Student handout from"The Practical Historian," a presentation with Dr. Kathryn Shively Meier at the 2012 meeting of the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic in Baltimore, Maryland. Professors Meier and Yarmey will discuss their students’ project, “Any Victory Would Be Dear.” Groups of students partnered with the Lackawanna Historical Society, Scranton Public Library, and university library to conduct archival research on the Antebellum/Civil War Era, which they then preserved, catalogued, transcribed, digitized, and curated in an online exhibit. Not only did the project allow students to gain professional training and experience, but the Lackawanna Historical Society benefited from free digitization of previously uncatalogued materials now available to the public via the Scranton Public Library website.

1. HIST 314 CIVIL WAR DIGITAL PROJECT
Project Goals/Description: This project provides the opportunity for students to gain firsthand
experience as historians, librarians/archivists, and museum curators. By the end of the term, our
class will have created an online collection of previously uncatalogued Civil War artifacts from
the Lackawanna Historical Society that will be ready for public use by fall 2011. In groups,
students will discover, preserve, digitize, transcribe, and interpret real historical artifacts.
As a class, we will begin by visiting the Everhart Museum’s “With bullets singing all around
me”: Regional Stories of the Civil War (on Feb. 11, 2-4pm) to learn about what goes into
creating an historical exhibit. Next, each group will receive a 45 min. training session and then
proceed to their assigned tasks. Please allow ~10 hours outside of class to complete the project.
NOTE: The museum fieldtrip and your scheduled training session are mandatory; therefore, if
you must miss, notify me in advance and arrange to attend the museum on your own (with proof
of visit) and/or be trained by a fellow group member.
Evaluation: This project is worth 25% of your overall grade. Each group member is expected to
carry his/her own weight in the assigned tasks. Supervisors will report any problems to me, and
your final grade will be deducted accordingly. Your contributions will be evaluated based on the
following:
Group Presentation: As a group, you will explain to the class your role in the project,
describing your training, experiences, and the difficulties you encountered (~15 min).
Visual aids are encouraged, so please remember to document your group’s experiences.
Each student must have a role in this presentation to receive a grade. (40%)
Paper: As an individual, you will produce a one-page paper describing your particular
role in the project and your personal experiences. It is wise to document your experience
(with notes and/or photographs) as you work. (60%)
Group Assignments:
Group 1: Diggers
Job description: uncover Civil War artifacts at LHS; provide basic description of artifacts
Due dates: Everhart Museum fieldtrip (Feb. 11, 2-4); Training at Lackawanna Historical
Society (Feb. 18, 3-3:45); Paper (Apr. 15 in class); Presentation (Apr. 11)
Supervisor: Mary Ann Moran-Savakinus; maryann@lackawannahistory.org
Group 2: Preservation
Job description: document housing; assessing condition; preparing for transit; loan forms
Due dates: Everhart Museum fieldtrip (Feb. 11, 2-4); Training at Lackawanna Historical
Society (Feb. 18, 3:45-4:15); Paper (Apr. 15 in class); Presentation (Apr. 13)

2. Supervisor: Mary Ann Moran-Savakinus; maryann@lackawannahistory.org
Group 3: Digitization
Job description: scanning documents; preparing for website; creating metadata
Due dates: Everhart Museum fieldtrip (Feb. 11, 2-4); Training at Weinberg Memorial
Library (Mar. 4, 3-3:45); Paper (Apr. 15 in class); Presentation (Apr. 18)
Supervisor: Kristen Yarmey; yarmeyk2@scranton.edu
Group 4: Transcription
Job description: discerning handwriting; typing; description of transcripts
Due dates: Everhart Museum fieldtrip (Feb. 11, 2-4); Training at Weinberg Memorial
Library (Mar. 4, 3:45-4:15); Paper (Apr. 15 in class); Presentation (Apr. 20)
Supervisor: Kristen Yarmey; yarmeyk2@scranton.edu
Group 5: Interpretation
Job description: designing online collection (title, layout, features); organizing and
presenting all artifacts, transcripts, and metadata; compiling student experiences (as
described in presentations)
Due dates: Everhart Museum fieldtrip (Feb. 11, 2-4); Training at Everhart Museum (Feb.
11, 3-4); Paper (May 2 in class); Presentation (May 2)
Supervisor: Kristen Yarmey; yarmeyk2@scranton.edu
Schedule Summary:
Feb. 11 Everhart Museum fieldtrip, 2-4; Group 5 training, 3-4 (EM)
Feb. 18 Group 1 training, 3-3:45 (LHS); Group 2 training, 3:45-4:15 (LHS)
Mar. 4 Group 3 training, 3-3:45 (WM); Group 4 training, 3:45-4:15 (WM)
Apr. 11 Group 1 presentation
Apr. 13 Group 2 presentation
Apr. 15 Groups 1-4 paper due
Apr. 18 Group 3 presentation
Apr. 20 Group 4 presentation
May 2 Group 5 presentation and paper due