On Doing Local History: Reflections on What Local Historians Do, Why, and What It Means (American Association for State and Local History Book Series)

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Summary: A "How To" Guide for Local Historians
Review: History is unlike other disciplines in that amateurs can read it and at the local level collect and disseminate information. This book helps people with an interest in pursuing the discipline by providing them with guidelines on how to get started. Local history is defined as a "study of past events, or of people or groups, in a given geographical area" (p. 4). The definition is expanded further in that it is described as a process that includes learning. That learning includes an understanding of the causes of events in the past. In the U.S., history was first a leisure activity of men of means. Over time it developed into an academic discipline. This was in the 1880s. Newspapers in the 1930s viewed local history as an item worthy of publication in feature articles and columns. Institutionally the American Association for State and Local History linked local historians and professionals when it was created in 1940. Sources abound for researchers. The author notes "Everything that men and women have written, touched, or made is a clue to the past." Gaining a holistic perspective is a challenge, that if not met can result in an inaccurate understanding of the past. That is, if key components are missing, the explanation misses the mark. In the concluding section, advice is offered to local historians: 1) read widely 2) recognize the plurality of the past 3) be responsible 4) write to be read 5) cultivate diversity 6) provide for the reader or viewer 7)write memoirs, diaries and journals 8) seek advice. Overall this book is very helpful in pointing people along the path to collecting and distributing valid local historical documents.