Category Archives: Advocacy and Outreach

Archives Month Poster: Call for Images 2024

For this year’s annual Society of Ohio Archivists’ October Archives Month, the theme will be “O-H-I-Olympics: Competitors from the Buckeye State.” In conjunction with the 2024 summer Olympics, we want to highlight Ohio connections to Olympic competitions.

We are looking for archival images not only related to the summer and winter international Olympic Games, but also those connected to the Paralympic Games and to the Special Olympics. These can be images connected with people who competed in the games, even if they didn’t bring home the gold (or any medal)! We’re also looking for images connected to trainers, coaches, and spectators. If your institution has archival images with an intriguing backstory, please submit them for a chance to be featured in the poster this year.

We are hoping to receive submissions from across the state of Ohio. If interested in participating, please submit your related images to the Advocacy and Outreach Committee at [email protected] by Friday, April 5, 2024.

Institutions or individuals 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 entries between Monday, April 8 and Friday, April 26, 2024. Entrants do NOT need to be members to submit images. If you know of organizations with archival materials that would fit with this year’s theme, please share this information with them!

We look forward to your participation!  View previous Ohio Archives Month posters.

Thank you,
Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy and Outreach Committee

Letter from Advocacy and Outreach Committee: SB-83

Dear SOA members,

I am contacting you on a matter related to our work as Public Historians: history advocacy. As a co-chair of the Advocacy and Outreach Committee, I keep SOA members abreast of relevant issues related to archives in Ohio. I am reaching out to you all today about Ohio Senate Bill 83 (SB-83). This bill targets state higher education institutions. Although it does not explicitly include archives, its implications for US history and government courses are dire. My main concern is to talk with you all about how this bill will impact history, which DOES affect us.

SB-83 is full of contradictions and will limit freedom of speech, which we all would agree is entirely undemocratic. While the bill claims to support intellectual diversity, it becomes clear that the true intent is to control subject matter and how certain topics can be discussed in the classroom. SB-83 attempts to whitewash history and oversimplify the truth. This reduces the lives and experiences of non-white people by making their truths seem too controversial for students to learn about and discuss. Last time I checked, history is full of controversy and is not meant to make us feel warm and fuzzy. Sometimes, history leaves you feeling angry, horrified, or just plain sad – for your own experiences and for others. As a former educator at an Ohio community college, this bill aggravates and concerns me about the education of our college students. What worries me most is that classes could be developed by boards of trustees rather than by educators, limiting the academic freedom of professors at Ohio’s universities.

In November 2023, the American Historical Association (AHA) submitted a letter to the Ohio House Higher Education Committee voicing their concerns over SB-83:

“This bill takes fundamental decisions about the content and structure of a core general education course out of the hands of qualified faculty and departments, forcing educators to prioritize the wishes of the state legislature over the needs and interests of our students. From our vantage point, the course requirement in this legislation will do more to boost the rate of failure in general education courses than to improve the civic and historical awareness of Ohio’s public university students.”

The AHA letter is rather lengthy, but I highly encourage you to take the time to read it.

I hope you will take this knowledge and be compelled to contact your Congressperson to voice your concerns over SB-83. The bill is currently in the Ohio House, so please get in touch with your local house member. Don’t know who to contact? To search for your state representatives, visit https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/members/district-maps.

If you want to do more to make an impact, you can volunteer with the League of Women Voters (LWV) or the Ohio Conference NAACP.

Sincerely,
Collette N. McDonough, CA
Co-chair of the Advocacy and Outreach Committee
Society of Ohio Archivists

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 posterLand, 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

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 posterLand, Water, & Air: Transportation in Ohio.

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)!

Continue reading

Ohio Archives Month Spotlight 3: University of Dayton

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

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 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-15th century. The archives are located on the second floor of Albert Emanuel Hall, which was built in 1927 as the new library.

Continue reading

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

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.

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

Ohio Archives Month Poster Reveal on YouTube

Did you miss the Ohio Archives Month poster reveal live on September 7?  You can now watch the recorded event on the Society of Ohio Archivists YouTube channel.

Each year, SOA creates a poster to recognize and celebrate Archives Month in Ohio. This year’s theme is transportation. We had more than 20 Ohio institutions contribute images, and the SOA membership voted to pick the top ten images.

Questions? Contact the committee at [email protected].

Archives Month Poster Reveal 2023

2023 Poster Unveiling – Sept 7

The Society of Ohio Archivists Advocacy and Outreach Committee invites all SOA members and lovers of history to an online event where we will unveil the 2023 Archives Month poster!

Join us on Thursday, September 7, 2023, from 3 – 4pm (ET) on Zoom for the poster unveiling, along with fun trivia. Please register by September 4.

Each year, SOA creates a poster to recognize and celebrate Archives Month. This year’s theme is transportation. We had more than 20 Ohio institutions contribute images, and the SOA membership voted to pick the top ten images. View the 2023 top ten images on the blog.

Questions? Contact the committee at [email protected].