This document discusses using podcasts and oral histories to promote local history and cultural heritage. It provides information on grants from the Kansas Humanities Council to support such projects. It outlines a podcast project done by a library to record local family stories and histories. It encourages others to pursue similar projects to preserve community stories and revive interest in local history organizations and museums.

1. Making ConnectionsPodcasting and Local HistoryJanet ReynoldsLibrary District #2 of Linn CountyLa Cygne, KS

2. Kansas Humanities Council connectionHeritage Grants are intended to encourage the preservation and study of local and regional cultural resources and to assist cultural organizations in developing best practices in maintaining and managing local heritage resources. Heritage grants are awards of up to $3,500 and support oral history projects, care of collections and photographs, basic research, cataloging and indexing, language preservation, and best practices.http://kansashumanities.org/site/grants/heritage-grants.htmlpodcast specifics: http://kansashumanities.org/site/images/stories/2011_podcast.pdf

3. What does this have to do with making connections?Allen family storyOur past plays a role in our presentCross generational interactionsUsing technology available to create stories that take the museum outside of the walls of the museum.DreamDurda story

4. What next?More Young Historians performances15 young historians are spending 15 hours this week researching artifacts and people in the museum.Will perform FridayMore podcasts made based on their researchMuseum is now being opened by volunteersLooking to set up displaysComputer to catalog artifacts

5. If we can do it, so can you…Check out the Kansas Humanities Grants that are available Talk to your community members (preserve those stories)Partner with local genealogy or historical societiesPeople come to the library expecting “us” to have the answers and this is just one more way to meet their needs and make valuable connections.

6. Local History ConnectionHistorical society that needs revivedLots of stories, lots of artifacts, Closed museumBest kept secret in townLooking for a way to encourage interest in museumGroup of supporters—cheerleaders

7. What is a podcast??A podcast is audio content on a website that can be transferred onto an audio player, such as an iPod or other MP3 player.I can do it, but howTechnology consultant was Craig Gerdes who has taught some classes for Baker University and had taught a class that a co-worker at school had taken.Kevin Honeycutt from my Plurk network and Dean Mantz helped me with some of the basics.

8. Tools for free or next to freeAudacityWindows Movie MakerZamzarhttp://www.zamzar.com/Story about converter filePodomatic.com

9. Young Historians Grouphttp://lacygnelibrary.org/images/final%20october%20newsletter.pdfResearch helped with podcast informationEncouraged renewed interest in museum