Krista McCracken

Engaging Corporate Heritage: Struggling to Cultivate Institutional Memory

March 22, 2012

Almost everyone has at least one memory of working with a ‘lifer’ or ‘old-timer.’ In some cases these employees have been at the organization since its inception, in other cases they have worked there for their entire career or as long as anyone can remember. The phrase “can remember” is often at the heart of [...]

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Sharing Archival Photographs in a Digital World

December 1, 2011

Earlier this month there was considerable discussion on the ARCAN and the Archives & Archivists listserves about which photo sharing/hosting sites can best serve the needs of archival institutions. Despite all the chatter there was little consensus on what hosting site was ideal for archival organizations. Many cultural heritage groups are looking for affordable solutions [...]

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Tangible History: Artifacts as Gateways to the Past

October 26, 2011

When someone talks about undertaking serious historical research what comes to mind? Perhaps you conjure up an image of a dusty archives room and leaning towers of paper. Census data, photographs, journals, correspondence, business records, and many other traditional archival materials may come to mind as potential sources. Did the phrase historical research make you [...]

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Returning Home: Repatriation and Missing Children

August 24, 2011

Last week the remote Northern Ontario community of Peawanuck First Nation welcomed home Charlie Hunter. Charlie passed away in 1974 while attending St. Anne’s Residential School in Fort Albany. He died while saving a fellow student who had fallen through ice near the school. Following his death Charlie Hunter was buried in Moosoonee without the [...]

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Avoiding Chaos: Conference and Workshop Planning

June 29, 2011

Acting as the host institution for a conference or workshops can be both a blessing and a curse. Host organizations often experience increased interaction with participants and gain publicity in their local community. Hosting a conference or workshop takes considerable effort and planning and can place strain on regular staff and use up time and [...]

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A Journey Through Inuit Oral Traditions: Website Review of Listening to Our Past

June 9, 2011

Listening to Our Past explores the rich cultural heritage of the people of Nunavut. The website was created by Nunavut Arctic College and l’Association des francophones du Nunavut. The site aims to present history recorded though oral traditions and oral histories told by Nunavut elders. The site is tri-lingual and material is available in English, [...]

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Exploring Local Heritage Through Doors and Trails Open

May 4, 2011

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Doors Open Ontario. Doors Open is a program that celebrates heritage and culture by inviting the general public to visit buildings that are normally closed to the public. Doors Open also includes a number of sites which normally charge an entrance fee, these sites typically waive this fee [...]

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Website Review: Location Based History via Historypin and WhatWasThere

April 7, 2011

WhatWasThere and Historypin are websites which emphasize history’s connection to geography. Last August, Teresa Iacobelli wrote a great post on Historypin, its predecessors, and location based history. WhatWasThere is a similar site that has been gaining popularity in recent weeks. Both sites are based on the idea of attaching historical photographs of buildings, landscape, and [...]

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Open Source Tools For Heritage Organizations

March 10, 2011

Heritage organizations are continuously working to establish a digital presence and integrate digital tools into their collection management practices. Open source software can be a huge benefit for an organization with a limited technology budget.

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