No Guesses, Honestly

As an educational nonprofit and museum, accuracy is very important when we are interacting with guests.

If someone asks a question that you don’t confidently know the answer to, it is OK to say to a guest that you are not sure of the answer.

Honesty is better and will generally be more respected by guests than trying to appease them with a potentially inaccurate statement.

“A Willing Heart And An Open Mind”

Every day is an opportunity to learn new things

If a visitor asks a question you can’t answer, it is an opportunity for you to learn the answer for yourself.

Our Volunteers are encouraged but not required to expand their history knowledge.  It’s worth learning more, however!  We offer a small library of related books in the Multi-Purpose Room near the restrooms for our volunteers to read on-site or borrow for a few days.

Over time, new courses will be added to the Volunteer Learning Center that will expand the subject you can learn through our website.  In addition, the “Red Book” under the front desk offers some historical information related to our exhibits which you can refer to when needed.

Tip: Find yourself a “hobby topic” – One subject can lead to another!  Start your personal study with a detail you find most interesting, find reading materials on that subject and you will find new subjects that perk your interest.  Then enjoy the rabbit holes you find yourself diving into!

 

Be Wary Of The Easy Answers

In today’s information age, it is easy to find references for historical subjects, but it is also easy to find misinformation spread as fact.  Misheard details or myths can be repeated enough that they become commonly believed as fact.  Commonly believed details can also be found to be incorrect when new primary sources are discovered, and so can change how a story is told.

We are all guilty of sharing mistaken information at one time or another, but we should strive to make sure that what we tell our guests is the truth.

When researching on your own, be sure to track down additional resources or trustworthy sources for details you wish to share with our guests.  When at all possible, seek out a reference that is or directly cites a “primary source,” which is to say, an original period document or first-hand account.  For the National Road, a few good example of these primary sources are annual reports on the road, newspaper articles, interviews in 1800s magazines such as Harpers Weekly, and “The Old Pike” by Thomas Searight.

Wikipedia and newer history books can be valuable tools to gain a general understanding, but be sure to check their facts against older (if possible those Primary) sources before citing them as fact.