Museums, libraries and communities · For public librarians, local history staff and library friends groups
A library local history display that opens up the local history room
The local history room holds clippings, photos and folders that only come out when someone asks at the desk. Put the most-requested material on a touchscreen as stories, so patrons can browse it themselves and learn what the room holds.
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What is a library local history display?
A library local history display shows material from a public library’s local history collection, such as clippings, photographs and pamphlets, where patrons can browse it without asking staff. With HistoryShowcase, librarians turn folders and topics into stories with titles, years, summaries and scans, organized in collections and searchable by name or word on a touchscreen and online.
Updated
- Made for
- Public librarians, local history staff and library friends groups
- Where it goes
- Outside the local history room, Library entrance, The library website
- Layouts
- Timeline, Profiles, Photo gallery, Honors ledger
- Visitors can filter by
- Subject, Year
- Cost
- Free to use. No payment details required.
The best material is in a filing cabinet
Every local history room has a vertical file: folders by subject and surname, stuffed with newspaper clippings, pamphlets, programs and photos someone dropped off decades ago. It’s often the richest local record in town, and almost nobody sees it. Patrons who don’t know to ask walk past the cabinet without opening a drawer.
A library local history display takes the most-asked-about folders and makes them browsable. Scan the key items, write a short summary of what the folder covers, and note where the originals are kept so researchers can request the full file. The cabinet stays the archive; the screen becomes the front door to it.
How does a library local history display compare with a vertical file or binder?
| What matters | Vertical file or binder | HistoryShowcase |
|---|---|---|
| Who finds it | Patrons who know to ask at the desk | Anyone walking past the screen |
| Searching | Subject headings on folder tabs | Search by name or word in each story |
| Wear on the originals | Clippings unfolded and refiled each time | Scan once and browse the copy |
| Depth for research | Every item in the folder, in full | The highlights, with a pointer to the folder |
| Access from home | In person, during open hours | The live site’s web address, any time |
What to show from the local history collection
Subject files
The town’s big topics, from the railroad to the old fairgrounds, each as a story with its best clippings scanned.
Surname files
Families with deep roots in town, gathered as profiles genealogists can find by searching a name.
Historic photographs
Street scenes, storefronts and club groups, captioned with the year and what’s known about them.
Local publications
Club yearbooks, cookbooks and anniversary booklets, scanned or uploaded as PDFs and converted into pages.
Newspaper highlights
Front pages and clippings from the local paper’s biggest stories, filed by year.
Where to find more
Each story names the folder, box or shelf it came from, so researchers know what to request.
How to organize a local history room on screen
Mirror how the room is already organized: subjects, families and photos. Patrons who learn the screen will understand the cabinet too.
Your siteLocal History Room
- SubjectsTimeline
Major local topics and events, one story each, in date order.
- FamiliesProfiles
Surname files as profiles, with portraits and documents.
- PhotographsPhoto gallery
Historic photos captioned with year and location.
- Local publicationsHonors ledger
Booklets, programs and cookbooks listed by year and title.
Visitors can narrow it by
- Subject
- Year
How do you set up a library local history display?
Start with the folders people request
Ask desk staff which subject and surname files come out most, and begin there instead of at the letter A.
Import your folder list
If the vertical file has a list or spreadsheet of folders, import it to create a story per folder at once, then add scans to each.
Say where the originals are
End each summary with the folder or shelf location, so the screen sends researchers back to the collection.
Where should a library local history display go?
- Outside the local history roomPatrons who would never open the door see what’s inside.
- Library entrancePeople waiting for a program or a ride browse a few stories.
- The library websiteLink the live site from your local history page so genealogists can search from anywhere.
Library local history display questions
Is this a catalog or a digital archive system?
No. HistoryShowcase is a display: stories with photos, scans and text, organized for browsing. Keep your catalog and finding aids as they are, and use the display to show highlights and point people to the collection.
HistoryShowcase is for schools. Does it suit a public library?
It was made for schools, and setup asks for a school name and colors. A library types in its own name and colors and works with the same editor, layouts and touchscreen.
Can patrons search the text of scanned clippings?
Search covers the titles and text typed into each story, not words printed in a scan. Type the names and key terms from a clipping into its summary or write-up to make it findable.
Can we add a whole booklet?
Yes. Upload it as a PDF and convert it into pages, so patrons can look through it on the touchscreen.
Related ideas
Open the local history room to every patron
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