Category Archives: SOA Spring Conference

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.

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.

Our Keynote Speaker is Ohio native Rosemary Pleva Flynn, who will discuss 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.

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, and the experiences of the Public Broadcasting Preservation Fellows.

Color postcard with caption AERIAL VIEW, LOOKING NORTHWEST, DAYTON, OHIO

Aerial View of Dayton, looking Northwest, postcard. Courtesy Dayton Public Library, Dayton Postcard Collection.

Registration is tiered, so be sure to register early to get the best value! Early-Bird rates are through April 17 (online on-site ends May 1, and virtual ends May 10). On-site registration will be available, but without lunch. See the Annual Meeting page for all the details.

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!

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.

SOA Business Meeting Minutes for May 20, 2022 Available

The Society of Ohio Archivists most recent business meeting minutes, from the annual meeting held on May 20, 2022 at Columbus Metro Library, can now be found on the Council Meeting Minutes page.

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.

Meeting Scholarships Awarded for 2022

The Society of Ohio Archivists Membership & Awards Committee is pleased to announce three scholarships awarded at the Annual Meeting on May 20, 2022.

Scholarship awardees are:

  • Student Scholarship: Kaylee Rigg, Ohio Northern University
  • Ohio Preservation Council Student Scholarship: Kasandra Fager, Bowling Green State University
  • New Professional: Elizabeth Coots, Digital Archivist, Vermont Granite Museum

2022 Scholarship Awardees pose at the Society of Ohio Archivists Annual Meeting on May 20, 2022 (L to R): Stephanie Shreffler, SOA Membership & Awards Committee Cochair; Kasandra Fager, Ohio Preservation Council Student Scholarship; Elizabeth Coots, New Professional Scholarship; Kaylee Rigg, Student Scholarship; Amy Rohmiller, SOA Vice President/President Elect.

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.

Questions? Contact Membership & Awards Committee Cochair Stephanie Shreffler.

SOA Membership Forum @ Annual Meeting

Due to a family emergency SOA President Sherri Goudy is unable to attend the SOA Membership Forum at the Annual Meeting on May 20. We are postponing that Forum and will announce in the coming weeks whether it will be rescheduled as a separate event or as a SOA/OLHA Fall Meeting session.

We’ll be replacing the Forum with this replacement annual meeting session: Crucial Conversations–Join your colleagues for moderated small group discussions on efforts towards greater diversity, equity, and inclusion in the archives. Come share what you and/or your institution are doing, bring resources you’ve found valuable, and gain inspiration from efforts that are happening around the state. Moderated by: Amy Rohmiller, Kettering Health Dayton; Penelope Shumaker, State Library of Ohio; and Adam Wanter, MidPointe Library. Continue reading →

Registration Open for SOA Annual Meeting 2022: Archives and Sustainability 

This May the Society of Ohio Archivists will return in person together for our annual meeting! You are invited to join us on Friday, May 20 from 9am-4pm at the beautiful Columbus Metropolitan Main Library in downtown Columbus, Ohio for a full day of presentations, networking, and an exciting plenary speaker. The theme of this year’s meeting is Archives & Sustainability.

Stay up-to-date on the latest details of the meeting by visiting the Annual Meeting conference page, and follow the conversation online at #soaam22.

The Annual Meeting is being held as an in-person only event. For those unable to attend the in-person meeting, some content such as speaker slides will be made available following the meeting. It will not be recorded. We will be offering a virtual workshop in the fall of 2022 for those interested in online programming. Stay tuned for more information on the workshop later this summer. Continue reading →

Call for Applications: 2022 SOA Scholarships

The Society of Ohio Archivists is pleased to announce four scholarships available to students (2 awards), and new archival professionals (2 awards) with three years or less experience in the workplace. The award will be presented at the SOA Annual Meeting, which will be held in person on May 20, 2022 in Columbus. Applications are due by April 8, 2022.

The scholarship consists of registration to the SOA annual meeting (including lunch), a one-year SOA membership, and a $100 travel stipend. Awardees are required to submit a photograph and write about their experience for publication in the Ohio Archivist newsletter.

The Membership & Awards Committee is responsible for soliciting applications and submitting recommendations to Council. Awards are announced and presented at the Annual Meeting on May 20.

How to Apply: Applications should include the following information:

  • Applicant’s name, mailing address, and email address.
  • Students should list their school’s name and academic program;
  • New professionals should list their employer and number of years working within the field;
  • Description about how the meeting will benefit the applicant professionally;
  • Brief description of the applicant’s scholarship and contribution to archives. This will be taken into consideration along with the applicant’s number of years in the field or academic study;
  • Statement of the applicant’s need for financial support to attend the conference;
  • Details: Scholarship page.

Applications and inquiries can be sent via email or mail to Membership & Awards Committee Cochair Stephanie Shreffler, Roesch Library RM 304A, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH 45469-1360. Due April 8, 2022.

Download the 2022 flyer.