Teachers, parents, school staff and students are invited to join museums from across the Oklahoma City metro area and beyond at the Back-to-School Bash at the Oklahoma History Center on August 14 from 6-9 p.m. Staff and educators from Oklahoma institutions will be on hand to answer questions about field trips, trunks, teacher resources, professional development and special events. In addition, the Oklahoma History Center's galleries will be open all evening. Door prizes will be awarded throughout the night to teachers.

Participating entities include Chisholm Trail Heritage Center, Discover Hidden Treasures, Edmond Historical Society, Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, Law Related Education-Oklahoma Bar Association, Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art, Museum of Osteology, National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, Oklahoma Alliance for Geographic Education, Oklahoma Arts Council, Oklahoma City Contemporary, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum, Oklahoma Territorial Museum, Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens, Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and Science Museum Oklahoma.

Admission to the event is free, but donations of school supply items such as pencils, paper, pens, glue or crayons are encouraged. Registration is not required. For more information about the event, please contact the OHC Education Department at education@okhistory.org or 405-522-3602.

This must-see festival celebrates the art of storytelling. For over 30 years, the Arts Council of Oklahoma City has produced the Oklahoma City Storytelling Festival, which has delighted audiences with nationally-acclaimed storytellers, workshops and special performances. Named one of the best places to hear or tell a tale, Storytelling Festival offers performances by some of the nation's best tellers. 

The Oklahoma City Storytelling Festival continues the tradition with three entertaining evening performances, a family matinee and professional workshops. This year, the Oklahoma City Storytelling Festival will take place at the Oklahoma History Center.

Beverly Mosman (left) helps a library patron with research.

What is your job title? Researcher in Research Division since June 2012; Assistant Photo Archivist to Chester Cowen previous five years.

What does a normal work day look like?

1. Check Email and keep patrons updated on research progress

2. Check what I still need to do on research requests from patrons, museum and research staff

     Requests Include:

A.  Searching for Dawes Records (print copies for patron requests)

B.  Searching Microfilm for obits or other requested articles

C.  Assisting library patrons in getting started with family genealogy research

D.  Answering questions from patrons by phone, email, and in person 

E.  Referring patrons to staff who can assist with specific questions

F.  Researching patron requests

G. Special assistance with photographic images (since I was Chester Cowan's Assistant in Photo Archives for five years before I moved to the Library.

How long have you worked for the Historical Society? Since 2007 (I'm not good at remembering dates although I LOVE history, especially Oklahoma history)

What are your favorite things about your job?

If you could be any Oklahoman in history who would it be? I like who I am and the time period in which I live...but I would like to be a time-traveler and be able to travel to different eras just to observe.  I enjoy being creative so I think I might like to be an artist or writer or...an old grandmother telling stories to her grandchildren.  Yes!  I'd like to be a storyteller!