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About the DHRG
Purposes, Organization, Funding, Membership
Purposes
The purpose of the Davis History Research Group -- "the Group" -- is to advance research on the history of Davis, California. This goal is pursued in several ways.
Bibliography On This Site
Foremost among those several ways, it maintains this free-to-the-public web site that strives to provide an increasingly comprehensive bibliography of Davis history publications and related sources and resources.
This bibliographic goals poses a task that
can be thought of as an edited book or anthology. Such a book has an
editor, but the editor does not write the book. Instead, the chapters
are the contributions of various authors. Applying that analogy, each
of the bibliographic documents in the on this site is a chapter in an
ever-expanding multi-authored book.
The document titled "Suggestions on Doing a Davis History Bibliography" in folder 1.2. explains how anyone interested can go about constructing a bibliographic chapter for presentation on this site.
Purposes Beyond Bibliography
Iin addition and when possible, the Group seeks to conduct research, to assist relevant researchers, to respond to public inquiries, to publish items on Davis history, and to organize Davis history lectures, seminars, and conferences.
A History Archive and Research Organization
The Group views itself as both a history archive and a history research organization. Other history archive organizations include, for example, the Yolo County Archives, the UCD Shields Library Department of Special Collections, and The California State Archives. Other history research organizations include the California Historical Society, the Western History Association, and the Agricultural History Society.
A Research, Not Political or Heritage, Organization
The Group does not take positions on political questions outside its immediate research mission. However, it regards Davis history as a public good and encourages widespread knowledge of it and its use by individuals, groups, and communities.
Even though it does not advocate or act on political matters such as historic preservation and heritage celebration, it respects the roles and missions of history organizations so engaged. The Group's single goal of advancing research on Davis history sets it off from these associations and, at the same time, complements them.
Organization and Funding
Membership and Projects
It is hoped that new members will display their active interests by contributing to or leading DHRG projects.
At this time, developing bibliographic "chapters" on this web site is the major DHRG project. While not required, a new member is strongly encouraged to compile such a chapter.
Additional types of Group projects that might be undertaken include conducting original research on Davis history, assisting other researchers, responding to public inquiries, publishing items on Davis history, and organizing Davis history lectures, seminars and conferences.
A new (or existing) member can take the lead in any of these types of projects.