When librarian Molly Ward first sorted through the Germantown Book Collection at the Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional Library, she immediately noticed something missing: local history that represented the diverse perspectives and experiences of Germantown’s culturally rich past.

“There are so many histories that we don’t see in published material,” said Ward, who with her colleagues launched "Let's Make Histories!"  at the Coleman Library in October 2024.

Then, last year,  a "Hyperlocal Heritage" grant was established by the William Penn Foundation and the Philadelphia Funder Collaborative for the library’s Special Collections Department to serve Parkway Central and five library branches, including Coleman Library. Ward folded "Let’s Make Histories!" into "Hyperlocal Heritage."

Since then, the Coleman library has hosted several events centered on local history. One in particular generates considerable community enthusiasm: “Lets Make Art: Collage Your Family Story,” a workshop that uses art as a way to document and explore personal and family histories.

Beyond art, "Hyperlocal Heritage" also includes community conversations, oral histories, genealogy and exhibitions. The library also offers a weekly  digital scanning  program. Patrons can register or drop in to participate in any event. 

Ward highlights a crucial aspect of "Hyperlocal Heritage": It’s public.

“The public library’s function should be to care for public history,” she said. “A lot of community archives are in academic libraries. That’s an example of public history being locked behind institutional walls.”

The library is working to chip away at these walls by welcoming anyone and everyone who wishes to document and discuss their history.

“Everyone has the opportunity to record something about their life, their family story, or their history in our public history collection,” Ward said.

Upstairs, the Coleman Library is decorated with collages, drawings, and paintings created during the art program. Participants can scan photographs or make scrapbooks that reflect their personal or family histories.

“Everyone loves doing it, and it gives you a sense of feeling like you have a creative voice, or a sense of authority and authorship over some narrative,” Ward said.

Ward cited the example of a community member who regularly attends the workshop.

“We don’t get to hear a lot of her thoughts on a daily basis, but when she’s making art, she starts telling stories, and it’s amazing,” she said. “It’s an amazing experience to listen to her talk, and it’s the activity of creating something that I think frees all of us to want to share in new ways.”

Participants’ ages range from young children to teenagers to older adults, who can come together to create art and discuss history. “It’s intergenerational, and it’s really powerful,” Ward said.

This shared history, Ward said, “is the fabric of our society. It’s how we stay connected. It’s how we learn to know each other and feel safe together, and it’s really fun.”

The Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional Library is located at 68 W. Chelten Ave. The next session of “Let’s Make Art: Collage Your Family Story” is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 23, from 2-3:30 p.m. Put your memories on the page with scissors, glue, photos, and imagery. Collage and scrapbook materials provided, and you are welcome to bring your own photos.