Widespread participation is the primary goal of the Ohio Memory project. All cultural heritage repositories in Ohio are encouraged to join the effort by submitting their historical treasures. Cooperation among repositories within communities or regions is another important goal of the project. Institutions will be encouraged to work together on a local level, sharing both knowledge and resources.

Although not all materials submitted for inclusion can be selected, at least one collection or item will be accepted from each institution, provided minimum standards are met. Decisions about which items will be included in the Online Scrapbook will be made based on the following criteria:

• Historical Significance: the primary consideration for inclusion is the value of the materials in terms of historical content. Collections or items will be evaluated based on information provided by the institution. Materials for which there is no identifying information are less likely to be accepted. The Ohio Memory project encourages submission of collections or items that represent experiences that are either common to all Ohioans, unique to a specific local community, and that reflect one or more of the Ohio Memory subject categories.
• Complementary Value: the Ohio Memory Online Scrapbook will include materials representing various geographical areas and time periods, and portraying various facets of life in Ohio. Materials will be selected that best complement each other to present a balanced view of state history.
• Scanning Potential: project staff will evaluate whether a readable digital image can be created from the original materials. Suitability for digitization is evaluated in terms of image quality and physical condition. For example, items that have high contrast and/or a clean, crisp font digitize well.
• Time Period:in this phase of the project, only those historical materials created before or related to events that occurred prior to 1903 will be accepted.
• Ownership:the institution must hold property rights to the collection or item. The provenance, or history of ownership, should be documented as thoroughly as possible.