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HistERIE Week: Host a Program

histERIE Week is a week-long event dedicated to promoting historic preservation from a community level.

Want to Participate as a Partner or Instructor?

Do you have knowledge and passion for history or genealogy and want to share it with others?
Consider participating in HistERIE Week 2025 as a partner, host, or instructor! Our partners are vitally important in helping ECPL organize a week full of interesting and educational events that are free and open to the public. 

Submit your HistERIE program proposals or visit: https://events.erielibrary.org/calendar/9955/AppHistERIE2025

Details for HistERIE Week 2025

Dates:Friday June 13 through Saturday June 21

Theme: Erie's Hidden Histories

Programs may include but are not limited to: Historic walking tours, lectures, demonstrations, free or discounted museum rates, exhibits, hands-on activities, oral history sharing, open houses, etc.

*Programs need to be free and open to the public

Locations may include but are not limited to: Any of the 5 stationary ECPL locations, any Erie County Independent Library, the reservable spaces at Blasco Library (Hirt Auditorium, Admiral Room, Room 219, or Community Classroom), a historic site with permission of the owner, your own organization, or online/virtual.

*Don't forget we also have a 25-foot-long exhibit case in the Heritage wing of Blasco Library for a history exhibit

In addition to history and genealogy programs throughout the week, we would like to have a big day of history at Blasco Library on Saturday June 21!!! We are hoping to have lots of hands-on activities, live demonstrations of history trades and crafts, photo-ops, and maybe even a history cosplay!

We are seeking the following types of historic programs:

  • Hands-On Workshops that demonstrate daily routine of early residents and heirloom/artisan trades (like candle making, foraging, letter writing, shelter building, sampling of local church cookbook recipes, proper formatting of calling cards, heirloom gardening, and so on...)
  • Educational classes and demonstrations that help patrons engage with their history (genealogy, finding your home's history, accessing public records, collecting/preserving your family's history, historic preservation and recreation, digitizing, where to source records, etc)
  • Drop-In history experiences that are self-directed and encourage patrons to explore history concepts (like craft stations, exhibits at library locations, curated displays, and more)
  • Exploration programs that take history learning to the streets (think historic bike tours, walking tours that explore a neighborhood's history, guided open houses that showcase specific components of Erie history

Things we will prioritize from our partners:

  • Authentic programs that demonstrate a niche aspect of Erie's History
  • Access to areas that are otherwise unavailable or unwelcoming to the public (behind the scenes tours of early Erie establishments, businesses, and residences)
  • Programs that are varied in historic dates (we will attempt to offer a broad stretch of time, and not consolidate to any one particular period in Erie's history)
  • Engaging programs with the chance for patrons to try their hand at something new (or, quite old)

 

Submit your program proposal through this event https://events.erielibrary.org/calendar/9955/AppHistERIE2025

Proposals are due by Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.