Inclusive History in Museums - Free Research Opportunity

Museums across the country are working to address more inclusive practices both within their operations as well as in their interpretive practice. But none of this is easy work.

Thanks to an IMLS National Leadership Grant, the Naperville Heritage Society (Naperville, IL) is spearheading multiple phases of benchmarking and audience research on the inclusive history museum. I'm delighted to be leading these research phases.

But this is where YOU come in. If you are a history organization, or an art or science museum with historical collections and/or interpretation, please help us 1 - benchmark current practice; and 2 - sign up for free audience research so that your organization can benefit directly from this work. 

1 - Inclusive History Organizational Practice Benchmarking Survey. Please help us benchmark the 2018 state of inclusive practice. Before you take the survey, please note:

• It will take about 20 minutes; please block out that time
• You can download a copy of the survey in advance, which may speed up the survey by allowing you to track down any answers you don't have at your fingertips

Click here to begin the Inclusive History Organizational Practice Benchmarking Survey

2 - Free Research Opportunity: Audiences and Inclusive History. This survey of your visitors will give you insight into how they may respond to the inclusion of different viewpoints, new interpretations of history, and the presentation of a more inclusive history of your community or site. The survey will likely include:

• History and its relevance
• Meaning making in history museums and historic sites
• Trust and history organizations
• Presentation of multiple viewpoints
• Questions of neutrality or taking a stand
• Revisionist history, and what that means

Organizations that are selected to participate in this research opportunity agree to send out a email blast to their contact list (as well as any other methods they choose) in September 2018. Each participating organization will receive their confidential results in late fall/early winter, and have an opportunity to discuss those results directly with me.

To volunteer to participate in this research, please complete the Inclusive History Organizational Practice Benchmarking Survey, and indicate your interest at the end of the survey.

The overall results from all phases of research will be shared with the field beginning in 2019. I'll keep you updated as well. Additionally, AASLH will be the repository for this benchmark data, benefiting the field in the future.

If you have any questions about this work, please contact me at susie (at) wilkeningconsulting (dot) com.