Vermont Historical Society, Barre, Vermont

www.vermonthistory.org
Press Contact: Jane Campbell, jane.campbell@state.vt.us, 802-479-8516

Left to right: Mrs. Laura Bush, Director J. Kevin Graffagnino, community member Marilyn Blackwell, and IMLS Director Anne Radice. Click image for a larger version.

For 170 years, the Vermont Historical Society has set the standard for connecting Green Mountain state residents, scholars, educators, and students with their rich heritage and with one another.

Vermonters share an inherent pride in their history. But as a state whose population is dispersed in rural communities, often isolated from one another, it can be challenging to create programming that reaches and relates to diverse audiences and interests. With that in mind, the Vermont Historical Society has done something no other institution has been able to do: it has become the only institution with a collection that reflects the entire history of every geographical area and time period in Vermont.

Headquartered in Barre, with its museum near the state house in Montpelier, the Vermont Historical Society is the only organization of its kind to partner with all 192 of the state’s small public libraries and 200 local museums and heritage organizations. It provides free consultation on collections care and the use of technology to enhance rural access to historical information.

The Historical Society’s educational outreach program serves thousands of students, educators, and families each year through learning and development workshops, genealogy courses, history lending kits, curriculum guides, and field trips. The Community History Partnership, founded in 2001, has created cross-generational partnerships in 23 communities, joining elementary and secondary school students with their local historical societies and town libraries. Furthermore, the Vermont History Expo, an annual summer event since 2000, is the only statewide exhibition of local historical societies in the country, drawing more than 6,000 visitors each year.

“I nominated the Vermont Historical Society for this award in part because the Vermont Historical Society does an excellent job preserving Vermont’s rich history," said U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). “But it does far more than preserve the past. It uses its exhibits to connect present-day Americans, and in particular the citizens of Vermont, with the traditions of our wonderful state. Groups across the nation can learn from the society’s innovative outreach program connecting people with their history. The Vermont Historical Society is, and should be, a model for bringing the fruits of research to the general public, and reaching out beyond museum walls to make sure our common heritage is available to all.”

U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) noted that, “As a Vermonter, I am extremely proud of the services that the Vermont Historical Society provides to our state. This award is well deserved, as it commends the Society for its exemplary work in preserving Vermont’s heritage.”

“The Vermont Historical Society continues to provide a tremendous public service to Vermonters and communities throughout the state. Their continued commitment to making Vermont’s rich historical traditions accessible to so many Vermonters, young and old, is truly remarkable,” said U.S. Representative Peter Welch (D-VT).

Community Member Marilyn Blackwell – Hooked on History
It was a beautiful summer day more than 35 years ago when Marilyn Blackwell first walked into the library at the Vermont Historical Society. She was a young escapee from the city– just married and looking for work– but resigned to volunteering for any worthy organization she could find until she could discern a new pathway for her life. Her volunteer activities and many hours in the stacks at the VHS library launched her on a track back to graduate school for a master’s degree and then a doctorate in U.S. history. With the guidance of a welcoming and skilled librarian and the numerous scholars, antiquarians, and genealogists who regularly congregate at the archives, she got hooked on history!