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G2S Project Code: 2020-VT-86220
State: Vermont
Fiscal Year: 2020
Grantee
Vermont Historical Society

Project Director
Director Name: Janette Shaffer
Director Phone: 802-249-7889
Director Email: janette.shaffer@vermont.gov
General Information
Title: CARES ACT: Vermont Historical Society Online Programming
State Project Code: VT.2020.CARES.04
Start Date: 10/01/2020
End Date: 09/30/2021
Abstract: The Vermont Historical Society received CARES ACT funds to help them move some of their programming online during the COVID-19 lockdown. The funds enabled them to produce videos spotlighting several high-interest items in their museum collection. Thanks to the CARES Act grant they were also able to develop Vermont Trivia Games that engaged participants of all ages across the state.

State Goal: Capacity
Budget Information
LSTA
MATCH-State
MATCH-Other
Total
$1,508.00
$0.00
$1,249.85
$2,757.85
Intent(s)
Improve users' general knowledge and skills.
Arts, Culture & Humanities
History
Activities
Activity Details
Title: Online Trivia Program
Narrative:
The Vermont Historical Society was granted $708 to support an online trivia program that they developed and produced in the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown, from March – May 2020.
Whenthe Historical Society closed its buildings and sent its staff home in March2020, they moved quickly to adapt their existing trivia program to be moved from local pubs to online. The first trivia program debuted on April 1.
Oversubsequent weeks, the trivia program became an outstanding success, drawing asmany as 50-60 players each Wednesday night. It attracted both loyal repeataudience members and drop-ins, and the community engagement was extraordinary –attendees even developed and carried through inside jokes within the chat onZoom from week to week. In all, they produced 9 consecutive weeks of triviathrough May. They connected with otherorganizations in Vermont to share the program with them, delivering it for theiraudiences, and consulted with museums across New England on the format of theprogram and how they might adapt it for their own institutions.

Intent: Improve users' general knowledge and skills.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Presentation/performance
Format: Virtual


Quantity
Presentation/performance length (minutes): 60
Number of presentations/performances administered: 9
Average number in attendance per session: 50


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 0
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 1
Activity Details
Title: Spotlight Videos on VHS Collection
Narrative: With the support of the IMLS CARES grant, the Vermont Historical Society was able to purchase the equipment necessary to begin recording high-quality short videos focused around collections objects. Each video lasts between 1-3 minutes and centers on a specific object, telling its story as well as its context within Vermont and American history. Over the summer of 2020, they were able to bring on an intern,an undergraduate majoring in history and minoring in documentary storytelling at the University of Vermont, to help them edit and produce these videos. The videos had a cumulative total of 4,240 views.

 


Intent: Improve users' general knowledge and skills.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Presentation/performance
Format: Virtual


Quantity
Presentation/performance length (minutes): 3
Number of presentations/performances administered: 20
Average number in attendance per session: 212


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: Yes
Specific Locations: No
Library Types
Public Libraries: 0
Academic Libraries: 0
SLAA: 0
Consortia: 0
Special Libraries: 0
School Libraries: 0
Other: 1
Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important outcomes or findings not previously reported:
Trivia: A number of factors contributed to the trivia program’s strong success. The content was a great fit for the moment – trivia is a fun, light-hearted way to deliver educational content. Many people missed their local pub’s trivia night and had fun with their families joining in on VHS' programs instead. Video Project: Having the video equipment in house has allowed VHS to make huge improvements from their first videos to their most recent, and they continue to get better each time, with commensurate public exposure and engagement.
Please briefly describe the importance of these outcomes and findings for future program planning:
Trivia: The success of the VHS Trivia nights have created a longstanding program that has become a mainstay of their digital programming even in future non-pandemic years. Video Project: The collections videos have allowed VHS to highlight topics in a timely manner – in August, for example, they shared objects related to women in politics as part of our celebration of the centennial of women’s suffrage. In July, they were able to respond to questions about diversity and racial equality in Vermont with a series of short videos highlighting the presence and contribution of Black Vermonters in the early 19th century.
Explain one or two of the most significant lessons learned for others wanting to adopt any facets of this project:
Trivia: Using Kahoot meant VHS could make the games interactive instead of merely instructive – people used their own phones to submit answers, came up with goofy team names, and could see how they ranked relative to other players in real time. Video Project: VHS has learned the importance of project in object choice, scripting, filming strategies, short-form storytelling, messaging, and marketing.
Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort in managing this project:
No
Explain:

Do you anticipate changing the types of activities and objectives addressed by the project:
No
Explain:

Was an evaluation conducted for this project:
No
Was a final written evaluation report produced:
No
Can the final written evaluation report be shared publicly on the IMLS website:
No
Was the evaluation conducted by project staff (either SLAA or local library) or by a third-party evaluator:
Third-Party
What data collection tools were used for any report outcomes and outputs:
Did you collect any media for the data:
What types of methods were used to analyze collected data:
Other:
How were participants (or items) selected:
What type of research design did you use to compare the value for any reported output or outcome:
Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative
Project Tags: trivia, history videos, historical society