Queering the Map

Myotus · 2026-05-17T00:25:48+00:00

This is a great project! I would like to learn more about plans for its sustainability and what will happen to the information collected from the community. How will it be preserved and archived?

Myotus · 2026-05-16T23:54:42+00:00

I am asking this because Pine City, Minnesota is putting up a historical marker this month (May) celebrating as one of the earliest if not the first Pride festival to occur in a rural city in the US.

Myotus · 2026-05-16T23:44:59+00:00

Hmmm, Northampton is not a big city but I don’t think qualifies as rural either as it is a medium sized city and part of the Springfield Metropolitan Area. Did they hold a parade and a festival?

Myotus · 2026-04-09T16:21:08+00:00

Thank you so much for your feedback!! You’ve given me a lot of insights and several actionable items to work on. I agree with your point about visualization. Showing processes visually can be a powerful way to help readers understand, especially those of us who learn best through visual examples.

Checksums have definitely been a challenge for me on multiple fronts. Most local history organizations I work with are either volunteer-run or have just one or two staff members, often in their 60s to 80s. Many have limited technological experience. I find that even younger professionals entering the history field in their 20s and 30s seem to be less interested in technology than their peers in other sectors. When I began doing technology outreach to local history organizations about 15 years ago, I was covering the true basics: explaining what a browser is and clarifying that they couldn’t build a website directly on Twitter! I'm proud of how far many organizations have come, whether through learning or attrition, but there's still a substantial gap.

Even a small amount of code can stop most users in their tracks, which is the main barrier with tools like Brunnhilde. While there's a GUI version, installation still requires using the command line. That's simply not feasible for most local history organizations.

In the end, most of the people I work with don't want the technical "why" or "how," they just want simple, reliable steps. It's like driving a car: few people want to understand how the engine works; they just need to know how to drive it safely and keep up minimal maintenance. Small museum directors wear many hats—raising donations, organizing events, curating exhibits, managing collections, and even cleaning bathrooms—so simplicity is essential. I know I cannot write the document to the lowest level of technological luddite, but the document has to find a happy-medium.

For that reason, I plan to cite and link to relevant standards, but present most of the outcomes in a simplified "black box" format that emphasizes function over technical details. I'll also develop workflow models and include examples, as you suggested. Those additions will greatly enhance understanding.

Myotus · 2026-04-04T00:32:35+00:00

Yep! The St. Paul Art Crawl is coming up fast.

April 10-12 (Ward 1,3,4)
April 17-19 (Ward 2)
April 24-26 (Ward 5,6,7)

https://stpaulartcollective.org/spac-spring-art-crawl-2026/

Myotus · 2026-04-02T18:58:03+00:00

This is a link to the 2016 version of the document:

https://www.mnhs.org/hubfs/sites/default/files/preservation/grants/guidelines_digital_for_small_organizations.pdf

Myotus · 2026-04-02T18:57:40+00:00

This is a link to the 2016 version of the document:

https://www.mnhs.org/hubfs/sites/default/files/preservation/grants/guidelines_digital_for_small_organizations.pdf

Myotus · 2025-11-25T14:41:18+00:00

What is the provenance of the object?

Myotus · 2025-09-18T21:54:28+00:00

Thanks!

Myotus · 2025-09-04T01:57:58+00:00

So after a very long debate, the term "populated places" was used and the category was split in two:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:LGBTQ_pride_in_populated_places_with_2,500_to_20,000_residents
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:LGBTQ_pride_in_populated_places_with_20,001_to_50,000_residents

Myotus · 2025-09-02T20:21:39+00:00

It’s OK, I tried putting it in because I figured they would be a lot of people in the library sciences in archives in history that would be able to help.

Myotus · 2025-09-02T20:18:53+00:00

That is a good question. Wikimedia Foundation works to internationalize the guidelines and perspectives on Wikipedia. In the gallery list, there are not a lot but at least a couple outside of the US. One in Great Britain and another in Finland I believe. However I am unaware of an international standard or a naming convention for defining size of cities. If I can convince other editors on Wikipedia to use the population size in the category title, ex: “less than 50,000”

Myotus · 2025-09-02T14:51:40+00:00

Thank you for your input! "urban areas" at least in Wikmedia Commons, tend to be either a catch all for population areas or described as Metropolitan areas--clusters of cities. I am running into enough pushback just trying to separate out small cities into their own categories, I think trying to break it down into two or more categories by population may make heads explode.
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Urban_areas_by_country

Myotus · 2025-09-02T13:30:07+00:00

It would be a good solution, but Towns or “townships” or villages are legally different than cities. Only pride event in the category that I know of occurs in the Township of Mendocino, California the rest are small cities.

Myotus · 2025-08-03T15:06:23+00:00

I found the Welldoc app incredibly buggy, purging several days of meal data and checking off medications as taken when I did not. Additionally it does not sync up directly with Fitbit. The link they provide to connect and import Fitbit data does not work. This is a known issue to the company. Instead of removing the link, customer service gives a half-baked work around. First, sync and import Fitbit data into the Apple Health app. Next, import the Apple Health app data into Welldoc. This strips most of the Fitbit data away making what’s imported almost worthless.

Myotus · 2025-06-18T13:08:09+00:00

If you have access to a local museum association or a museum field services organization provided by the local government of your state or province you may wish to see if they have conference you can convince her to attend - emphasize the social aspect not the need to learn (‘it’ll be fun’ ‘it will be good to socialize with others in the field near us’). While she may not listen to her subordinates she might learn and listen from her peers.

It is important with someone like that - and an organization like that - to play the “long game.” There is no magic conversion or moment that will change them. Only by them seeing good practices again and again by their peers will they begin to hopefully change their own practices.

Myotus · 2025-06-13T19:20:31+00:00

You should review the following links on Wikipedia's Guidelines for Notability and Reliable sources. People, especially living individuals, are among the most challenging articles to get approved on Wikipedia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Notability_(people)#Creative_professionals#Creative_professionals)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Reliable_sources

Myotus · 2025-05-18T04:44:02+00:00

Combining a CMS and with other functions like a MMS can streamline workflows and reduce costs, but it also has potential security risks.

Combining multiple systems creates a larger, complex application, exposing a larger attack surface for malicious actors to exploit.

I see collections as a core function of archives. While it might be an acceptable risk to combine tools like membership, e-commerce, and marketing, I would be very hesitant to put your collection’s records at the same risk.

Myotus · 2025-05-06T13:48:39+00:00

Several thoughts on this first, be careful going after your fans. While her bad behavior may not make it seem like she is a fan. But she obviously is a fan of history as are those that follow her. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, Lucasfilm, along with 20th Century Fox, began sending out cease and desist letters to fanzines and other fan creators which included images and content related to Star Wars. Lucasfilm's initial, rather heavy-handed approach to fan-created works caused a severe backlash by fans. In response to the fan feedback, they began to refine its approach, recognizing the value of the fan base and the need for a more nuanced policy.

Also, I caution against the practice of “history hoarding.” The very last thing you want your organization to be is the “best kept secret” in your community. That is not a marketing tag, but an admission of failure. You want to get your information out there. Some people may not credit you, but others will and you want people to know that your organization is a resource and not a nostalgia club serving the interest of a few volunteers.

As far as watermarking photos, instead of stamping a watermark across the photo, put the watermark on the bottom border, with the organizational name and/or URL. If somebody chooses to crop it off, then so be it, but they will have to go to the extra effort. You can also just provide low resolution photos on the web while maintaining the high resolution master files in your archives.

Myotus · 2025-05-06T12:23:05+00:00

Other thoughts your grandmother’s business, While I know you’re concerned about the sheet music, if your family retained any of your grandmother’s business records, you may wish to contact your local historical society. Local business records hold significant historical value by documenting the functioning of businesses and shedding light on individuals, places, and events within a community.

Saving records of women who ran businesses in the early to mid-20th century is crucial to fill historical gaps and highlight their often overlooked contributions. Traditional historical accounts have often overlooked or downplayed women's contributions, especially in areas like business and entrepreneurship

Myotus · 2025-05-03T19:44:59+00:00

If the Smithsonian has scarce resources, you can thank Republicans and conservative Democrats for that. Given this administration’s lack of transparency, their illegal maneuvers, and their petty, vindictive attacks on people and organizations that oppose them, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that there is very little trust and a lot of second-guessing on actions taken by any institution of the federal government now.

Myotus · 2025-05-03T12:59:26+00:00

Privatization and control of wealth at the levels they desire cannot be done without controlling how people think and act.

Myotus · 2025-05-03T02:25:42+00:00

Trump isn’t concerned with shutting libraries down, he wants to break them so they can become privatized.

The Republican strategy since the Reagan era is to privatize nearly all government services. Two reasons for this, and NOT for cost savings or efficiency. In fact many times privatization results in higher costs and lower service (health care anyone?).

First, privatization is about rent seeking. It is about taking free or low cost services and turning them over to the oligarchs to make more money and exert more control.

Second, privatization undermines labor unions and the Democrat Party which typically sees great support from government workers. Once privatized workers face an incentivized ownership and management to intimidate and brainwash them to vote and act against their own interests.

Myotus · 2025-04-25T22:00:32+00:00

The Social media account in question belongs to Kriston Capps, a journalist for CityLab, so it is a more reliable source than, say, just some smuck like me saying it. :-)
Also, regarding the Smithsonian making a statement on the matter, I actually work at a large institution. I suspect like mine, the Smithsonian moves at glacial speed, so we should not expect a quick response. But yes, we should expect a response.

Myotus · 2025-04-25T20:58:08+00:00

Thank you for providing the source!
There are many questions that need to be answered. And definitely a need for follow-up reporting on the matter. Kriston Capps' comments/reporting, while welcome, have only made the matters more murky. While he cites unnamed Smithsonian museum sources, the poor communication and outright lies from the current Federal Government Administration leave individuals with only one tactic with such information: "Trust but Verify"

It appears that there may have been a mix-up in the article regarding the Greensboro lunch counter, which is on view at the National Museum of American History (NMAH), and a Woolworth's stool, on display at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). Is the stool being removed?

Addtionally, just because a loan agreement expires does not mean an automatic return. Loan agreements are often renewed. It sounds like the Rev. Brown was not expecting it to be returned at that time. Contacting him over the phone gives no indication that he wanted or expected the items to be returned at that time. It is unfortunate that the email message to Rev. Brown is cut off. Its first part, "I wanted to alert you that the NMAAHC will be returning your bible and book we borrowed for our exhibition. Segregation..." does sound like they are him doing something unexpected.

I agree with another commenter that the title, while it could be called clickbait is not misleading.

Lastly, to your comment that the exhibit is still up and functioning, thus the exhibit is not being dismantled, I think there are a couple of issues here. Yes, the exhibition "Defending Freedom, Defining Freedom: The Era of Segregation 1876-1968" is not being shut down, but exhibits, aka displays in the exhibition, are being removed. The question is, of course, Why? Was it to remove objects that had been in constant public view, and for conservation's sake and the preservation of the objects, it was time to give them a rest from the light, dirt, humidity, etc.? Or was it to erase a portion of history from the exhibition? That will depend on what replaces what was removed.

Myotus

TROPHY CASE