Beginning in October 2013, we are looking for several detail-oriented volunteers and interns to work on our IMLS Museums for America Collection Stewardship Grant.
Read the Collection and Data Entry Volunteer Job Description
Read the Museum Collection Maintenance Volunteer/Intern Job Description
We are experiencing an increase in questions and donations to the archival collection.
Help we need for regular operation
- Learning the collections so you can offer reference help
- Clipping news articles or copying from the Internet
- Photocopying articles, documents, and maps on acid-free paper
- Labeling articles and documents to be filed in the Park Forest File, etc.
- Photocopying will be done at St. Mary's. Labeling will probably be done at St. Mary's, and filing will be done mainly at the Park Forest Public Library. Some photocopies are filed at St. Mary's.
- Setting up a filing system for copies and originals to go into the archive.
- We have regained access to the archival collection. We need people to learn to process and handle the collection
- Word Processing of oral history transcripts to provide clean copies.
- Word Processing and editing of transcripts to go on
- "Park Forest: An Illinois Planned Community"
- Archival photograph scanning, labeling, digital copying
- Recording data about and taking photographs of architecture in the village
- Transcribing Veterans' oral histories
- Recording oral histories of village residents, past and present
- Videotaping our programs
- Maintaining the room--cleaning, adjusting shelves, moving things.
- Assisting with programs and events
- Publicity and distributing museum and program fliers
- Talent in graphic design
- Website maintenance
- Public Speaking for civic, school, and scout groups
- Fundraising experience--special events, bake sales,
- commemorative sales, raffles, auctions, etc.
- Emailing newsletters and meeting notices to our membership and mailing list
- Social networking--keeping our name out on the Web 2.0 sites
- Soliciting photographs, documents, phonebooks, etc., from past residents
There are volunteer opportunities to meet your talents and time availability! Contact us
Detailed Explanation of Archive Volunteer Tasks
The archive collection, PFHS office, and Digital Lab found a new home at St. Mary's Catholic School, 227 Monee Road, in January 2012. There are now many jobs to be done. There are still copies of documents and copies of oral history transcripts in the Park Forest Public Library collection and in the Park Forest Files at the library--over 270 subject files on Park Forest history. The 5000-image photograph collection is in the Archive Office. We are receiving photographs in hard copy or electronically from former residents around the country. These donations need to be processed, recorded and added to our collection so others can find them. We still have reference questions from students, scholars, publishing companies, and current and former residents. Scholarly authors have been working on books about Park Forest. Recently, NBC News came to use the files for a "Dateline NBC" episode. Park Forest's history is very much alive! "America on the Move," a transportation exhibit at the National Museum of American History, re-opened in November 2008. People see that have generated many contacts with the collection.
In 2014, we are working on two Federal Grants. One is the Institute of Museum and Library Services Collection Maintenance Grant. With this, we have purchased a PastPerfectCollection Maintenance Database, a new computer, and a printer/copier/scanner. We need more volunteers to make our grant match and to describe and care for the museum and archival collections.
The other grant is from the National Endowment for Humanities and is described below.
The Park Forest Files in the Park Forest Public Library are made up of photocopies and duplicates of articles and documents, maps, newsletters, etc., we have collected over the years. We need a new set of volunteers to clip, photocopy on to acid free paper, label, and file these copies, which become important evidence of Park Forest history. Today is history tomorrow. One dedicated volunteer who worked on this collection retired after 21 years. Others have worked on it through the years. We need fresh hands to take up this very important task. Clipping and collecting have been done. We not only put copies in the Park Forest Files, in some cases, the originals or duplicates are saved to go into the archive files.
We need someone to sort the photocopies before they get filed.
We currently have no one trimming, photocopying, labeling, or filing, beyond the labeling the clipper applies. It will be much easier to work on this project as things are collected rather than to work on it as a huge backlog.
Now that we have custody of the archive and it is available to the public, many jobs must be done. The collection needs to be carefully transferred to clean archival cartons.
We have received a grant to purchase the boxes and other supplies from the National Endowment for the Humanities, a Preservation Assistance Grant for $6,000. Transferring the collection is ongoing.
There is a backlog of unprocessed materials. Many trained hands will make light work. There are very specific methods of working with archival collections. We have the resources and experience to train you in these methods.
We need many more people to become familiar with the collection. When in-depth research is required--even on the collection remaining in the public library--the society provides direction to researchers and library staff.
We need volunteers to man the facility during our open hours--Friday 10 a.m to 12 noon; and to work with the collections there. We work there many other days and hours during the week on the two grants. Contact us to help save Park Forest history!
