The Indiana Historical Society has asked members of the public to send it anything that might reveal how they are dealing with “the new normal”, meaning the social distancing policy at the time of coronavirus, saying that it would be a valuable contribution to their archive of the state's history, stretching back to 1830.The organization is looking for writings, photos, drawings, paintings and short videos.
This sort of fast thinking is known as “rapid response collecting,” NPR reported. In an interview with NPR Jody Blankenship, president of the Indiana Historical Society said: "We thought, this is a period of time people are going to study for centuries and we need to collect the voices of our community right now.""Through the items we collect, we can understand their joys and disappointments, as well as their achievements and failings. And yes, we can even understand the seemingly dull tasks of everyday life – what the weather was like, the neighborhood gossip, or what someone ate for dinner," the Indiana Historical Society wrote on its website.We have collected items that document Indiana’s past since 1830. Right now, we are all grappling with a unique historical moment. We want to add your story of how you and your family are experiencing the current “new normal.” Share your stories here: https://t.co/edFgqJSFvs
— Indiana Historical Society (@IndianaHistory) March 25, 2020
The society has already accepted several hundred items, including videos of families singing songs together as they spend their time at home, virtual prayers, and oral histories, where people just send an audio file filled with their musings and thoughts.