Mirror photo by Teri Enciso Harriet Snare, a docent at Fort Roberdeau, Sinking Valley, demonstrates how a blacksmith would make wooden nails.

For tour guides in a number of cities, a prominent question has come about: How qualified do you have to be? With the recent passing of a Philadelphia ordinance requiring the city’s paid tour guides to pass a history test and obtain a license before speaking to groups about the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and other historic landmarks, three guides have filed lawsuits claiming the law violates their rights of free speech, and that the city government has overstepped its bounds. Supporters say it will ensure that guides do not disseminate misinformation in a city that is home to some of the country’s most historic sites. But Philadelphia isn’t the only place where tourism impacts the local economy. And though no such legislation has yet been passed in Blair County, some local tour guides, also known as docents, offered their thoughts on the subject, pondering how licensure and testing requirements could affect smaller communities.