Volunteering at the Museum of Danish America
Foster an appreciation for Danish history, culture and heritage. Volunteers enjoy participation in special events, social gatherings, a monthly newsletter, and continuing opportunities to learn about Danish history. They also develop lasting friendships. Tell us your availability and interests with this form.
Volunteering at the Genealogy Center
Aside from a paid Librarian-Manager, the Genealogy Center is staffed by a large group of hard-working volunteers who bring a wide variety of skills to the museum. Some live nearby and work with library patrons or on a variety of special projects or represent the Genealogy Center at genealogical and Scandinavian conferences and festivals. Others live at a greater distance and contribute by translating Danish documents, entering data on their home computers, or photographing tombstones. A number of volunteers keep their eyes out for obituaries of Danish immigrants, Danish-Americans and other material of interest to the Genealogy Center collection and send them to the library. Regardless of what each volunteer does, he/she contributes to our ultimate goal of helping people find information about their Danish ancestors and background.
Genealogy Center volunteers put in over 3,000 hours of service in 2008.
The Museum of Danish America Genealogy Center always welcomes new volunteers, especially individuals living locally with genealogical research experience and those able to translate from Danish to English; the ability to read the old Gothic print and script is particularly valuable. Each year Genealogy Center volunteers attend in-service sessions and take trips to visit local resources relevant to Danish-American heritage and genealogy. They also attend some fun get-togethers.