Library joins NJCH Community History Program

The Atlantic City Free Public Library is one of nine organizations — each from a different New Jersey county — to have been accepted into the 2024 cohort of the New Jersey Council for the Humanities’ Community History Program.
In the program, the organizations will receive free, expert training on public history practices and develop projects in collaboration with their local communities to learn about and share their untold stories. In addition to the training, each organization will receive $5,000 in funding from NJCH to develop and launch projects that showcase their work.
“I believe the Community History Program will benefit our organization by getting historical information out to our community that did not know we existed or knows little about Atlantic City and the history that surrounds them,” Atlantic City Free Public Library archivist Jacqueline Silver-Morillo said. “It would be beneficial in working with a part of the community we have never worked with before, getting to know their place in the City’s history. We are also interested in expanding the reach of our A.C. Heritage Collections archive, getting more people from the community interested in the history of Atlantic City and their place in it.”
In addition to the library, the new cohort includes:
• Glen Rock Historical and Preservation Society – Glen Rock, Bergen County
• Bloomingdale Free Public Library – Bloomingdale, Passaic County
• Avon-by-the-Sea Historical Society – Avon-by-the-Sea, Monmouth County
• South Jersey Artist Collective – Woodbury, Gloucester County
• Lawnside Historical Society – Lawnside, Camden County
• Montclair Public Library – Montclair, Essex County
• Southern Ocean Chamber Association – Ship Bottom, Ocean County
• MUYU – Jersey City, Hudson County

Now in its fourth year, the Community History program has helped 20 New Jersey organizations capture, preserve and present untold stories of their communities. This year saw a record high number of applications for spots in the program.
“More than ever, people are interested in exploring the history of their own communities, and they have a desire to learn the skills to both do historical research and share what they find,” said Gigi Naglak, NJCH director of programs. “I think people are really, really interested in knowing more about where they came from.”
To learn more about the Community History Program and view profiles of prior participants, visit https://njhumanities.org/programs/community-history/.