In my 5 months in office:
I've been able to:
Encourage the development of new lists (H-Animal, H-Maritime, H-NewEngland, H-Energy, H-Empire all ready to come online, another 5 in the works, several more long-term in development)
Reinvigorate Plan-Networks/Networks Committee for discussion of new lists and list issues, and HNet overall
Start Plan-Web-Editors as a means of communication between amongst the network web editors and with H-Net at MSU
Start Plan-Pubhist for the Public History and State lists planning and discussion
Revive H-Local, worked to restart H-RadHist, helped H-Ohio restart, encouraged activity on various other lists like H-HistoryDay and H-Catholic
Lead Plan-Announce to begin the process of updating H-Announce
Work to clean up HNet-Editor to have it accurately reflect and encompass current editors
Encourage consideration of the use of RSS and other technologies in the upcoming strategic plan
Encourage holding an editors' conference
Reviewed and sent through 100 plus editor and advisory board nominations
Assisted editors with editorial and logistical matters.
.....so I've been a little busy.
As for the future, I think Peter and Heather have laid out a substantive and demanding strategic plan. It will be an interesting challenge to be part of the team to pursue it:
Create a Manual of Practice for H-Net editors, to serve as a standards-generating document for online editors.
Pursue aggressive recruitment program to attract senior as well as new scholars to HNets editorial community; create an incentives and services program for editors and advisory board members, including an awards program for superior achievements as an editor, and line funding for editorial support services.
Enhance editorial communications and professional development through an annual best practices conference of editors, stakeholders, and sponsors of H-Net.
Provide editors with educational, training, and professional development opportunities in new media.
Develop a master network development plan to identify and target underserved fields and audiences.
All these are necessary and short- and long-term goals.
For the immediate we do have pressing issues to resolve: I will endeavor to help get H-Announce functioning in a more elegant and conducive manner. I will participate in getting H-Reviews streamlined. We are developing content management tools, which I'd like to see deployed in support of a variety of multi-list portals...such as the teaching portal under development. We can work together _and_ keep our individual uniquenesses. We now have 161 lists and need to make it easier to navigate amongst them.
Our growth is partly adventious, but there is the outline of a plan which I will work with Plan-Networks and others to develop. I have begun to encourage folks to recruit new lists, but realize that smoothing out administrative issues will then make colleagues more willing to encourage others to join. I'd like to create a task-force on recruitment/strategic development and/or one to work on professional recognition of editorial services.
And if you aren't familiar with my background: I founded and have edited H-DC since 2000, joined the Council in 2003, became VP Networks this past April. H-DC has been getting the recognition that every network deserves, awarded a Vision award by the [Washington DC] Committee of 100 in 2004 and the Mayor's Award for Excellence in Historic Preservation/Excellence in Public Education this year.
