Sunday, January 10, 2021

Historical Value

 

I started to think deeper about what this blog is all about.  My thoughts were to re-evaluate what my blog is and who it is for. I want to bring the most value possible to readers, yet what does this value amount to and how does this apply to my life?

My intent is to learn how to best apply historical practices to my life and share that with others. This would be in the form of documentation, methodology and the like.

Documentation includes research, not only for posterity, but also at a local level and beyond. This could be for historical societies, cemeteries and those with ties to the area. On a broader level, this type of practice can be found on FindAGrave, Ancestry, FamilySearch and similar websites. Local archives also benefit from volunteers contributing time and resources to their mission. Some Facebook groups benefit from volunteers helping to date old photographs.

Another means of applying historical practice to my life would be methodology. This could in a sense be in the form of archiving. I served on a SAPIC1 committee nearly 15 years ago to develop a cemetery survey form. It could also be in the format of compiling statistical and demographic details on a historical level.

Even though we often dread meticulous documentation and source citation, I feel that this content would be beneficial to readers and something they could apply in their lives.

 

1. SAPIC stands for State Association for the Preservation of Iowa Cemeteries. I continue to serve on the SAPIC board of directors.

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