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About the Project |
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The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB) conceived the idea for the Ohio Memory project in 1995. Envisioned as a celebration of state history and a virtual repository of digitized archival records scattered throughout the state, the Bicentennial Scrapbook was to be one of several products. Others included a print publication, educational materials to encourage classroom use of archival collections, and modest grants to help archives, libraries, and historical societies to process and catalog their buried treasures--valuable primary sources that are currently unknown or inaccessible. Between 1995 and 2000, the Ohio Historical Society has worked with OHRAB, the State Library of Ohio, the Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN), and the Ohio Library Council to refine the concept and secure funding for the project. In February 2000, OPLIN approved a grant of $500,000 to the Ohio Historical Society to launch the project.
Loosely based on the Library of Congress' American Memory, the project also benefits from the society's experience creating the African American Experience in Ohio, 1850-1920, the society's contribution to American Memory. That product demonstrates the way Ohio's historical materials can be digitized and made available online.
Online Scrapbook
The Ohio Memory online scrapbook will bring together historical materials from archives, museums, libraries, and historical societies around the state to create a large collection of primary source material. Acting as a single point of access to historical materials of multiple types from a variety of institutions, the site will highlight connections between collections, providing more comprehensive coverage of the state's history than any single institution could. The scrapbook will identify hidden treasures that are currently inaccessible, raise awareness of state and local history, encourage teaching and study of Ohio history using primary sources, and promote academic scholarship and publishing. Long after the celebrations in 2003, the scrapbook will remain as a lasting legacy of Ohio's bicentennial.
This two-year project will culminate in a web site that celebrates Ohio's history, raises awareness of Ohio's finest historical collections, and brings attention to Ohio's history in time to celebrate the bicentennial in 2003. Both print and three-dimensional collections will be represented in the scrapbook, such as:
- manuscripts
- organizational records
- letters
- diaries
- historical photographs
- state and local government records
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- clothing
- furniture
- tools
- artwork
- prehistoric artifacts
- plant, animal, and geological specimens
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Visitors to the Ohio Memory web site will be able to search for specific words or phrases. They will also have the option of browsing by subject area, contributing organization, and geographical area. Subject categories created by the Ohio Bicentennial Commission will provide the basic framework for the scrapbook. There are more than twenty subject categories, examples of which are Religion, Agriculture, the Civil War, Science and Technology, Ohio Women, African American Ohioans, Family History, Art and Artists, and Ohio Sports. These topics are grouped into five broader categories: Ohio Citizenship, Economy, People, Culture, and Natural Ohio.
Participation
Cooperation and participation are two fundamental goals of the project. Libraries, archives, museums, and historical societies are encouraged to submit both print and non-print collections, such as manuscripts, photographs, and images of three-dimensional objects for potential inclusion in the online scrapbook. Institutions will be asked to work together on a local level, sharing both knowledge and resources. Another important goal of Ohio Memory is to provide evidence of the diversity and complexity of Ohio's history. Materials selected for the scrapbook will be those that are historically significant, represent a locality, digitize well, and tie in with other materials in the scrapbook. All materials submitted will be credited to the submitting institution. For more information on how to become involved, go to the How to Participate section.
Partnerships
OhioLINK, the information network of higher education in Ohio, is providing technical assistance with the project. Storage of and access to the digital images that comprise the scrapbook will be managed by OhioLINK in cooperation with project staff.
The Ohio Library Council, with support from OPLIN, sponsored a series of workshops for librarians, archivists, curators and staff from local historical societies to explain the project and encourage participation. The fall workshops were held in September and October of 2000 in:
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- Bowling Green
- Caldwell
- Cleveland
- Cincinnati
- Columbus
- Dayton
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- Lima
- Mansfield
- New Philadelphia
- Sandusky
- Warren
- Welston
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The spring workshops were held in March, April and May of 2001 in:
- Cincinnati
- Marietta
- Columbus
- Kent
- Fremont
Many of the forms and handouts from the workshops are available online.
The society is also seeking funding to create educational materials that complement the online scrapbook, aiding teachers and students, as well as lifelong learners, in using the historical materials for research. INFOhio, the information network of Ohio's schools, will partner with the society in this effort.
Additional supporters of the Ohio Memory Project include:
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