I sometimes struggle to explain, efficiently, what I am, as a Public Historian. (As an individual, I identify as she/her, Taurus, mom, wife, gardener, and lapsed runner.)
“Public History” is simultaneously unfamiliar and common, broad and precise. Even the National Council on Public History dances around the definition, ultimately deferring to its (very good) blog, History@Work, for its definition:
Public history describes the many and diverse ways in which history is put to work in the world.
Public History is as wide as it is deep, and those working within might identify as archivists, preservationists, museum specialists, consultants, or countless other titles. Even within these specific roles, each of titles includes its own variation of roles and responsibilities:
- Archivists might work within a library, historical center, or private corporation managing intellectual property. No matter the focus, archivists possess extensive knowledge on the collection, categorization, and storage of historical records. Technology and storage advancements mean that digitizing records has become more typical alongside the conservation of original, paper records.
- Preservationists are typically expert in Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act which requires the federal agencies to consider the impact of their work – and that of the projects the federal government funds– on historic properties. As such, preservationists research and document Tribal Lands, saving, repairs, and upgrades to historic buildings, and countless other cultural resources.
- Museums operate on the talents of curators, collections managers, education specialists, and administrators. In smaller museums, those hats are often worn by the same few individuals, requiring those people to be versatile and expert in several aspects of public history work.
- Consultants might specialize in any or all of the above, working within a firm or independently.
These are just some of the “traditional” roles public historians might be grouped into, but as technology and media options have evolved, so has the profession. I’m looking forward to exploring the work of public historians, and perhaps providing insight on their philosophies and ways of reaching the public in innovative ways.
asterpublichistory.com 