There would be no Hastings Historical Society without our cadre of volunteers!  We are an all-volunteer organization and welcome anyone, of any age, who is interested in joining us. Many of our volunteers come once or twice a week to the Cottage during the Society’s open hours, but others also make their contributions from home.

For more information on any volunteer opportunities, please email us or stop by during our regular hours on Monday and Thursday 11 am – 2 pm year-round and every first Saturday of the month from 2 – 4 pm, except in July and August.

AT THE COTTAGE

Volunteer opportunities include, but are not limited to:

• Doing general research on inquiries about Hastings history.
• Assisting with the research, writing, design and installation of our annual exhibits.
• For those with a background in merchandising, helping to operate and expand upon our selection of Hastings-themed gift items.
• Helping to implement best practices concerning our archive and the conservation of historical material.
• Using a myriad of computer skills (scanning, data entry, social media, e-shopping, hardware troubleshooting) to maintain our archive, create computer graphics, and to facilitate community outreach.
• For those with a green thumb, assisting with the maintenance of the garden beds around the Draper Cottage.

FROM HOME

The following tasks can be undertaken at home, at a time convenient to the volunteer:

• Researching and writing articles for our quarterly newsletter, The Hastings Historian. You may choose an area of interest or request that we assign you a topic.
• Writing occasional pieces for our blog. These topics are generally shorter and more informally written than our newsletter articles.

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

The Hastings Historical Society offers internship opportunities for local and area high school students who are interested in Hastings history. Some of our past high school interns have researched or written pieces (and have been listed as curators) for our exhibits, written articles for our newsletter, helped us digitize past exhibits, or have come in once a month to assist with our Saturday hours. The Society will also occasionally offer internships through Hastings High School’s Senior Alternatives Program.

College students have done similar work for us, especially during our busy summer months when we gear up for a new exhibit. We also offer internships to recent college graduates, who are interested in history or wish to gain hands-on experience in the library science field.