Author Archives: Emily Gainer

Call for Nominations for SOA Council 2023

The SOA Nominating Committee would like to announce a call for nominations for

Vice President/President Elect,
Treasurer, and
Member of Council.

Self-nominations are welcomed and encouraged, as are peer nominations. We welcome and encourage nominations of new professionals and/or those seeking to be involved in a professional organization for the first time. All positions are for two year terms of office, with the exception of the VP/President/Past President cycle which is one year in each position (3 year commitment total).

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Ohio Archives Month Spotlight 5: Cleveland Police

Ohio Archives Month Spotlights: Cleveland Police Historical Society and Museum

The Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy and Outreach Committee is happy to announce that we will be spotlighting archives around the state again this year to celebrate archives month throughout October 2023. Each of our archives spotlights will feature places that house materials related to the theme of the poster, Land, Water, & Air: Transportation in Ohio.

by Christine Liebson, MLIS, CA

Introduction

A black and white historical photograph of a Harly Davidson police motorcycle. It is parked in front of a brick building.

1939 Harley Davidson police motorcycle

The Cleveland Police Historical Society and Museum exists to collect and preserve Cleveland police history and to use its collection and programs to educate the public and to foster a mutual understanding and respect between law enforcement and the public. The Cleveland Police Historical Society (CPHS) works in cooperation with, but is independent of, the Cleveland Division of Police. Financial support comes from membership dues, donations, and small grants from various government agencies and private organizations. The CPHS receives no tax funds from the City of Cleveland, State of Ohio, or the Federal Government. The Cleveland Police Museum opened in June 1983 with Florence E. Schwein as its director. The current director, Mazie Adams, graciously accepted our invitation for an interview to share with us about her work and collections at the museum. Continue reading →

Ohio Archives Month Spotlight 4: The University of Akron

Ohio Archives Month Spotlights: The University of Akron Archives and Special Collections

By Natalie Fritz, Archivist and Outreach Director, Clark County Historical Society

A photograph of a large, multi-story cement building in a city setting. This is a view of the corner of the building. Large letters UA are attached to the corner of the building.

The Polsky Building, University of Akron

This week we are shining a spotlight on the University of Akron Archives and Special Collections. The University was founded in 1870 as Buchtel College. The Archives and Special Collections are housed in the Polsky Building and they provide access to a wide variety of historical resources including collections on the University’s history, the city of Akron and Summit, the surrounding county, the rubber industry, which was integral to the community’s development, and more.

A black and white historic photograph of a large blimp with Goodyear printed on the side. A large hanger is in the background.

The ground crew hauls out the Goodyear blimp, The Puritan, from the Wingfoot Lake Hangar, for its first flight, July 3, 1938.

Important transportation related collections in the archives include the Lighter-than-Air Collections. The images from the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Records are great for those interested in blimps and airships. (Especially for someone like me who grew up in Akron and was amazed by the sheer size of the Wingfoot Lake Hangar and who got excited whenever we’d spot the Goodyear Blimp around town)!

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Ohio Archives Month Spotlight 3: University of Dayton

Ohio Archives Month Spotlights: University of Dayton’s Hidden Aviation Gems

By Jim McKinnon, CA, Associate University Archivist

A photograph of the exterior of Albert Emanuel Hall at the University of Dayton. The building is a large, brick structure with white columns.

Albert Emanual Hall, University of Dayton

This week we will be spotlighting the University of Dayton Archives and Special Collections. The University of Dayton’s history is one of perseverance, tenacity, ingenuity and transformation. The school began with an act of faith more than 170 years ago. On July 1, 1850, St. Mary’s School for Boys opened its doors to 14 primary students from Dayton. Known at various times as St. Mary’s School, St. Mary’s Institute and St. Mary’s College, the school assumed its present identity in 1920. Today, the University of Dayton is recognized as a top-tier national research university rooted in the Catholic tradition.

A historic black and white photograph of four people standing in front of a small airplane.

Photograph of Charles F. Kettering’s secretary, Mrs. Olive Kettering, Bernard L. Whelan, and Mrs. Kettering’s friend.

The University Archives and Special Collections documents the history of the University as well as being the home to many special collections of prominent alumni such as Congressman Charles Whalen and the humorist Erma Bombeck. In addition, University Archives is home to approximately 12,000 rare books, some dating to the mid-15^th century. The archives are located on the second floor of Albert Emanuel Hall, which was built in 1927 as the new library.

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Special Election – Council Candidate Statements 2023

Candidate Statements Available for Vacant Council Seat

Voting for the special election for the vacant SOA Council seat is now open! Voting is open from Monday, October 16 through Tuesday, October 31. Please click here to access the ballot for the special election.

The Council seat will have a term ending at the SOA Annual Meeting in May 2024. The person who completes this term can run for a term in their own right in the regular 2024 election if they wish. More details about responsibilities and terms can be located in the SOA bylaws.

Running for the vacant Council seat are:

Sophia McGuire

Jim DaMico

Sophia McGuire, Records Management Analyst, Council Office, City of Gahanna. Read Sophia McGuire’s Candidate Statement.
Jim DaMico, Archivist, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Read Jim DaMico’s Candidate Statement.

Questions? Contact the SOA Nominating Committee.

Ohio Archives Month Spotlight 2: Inland Rivers Library

Ohio Archives Month Spotlights: Inland Rivers Library, Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

1895 informal group portrait with mostly women, one man, and several children wearing fine clothes and hats on the shores of a river with a steamboat in the background

Caption: Group waiting to board a steamboat at Evansville, Indiana, 1895. Photograph link

About the Inland Rivers Library

By A&O Committee member Erin Wilson, Ohio University Libraries

Sepia toned photo of Cotton Blossom showboat on the banks of the Ohio River with band members on board and children posing on the shore and boat ramp

People aboard Cotton Blossom showboat on the banks of the Ohio River, circa 1908-1917. Photograph link

Have you ever wondered what life was like along the Ohio River when steamboats were the dominant form of transport? Whether you’re interested in river travel, trade, navigation, or the history of local river towns, the Inland Rivers Library is one of the largest and most comprehensive collections documenting use of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and their tributaries. Housed in the Genealogy and Local History Department of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, the Inland Rivers collection includes materials dating back to the 1820s which present some of the earliest images and descriptions of the steamboat era and its Ohio locales.

Continue reading →

Archives Month Poster 2023 Announcement

Celebrate American Archives Month in Ohio with the 2023 poster

An image of the 2023 Ohio Archives Month poster. The text Land, Water and Air is in the center with an orange banner around it. Historic images surround the text.

Ohio Archives Month poster 2023. Land, Water, & Air: Transportation in Ohio

October is American Archives Month! Each year, SOA creates a poster to recognize and celebrate Archives Month. The theme for 2023 poster is Land, Water, & Air: Transportation in Ohio. You can download and share a PDF of the 2023 Archives Month Poster. Thank you again to all those who submitted images for consideration!

In keeping with this year’s poster theme, during October the Advocacy and Outreach Committee will be highlighting transportation-related archives with Archives Spotlight blog posts.

SOA’s Archives Month activity is managed by the Advocacy and Outreach Committee. Questions? Contact the committee at [email protected].

Ohio Archives Month Spotlight 1: Wright State University

Ohio Archives Month Spotlights: Wright State University Special Collections and Archives

by Collette N. McDonough, CA

A photograph of the research spaces at Wright State University Special Collections and Archives. A man and woman stand in front of an exhibit case.

Research spaces at Special Collections and Archives in the Wright State University Libraries. Credit: Wright State University.

The Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy and Outreach Committee is happy to announce that we will be spotlighting archives around the state again this year to celebrate archives month throughout October. Each of our archives spotlights will feature places that house materials related the theme of the poster, Land, Water, & Air: Transportation in Ohio.

The first archives we will be spotlighting in 2023 is Wright State University Special Collections and Archives. Even though Wright State’s submission was not featured on the poster this year, we are happy to have them front and center in our first archives spotlight.

Historical image in sepia tone. Shows an airplane on a beach and a man in dark clothing standing on the right side.

This famous image, taken by John T. Daniels, captures a moment of the twelve-second first flight. Daniels walked up from the U.S. Lifesaving Station at Kill Devil Hills to help the brothers. The Wright Brothers did not know if the image caught their airplane in flight until they developed the negatives at home back in Dayton, Ohio.

Wright State University was founded in the 1960s as a part of a plan to make higher education more convenient for Ohioans and got its start as a joint campus of the Ohio State University and Miami University. By 1967, the campus was granted independent status and named in honor of Dayton’s favorite sons, inventors of the manned heavier-than-air powered and controlled aircraft. The Wright State archive got its start with their first collection of Wright Brothers materials. In December 1975, the Wright Family “including Ivonette Wright Miller, Leontine Wright Jameson, Horace A. Wright, Milton Wright, Jr., and Wilkinson Wright,” gave materials to the archives to become the Wright Brothers Collection. Continue reading →

Internship Available at OCLC 2024

Sharing an Internship Opportunity

Posting Date: September 27, 2023

Institution: OCLC

Internship Description: We are looking to fill a part-time internship beginning in mid-January 2024 for a current MLIS or Archives/Museum studies student at the OCLC Library, Archives, and Museum located within the OCLC Headquarters in Dublin, OH. Internship is for a total of 268 hours at $17.00 per hour with some flexibility in starting and ending dates. Estimating approximately 20-30 hours/week.

Additional Information: Students must currently be enrolled in a LIS, Archives or Museum studies graduate level program. Internship is intended for on-site attendance with some remote work if logistically possible and pre-approved by OCLC Library manager. For more information, check the link to the job posting and application.

Availability: beginning January 15, 2024, and ending before May 1, 2024.

For more internships, visit Internship and Volunteer listings, which is a project of the Membership and Awards Committee. Contact committee member Mark Bloom to submit or update an entry.