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).

A headshot photograph of a woman with long dark hair. She is smiling and wearing a purple shirt.

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!

Last Updated on March 28, 2024 by Emily Gainer

Job Opening: Local History Manager

Sharing a job opportunity

Local History Manager, Green County Public Library

Starting Hourly Rate: $28.81($59,924 Annual)

Greene County Public Library is a dynamic, forward thinking 7-branch library system and we are seeking a Local History Manager to oversee the operations of our local history and genealogy department. This individual will spearhead programing, services, and the local history collection to serve Greene County.

Requirements:

  • Master of Public History or Master of Library Science degree from an ALA accredited school.
  • 3-4 years of public history and/or genealogy experience in a public service environment.
  • Supervisory experience preferred.

View the full job description and apply. Position will remain open until filled. Greene County Public Library is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Last Updated on March 19, 2024 by Emily Gainer

SOA Council Meeting Minutes from January 26, 2024

The Society of Ohio Archivists most recent leadership meeting minutes from January 26, 2024, 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 Shelby Beatty.

Last Updated on March 13, 2024 by Emily Gainer

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

Last Updated on March 8, 2024 by Emily Gainer

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. Continue reading

Last Updated on March 19, 2024 by Emily Gainer

Call for Applications: 2024 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 Friday, May 17, 2024 at Capital University in Bexley, Ohio. Applications are due by March 18, 2024.

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.

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 to Membership & Awards Committee co-chairs Jennifer Long Morehart and Helen CongerDue March 18, 2024. Download the Scholarship announcement PDF.

Last Updated on February 22, 2024 by Emily Gainer

Call for Nominations: 2024 SOA Merit Award

The SOA Membership & Awards Committee seeks nominations for the 2024 Society of Ohio Archivists Merit Award.

The award is given to individuals or organizations that have by excellence in deeds, actions, or initiatives improved the state of archives in Ohio over the past year. The award will be announced at the SOA Annual Meeting, which will be held on Friday, May 17, 2024 at Capital University in Bexley, Ohio. Continue reading

Last Updated on March 19, 2024 by Emily Gainer

SOA Council Minutes from November 2023 and January 2024

The Society of Ohio Archivists most recent leadership meeting minutes from November 3, 2023, and January 5, 2024, 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 Shelby Beatty.

Last Updated on February 22, 2024 by Emily Gainer

Internship Opportunity: Oberlin College Archives Summer 2024

Sharing an internship opportunity:

2024 Weidenthal Undergraduate Summer Intern at the Oberlin College Archives.

Internship Description: The Oberlin College Archives invites applicants for the position of Weidenthal Undergraduate Summer Intern for 2024. The internship provides an opportunity for an undergraduate student at any institution to learn about arrangement and description of collections, digitization, exhibit installation and outreach activities, reference, records management, and other responsibilities of archivists in an academic setting. Continue reading

Last Updated on February 22, 2024 by Emily Gainer

Ohio Archivist News & Notes Spring 2024

Ohio Archivist Call for News and Notes

It’s that time again – the Ohio Archivist editor is collecting submissions of News and Notes for the Spring 2024 issue of the Society of Ohio Archivists’ newsletter. You do not have to be a member of SOA to submit your news – all Ohio archives, records, and special collections news is welcome! Continue reading

Last Updated on February 22, 2024 by Emily Gainer