Author Archives: janet_carleton

Ask an Archivist Day 2022

Ask An Archivist Day 2022 graphic from SAA

Who here in Ohio is planning on taking part in #AskAnArchivist Day?

This is an opportunity to talk with the public so they can learn about archives and archivists. Questions vary widely but we hope you will hop on Twitter and respond to questions tweeted with the hashtag #AskAnArchivist. We hope to see you there, next Wednesday, October 12!

More information and resources at the Society of American Archivists #AskAnArchivist Day page. They also have a signup to be on the list of those participating.

This post part of Archives Month activities from the Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy and Outreach Committee.

Ohio Archives Month Archival Spotlights: Ohio University’s Mahn Center

Athens Mental Health Center Administration building, winter 1981. Tom O’Grady. Athens Mental Health Center collection, Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections, Ohio University Libraries.

Announcing a New Series

The Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy and Outreach Committee wanted to celebrate Archives Month in a new way, so we will be featuring a handful of archives in a series of posts we are calling Archival Spotlights. Since the Archives Month poster’s theme was “Ohio’s Healthcare Workers: The True Heart of it All,” we felt it a good idea to feature archives that focus on healthcare or have interesting collections related to healthcare. The first archive to be featured is the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections, focusing on their Athens Mental Health Center collection.

About the Mahn Center, and the Athens Mental Health Center Collection

By A&O Committee Chair Collette McDonough, Kettering Foundation.

The Robert E. and Jean R. Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections, part of Ohio University Libraries in Athens, Ohio, contains the Ohio University Archives, Rare Books, Manuscript Collections, and the Documentary Photography Archive. The Mahn Center’s mission “is to support the education, research, and creative endeavors of Ohio University, or broad community of researcher, and anyone with an interest in the preservation of cultural heritage.” Ohio University is in the rolling foothills of Southeast Ohio and is a center for arts and culture in the area.

Athens is renowned for what is now known as The Ridges. Originally called the Athens Lunatic Asylum and later named the Athens State Hospital, The Ridges opened in 1874. The Athens Mental Health Center collection documents its evolution.

Plan for buildings and grounds of Athens Lunatic Asylum, 1872. Athens Mental Health Center collection, Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections, Ohio University Libraries.

This fold-out map from 1872 was pasted into some copies of the first annual report of the Athens Lunatic Asylum. The construction of the campus started in 1868. The grounds were designed by Herman Haerlin, who was also the landscape architect of the Oval at The Ohio University. The architect was Levi T. Scofield. Continue reading →

Register Now: SOA Virtual Workshop, Going Rogue: Practical Hacks (and Pitfalls) for Electronic Records Processing, Nov 9-10, 2022

The Society of Ohio Archivists is excited to announce that registration is now open for its fall virtual workshop, “Going Rogue: Practical Hacks (and Pitfalls) for Electronic Records Processing“!

“Going Rogue” will be held online via Zoom on both Wednesday November 9 and Thursday November 10, 10am-12pm Eastern. This is a two-day workshop and attendees are expected to participate on both days. The workshop will not be recorded but resource links will be shared after the workshop.

See the Meetings page for all the details and to register.

Registration is FREE for members and $15 for non-members.

Description: The challenges of born digital records are well-known to most archivists by now. For years professional literature, workshops, and trainings have informed us of the complexities and issues around these materials. But what happens when theory meets reality? What kinds of collections are we actually encountering, and what are the real-life tools and procedures that repositories are using?

Speakers: Carol Kussmann, Digital Preservation Analyst, Digital Preservation and Repository Technologies and Lara Friedman-Shedlov, Digital Records Archivist, Archives & Special Collections, University of Minnesota Libraries.

The SOA Educational Programming Committee is partnering with the Midwest Archives Conference Speakers Bureau to offer this great educational opportunity.

Questions? Contact the Educational Programming Committee Cochairs Matt Francis and Adam Wanter.

Internship: OBWC Library & Archives Intern

The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation – Division of Safety & Hygiene welcomes applicants for the Library & Archives Intern position.

Institution: Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation – Division of Safety & Hygiene
Position: Library & Archives Intern
Location: 30 West Spring Street, Columbus Ohio 43221
Details at https://dasstateoh.taleo.net/careersection/oh_ext/jobdetail.ftl?job=2200095V&tz=GMT-04%3A00&tzname=America%2FNew_York
Availability: This is a temporary, part-time intern position working up to 29 hrs/week.
Application deadline: October 23, 2022
Paid: Yes. Up to $19.99 per hour depending on academic grade level. No benefits.
On-Going Program: No

SOA’s Internship and Volunteer listings page is a project of the Membership and Awards Committee. Contact committee member Mark Bloom to submit or update an entry.

Watch Ohio Archives Month 2022 Poster Reveal

The Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy and Outreach Committee held an unveiling event for the Ohio Archives Month poster on Thursday, September 8, 2022, 3-4pm on Zoom.

At the unveiling, we heard more about the top ten winning photos (as voted by you!), played some fun Ohio health history trivia, and finally, saw the reveal of this year’s beautiful poster.

The theme of this year’s poster is “Ohio’s Healthcare Workers: The True Heart of It All,” and we received so many amazing submissions! See more about the submissions and the voting process in “2022 Ohio Archives Month Poster Top 10 Voting Results.”

Watch the Zoom unveiling event on the SOA YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/ba1PSJaBxLk (or in the embed below).

Download the poster as a PDF from the website. And see past posters. Physical posters are in the mail (I got mine last week).

Stand by for more Archive Month in Ohio activities!

Questions? Contact A&O Committee Chair Collette McDonough.

SOA Council Meeting Minutes for Aug 2, 2022 Available

The Society of Ohio Archivists most recent leadership meeting minutes, from August 2, 2022, can now be found on the Council Meeting Minutes page. The document includes many between-meeting actions.

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 Jen Johnson.

Internship: Oberlin College Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Intern

The Oberlin College Libraries welcome applicants for the Archives and Special Collections Intern position.

Institution: Oberlin College Libraries, Archives and Special Collections
Position: Archives and Special Collections Intern
Location: Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio
Details at https://jobs.oberlin.edu/postings/12813
Availability: Begins October 3, 2022 and ends on March 31, 2023 with the possibility of an extension for another 6 months. This is a temporary, part-time intern position working up to 20 hrs/week.
Application deadline: Open until filled.
Paid: Yes. $15.00 per hour / No benefits.

SOA’s Internship and Volunteer listings page is a project of the Membership and Awards Committee. Contact committee member Mark Bloom to submit or update an entry.

Archives Month 2022 Poster Reveal Event – Sept 8

The Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy and Outreach Committee is pleased to announce open registration and the agenda for the unveiling of the Ohio Archives Month poster on Thursday, September 8, 2022, 3-4pm on Zoom. (Watch the recording on YouTube!)

At the unveiling we’ll have the top ten photo winners speaking about their winning images, some fun trivia, and finally, the reveal of this year’s beautiful poster.

The theme of this year’s poster is “Ohio’s Healthcare Workers: The True Heart of It All,” and we received so many amazing submissions! See more about the submissions and the voting process in “2022 Ohio Archives Month Poster Top 10 Voting Results.”

Register by September 6. Continue reading →

SOA Annual Meeting 2023 Quick Survey

The Society of Ohio Archivists Educational Programming Committee (EPC) is considering going hybrid for the 2023 Annual Spring Conference!

We would like your feedback on offering a traditional in-person conference with the ability to attend some or all sessions virtually. We will use the information from this one-question survey to gauge how many people might prefer to attend virtually, and how large of a venue we might need. Please respond by Friday, September 2.

Access the survey here.

If you are interested in joining the EPC (or have questions), please reach out to the Educational Programming Committee Cochairs Matt Francis and Adam Wanter.

2022 OHLA/SOA Fall Joint Conference Registration EXTENDED

Joint OLHA/SOA Fall Meeting 2022: Be the Change

September 30-October 1, 2022, in-person at the Quest Conference Center, Columbus (Westerville).

Join the Society of Ohio Archivists and the Ohio Local History Association for our in-person fall meeting! This is OLHA’s annual 2-day meeting with the addition of a SOA track on Friday, September 30, serving as SOA’s fall conference. Come for SOA’s sessions or come for the entire conference!

For the SOA track we have 3 panels, plus the discussion session Crucial Conversations: Social Justice in the Archives. Panel sessions cover Grants for Your Institution: Where to Find Them and How to Get Them with Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board members; From Skin to Skeleton: Pulling off the “Illustrated Human” Exhibit and Lecture Series at the Henry R. Winkler Center for the History of the Health Professions with University of Cincinnati staff; and Beyond the Grant: Cultivating Sustainable Next Steps with Bowling Green State University, Kent State University, and Lakeside Heritage Society representatives.

See the annual conferences page to register and for many more details! Continue reading →