Montgomery, AL (09/16/2024) – The Alabama Department of Archives and History (ADAH) is proud to announce that its History/Now: Conversations on the Past + Present series and its Alabama History Institutes are the recipients of 2024 Awards of Excellence presented by the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH). The Award of Excellence is part of the AASLH Leadership in History Awards, the organization’s most prestigious national recognition for achievement in public history. 

History/Now is a public program series at the ADAH that explores connections between the present and the past. Begun in 2019, panel discussions in the series have the contemporary relevance of history on topics such as tribal sovereignty, the 1901 constitution, the process of congressional reapportionment, and the legacy of the Scottsboro trials. Past programs can be viewed on the Archives’ YouTube page.  

The ADAH’s Alabama History Institutes are immersive professional development opportunities in history and civics for all public, private, and homeschool K-12 educators in Alabama. The Institutes’ multi-day workshops combine intensive classroom training using primary sources with hands-on experiences at local museums, state parks, and historic sites across the state. Lessons align with state standards and include cross-curricular connections. Participants receive a stipend and professional development credits.

“By offering programs and resources like History/Now and Alabama History Institutes, Archives staff are providing opportunities to understand how history has shaped our present and to share our stories with the next generation of students and families. At a time when history education is more critical than ever to our understanding of ourselves and the world in which we live, we are grateful for AASLH’s timely recognition of our work,” said ADAH Director Steve Murray. 

The AASLH awards program was initiated in 1945 to establish and encourage standards of excellence in the collection, preservation, and interpretation of state and local history throughout the United States. This year, AASLH conferred 46 national awards honoring people, projects, exhibits, and publications “representing the best in the field and provid[ing] leadership for the future of state and local history.” The ADAH is the only organization to receive more than one award in 2024. The Awards of Excellence were recently presented during AASLH’s annual conference in Mobile, Alabama. 

The Alabama Department of Archives and History is the state’s government-records repository, a special-collections library and research facility, and home to the Museum of Alabama, the state history museum. It is located in downtown Montgomery, directly across Washington Avenue from the State Capitol. The Museum of Alabama is open Monday through Saturday from 8:30 to 4:30. The EBSCO Research Room is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:30 to 4:30. To learn more, visit www.archives.alabama.gov or call (334) 242-4364.

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