PM
From: Alan Ransenberg
Subject: Nagging question

Greetings
Ive been wrestling with the question: Whats so important about history?
It's been bothering me so much that Im thinking of doing a session at our regional museum association convention. Im not sure the question is worded correctly yet.

Any answers, suggestions, thoughts are appreciated.


Alan Ransenberg
Lead Alchemist
The Alchemy of Design
7556 NE Stanton St
Portland OR
97213
503 381 2676

Original Message------

Greetings
Ive been wrestling with the question: Whats so important about history?
It's been bothering me so much that Im thinking of doing a session at our regional museum association convention. Im not sure the question is worded correctly yet.

Any answers, suggestions, thoughts are appreciated.


Alan Ransenberg
Lead Alchemist
The Alchemy of Design
7556 NE Stanton St
Portland OR
97213
503 381 2676

Alan,
Do it!

All of us who work in or for the public history/history museum world IMHO should ask ourselves "Why is (the study of) history important? Why does it matter to me? What impact does it have on my audience, community, world?"

It gets to the heart of our purpose in the work that we do. It helps us become more intentional in our thinking and planning. See the work of Randi Korn & her talented colleagues at https://rka-learnwithus.com/. And, it makes us better communicators, interpreters, stewards, fundraisers, and especially, contributors to our communities.

So, do it.

And, when you do get people asking why history matters, don't stop with the first, second, or third answer either. Keep digging until everyone finds some core beliefs and values that they can call their own.

If you haven't already, look at the work of the History Relevance Campaign (https://www.historyrelevance.com/). And, go on Twitter where people who work in public history, museums, colleges and universities, arts organizations, you name it, are demonstrating the value of history every day in discussions ranging from Confederate monuments to immigration policy.

You're not alone in having that nagging feeling, Alan. Good luck.
Dean

------------------------------
Dean Krimmel, Interpretive & Exhibition Planning
Creative Museum Services/Qm2
deankrimmel@qm2.org; 410-746-8350
@deankrimmel
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 11-06-2018 04:34 PM
From: Alan Ransenberg
Subject: Nagging question

Greetings
Ive been wrestling with the question: Whats so important about history?
It's been bothering me so much that Im thinking of doing a session at our regional museum association convention. Im not sure the question is worded correctly yet.

Any answers, suggestions, thoughts are appreciated.


Alan Ransenberg
Lead Alchemist
The Alchemy of Design
7556 NE Stanton St
Portland OR
97213
503 381 2676

Hi Alan,

I have to say, this is a very complex question. It's similar to asking "what makes human kind so unique?"  Because people are different, varied and unique, so are the reasons as to why History is important. 

Because history is, in truth, a social construct, it is completely fluid, and applied to a myriad of disciplines, if not all, but also finds pertinence in our personal lives. 

Nothing exists without a history, or context that helps us to understand everything we learn. From history tours that educate students, to the study of psychology, history can be looked at both qualitatively and quantitatively. 

I could most certainly go on about this for many hours, but in a nutshell, everything we know, how we understand and learn-- it is all comprised of history. And that is why it is so important.

I hope this provided some use!

Chloe

------------------------------
Chloe Joyner
Production Assistant
Smithsonian Institution
Washington DC
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 11-06-2018 04:34 PM
From: Alan Ransenberg
Subject: Nagging question

Greetings
Ive been wrestling with the question: Whats so important about history?
It's been bothering me so much that Im thinking of doing a session at our regional museum association convention. Im not sure the question is worded correctly yet.

Any answers, suggestions, thoughts are appreciated.


Alan Ransenberg
Lead Alchemist
The Alchemy of Design
7556 NE Stanton St
Portland OR
97213
503 381 2676

thank you all for your responses, they all helped

------------------------------
alan ransenberg
planner/ designer/ owner
the alchemy of design
portland or
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 11-06-2018 04:34 PM
From: Alan Ransenberg
Subject: Nagging question

Greetings
Ive been wrestling with the question: Whats so important about history?
It's been bothering me so much that Im thinking of doing a session at our regional museum association convention. Im not sure the question is worded correctly yet.

Any answers, suggestions, thoughts are appreciated.


Alan Ransenberg
Lead Alchemist
The Alchemy of Design
7556 NE Stanton St
Portland OR
97213
503 381 2676