Video games, the internet, amusement parks, and other forms of technology and entertainment are making it increasingly important for museums, archives, and historic sites to adapt and understand the needs of their visitors. How can these institutions remain relevant and adhere to their missions while serving the needs of a technologically advanced society?

These are questions we hope to answer at Bridging the Gap: Cultural Institutions and their Communities in the 21st Century, the 2010 Eastern Illinois University Historical Administration Program Association Symposium. Location: Buzzard Hall located on Eastern Illinois University Campus on 7th Street. Parking is open to the public in any student or staff lot.

Keynote Address
The Ideal of Community Engagement in the American Historical Profession
Presented by Bob Beatty, Vice President for Programs American Association for State & Local History

2010 Symposium Sessions

Combating First-Eye Experience: Bringing Tangible Experiences to Living History Sites
Presenter Jeremy Teeples

21st Century Trends in Online Accessibility to Collections: Three Case Studies
Presenters: Angela Stanford, Nathan Kemler, and Lindsey MacAllister

Object Literacy in a Digital World: The Value of Teaching with Objects
Presenters Craig Hadley and Dr. Joy Beckman

Crafting New Understandings of “Maya” Art: Investigating Aesthetics, Cultural Identity, and Globalization in a University Exhibition
Presenters Rachel Walters, Peter Van Ael, Jeff Kowalski, and Janie Wilson-Cook

Download the 2010 Symposium brochure and registration form here.