Welcome to Women's History Month 2021!
I'm excited to welcome you to this year's Women's History Month on Gena's Genealogy.
This year to celebrate Women's History Month I will share daily posts focusing on the theme, At The Museum: Researching the Lives of Female Ancestors.
Image courtesy of Tami Osmer Mize, ConferenceKeeper
So why the museum? It does seem like an unusual theme for posts about researching female ancestors. Let me explain.
Good research requires us to search in all types of repositories both online and off. Over the years we have grown accustomed to having so much available to us online that we often ignore what can be found offline at libraries, archives, and museums. Even more so in the last year, due to stay-at-home orders, we have come to rely solely on online resources for our continued genealogical research.
But at some point soon we will be able to travel and research on-site. As we consider what we need research-wise and where we need it from, it's time to search online catalogs, finding aids, and repository websites to plan our research.
One place we tend to ignore because of our assumptions is the museum.
Sure, museums have cool exhibits featuring objects like dinosaur bones and dioramas but, depending on the museum, they may also have a library and archival collection that focuses on historical events, activities, places, and people. Museums are a rich source for genealogical content.
So this month I want to help you think about museums differently. I want you to go beyond the mindset that museums are just a place to "see" history (or science or technology or an occupation) and instead think of the museum as a place to research or gain insight into your family history.
Museums can be a valuable resource for your ongoing research into your female ancestor's lives. I'll explore a few ways in tomorrow's post.
Resources
Wikipedia - Lists of Museums in the United States
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