Category Archives: SOA Spring Conference

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).

Dr. Lydia Tang, Keynote Speaker, SOA Annual Meeting 2024

Keynote: Dr. Lydia Tang is our keynote speaker for this year’s conference. Dr. Tang is an Outreach and Engagement Coordinator for Lyrasis. Previously, she held archivist positions at Michigan State University, the Library of Congress, and numerous graduate positions at the University of Illinois, where she received her MLIS and Doctor of Musical Arts degree. She is the 2020 recipient of SAA’s Mark A. Greene Emerging Leader Award and a co-founder of the SAA Accessibility & Disability Section. She has very involved in advancing accessibility in archives through standards development with the Guidelines for Accessible Archives for People with Disabilities and open source technologies including ArchivesSpace, CollectionSpace, and DSpace. She has written about accessible physical archival spaces, hiring and advancement practices, taught accessibility workshops for Lyrasis Learning and the Midwest Archives Conference, and delivered keynotes on accessibility in archives for Best Practice Exchange (2022) and Code4Lib (2023). She is currently co-editing a forthcoming book for Litwin Press with Dr. Gracen Brilmeyer, Preserving Disability: Disability and the Archival Profession.

In sessions, we feature a mix of presentations centered around the “Archives for All” theme and those of general interest. Virtual-only sessions on Thursday include Sidney Gao and James Van Mil presenting on “Principles and Practice for Accessible Digitization;” Dyani Feige, who will discuss her work with the Appalachian Regional Heritage Stewardship Program; Wendy Guerra and Amy Schindler discussing “Flickr and Football: Creating Approachable Archives for Alumni;” and more. The Friday slate includes Michelle Ganz’s talk on “Intersectional DEI: We are Nobody without Everybody. A Common-sense Approach to Accessibility;” panelists Alia Wegner, Janet Rhodes, Brenda Foster, Nick Pavlik, and Amber Bales, presenting ‘“The One Thing You Cannot Do is Take.” The full Program of sessions and presenters is on the Annual Meeting webpage.

Register by Monday, April 15 to receive the early bird rate! Pre-registration ends on Wednesday, May 8 for the full conference experience (Day 1 virtual/Day 2 in person). Those choosing the all-virtual option have until May 15 to register online. On-site day of registration will be available, but without lunch. Full details are on the Annual Meeting webpage.

Questions? Please feel free to contact the 2023-2024 Educational Programming Committee Sara Mouch and Michelle Sweetser. We look forward to seeing you!

Call for Proposals 2024. Archives for All: Enhancing Accessibility and Inclusivity

Society of Ohio Archivists Annual Meeting, May 2024

The Society of Ohio Archivists is planning a hybrid Annual Meeting on Thursday (virtual only) and Friday (hybrid), May 16-17, 2024. The in-person portion of the conference (Friday, May 17) will be held at Capital University in Bexley, Ohio. Continue reading →

SOA Election Results 2023

During the recent Annual Meeting at the Dayton Metro Library new council members were elected.

SOA would like to welcome the following new leaders:

Melissa Dalton, Preserve It, LLC, President (2023-2024)
Matt Francis, Ohio Northern University, Vice President/President-Elect (2023-2024)
Shelby Beatty, Sinclair Community College, Secretary (2023-2025)
Kristen Newby, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Council Member (2023-2025)

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

Continue reading →

Meeting Scholarships Awarded for 2023

The Society of Ohio Archivists Membership & Awards Committee is pleased to announce four scholarships awarded at the Annual Meeting on May 12, 2023.

Scholarship awardees are:

Student Scholarship Award: Kirsten Dilger, Wright State University
Student Scholarship Award: Jacob Stickel, Wright State University
Ohio Preservation Council Scholarship Award: Colleen Badenhop, Kent State University
New Professional Scholarship Award: Paige Kinzer, Archdiocese of Cincinnati, University of Kentucky

Four people posing for a photograph. They are the scholarship winners.

2023 Scholarship Awardees pose at the Society of Ohio Archivists Annual Meeting on May 12, 2023 (L to R): Jacob Stickel, Kirsten Dilger, Paige Kinzer, and Colleen Badenhop

The scholarship consists of registration to the SOA annual meeting (including lunch), a one-year SOA membership, and a $100 travel stipend. Look for articles sharing their meeting experiences in the fall issue of the Ohio Archivist newsletter.

Merit Award Recipients 2023

The Society of Ohio Archivists Membership & Awards Committee is pleased to announce two Merit Award recipients. The awards were presented at the Annual Meeting on May 12, 2023.

Photograph of three people holding plaques. These are the SOA Merit Award winners.

2023 Merit Award recipients: Warren County Records Center & Archives, accepted by Jennifer Haney Conover and Jenifer Baker, and Adam Wanter

Adam Wanter is honored for his outstanding service and dedication to ensuring that the Society of Ohio Archivists thrives. For the past several years, Adam has gone above and beyond to lead SOA through challenging times. Elected as Vice-President/President Elect in 2019, Adam stepped up to serve as president for an additional year when the current president
resigned. In his first year, Adam shepherded SOA through a transition in its leadership structure. In 2020, he directed SOA’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and to the murder of George Floyd. Under his watch, SOA pivoted to an online conference, increased its free offerings to members, began its hardship program, and oversaw the creation of the Social Justice Black Lives Matter Task Force. After finishing his extended term as president and time as past-president, Adam co-chaired the Educational Programming Committee which planned the 2023 Annual Meeting. For his efforts to lead and improve SOA, it is fitting that the Society of Ohio Archivists presents Adam Wanter with the 2023 SOA Merit Award.

The Warren County Records Center & Archives is honored for its work to make vital records such as birth, death, Commissioners’ Journals, and Common Pleas Court indexes available to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. Working from home, staff cropped, transcribed, and added metadata to these records, ultimately making well over 30,000 records accessible. Once back in the office, staff added metadata and images to the first twenty-four Commissioners’ Journals, which are key records to understanding the history of Warren County. They also finished a multi-year project to place all the Old Common Pleas Estate Packets online, a collection which included over 90,000 searchable images and is frequently requested by researchers. For its efforts to make important county records more accessible to researchers, it is fitting that the Society of Ohio Archivists presents the Warren County Records Center & Archives with the 2023 SOA Merit Award.

Congratulations to the 2023 Merit Award recipients! Visit the Merit Award page for more information and past award winners.

Annual Meeting 2023 Virtual Registration Closes 5/10

Pre-registration ends on Monday, May 1 for the full conference experience (Day 1 virtual/Day 2 in person). Those choosing the all-virtual option have until May 10 to register online. On-site day of registration will be available, but without lunch. See the Annual Meeting page for all the details.

This May, the Society of Ohio Archivists Annual Meeting will be traveling to Dayton, Ohio! You are invited to join us on Thursday, May 11 for virtual sessions, and on Friday, May 12 at the Dayton Metro Library Main in downtown Dayton, Ohio, for a full day of in-person presentations, networking, and exciting featured speakers.

Mackensie Wittmer, Morning Keynote speaker.

Yes, this year we are going hybrid! The virtual registration option will provide access to two standalone virtual sessions on Thursday May 11 (also available to attendees with the in-person option) and live streams of select sessions from the Friday May 12 slate. As our first attempt at a hybrid conference this will be a learning opportunity for all of us, so please bear with us if we encounter any unexpected kinks/challenges.

Keynotes: Hear from two featured speakers on Day 2! In our Morning Keynote, Mackensie Wittmer will be welcoming attendees to the Dayton-Miami Valley area and presenting on the impact and importance of collaboration within the cultural heritage community. For the Afternoon Keynote, Rosemary Pleva Flynn will be discussing what it means to be an archivist, focusing on the intersection of archival work among memory workers, storytellers, community archivists, and “traditional” archivists, and the role we all play in preserving culture and knowledge.

Rosemary Pleva Flynn, Afternoon Keynote speaker.

In sessions, learn from panelists in the SOA Justice, Equity, Diversity, Access, and Inclusion Task Force sponsored session focusing on the diverse history of Ohio. Dig into description remediation for Civil War letters. Get inspired to advocate for “your own slice of the pie.” Hear updates on the Warren Harding presidential papers and Toledo’s Attic projects. Participate in a mini-workshop on how you can help Ohio’s America 250 commission highlight the importance of archives and records. And from poster sessions, find out about the School of Information at Kent State University’s new Archival Studies concentration.

Questions? Please feel free to contact the 2022-2023 Educational Programming Committee Cochairs Matt Francis and Adam Wanter. We can’t wait to see you in Dayton!

SOA Annual Meeting May 11-12, 2023 is Hybrid! Register Now!

Registration is now open for the 2023 Annual Meeting: Forward Together: Community Partnerships and Public Service!

Color photo of exterior of the Dayton Public Library, Main Library

Dayton Public Library, Main Library. Courtesy Dayton Public Library.

This May, the Society of Ohio Archivists Annual Meeting will be traveling to Dayton, Ohio! You are invited to join us on Thursday, May 11 for virtual sessions, and on Friday, May 12 at the Dayton Metro Library Main in downtown Dayton, Ohio, for a full day of in-person presentations, networking, and exciting featured speakers.

Continue reading →

Call for Applications: 2023 SOA Scholarships

The Society of Ohio Archivists is pleased to announce five scholarships available to students (2 awards), and new archival professionals (2 awards) with three years or less experience in the workplace. The final scholarship category, the Ohio Preservation Council Student/New Professional Scholarship, is available to either students or new professionals.

The awards will be presented at the SOA Annual Meeting business meeting which will be held on Day 2 of this year’s hybrid meeting, Friday, May 12, 2023, at the Dayton Metro Library in Dayton. (Day 1, Thursday, May 11, will be virtual). Applications are due by March 10, 2023.
Continue reading →

Call for Proposals: 2023 SOA Annual Meeting: Forward Together: Community Partnerships and Public Service

The Society of Ohio Archivists is planning for a hybrid annual meeting in 2023, on Thursday, May 11 (virtually) and Friday, May 12 (in person) at the Dayton Metro Library in Dayton, Ohio!

This year we welcome proposals that explore the theme of Forward Together as it relates to community partnerships and public service in support of a more inclusive and equitable society.

The committee welcomes submissions relating directly to the theme, along with a broad array of other topics.

Deadline to submit proposals (updated): Friday, January 27, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. See the Annual Meeting page for much more detail and the submission form.

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

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.