Small Museums, Important Collections - Day 1 - Plenary: Collections and Community: The Heart and Soul of Small Museums

Includes a Live Web Event on 11/12/2025 at 12:00 PM (EST)

Only available as part of a package

Nearly all museums large and small have physical collections, but what often sets small museum collections apart is their close ties and relevance to their contemporary communities. Small museum collections tell stories of family, adversity, and joy, often in the communities where these events took place and with the people themselves or their descendants. The personal becomes public, and artifacts, no matter how commonplace, become symbols of universal human stories.

Join us for a moderated discussion with three small museum recipients of AASLH's Leadership in History Awards to discuss how their projects worked creatively with collections to strengthen community ties, build cultural bridges, and cement their places as essential memory-keepers. Attendees will learn to use their collections in new ways, connect personal artifacts to national histories, and discuss strategies for working with stakeholder communities.

Cancellation/Refunds for onsite workshops must be submitted in writing via email to learn@aaslh.org or mail to 2021 21st Ave S., Suite 320 Nashville, TN 37212. Cancellations made prior to the early-bird registration deadline date will receive a full refund. Cancellations made between the early-bird deadline date and eight days prior to the workshop will be subject to a $55 processing/materials charge. No refunds will be given within seven days of the workshop date. AASLH is not responsible for cancellations that were mailed or emailed but never received.

Cancellations/Refunds for online professional development (webinars and online courses) must be submitted in writing via email to learn@aaslh.org or mail to 2021 21st Ave S., Suite 320 Nashville, TN 37212. Cancellations made prior to the start date for the online course or the day of the webinar will be given a full refund. No refund will be given after the start date for the online course or on/after the day of the webinar. Registrants may transfer their registration to another person. Registrations cannot be transferred between courses or course sessions. AASLH is not responsible for cancellations that were mailed or emailed but never received.

If you have any questions, please contact AASLH Professional Development staff at learn@aaslh.org or 615-320-3203.

Bethany Hawkins

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

AASLH

Bethany Hawkins was named Chief of Operations for AASLH in April 2016. She joined AASLH in 2005 in the role of Program Manager working primarily with the association’s continuing education programs, annual meeting, awards program, and affinity groups. Before joining AASLH, she worked as Director of Marketing for the Lane Motor Museum in Nashville and was Executive Director of the Sam Davis Home and Museum in Smyrna, TN. A life-long Tennessee resident, Bethany has both a Bachelor of Arts in History and a Master of Arts in Public History from Middle Tennessee State University.

Gigi Yang

Museum Services Supervisor

Louisville Historical Museum, Louisville, CO

Gigi Yang is Museum Services Supervisor for the Louisville Historical Museum in Colorado, where she's worked since 2018. She previously managed adult and young adult services at the Broomfield Library and the University of Colorado in Boulder.

Kyra March

Museum Tour Coordinator

Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum, Skillman, NJ

Kyra March is Museum Tour Coordinator at the Stoutsburg Sourland African American Museum in Skillman, New Jersey. She is also a third year PhD student in History at Rutgers University—New Brunswick, focusing on African American families and youth during Reconstruction. Kyra graduated from Harvard College in 2022 with a B.A. in African American Studies and Studies of Women, Gender, and Sexuality, with a language citation in Gullah.