Call for Contributors

Baruch College

Public History Initiative-OER Grant

 

Baruch College is seeking 10 contributors to build short annotated primary source collections for an open access digital source reader that will be used in conjunction with a new Introduction to Public History course being designed by Baruch College faculty. The geographic focus of the course is New York City.

 

Contributors will be asked to:

• Create a collection of 10-12 digital sources (combination of textual and visual sources) for one of the listed events or locations, ideally from research collections located in New York City.
• Provide short editor notes explaining the relevance of the chosen sources to the study of the selected topic and how it works with other sources in the collection to provide a sense of change over time and a diversity of perspectives.
• Write a 500-750 overview of the collection that offers undergraduate readers a short introduction to the topic and to guide readers through the sources and the history they unfold

 

A full list of topics as well as instructions for source collections are listed below.

 

Source collections will be due May 15, 2025. Contributors will be paid a $500.00 stipend and will receive credit on the reader.

 

Please email Dr. Elizabeth Heath (Elizabeth.Heath@baruch.cuny.edu) with your expression of interest. Please specify your preferred top 3 specific event or location in your email.

 

 

Introduction to Public History Source Collection Reader

 

Events

1. Kieft’s War (1643-1645)

1. The American Revolution (1776-1783)
2. Draft Riots (1863)
3. Consolidation of New York (1898)
4. The Great Depression/Public Works (1930s)
5. Harlem Riots/Uprising (1964)
6. Blackout/Bankruptcy (1977)
7. AIDS Activism in New York (1981-1994)
8. 9/11 (2001)
9. COVID in NY (2020)

 

Locations

1. Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island
2. Coney Island
3. Times Square
4. Central Park
5. Harlem
6. Weeksville
7. Flushing
8. The Grand Concourse
9. Madison Square Garden/Penn Station
10. Long Island City
11. Lincoln Center
12. Brooklyn-Queens Expressway
13. Hudson River
14. Five Points

 

Instructions for Event-Based Primary Source Collections

Build a digital collection of 5-6 textual primary sources and 5-6 visual sources that provide insights into the selected event for use in an experiential-learning based undergraduate class entitled Introduction to Public History. The archives will be used to help students learn to analyze primary sources as well as to develop their skills in creating public-facing final projects aimed at engaging the public on historical topics and debates. Contributors are asked to give priority to sources that are located in research collections based in New York City appropriate to each event and in the public domain. Specific archive recommendations may be provided for certain topics.

 

The sources selected for the archive should:

• Be primary sources.
• Enable students to piece together a sense of the event (i.e., what happened, when it happened; who was involved, why it is significant for understanding the history of New York City) with minimal reliance on secondary sources.
• Be accessible to undergraduates in content and length
• Reflect a variety of perspectives, helping to showcase the contested nature of the past.
• Showcase a variety of archival, printed sources, and visual sources
• Be appropriate to undergraduate level courses.
• Reflect the diverse holdings of a range of New York City research, library, and museum collections.
• Be available in digital forms.

 

For each source contributors will also be asked to provide:

• A short editor note explaining the relevance of the chosen sources to the study of the selected topic and how it works with other sources to provide a sense of change over time and a diversity of perspectives.
• Source and location of source.
• Copyright and permissions information.

Instructions for Location-Based Primary Source Collections

Build a digital archive collection of 5-6 textual and 5-6 visual primary sources that reflect how the selected site initially developed, how people have used it, and how it has changed over time. The archive will be used in an experiential-learning based undergraduate class entitled Introduction to Public History. The archives will be used to help students learn to analyze primary sources as well as to develop their skills in creating public-facing final projects aimed at engaging the public on historical topics and debates. Contributors as asked to give priority to sources that are located in research collections based in New York City and in the public domain.

• Be primary sources.
• Enable students to piece together of how and why this location developed and changed over time with minimal reliance on secondary sources.
• Be accessible to undergraduates in content and length
• Offer insights into the historical factors and processes that contributed to this change.
• Be appropriate to undergraduate level courses.
• Reflect a variety of perspectives, helping to showcase the contested nature of the past.
• Showcase a variety of archival, printed sources, and visual sources
• Reflect the diverse holdings of a range of New York City research, library, and museum collections.
• Be digitized

 

For each source contributors will also be asked to provide:

• A short editor note explaining the relevance of the chosen sources to the study of the selected topic and how it works with other sources to provide a sense of change over time and a diversity of perspectives.
• Source and location of source
• Copyright and permissions information