Connecting Teens to Local History

     Before I started in teen services a little over three years ago, I worked in my library's Heritage Center. Our local history and genealogy department resides in the original Carnegie portion of the Lebanon Public Library (we've had a few renovations and additions, but we've managed to build off of the original 1905 structure). For me, a loud and proud history geek, it was an awesome experience. 
    
     Even though I love my teens and youth services in general, there are times I miss it. My family has been in the Lebanon or Boone County area pretty much since the county was founded in the early 1830s and the work I did as the local history specialist really made me appreciate my hometown's history and how it fits into my own history. 

     I loved getting to pour through photos of days gone by in Lebanon. Old businesses, Fourth of July celebrations, prominent citizens of older generations, the courthouses, the 4H fair, the schools, the library...why does everything look cooler in black and white? And the yearbooks...we have every LHS yearbook all the way back to the very first one in 1904. I loved looking at my grandmother's senior photo in 1951 (I'm still jealous of just how glamorous she looked), my dad's senior photo in 1979 (Parents in the 70s. Enough said), and even my own from 2006 (I still had braces. We'll just leave it at that). 

      The whole time I worked in the Heritage Center it was very rare for me to see any teens wander back to check it out. When I became the teen librarian, I wanted to change that. But how? I'd hear my teens after school studying or doing homework and complain how much they hated history. That it was boring. To be fair, I cried about math just as much at their age (and now. Numbers are hard). 

      How do we even begin to mesh teens and local history? Can it be done? That's what our Heritage Center head and I wanted to find out! 

      In trying to think of a way to tie in history and the get out and active tone of this year's summer reading program, we came up with Operation Exploration at Oak Hill Cemetery. We're lucky that our local cemetery is about half a mile from our library (totally in walking distance. Get active? check!) and that it's steeped in way cool history (plug teens into the past? check!). 

     The program consisted of a brief presentation on the cemetery's history, notables buried there, interesting markers, mausoleums, and statues, as well as how one can use cemeteries to research a family tree. Then we set off on our walk for a guided tour of the cemetery! The teens had a map of the cemetery with a list of things to look for and their locations. I also took one of the plot records books from the library in case teens wanted to look for their family name or ancestors. We spent a little over an hour at the cemetery (time cut short by looming thunderstorm clouds in July in Indiana of all things!).

     The teens asked lots of great questions both at the cemetery and when we returned to the library. Since the program last week it's been great to see younger faces head back to the Heritage Center to use microfilm, look at the yearbooks, or see old pictures of their house. I've even received emails from a few parents saying that their teens have asked to go back to the cemetery! How cool!

     Cemeteries don't have to be sad or scary places. They can be an interesting and hands on look at the past!

     Want to connect your teens and local history? If you have a history & genealogy department, consider pairing up with them for a teen program. If not, try connecting with your town or county's historical society. Together you can come up with an awesome program to put teens hands on with the past right in your area!

     Here are some other ideas or places to consider for a teen history program: 
1) A local museum
2) The courthouse
3) A visit to or from the local historical society
4) See if there are any homes on that are historical landmarks that allow tours
5) Host an activity from the past event (like afternoon tea)

     **Never fear shameless bribery with teens. I promised ice cream when we got back from our walk. I don't know about you, but I'll walk anywhere for ice cream!