Author Archives: Emily Gainer

Celebrating the Ohio State Fair History

by Collette N. McDonough, CA. Collette is a member of the SOA Advocacy and Outreach Committee.

As a young person, the summers meant many things to the city pool, mowing the grass, but the peak of summer fun was the fair. I was a 4-H kid, and the county and state fairs were a big deal for me. I participated in the animal science program, specifically the equine division. I loved going to the Washington County Fair each year and to the Ohio State Fair when I qualified. So, I’m happy to contribute this blog post about the Ohio State Fair that features materials from the Ohio History Connection.

Most Ohioans would assume that our state fair has always been held in Columbus, but the fair bounced around the state well into the 1880s, taking place in Cincinnati, Dayton, Newark, Toledo, Zanesville, Cleveland, Mansfield, Sandusky, and Springfield before its permanent and current home in Columbus was finished in 1886. The first Ohio State Fair was held in 1850, just outside of Cincinnati. Continue reading →

SOA Election Results 2024

During the recent Annual Meeting at Capital University, new council members were elected.

SOA would like to welcome the following new leaders:

  • Matt Francis, Ohio Northern University, President (2024-2025)
  • Jennifer Long Morehart, Bowling Green State University, Vice President/President-Elect (2024-2025)
  • Sophia McGuire, City of Gahanna, Treasurer (2024-2026)
  • Jim DaMico, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Edward L. Pratt Research Library, Council Member (2024-2026)

A big thanks to the Nominating Committee. Also, thank you to everyone who participated!

Officer Transitions:

  • Matt Francis, Ohio Northern University, transitions from Vice President/President-Elect to President. Thanks to Matt for his continued leadership.
  • Melissa Dalton, Preserve It, LLC, transitions from President to Past-President. Thanks to Melissa for her work as President.
  • Brittany Hays completed her term as Treasurer. Thanks to Brittany for her work as Treasurer.

New co-chairs:

  • Advocacy and Outreach Committee: Welcomes Sarah Aisenbrey, as co-chair
  • Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (JEDAI) Committee: Welcomes Hannah Kemp-Severence, University of Akron, as co-chair
  • Marketing and Communications Committee: Welcomes Amber Bales, Ohio State University, as co-chair.
  • Membership and Awards Committee: Welcomes Stephanie Shreffler, University of Dayton, as co-chair.

Thanks to outgoing co-chairs: Collette McDonough (Advocacy and Outreach Committee); Penelope Shumaker (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (JEDAI) Committee); Jane Wildermuth (Marketing and Communications Committee); and Jennifer Long Morehart (Membership and Awards Committee).

For more information see the Officer and Council Member roster, Committees & Task Forces page, and the Nominating Committee page.

Council Meeting Minutes Available, April and May 2024

The Society of Ohio Archivists most recent leadership meeting minutes from April 5 and May 17, 2024, can now be found on the Council Meeting Minutes page.

Interested in SOA over time? Also on that page are minutes dating back to 1997. In addition to documenting actions from the leadership meeting, minutes include reports from the treasurer as well as from committees and task forces.

Questions about minutes? Contact SOA Secretary Shelby Beatty.

JEDAI Committee seeks additional members

The Society of Ohio Archivists Justice, Equity, Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (JEDAI) Committee seeks additional committee members!
The SOA Social Justice and Black Lives Matter Task Force transitioned into the JEDAI Committee in 2023. This committee’s current goal is to evaluate the internal processes of SOA and generate plans for improvement related to the topics of justice, equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion. The JEDAI Committee meets virtually every month. The total time commitment is estimated to be 1-1.5 hours per month. Committee member terms are 2 years with an option to renew. Any member of SOA is welcome to serve!
Please contact JEDAI Cochair, Nicole Sutton, at [email protected] to volunteer or with questions.
Sincerely,
Devhra BennettJones, University of Cincinnati (2020-)
Madeleine Fix, The Ohio State University (2020- )
Hannah Kemp-Severence, University of Akron (2023- )
Arjun Sabharwal, University of Toledo (2023- )
Penelope Shumaker, State Library of Ohio (2020-, cochair 2023-2024)
Nicole Sutton, Columbus Metropolitan Library (2020-, cochair 2023-2025)

Ballot Available for 2024 Election

It’s time to vote for Society of Ohio Archivists Leadership!

All current members of SOA should have received an email with a link to the ballot for officers and Council members on April 26. The ballot will be available April 26-May 17 (noon). If you did not receive one, and you have checked your junk folder, check with SOA Liaison Betsy Hedler at ohioarchivists@ohiohistory.org regarding your membership status.

Please see the Candidates’ Statements on page 4 of the Ohio Archivist, spring 2024.

2024 Slate of Candidates

  • Vice President/President-elect: Jennifer Long Morehart
  • Treasurer: Sophia McGuire
  • Council (1 open seat): Jim DaMico

Thank you to the Nominating Committee for their work.

Volunteer Appreciation Month: Clark County Historical Society

by Natalie Fritz, Archivist & Outreach Director, Clark County Historical Society at the Heritage Center.

 

April is volunteer appreciation month, a great time to acknowledge those who give their time, talent, and energy to support our missions and day to day operations.

Depending on what kind of organization you are from, you may interact with, utilize and depend upon, and find your volunteers differently. I want to share a bit about my own experience with volunteers as the Archivist and Outreach Director for the Clark County Historical Society in Springfield, Ohio.

A color photograph of a stone and brick building. There are trees and light posts surrounding the building. Blue sky with white clouds are behind the building.

The Clark County Historical Society is housed in the Heritage Center.

First a bit of background on our organization. We are a county museum, founded in 1897. Since 2001 our home has been the Heritage Center, built as Springfield’s City Hall and Marketplace in 1890. The Heritage Center has a museum on the first and second floor, of the original building and we added an annex for more exhibits, the Expo Hall, in 2003. We have collections storage throughout the building, but primarily on the second floor, and our research library and archives are on the third floor on the east end of the very long, very narrow building. There are other tenants in the building, including Clark County Veterans Services, United Way, ODOT, and Un Mundo Café. We are grateful to have support from our community for a levy, which mainly helps with major upkeep and capital projects in our 130+ year old building. Continue reading →

Ohio Archives Month Poster 2024 – Voting Open

Help select the images used for the 2024 Ohio Archives Month Poster!

This year for the annual Society of Ohio Archivists’ October Archives Month poster the theme will highlight Ohio connections to Olympic competitions with “O-H-I-Olympics: Competitors from the Buckeye State.”

The submitted images from around the state include not only those related to the summer and winter international Olympic Games, but also those connected to the Special Olympics and Senior Olympics. Continue reading →

Annual Meeting 2024 Registration Now Open

Registration is now open for the 2024 Annual Meeting: Archives For All: Enhancing Accessibility and Inclusivity, May 16-17!  Register online or mail-in in this form (PDF).

This May, the Society of Ohio Archivists Annual Meeting is going hybrid! Join us on Thursday, May 16 for virtual sessions, and on Friday, May 17 at Capital University in the Harry C. Moores Student Union, 745 Pleasant Ridge Ave., Columbus, Ohio, for a full day of in-person presentations, networking, and an exciting keynote speaker (select sessions streamed to virtual attendees). Continue reading →

SOA Council Meeting Minutes from January 26, 2024

The Society of Ohio Archivists most recent leadership meeting minutes from January 26, 2024, can now be found on the Council Meeting Minutes page.

Interested in SOA over time? Also on that page are minutes dating back to 1997. In addition to documenting actions from the leadership meeting, minutes include reports from the treasurer as well as from committees and task forces.

Questions about minutes? Contact SOA Secretary Shelby Beatty.