AHA Today turns one year old today. Since September 28, 2006, AHA staff members have produced over 300 blog posts, which have been viewed by more than 50,000 visitors. To celebrate this momentous occasion, we’d like to reflect on where we started, and how far we’ve come.

The first post on AHA Today was a sort of mission statement and jumping off point. Certain aspects of the blog were set up: it would focus on “on the latest happenings in the broad discipline of history” but also be a “clearinghouse for interesting, and perhaps useful information.” We were also very aware that the blogosphere tends to blur the line between the personal and professional. In fact, shortly after AHA Today hit the web, T. Mills Kelly at Edwired wondered in a post if a membership organization like the AHA could really use the “relative freedom of blogging to engage both its members and the general public in discussions about history” without crossing the line. We hope we’ve participated in the blogging medium well, taking advantage of its benefits (immediacy of posting, user comments, online community), while avoiding most of the pitfalls (too personal, poor quality of writing, etc.). But, as the first post states, we continue to see this blog as a dynamic work-in-progress. During this past year, we’ve added new features like the “Grant of the Week” and, more recently, “What We’re Reading.” We will keep striving to improve and enhance this blog, as we seek to serve the interests of all professional historians. We’d also like to hear your feedback about what kinds of blog posts you’d like more of. Please feel to leave your suggestions in a comment to this post.

Thank you for reading and taking part in AHA Today. To complete our look back, please check out our most read and most commented on posts, which follow below.

Most Read Posts

1. Google Books: What’s Not to Like?
2. Iraq War Resolution is Ratified by AHA Members
3. What Is a History Major Worth?
4. Wikipedia Banned by Middlebury College for History Students
5. On the Closing of PhD Programs

Most Commented on Posts

1. Google Books: What’s Not to Like?
2. Wither H-Net?
3. AAUP Calls for Cautious Approach to Open Access
4. Wikipedia Banned by Middlebury College for History Students
5. Sunshine for Smithsonian/Showtime

This post first appeared on AHA Today.