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[Name of town], Ohio - Historical collections from [name of organization] have been added to the Ohio Memory Online Scrapbook, available at http://www.ohiomemory.org. The Ohio Memory Project, which is administered by the Ohio Historical Society, was begun in June 2000. A second phase of the project was launched in October 2002. In July 2003, the American Association for State and Local History honored the project with its Award of Merit, the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of local, state, and regional history.

The online scrapbook brings together primary source materials from more than 330 archives, historical societies, libraries, and museums around the state. Included are letters, diaries, government records, government records, artwork, clothing, furniture, natural history specimens, and prehistoric artifacts. The scrapbook provides convenient access to historical collections that document state and local history. It contains more than 4,800 collections, which total more than 26,000 images.

Users can search or browse by institution name, resource type, title, subject, creator, or place. A noteworthy feature of the Ohio Memory web site is "My Scrapbook," which allows users to store favorite items and add captions or notes, and then share with others.

Items submitted for Phase 2 by [institution name] include [describe collections; comment on their significance to the community or the value of Ohio Memory.] These collections join those [institution name] submitted during the first phase of the project. [If institution submitted collections in Phase 1, describe.]

The Ohio Memory Project is a cooperative effort supported by the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the State Library of Ohio, the Ohio Bicentennial Commission, OhioLINK (the library consortium for higher education), the Ohio Public Library Information Network, INFOhio (the library network for K-12 schools), the Ohio Library Council, and the Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board.

"Ohio Memory is a valuable resource for students and teachers as well as the general public," Ohio Memory Project Manager Angela O'Neal says, "it is the only place on the Web where users can view collections from more than 300 Ohio cultural institutions."

Historian Andrew Cayton, author of the new book Ohio: The History of a People, says "this project is a terrific example of the enduring legacy of the Ohio bicentennial celebration. Thousands of citizens will be using this virtual scrapbook of the state's history long after the birthday revelries have themselves become parts of Ohio's past."