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History Camp
History Camp, the first unconference dedicated to history, took place on March 8, 2014 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Anyone could sign up to speak and anyone could attend for free, but they were asked to register. All of the spots were taken in the days before the event. 129 people attended the 23 sessions and 2 panels. More information about History Camp is at www.HistoryCamp.org.
History Camp
Contents
Introduction About the survey Results Overall Refer to a friend or colleague Rate relative to expectations Fell short Fell far short
Content
Logistics Shortcomings Responses Respondent profiles and states First heard about it After heard about I Registered because Would have attended
Would present
Supporter tables Author tables Would have gotten more out of History Camp and enjoyed it more
Introduction
The results that follow are based on a survey sent to everyone who signed up for the History Camp mailing list, including everyone who registered, regardless of whether or not they attended, and people who only signed up for updates but never registered.
All groups were included in order to understand the process from initial interest all the way through to attendance, including what caused them to be interested initially and what kept them from attending. Individuals who did not attend were not shown questions about the sessions or other aspects of the event itself.
The goal of the survey was the same as one of the primary goals of History Camp: To understand whether the format worked, whether it should be held again, and if so, what changes should be made.
The survey was available to complete from March 14 March 18. The response rate was quite good
129 people attended History Camp 86 of the 115 respondents attended History Camp
One of the subjects that appears in many of the comments is enjoying having a day dedicated to history and meeting so many others interested in history.
Selected verbatim comments appear on the following page. All verbatim comments appear later in the slides.
I am extremely interested in history and thought the nonconference style fit my needs.
I wanted to fill my history well. I wanted to meet with, learn from, and exchange ideas with others involved in local history Reasons given for their rating of History Camp relative to their expectations: Excellent sessions, interesting people Great sessions and panels. Good demo products. I had high hopes, many were met. I hoped it would be good . . . and it was great
Some expressed a desire for history topics other than from the Revolutionary era or, more broadly, other than American history.
Anyone who wanted could have presented on any history-related topic. People were invited to add new talks that morning, and it was made clear that there were rooms and time slots to accommodate additional talks.
Comments about the the unconference format were generally positive. The reaction to the sponsor and author tables was generally positive; no one expressed any feeling that the event was too commercial. Some were interested in more book tables and displays.
One mentioned a desire for recycling. We should have explained that the office building does single stream recycling so
everything was going to be sorted and recycled even though there werent separate bins for recycling.
n = 106
Respondents represented a broad cross-section of people involved with history, including those who work directly with history, volunteer with history organizations, and those who simply have a deep interest in history.
Rhode Island
Connecticut New Hampshire Vermont
3
1 1 1
New Jersey
Florida Virginia Washington
1
1 1 1
Australia
Unsurprisingly, most respondents were from Massachusetts. All the other states in New England were represented, as were New York, New Jersey, and a few from much further away.
n = 115
Word of mouth was most important, as it usually is. Social media, including LinkedIn, was also important. The flyer distribution wasnt worth it.
n = 115
There were 161 people registered. Of these, 34 did not attend. Based on e-mail messages received and responses to a question in the survey, the primary reasons people didnt attend were illness, family emergencies, and a change to work schedules.
I love history (I'm doing my masters in Public History)- and I want an alt-ac job in history
I wanted to hear the speakers and spend time with historians and re-enactors.
I wanted to learn about how financial records are used to support historical research I wanted to learn more about techniques in the history field. I wanted to meet with, learn from, and exchange ideas with others involved in local history
I wanted to see how an unconference works and because I wanted to support it.
I was incredibly excited to meet more history enthusiasts and share ideas. I was interested in meeting others in the profession.
I was looking for networking opportunities and it seemed like a fun way to engage with local history and see what other people are working on.
it offered a large variety of topics i was interested in learning about. I like history and enjoyed the kind of history you dont often hear about. I thought it would be exciting to meet others interested in history and to learn about new subjects. I am an educator with a strong interest in history, I work with pre-service teachers and am always looking for resources. I also have recently become involved with an all volunteer historical society in Maine and I was specifically looking for ideas and resources to bring back to the Board and the Education Committee. I had never attended a conference before and wanted to get experience speaking at one. Plus, I wanted to meet new people! I wanted to alert more people I thought would be interested in attending my show Drums Along the Mohawk Outdoor Drama.
it sounded like an excellent meeting place for academics, public historians, and people who love history to meet and share knowledge and expertise
It seemed like it would be an interesting event, offering a variety of lectures and an opportunity to interact with others with similar interests. I love history and was looking for fun activities to do over Spring Break, so it killed two birds with one stone! I have a BA in the subject but work on high tech. Wanted to mingle with other History nerds, and learn something new. the topics were interesting and I was eager to share some of my research with those who would appreciate it. I loved the do-it-yourself aspect, and I loved watching it develop. The speakers looked interesting, too. I thought it would be an excellent way to draw feedback from fellow historians and learn about happenings in the history realm.
I was very excited about the opportunity to network and attend presentations that would assist me in my volunteer role at our local historical society.
history is awesome and I thought it would be a good opportunity to network and meet other people who also love history. I thought it would be a fun and relaxed way to learn about history. As a casual history-lover, that sounded like a great way to spend a Saturday. it's so freakin' cool to hear people take an itty bitty historical detail and give a detailed explanation of it. Something about allowing people to make it free form that allows them to talk ONLY about what they love. And ... it's FREE. How could I go wrong??
I was interested in experiences an unconferences for those interested in history. I also had some ideas in my head that I wanted to present on, but never found an outlet for my ideas until HistoryCamp.
I'm interested in History, I'm thinking about taking History courses or enrolling in a graduate program in History.
I love history and it looked like a great venue to learn about local history. Also, I knew it was the first year it was being put together and wanted to support it. I also consider it a great venue to present and am thinking of topics I could present on at future History Camps
I'm an Reenactor / Living Historian and interested in looking for opportunities and for networking I am an artist and my paintings are inspired by "historic lore" and historic figures. I was interested in the free admission! and the fact presentations were given by professionals and amateurs. I think history is subjective, as my paintings are my interpretation of historic events. I went for inspiration and to participate in an open forum. The free part was key for myself since I drove with friends from Connecticut. Thank you fan interesting day.
n = 50
Three out of four definitely would go to History Camp if it is held next year; 94% probably would go or definitely would go. (Includes responses from people who werent able to attend this year.)
n = 88
Two out of three definitely would recommend History Camp; 98% probably or definitely would. (Shown to only those who attended.)
n = 90
More than half of attendees reported that History Camp exceeded their expectations. Only 5% felt it fell short or far short of their expectations. Their explanations are shown first, followed by all respondents. (Shown to only those who attended.)
I wasn't sure what to expect but it was great to be surrounded by others who enjoy history..
I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was a lot of fun. Impressed by the level of interest, taking up all available places in advance. It was an interesting conference with a lot of different lecturers.
There was a great variety of subjects discussed. The presenters and attendees alike represented a diverse cross-section of career historians.
I came away with ideas and resources and I will be sharing those this week at the historical society I enjoyed the casual environment, the food, the people, and most of the sessions. My only negative feedback is that I wish that some of the presenters had been more focused and that they had stuck to their time. The variety of topics was amazing. No one leading the sessions I attended seemed like an unapproachable "expert."
All the programs were interesting, I met a lot of terrific people. I rarely meet anyone who shares my excitement about history. Thanks especially for having everyone introduce themselves.
I expected it to be a mix of history "classes" and other types of workshops relating to history. Wish there had been better descriptions of the talks in the schedule. Would have helped choosing which sessions to attend. I was happy with most of the presentations, but one stuck out as being just a pitch for their TV show and was not good. There were some presenters who were very scared, but muddled through and I think this is a good place for those types of people to get their feet wet in presenting.
Most of the sessions were informative and provided me with new ideas or questions to think about.
I found that it was a bit too America-centric for my tastes, but I also understand that, as we are in Boston, it was likely to be focused on early American history. I would like to see more non-American history next year! I am always inspired by how others go about doing the work of research & what they find out from primary resources It was really fun! I liked the casual atmosphere a lot, and the size was just right plenty of cool people to talk to, but not so many that it was overwhelming. I hope it happens again next year.
n = 63
One in ten said they would definitely like to present at a future History Camp; half said they would seriously consider presenting.
n = 81
More than half learned something from the tables with information from supporting organizations; only one felt they detracted.
n = 78
Similarly, more than half appreciated the author tables and engaged with the authors.
"I would have gotten more out of History Camp and enjoyed it more if . . .
...the sessions were longer. A few of the speakers showed up for their presentation.
"I would have gotten more out of History Camp and enjoyed it more if . . .
More non-u.s presentations, More variety of topics, but some of that can't be controlled
The sessions been broader in their geographic and time areas and less idiosyncratic..
"I would have gotten more out of History Camp and enjoyed it more if . . .
The sessions were longer. The sessions were longer
better descriptions for panels, maybe an area that people could just hang out and talk
only history content presenters participated in the individual sessions
"I would have gotten more out of History Camp and enjoyed it more if . . .
parking weren't such a hassle the presentations had been longer, less rushed and more about Boston/Massachusetts history. the sessions were longer enough to accommodate going beyond the basics. there were more opportunities to just sit and chat with folks! If I lived closer to Cambridge ..........I would have come early enough...but. But I was able to come late and still enjoy the day. If the doors were locked after the start, maybe someone could be "paged" to open the door. If the "slide presenters" (WWII ads) had been able to say "NO" to the one videographer so we could see the Slides with lights down...it would have been better/easier to see I had had more time. Was not able to stay to the end or go to the Massacre reunion. Sorry about that,
"I would have gotten more out of History Camp and enjoyed it more if . . .
we could have socialized in a bit more organized fashion during registration and lunch time - maybe have gathering areas to "eat" by area of interest? This might have made afforded more effective opportunities to engage in conversation with the little time available. ... the sessions had been a bit higher-level and gone into more depth. It might also have been helpful to divide into research tracks and living-history tracks. I hope now that the first one has happened it can have greater outreach and offer more speakers and draw more attendees in the future. The history camp twitter handle was promoted more. I'm glad a number of people participated online, but there could have been more, perhaps. i found the place on time and if the breakfast was more substantial to last the whole morning. next time starbucks coffee please. i would pay for better food in the morning and good coffee in the afternoon. I ran out of time during lunch! It was the only real downtime and I had lots of people to catch up with, so I had barely sat down with my pizza before it was time to catch the next session.
"I would have gotten more out of History Camp and enjoyed it more if . . .
there was an open discussion session after some presentations. There were a lot of professional attendees who could have added more insight into the subjects. Wanted more time to mingle and meet other historians. I would like to see it fall in winter when the lure of outdoor activities in nice weather does not conflict. Admittedly it was an unusually nice Feb day. There had been more graduate students presenting their work in progress and professors discussing their research.
There were more discussion of current historiographic trends, of the role of the public historian, of the dialogue between public historians, museums, archives, educators, teachers, college professors, etc.
Have I mentioned coffee in the afternoon? And I did feel sad that I didn't get to see everything. Video of everything would be great. the subjects covered in the workshops were more global. They tended to be too "precise" and didn't have a larger perspective of a historical event.
"I would have gotten more out of History Camp and enjoyed it more if . . .
I really enjoyed the event. One small criticism would be that several events that would appeal to the same audience were in the same time slots. For example, a time slot with two RevWar talks, and another time slot with two women's history talks. I really regretted having to choose between JL Bell's Boston Bankruptcy and Liz Covart's Erie Canal. The sessions that ran long didn't, and if there was more opportunity to interact with the other people there.
The lectures were longer. I think to distinguish itself from NEHA and other historical conferences, a thematically based one-day "camp" might be more interesting. Would definitely like to see longer speeches. What's the rush? It's not necessary to learn all in a day. Would rather delve more deeply into fewer topics and really enjoy the topics. People sit in classrooms for three hours at a time. I think we could sit in a conference session for 45 minutes to an hour and really get to know a particular topic.
"I would have gotten more out of History Camp and enjoyed it more if . . .
more in-depth topics or clearer descriptions so i would have known about depth. i bet i missed some good stuff because i went to talks that turned out to be too shallow I know I should provide the sort of comments that would make another History Camp that much better, but I was really happy with the day. Sorry not to be more critical! Maybe there were some sessions where I wanted to see more than one of the presentations but they were held concurrently so I had to choose. Hold sessions more than once?
Mass Historical Society Amazing Bell Great subject and knowledge of subject Forman Loved both of his talks Felshin Incredible knowledge on the subject
History jobs.
I missed so many! None of them disappointed. None, really. Not disappointed with any sessions I attended. Panel on publishing was good but needed more time with so many speakers People in panel who refused to use microphones. Hearing impaired people like history too. Some presentations not particularly scholarly...just PowerPoints and chat. no disappointments but I sat out some sessions due to lack of interest
No real disappointments, but I have to admit that I was less interested in the "content" sessions and more interested in the sessions that dealt with public history topics, research topics, outreach, etc.
the panel about getting published was frustrating because there were too many panelists for such a short window, and the first audience member to ask a question asked two or three follow-up questions, which took up the entire time. Comments about individual sessions and presenters have been omitted above and that feedback was sent directly to presenter or presenters named.
If History Camp is held again next year, heres what I hope is different:
A place to sit at lunch and better food options. Less rushed lectures. Again, just the coffee in the afternoon issue. Really.
Longer sessions
Maybe a longer lunch break, so there would be more time to chat with other people
If History Camp is held again next year, heres what I hope is different:
More book vendors, more Q&A Perhaps more space to eat communally during lunch.
Perhaps one less session so we could have one or two longer sessions.
See answer to first question on this page. A general theme for the camp would be welcome. See boxes above... Several times the sessions I wanted were at the same time, hope I'll have better luck next time. The day was a bit too long. I think that ending it at 4pm would have been better. There are discussions about controversies over historical interpretations or analysis. WiFi access
If History Camp is held again next year, heres what I hope is different:
another largish room -- some talks were too crowded better parking situation
more on youth
more space in the session rooms, more historians from different areas/time periods see above but this is just because you asked. overall: Great conference. Pls do it again. that more people present and bring other perspectives to the discussion. I'd like to get a certificate of attendance that could be applied to professional development hours.
More consolidated layout of rooms, would have liked to bounced out of a lecture and into a different one more easily. More focus on "main stage" speakers or rock-star speakers getting a little longer time
If History Camp is held again next year, heres what I hope is different:
better directions to the event, better coffee and coffee in the afternoon, a facility where the workstation computers work if they are required to follow along the lecture, historic novel author or authors maybe someone like William Martin, Cape Cod, Back Bay, Harvard Yard, author. As I mentioned earlier in my answers - I think it would be helpful to offer some different-length sessions and asking speakers to pick their top preferences for time when they submit a proposal, since some speakers ended early, some ended right on time, and others went over their allotted time. If we have another employment panel, it needs to be longer. With 6 speakers, 30 minutes was not nearly enough time. I would have liked to been able to answer more questions from the audience. If possible, I hope there are a few more interactive sessions. Are there people who have topics/projects that would benefit from an unconference approach--people really helping brainstorm or create something? (Maybe/maybe not?)
If History Camp is held again next year, heres what I hope is different:
Better control of scheduled use of space. The Temperance Movement session went well overtime (perhaps because it started late - I'm not sure) leading to disruption of the following session in that space. I hope to provide some of my costumed living history presentations, and possibly a Printmaking demonstration. Although the time slot of 30 minutes is very restrictive. But will try to work something out. Allow a time for author tables (and misc. socializing) near the beginning or middle of the day (but don't try to combine author tables with lunch). Have one or two time slots that allow for longer presentations. Give presenters a time in the morning (during registration??) when they can set up their technical equipment and familiarize themselves with the system, so they don't have to do it in the 5 minutes just before their presentation begins.
Later start time, varied lengths for presentations, healthier munchies (fruit!), and more strict on presenters about sticking to their allotted time.
If History Camp is held again next year, heres what I hope is different:
Honestly ... I wouldn't change a thing. Sure ... if I PAID, I'd probably have more to say here, but I like the fact that the sessions were SHORT and held my attention. Somewhat longer sessions, perhaps a greater variety of authors and "vendors" with people to staff them. Overall, I'd just ask for a bit more downtime to be built in to address my first answer. I know that's difficult with everything in one day, but a longer lunch could help a lot.
Again, longer sessions. If you get enough interest from speakers that you can be choosy, maybe be a little choosier.
Table for attendees to display one copy of their book(s) or magazine(s), not attended all the time. Giveaway/handout table.
It would be cool if there were more interactive activities similar to the political song sing-along panel, though I loved the lectures as well.
More intellectual conversations about the boundaries of history, public history, local history, and the academy
If History Camp is held again next year, heres what I hope is different:
I think it was a great event. I would like to see more variety in the lunch options, or simply time to run out to the Galleria food court. I would also like better wifi/cell coverage. But it was a great event. An afternoon break for tea or coffee to network with people. That way it feels less session hopping. It would be very helpful to have the emails and web sites of presenters. There were several sessions by presenters I would like to learn more about (and from) but don't know how to contact them. Also, perhaps in the sign-up stage, you could ask attendees if they would be willing to have their emails posted. Limit the number of simultaneous sessions to just two at a time. Set the schedule a bit earlier, so one can plan session attendance better. I understand the 'unconference' concept, but it was hard to convince others to go with the uncertainty of the content. Better descriptions of the sessions perhaps. Perhaps a better ending wrap up.
If History Camp is held again next year, I hope they have a session or panel about . . .
19th & 20th century immigration, labor issues, ethnic and women's history. Local history. Anti-Racist history Anything related to being entrepreneurial with history (like the session on publishing). Boston history, actually not that particular Civil War something might be nice.
If History Camp is held again next year, I hope they have a session or panel about . . .
I was seriously bummed that both of the women-oriented panels got cancelled! Internships, volunteer opportunities, civil war, or women's history. It would be interesting to see some more Boston history.
If History Camp is held again next year, I hope they have a session or panel about . . .
The police riots, watch and ward society, or Joseph Warren. The variety of educational opportunities in the Boston area. african american topic
If History Camp is held again next year, I hope they have a session or panel about . . .
If I'm feeling especially sure of myself, maybe I'll propose a session on 19th century technologies that enabled landmaking in Boston. It would be interesting to have some western history. And more diversity would be great. The historic presentations were mostly on specific details about wellcovered history. I would love a session specifically about small museums. As a volunteer myself (in a leadership role), I think it might be helpful to include ways to organize, inspire and manage other volunteers with precious time and resources to offer. There are probably some creative ways to bring these needed resources to our special Museum. :>) job hunting and entrepreneurial ways to keep your "Love of History" joyful side going loved the chat in the hallway about the history of photography & tin-types.. maybe invite Skinner Inc to sponsor or send someone
Just about anything would sound good to me - it was already difficult to pick between many of the sessions this year!
If History Camp is held again next year, I hope they have a session or panel about . . .
Issues facing public historians, Teaching in Boston area, Practical use of archives for all HNN, Common-place, and Junto The employment panel was useful and should be included again. Social media was helpful and useful.
Topics other than just Revolutionary War (and doesn't have to be just Civil War either). I'm sure there is more but I can't think of any at this time, will look to be [more] active on the online discussion board.
Addressing particular audiences, such as children, minority communities, people who don't usually visit historic sites. I greatly enjoyed Sam Forman's Copley presentation and I would like to see more about interpreting what we see in art as it relates to "real" history. General sharing of lesser known online sites people can go to for information (something along the line of what John Bell did with Google books). "Everyday life..." I find these types of sessions fascinating, for example, "everyday life in an early 19th century Maine fishing village" "or everyday life of a immigrant mill worker." I know so little about the common man and social history prior to 1950.
If History Camp is held again next year, I hope they have a session or panel about . . .
I love all history, but women's history interests me most. I also love local New England History. Employment panel for Historians is wonderful to have every year; maybe a different theme each time (networking, finding work, career climbing).
I would love to host another session about objects as sources of history, and go into more detail about using museum collections for research projects and the like!
Re-enactor groups/ the experience of re-enacting. Filming documentaries (more than tv series). Historical fiction how to/experience of writing historical fiction/crowd-sourcing a work of historical fiction. history of contemporary art in boston, the great molasses disaster in boston, history of jazz in boston I would be really interested in attending a session on the status of black slave and free persons in Boston and the development of black institutions after the revolution and the adoption of the Constitution.
If History Camp is held again next year, I hope they have a session or panel about . . .
20th Century Boston History (Didn't see a session on this topic described in the program, may have missed one) I would be interested in presenting about Canadian-American history, a rarely tapped subject in New England despite its proximity to Canada and rich Canadian immigrant heritage. Scandalous issues of some sort from the Revolutionary Era and Early Republic (for lowbrow attendees), and popular versions of grad student dissertations (on the ostensibly highbrow end of things). Archaeology, historic preservation, digital history resources, wider range of American history periods, maybe even a little Greco-Roman / Medieval action.
Organizational supporters
Provided financial underwriting to cover expenses so that History Camp could be free for anyone who wanted to attend.
Special thanks to IBM and the folks at the IBM Client Center Cambridge for making their facility available and staff to help ensure things ran smoothly.
Individual supporters
Provided an additional financial contribution so that all expenses were covered and anyone who wanted to attend History Camp could do so at no cost.
Paula Bagger Charlie Bahne Kathleen Barker Michele Barker Erik Bauer Laurinda Bedingfield J.L Bell Daniel Bishop libby Bouvier Victoria Caldwell Judith Cataldo Suzan Ciaramicoli Laura Cleary
Michelle Marchetti Coughlin Elizabeth Covart Matthew Ehrlich Cynthia Finney Samuel Forman Christina Frei Gary Gregory Amy Gelbach Jennifer Glick Leslie Harrington John Horrigan J Lincoln Hallowell Kathy Kottaridis Joseph Lewerk
Ken Liss Matthew List Katy Love Matthew Morin Alli Rico Elaine Robinson Marilynne K. Roach Beth Anne Royer Anita Tebbetts John Tebbetts Leah Thompson Lauren Walker Paul Wexler Lee Wright
www.HistoryCamp.org
Lee@TheHistoryList.com