On behalf of the Connecticut League of History Organizations (CLHO), we are proud to be a supporter of Connecticut History Day and efforts to promote and support public history throughout our state. For over seventy years, CLHO has shared knowledge and experience while promoting best practices among museums, historical societies and all who steward Connecticut’s heritage collections. Our role is to provide resources and networking opportunities to public historians so that they may reach a broader audience while fostering diverse narratives of history.
This month, CLHO hosted our Annual Conference, “The Future of History: Looking Past the Pandemic Toward New Ways of Working” in historic Old Wethersfield. This event brought together people working in the field of history, including curators, archivists, and historians to strategize the presentation and promotion of stories in our post-pandemic world. Presenters from across New England provided sessions discussing technological advances, collections management, grant opportunities, and more. At the forefront, the attendees all left with a sense of newfound optimism and inspiration.
Above all, CLHO provides training to stakeholders to facilitate the most effective advocacy for their site and their communities. CLHO guides its members to collaborate with state legislators and agencies on preservation efforts and opportunities for growth. Our organization encourages members to share Connecticut’s unique history in diverse narratives so that they are accessible to the public. We build connections among those who preserve and share stories—oral and artifactual—while providing best policy practices for the future of our history.
Emily Garfinkel, Membership & Programs Manager, CT League of History Organizations
MPP ‘19 UConn School of Public Policy