NYFS Resources: History, Museums & Libraries

A Who’s Who of Our Universe—Connect to organizations allied with the New York Folklore Society in fields of

Folklore and Folk Arts
Archives       Arts       Education
Ethnography & Anthropology       Ethnomusicology & Music
Heritage Tourism       Historic Preservation
History, Libraries and Museums

This universe is growing, so come back often.

FOLKLORE ORGANIZATIONS

Folk Arts Programs in Other Organizations

Regional and National Folklore Organizations

Is your organization missing from our resources page? E-mail us with your organization name, applicable program or center name, address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address, director’s name and title, an organizational description of 75 words or less, the URL of your web site if you have one, and the contact person for your web site. We will consider all submissions but reserve the right to select and edit those we feel are most appropriate for this site.

New York Folklore Society
P.O. Box 764
Schenectady, NY 12301
518/346-7008
Fax 518/346-6617
nyfs@nyfolklore.org

ALLIED ORGANIZATIONS

REGIONAL AND NATIONAL
HISTORY, MUSEUMS & LIBRARIES

(VISIT New York State History, Museums and Libraries)

	American Association for State and Local History Terry Davis, Executive Director/CEO 1717 Church Street Nashville, TN 37203 615/320-3203 Fax 615/327-9013 E-mail: history@aaslh.org	The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) is a nonprofit professional membership organization of individuals and institutions working to preserve, interpret, and promote state and local history. AASLH publishes a quarterly magazine, History News; a monthly newsletter, Dispatch; technical leaflets, and books; sponsors professional development opportunities, including regional workshops and an annual meeting; coordinates an annual awards program; and serves as a networking source for the history field.
	Americanfolk.com Sandra Mizumoto Posey	AmericanFolk is an on-line magazine created and maintained by Sandra Mizumoto Posey, folklorist and author of Rubber Soul: Rubber Stamps and Correspondence Art (University Press of Mississippi, 1996) and Cafe Nation: Coffee Folklore, Magick, & Divination (Santa Monica Press, 2000). The website highlights popular culture and profiles lives of ordinary people across the country living interesting lives. You can read such diverse stories as those about the car art of José Sandoval, Vince Wiener’s tattoo artistry, or Brian Kito’s Japanese sweet shop located in downtown Los Angeles.
NYFS Member	American Folk Art Museum Maria Ann Conelli, Director 45 West 53rd Street New York NY 10019 212/265-1040 Fax 212/265-2350 E-mail: info@folkartmuseum.org	The American Folk Art Museum’s collection of more than 4,000 artworks span three centuries of American visual expression, from unflinching portraits, dazzling quilts, and muscular weathervanes to potent works by contemporary self-taught artists in a variety of mediums. In addition to information concerning permanent and special exhibitions on the website, the Museum’s Shirley K. Schlafer Library has completed the conversion of its card catalog to an online database; more than 9,000 records including all cataloged books, periodicals, pamphlets, videotapes and DVDs have been loaded into an Internet-accessible database.
	Cambodian American Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial Cambodian Association of Illinois 2831 West Lawrence Avenue Chicago, IL 60625 773/878-7090 Fax 773/878-5299 E-mail: cai@cambodian-association.org	The Cambodian Association of Illinois works to enable refugees and immigrants from Cambodian residing in Illinois, especially those in metropolitan Chicago, to become self-sufficient, productive participants in American society while preserving and enchancing their cultural heritage and their sense of belonging to this community. You can take a virtual tour of their Cambodian American Heritage Museum at their website.
	Connecticut River Museum 67 Main Street Essex, CT 06426 860/767-8269 Fax 860/767-7028 E-mail: crm@ctrivermuseum.org	The Connecticut River Museum is located at the 1879 Steamboat Dock at the foot of Main Street in historic Essex Village. The site, listed on the National Register, replaced earlier commercial wharves dating back to 1650 when colonial ships traded with the West Indies. The story of the Connecticut River Valley is told through changing exhibitions, activities and programs at the museum. Their web site has links to other maritime museums and general maritime sites as well.
	History and Culture National Park Service 1849 C Street, NW, NC350 Washington, DC 20240 202/343-3379	"National Park Service archeologists, architects, curators, historians, and other cultural resource professionals work in America’s nearly 400 national parks to preserve, protect, and share the history of this land and its people. Beyond the parks, the National Park Service is part of a national preservation partnership working with American Indian Tribes, states, local governments, nonprofit organizations, historic property owners, and others who believe in the importance of our shared heritage — and its preservation.
	H-Net: Humanities and Social Sciences Online 310 Auditorium Building Michigan State University East Lansing, MI 48824 517/355-9300 Fax 517/355.8363 E-mail: webstaff@mail.h-net.msu.edu	H-Net began as a small consortium of scholarly e-mail lists for historians. It now includes over 80 academic discussion networks spanning a variety of disciplines and fields of study in the Humanities and Social Sciences, and is affiliated with over 60 scholarly societies. This site includes a list with links to H-Net's extensive list of e-mail lists. For scholars and professionals active in studies related to oral history, there is H-Oralhist
NYFS Member	Kansas State Historical Society Jennie Chinn, Executive Director 425 SW 6th Avenue Topeka, KS 66615-1099 785/272-8681 Fax 785/272-8682 E-mail: jchinn@kshs.org	The Kansas State Historical Society operates with six divisions: Administration, Cultural Resources (Archeology and Historic Preservation), Education, Historic Sites, Library, and Museum. The Society serves as the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) and State Archives. The KSHS, Inc., the private non-profit arm of the Historical Society, is a member organization, featuring award-winning publications, special member benefits, and promoting Kansas history. During the past century, the Historical Society’s role expanded beyond its original emphasis on collecting and publishing research, adding interpretive and educational programs that combine with historic sites, technical assistance, and field service programs.
	Lake Champlain Maritime Museum Arthur B.Cohn, Executive Director 4472 Basin Harbor Rd. Vergennes, VT 05491 802/475-2022 Fax 802/475-2953 E-mail: info@lcmm.org	The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) opened in 1986. With a mission to study, preserve, and share the rich history and archaeology of Lake Champlain, the museum began in an original historic stone schoolhouse and has grown to more than a dozen buildings, a shipyard in Burlington, Vermont, and three full-scale wooden replica vessels. Through nautical exploration, hands-on exhibits, and learning adventures for all ages, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum brings to life the stories of Lake Champlain and its people. LCMM serves as a regional repository for collections that reflect the maritime heritage of the Champlain Valley and consists of some 15,000 objects, images and documents.
	Middle Atlantic American Studies Association American Studies Program Penn State Harrisburg W 356 Olmstead Building 777 West Harrisburg Pike Middletown, PA 17057 717/948-6196 E-mail: amstd@psu.edu	The Middle Atlantic American Studies Association (MAASA) is a regional chapter of the American Studies Association organized to promote and encourage the study of American Culture in the Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania areas. The MAASA sponsors an annual conference, special lectures and events, and publishes a newsletter twice annually. In addition, the MAASA seeks to foster ties between academic programs, public organizations, established scholars, and current students in hopes of strengthening the American Studies community within the Mid-Atlantic region and beyond.
NYFS Member	Museum of Welsh Life St. Fagans, Cardiff CF5 6XB Wales, UK +44 (0)29 2057 3500 Fax +44 (0)29 2057 3490	The Museum of Welsh Life is one of Europe’s largest open-air museums. Wales’ journey from rural tradition to industrial powerhouse is traced throughout extensive galleries and 100 acres of beautiful parkland. From the recreated Celtic village to the 21st Century house for the future, visitors can explore over forty buildings that have been transported and rebuilt to recreate 500 years of Wales’ history, as well as events programs and craft demonstrations that run throughout the year.
	Mystic Seaport 75 Greenmanville Avenue PO Box 6000 Mystic, CT 06355-0990 Visitor Information: 860/572-5315 or 888/973-2767 Administration: 860/572-0711 E-mail: webmaster@mysticseaport.org	Mystic Seaport — The Museum of America and the Sea — is a nationally prominent maritime museum where you can explore American maritime history firsthand as you climb aboard historic tall ships, stroll through a re-created 19th-century coastal village or watch a working preservation shipyard in action. At their website, you can learn about their educational programs, research collections, and exhibits and art gallery, as well as shop their museum store. Membership represents more than 20,000 people from all 50 states and several foreign countries, and the volunteer corps consists of more than 1,400 people.
	National Council on Public History David Vanderstel, Executive Director 327 Cavanaugh Hall - IUPUI 425 University Boulevard Indianapolis, IN 46202 317/274-2716 Fax 317/278-5230 E-mail: ncph@iupui.edu	The National Council on Public History works to advance the professionalism of public history and to advocate enhanced public and governmental support for historical programs. Their web site provides information on their annual conference; awards and fellowships; employment; announcements of other conferences, exhibits and workshops; resource materials and history links.
	National Museum of the American Indian Smithsonian Institution The George Gustav Heye Center One Bowling Green New York, NY 10004 212/514-3888 E-mail: nin@ic.si.edu	The National Museum of the American Indian is the sixteenth museum of the Smithsonian Institution and the first national museum dedicated to the preservation, study, and exhibition of the life, languages, literature, history, and arts of Native Americans. Established by Congress in 1989, the museum’s mission is to protect and foster Native American cultures by reaffirming traditions and beliefs, encouraging contemporary artistic expression, and empowering the Indian voice. The museum has three sites: the George Gustav Heye Center at the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in New York City, opened in 1994; the Cultural Resources Center in Suitland, Maryland, opened in 1999; and the NMAI on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., opened in 2004.
	Oral History Association Dickinson College P.O. Box 1773 Carlisle, PA 17013 717/245-1036 Fax 717/245-1046 E-mail: OHA@dickinson.edu	The Oral History Association (OHA), established in 1966, seeks to bring together all persons interested in oral history. With a broad, diverse, international membership, the OHA encourages standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, dissemination and uses of oral testimony. Outstanding achievement in oral history is recognized through an awards program of OHA. Their web site includes links to methods and guides, organizations, listserves, centers and collections, oral history projects.
	Oral History in the Mid-Atlantic Region Roger Horowitz, President E-mail: ohmaroha@yahoo.com	The Oral History in the Mid-Atlantic Region (OHMAR), an affiliate of the Oral History Association, is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to the promotion and improvement of oral history. It responds to the needs of those actively practicing or otherwise interested in oral history in the Mid-Atlantic region. OHMAR provides a forum for sharing information about the techniques and application of oral history, promotes standards of quality among practitioners, and assists those interested in the subject. OHMAR sponsors two conferences each year, spring and fall, at various locations around the region and features panels, workshop sessions and speakers on relevant topics. The organization also publishes a newsletter to report on oral history activities and projects in the Mid-Atlantic Region as well as national and international oral history news. Members include public and academic historians, librarians, archivists,teachers, folklorists, and independent researchers.
	Oral History Research Office Columbia University 801 Butler Library, Box 20 535 W. 114th St., MC 1129 New York, NY 10027 212/854-7083 E-mail: oralhist@libraries.cul.columbia.edu	The Columbia University Oral History Research Office is the oldest and largest organized oral history program in the world. Founded in 1948 by Pulitzer Prize winning historian Allan Nevins, the oral history collection now contains nearly 8,000 taped memoirs, and nearly 1,000,000 pages of transcript. While a large part of the collection consists of biographical memoirs, historians and researchers also can access to projects focusing on specific topics and experiences, such as interviews on the student movement of the 1960s in Europe and the United States; interviews with religious, political, and business leaders around institutional affiliations; and special projects on the American crafts movement, and the history of philanthropy.
	Organization of American Historians 112 N. Bryan Ave. PO Box 5457 Bloomington IN 47407-5457 812/855-7311 812/855-0696	Organization of American Historians has promoted U.S. history teaching and scholarship, while encouraging the broadest possible access to historical resources and the most inclusive discussion of history since its founding in 1907. OAH's more than 9,300 members in the U.S. and abroad include college and university professors; students; precollegiate teachers; archivists, museum curators, and other public historians; and a variety of scholars employed in government and the private sector. OAH advances the teaching and practice of American history through its annual meeting, publications, advocacy, and other programs. Through advocacy, OAH promotes the widest possible access to historical sources and scholarship, discussion of historical questions and controversies, support for the preservation, dissemination, and exhibition of historical sources, as well as respectful and equitable treatment for all practitioners of history.
	Story Corps 80 Hanson Place, 2nd Floor Brooklyn, NY 11217 646/723-7025 (Office) 646/723-7027 (Reservations) E-mail: feedback@storycorps.net	StoryCorps is a national project to instruct and inspire people to record each others’ stories in sound. Modeled in spirit and in scope after the Works Progress Administration (WPA) oral-history interviews with everyday Americans across the country in the 1930s, StoryCorps is building soundproof recording booths around the country, called StoryBooths to record broadcast-quality interviews with the help of a trained facilitator. Interviews are being preserved at the StoryCorps Archive, housed at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. You can listen to excerpts of stories at the website, as well as obtain information about participating either at a StoryBooth or with do-it-yourself instructions.
	Ward Museum 909 South Schumaker Drive Salisbury, Maryland 21804 410/742-4988 Fax 410/742-3107 E-mail: ward@wardmuseum.org	The Ward Museum possesses a comprehensive collection of wildfowl carving and invites the public to explore this unique, indigenous North American art form from antique working decoys to internationally acclaimed contemporary sculpture and painting. The museum’s interpretive galleries lead you through wildfowl art’s history and heritage. Carving classes taught by respected artists offer adults the opportunity to learn from the masters. Topical seminars, workshops, demonstrations and lectures promote wildfowl art and foster environmental awareness.

RETURN TO TOP