Category Archives: Advocacy and Outreach

Archives Month Poster Unveiling Event on Sept 17

The SOA Advocacy & Outreach Committee invites you to attend its annual poster unveiling event on September 17 at 3:00pm EST to kick off the celebration of Archives Month this October.

There is no fee to attend, but registration is required. This year’s poster theme is “America 250: Unique Ohio” and, as always, it will feature images submitted and selected by SOA members.

The virtual event will feature speakers Todd Kleismit, Executive Director of the Ohio Commission for the U.S. Semiquincentennial; Zoe Thomas, Dawes Arboretum; and staff from the University of Akron Archives and Special Collections. There will also be fun (and themed!) trivia questions to test your knowledge of Ohio’s contributions to American history. If you would like to submit a trivia question for consideration, please do so here.

Concluding the event, there will be a drawing for a $100 “Pizza Party” gift card awarded to a submitter whose photo was voted into the top 10 for the poster.

Show your support for Ohio archives and RSVP/Register today!

Details for joining the Zoom event will be sent in a calendar invitation one week prior to September 17. We look forward to seeing you then!

Sent on behalf of the Advocacy & Outreach Committee
Emily Rebmann & Nina Herzog, co-chair

Join us for Coffee Chat on September 15, 2026

Join us as we close out summer and get ready for upcoming projects. Society of Ohio Archivists (SOA) Coffee Chat on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, from 10-11am on Zoom! These casual gatherings are an opportunity for SOA members to network, share challenges and successes in their work, and bounce ideas off colleagues outside of the Annual Conference. flyer image for post

This, our fourth Coffee Chat, will be a chance to check in with members. Possible discussion topics include teaching with primary resources and navigating archives and institutional structure, especially for solo archivists. This is your chance to shape a benefit of SOA membership! We hope to see you there. Please register to join the conversation. If you are unable to attend but would like to help shape what these meetings look like, please complete the survey.

Questions? Contact Darrell Blevins Jr. and Jim DaMico, SOA Council Members.

America 250: Reflections from the Archives

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

It’s July 2026, and we’ve officially arrived at the big celebration stretch for America 250. But if you’ve been doing this work in your own community, you already know the anniversary isn’t really about a single day. It’s not just the 4th of July. The commemorations, programming, and reflection have been unfolding all year long (and even before), and they’ll keep unfolding well past the fireworks.

As the Archivist and Outreach Director at the Clark County Historical Society in Springfield, I’ve spent the last year and a half feeling like I’m neck-deep in that work, and I wanted to share how it’s gone here. This is partly as a record for our own institution, and partly because I know so many of you are navigating the same in your own communities.

Leaning on the Ohio Commission

We’re fortunate in Ohio to have infrastructure behind this anniversary. The America 250 Ohio Commission has been planning for years, well before 2026, and launched many of its programs and initiatives back in 2025. One of the most useful things they provide is monthly guidance: a rotating set of themes and topics for local organizations to build programming around throughout the year. That guidance has shaped a lot of what we’ve done in Clark County, and I suspect it has shaped your work too.

Screenshot of three images from the America250 Ohio website. First image is a number 1, second image is a lightbulb, and third image is a man playing a saxophone.

Some of Ohio’s Themes, from https://america250-ohio.org/, where you can find anything and everything about what’s going on across Ohio throughout this celebration year.

At its core, the assignment for all of us has been the same: look at our own community’s place in America’s story, and share the pieces that make us unique. Continue reading →

Cast Your Vote: 2026 Ohio Archives Month Poster Images

Vote for the SOA October Archives Month poster images!

For the 2026 Society of Ohio Archivists’ October Archives Month poster, we asked for archival image submissions related to the theme, America 250: Unique Ohio. We asked how archival collections across the state showcase the things that make Ohio unique.

We received 41 images and enjoyed viewing each of the submissions. The ten images that receive the most votes will be submitted to the designer for consideration.

How to vote:

View images and submit your votes in the Google Form
Vote for no more than 10 images
Please only vote once
Voting runs April 13 through 11:59 p.m. on May 1, 2026

Thank you for your participation and support,
Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy & Outreach Committee

Archives Month Poster: Call for Images 2026

This year for the annual Society of Ohio Archivists’ October Archives Month poster, we are looking for archival image submissions related to the theme “America 250: Unique Ohio.” As we consider the 250th anniversary of the nation, how do archival collections across the state showcase the things that make Ohio unique?

Does your archive have images of iconic architecture? Do you have photos related to contributions made by Ohio’s innovators and creators? Does your photographs collection include any depictions of “largest,” “first,” or “best” landmarks? Do you have photographs of signature events held in the state? All of these are examples for potential submissions!

If you are interested in participating, please submit your related images to Emily Rebmann by Saturday, April 4, 2026.

Institutions can submit a maximum of three (3) images. Please ensure that the image quality is a minimum of 300 dpi; higher quality is encouraged. With your submission, please include a description of the image that explains its importance and a brief one-sentence caption that can be used on the poster if the image is selected.

SOA members will have the opportunity to vote on their favorite entry between Monday, April 13 – Friday, May 1, 2026. We are hoping to receive submissions from across the state of Ohio. Entrants do not need to be members to submit images. If you know organizations with archival materials that would fit well with this year’s theme, please share this call for photo submissions with them!

We look forward to your participation!

Thank You,

Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy & Outreach Committee

Join us for Coffee Chat on January 13, 2026

Grab a hot beverage and join us for the third Society of Ohio Archivists (SOA) Coffee Chat on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, from 10-11am on Zoom! These casual gatherings are an opportunity for SOA members to network, share challenges and successes in their work, and bounce ideas off colleagues outside of the Annual Conference.

This, our third Coffee Chat will be chance to check in with members. Possible discussion topics include teaching with primary resources and navigating archives and institutional structure, especially for solo archivists. This is your chance to shape a benefit of SOA membership! We hope to see you there. Please register to join the conversation. If you are unable to attend but would like to help shape what these meetings look like, please complete the survey.

Questions? Contact Darrell Blevins Jr. and Jim DaMico, SOA Council Members.

Native American Heritage Month 2025

Contributed by Sarah Aisenbrey, Sisters of the Precious Blood Archivist, and member of the SOA Advocacy and Outreach Committee.

I respectfully acknowledge the original stewards of the land on which I sit. I am on the traditional lands of the Adena Culture, Hopewell Culture, Kaskaskia People, Myaamia People, Shawandasse Tula (Shawanwaki/Shawnee) People, and ^^(Osage) People.

Many of us learn of the Indigenous people in the United States as if they came “before.” Their history is just that… history. Native American Heritage Month, celebrated every November, aims to change this view.

The following blog introduces a timeline of Native American Heritage Month, a tribute to an Indigenous Sister of the Precious Blood, and a project that aims to provide archival transparency to survivors of Catholic-operated Native Boarding Schools in the United States, pre-1978. Continue reading →

Born in Ohio: Preserving the Stories of Local Businesses

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

Each October, the Society of Ohio Archivists celebrates American Archives Month by highlighting the important work of preserving and sharing Ohio’s history. Every year, the SOA Advocacy and Outreach Committee selects a theme and invites archives across the state to submit up to three images per institution that best represent the theme. After SOA members vote on their favorites, the top ten images are used to create the year’s Archives Month poster, which was recently revealed during a virtual unveiling event in September.

This year’s theme, “Ohio Born Companies,” celebrates the countless businesses that got their start here in the Buckeye State. From family-owned shops to manufacturing giants, Ohio has long been a place where innovation and hard work converge. Archives across the state, both large and small, play a vital role in documenting those businesses and the communities that shaped them.

Collecting the Story of Local Industry

A photograph of book shelves with three rows of books. Most books have brown spines.

Springfield City Directories, 1852–2020. An invaluable resource to trace the evolution of local businesses & their locations.

In our archives at the Clark County Historical Society at the Heritage Center in Springfield, Ohio, one of the most used resources is our collection of Springfield City Directories, dating from 1852 through 2020. These volumes are indispensable for tracing the history of a business, helping researchers determine when a company first appeared, where it was located, and how it evolved over time.

We use them regularly to identify local companies pictured in historic photographs and to connect visual materials to their broader stories.

Continue reading →

Archives Month Poster 2025 Announcement

Celebrate American Archives Month in Ohio with the 2025 poster

A montage of 5 historical images arranged onto a poster. Includes blue text in the center Ohio Born Companies.

Ohio Archives Month poster 2025: Ohio Born Companies

October is American Archives Month! Each year, SOA creates a poster to recognize and celebrate Archives Month. The theme for 2025 poster is Ohio Born Companies. You can download and share a PDF of the 2025 Archives Month Poster . Thank you again to all those who submitted images for consideration!

Images on the 2025 poster were contributed by Mahoning Valley Historical Society, Columbus Metropolitan Library, J.M. Smucker Co., Wright State University, and The Ohio History Connection.

SOA’s Archives Month activity is managed by the Advocacy and Outreach Committee. Questions? Contact the Committee Cochairs Christine Liebson and Emily Rebmann.

Archives Month Poster Unveiling on Sept 25

The SOA Advocacy & Outreach Committee invites you to attend its annual poster unveiling event on September 25 at 3:30pm EST to kick-off our celebration of Archives Month this October.

There is no fee to attend, but registration is required. Please complete the Registration Google Form by Tuesday, September 23rd to secure your spot for the festivities. Zoom information to join the event will be provided via email upon registration.

This year’s poster theme is “Ohio-born companies” and, as always, will feature images submitted and selected by SOA members.

The event will feature speakers Pam Speis of Mahoning Historical Society and Grace Ethier of Wright State University. There will also be some fun trivia questions to test your knowledge of Ohio companies past and present.

Concluding the event, there will be a drawing for a $100 “Pizza Party” gift card awarded to a submitter whose photo was voted into the top 10 for the poster.

Posted on behalf of the Advocacy & Outreach Committee by Christine Liebson & Emily Rebmann, cochairs, with special thanks to committee member, Collette McDonough for leading the organization of this event. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Questions? Contact the Advocacy & Outreach Committee cochairs Christine Liebson and Emily Rebmann.