Roseburg Sister Cities
Email info@roseburg-sister-cities.org
Website www.roseburg-sister-cities.org

Volunteer Position – Historian 
Job Description
January 2006

GENERAL DUTIES:

The Historian’s job is to keep a yearly record of Roseburg Sister Cites’ history, with 
accompanying memorabilia.  This is not meant to be a compilation of the minutes of 
meetings, as that is done separately.   This record is meant to be more of a scrapbook 
and/or photo album of various events through year.  This would include various 
newspaper clippings about Sister Cities; photos of major events; and certainly a record, 
with pictures, of the yearly gifts given to and received from, our sister city in Japan.  


METHOD OF RECORD KEEPING

Past records were not done in an organized fashion.  There are, in our archives, various 
photo albums compiled through the years, many of which do include the above described
 material. There are also numerous video tapes.  Much of Sister Cities’ records for the last 
5 or more years have not been put in any sort of album, though much information has 
been put in folders, per year.  Most of the information for the last few years is either with 
the newsletter editor or with the current president.   One of two methods for keeping the 
historical documentation of our group followed is proposed:  (The historian/volunteer will 
likely choose the method that works best for them.)  


Choice 1:  Continue compiling information in a Scrapbook and/or photo album manner, 
one for each year.

Choice 2:  Keep such information on a computer disc, one for each year.  All information 
can be scanned in. As many pictures are already digital, copying to a disc would be easy.
  Scanning newspaper  articles are also quite easy.  A text document could be written 
and put on the disc, to act as an  index and also for any lengthy descriptions necessary to 
accompany the pictures, etc.  Any such  method is possible.


COLLECTING MATERIAL

It would be the historian’s responsibility to follow newspapers for articles, and if unable 
to attend events to take pictures personally, to contact others who attended and gather 
any such pictures or other information appropriate.


LONG TERM HISTORIAN PROJECT

ORGANIZING PAST MATERIAL

It has long been needed that the scrapbooks and photo albums from prior years be 
organized.  Much of such past material is in the Sister City storage room.  Some is with 
the current president.  Other information is spread out amongst members.  It is suggested 
that a ‘call for information’ be made, via the newsletter to have the bulk of outstanding 
memorabilia sent to the historian.  It is suggested that all old albums in the storage room 
be reassessed, then clearly labeled, and organized by year, and re-stored in the storage 
room.  It is suggested, for space consideration, that some of the material be ‘thinned out’ 
and just a ‘representation’ of past years events/memories/etc. be kept.  Perhaps a 
committee of long time members could meet and help “thin out” some of the material 
and/or help label/identify the contents.   If someone is truly inspired, all the past albums 
could be scanned to discs.  

 A committee could be formed to address exactly how to go about this conservation, and 
to make it a viable asset to our group.  This material could be quite useful to us for 
various public presentations, displays at city hall and perhaps even the county museum.  

To contact us send email to info@roseburg-sister-cities.org