Category Archives: Awards

2025 Archives Achievement Award Recipient!

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The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB) is proud to announce that the recipient of the 2025 OHRAB Achievement Award is the Williams County Public Library Local History and Genealogy Center.

The Williams County Public Library Local History and Genealogy Center is home to thousands of local history and genealogical resources.  In the 1960s, the citizens of Bryan, Ohio, led by local historian Paul Van Gundy, collected hundreds of history books and photographs.  By the early 2000s, the collection had outgrown its small space within the Bryan Public Library.  The community came together to support the purchase of a historic bank building next door to the Williams County Public Library.  The new building became the Local History and Genealogy Center department under the Williams County Public Library in 2009.  Through generous donations, the collection has since expanded to include microfilm, maps, artifacts, and an extensive photographic archive.

Recently, the Local History and Genealogy Center has focused its efforts on digitization.  The goal of this effort is to preserve the collection and to make it more accessible. The Center formed important partnerships to achieve this goal.  First, working with Newspapers.com, the Center digitized all of its historic newspapers of Williams County.  Seventeen different titles and a total of 690,052 pages were uploaded to Newspapers.com.  The newspapers can be viewed for free at any Williams County Public Library branch.

The Center next formed a partnership with Ohio Memory, a statewide digital library program coordinated by the Ohio History Connection.  The Center has scanned thousands of historic photographs in preparation for uploading the images to Ohio Memory.  So far, the Center has uploaded over 900 digital images with new material being uploaded weekly.  The Center’s goal is to add its full photographic collection to Ohio Memory as well as maps, yearbooks, and newspapers.  The digital collection can be viewed for free at:  https://ohiomemory.org/digital/collection/p16007coll76.

Jared Schnee, Local History and Genealogy Center Manager, says, “It is important to preserve this history so it can remain accessible to patrons across the globe.  We are extremely grateful to have such a supporting community that maintains an interest in history.”

OHRAB congratulates the Williams County Public Library for their accomplishments and wishes them continued success in their efforts to preserve the history of Ohio!

2025 Citizen Archivist Recipient!

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The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB) is proud to announce that Jon Emler of Licking County Records & Archives is the recipient of the 2025 OHRAB Citizen Archivist Award.

The OHRAB Citizen Archivist Award honors volunteers in Ohio’s archives who work long hours, unpaid and often unacknowledged, answering reference requests, processing collections, and indexing historic records.  This award recognizes those in Ohio archives who best exemplify the dedication and hard work volunteers–our citizen archivists–contribute to Ohio’s archives each day.

Jon Emler began volunteering with Licking County Records & Archives in 2019.  His first project was transcribing Children’s Home Registers.  These registers are all that is left to document the children who called the Children’s Home “home.”  Transcribing the five volumes of registers and researching the history of the Children’s Home became Jon’s passion.  Jon grew up in the Children’s Home himself.  He wanted to give voice to all the children who may have otherwise been forgotten.  In his own time, he researched how children in need were housed prior to the creation of the Children’s Home and located basic information on these children, such as when they were admitted, their age, and where they were from.  He researched the children who died at the Children’s Home and was influential in the creation of a monument dedicated to them on what is believed to be their burial location.  A veteran himself, Jon researched and identified each child who went on to join the military, so their service could be recognized.  With these and other efforts, Jon has been instrumental in documenting what life was like in the Children’s Home and keeping its history alive.

Since completing the transcription of the Children’s Home Registers, Jon has transcribed infirmary records, tuberculosis cards, and mental illness records.  Jon has been driven to give voice to those who have suffered, working diligently to ensure that future generations will not forget each individual and their story.

Jon has made his volunteer work a priority in his life and has always gone out of his way to be kind, considerate, and compassionate to his fellow volunteers and staff of the archive.  Reference Librarian and Archivist Abigail Torre says, “Jon keeps our candy dish full in the office, telling us that ‘it’s just a nice thing to do,’ brings us fresh basil, garlic, and tomatoes from his garden to share with us, and has stopped by outside of volunteer hours just to bring by articles he thinks we would find interesting.  The days Jon is in our office are days we look forward to.”

Please join OHRAB in celebrating the accomplishments of Jon Emler and his contribution to the history of Ohio.  We applaud the dedication, talent, and love that he and his fellow volunteers bring to Ohio’s archives each day.

Celebrate Archives Month By Honoring the Accomplishments of an Ohio Archival Institution

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The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board Achievement Award recognizes significant accomplishments in preserving and improving access to historical records, in any format, by an Ohio archival institution.

All Ohio institutions responsible for archival records that provide public access to at least a portion of their collections are eligible. Eligible accomplishments include recent special projects or on-going programs that:

  • build significant collections
  • implement successful preservation strategies
  • enhance access to archives
  • develop effective digitization programs

Preference will be given to projects or programs that can be adapted for use by other institutions.

Because the award recognizes institutional achievements, individuals are not eligible. Departments employing members of OHRAB are not eligible, but other departments in their institutions are eligible.

Nominating letters should be no longer than two pages, 12-pt, single spaced, describing the institution’s program/project along with its goals, accomplishments, and significance. Each must include the nominee’s institutional name along with a contact person’s name, mailing and email addresses, and phone number. If the nomination includes online collections, please include a link to the website.

Nominations must be received by October 1, 2025.

Self-nominations are encouraged.

Send nominations via email or U.S. mail to:

Tina Ratcliff

County Records & Information Manager
Montgomery County Records Center & Archives
117 South Main Street

P.O. Box 972
Dayton, OH 45422
937-496-6932 

[email protected]

2025 OHRAB Achievement Award

Celebrate Ohio’s Citizen Archivists by Honoring the Accomplishments of a Volunteer in an Ohio Archival Institution

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The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board Citizen Archivist Award honors volunteers in Ohio’s archives who work long hours answering reference requests, processing collections, and indexing historic records.  This award recognizes a volunteer in an Ohio archive who best exemplifies the dedication and hard work volunteers—our citizen archivists—contribute to Ohio’s archives each day.

All Ohio institutions responsible for archival records that provide free public access to at least a portion of their collections are eligible. Preference will be given to volunteers whose work increases access to archival collections in Ohio.  OHRAB will accept nominations from Ohio archival institutions as well as the general public.

Departments employing members of OHRAB are not eligible, but other departments in their institutions are eligible.

Nominating letters should be no longer than two pages, 12-pt, single spaced, describing the accomplishments and dedication of the volunteer. Include the nominee’s name along with a contact person’s name, mailing and email addresses, and phone number.  If the nominee’s contributions include online collections, please include a link to the website.

Send nominations by September 15, 2025 via email or U.S. mail to:

Tina Ratcliff

County Records & Information Manager
Montgomery County Records Center & Archives
117 South Main Street, 6th Floor

Dayton, OH 45422
937-496-6932 

[email protected]

2025 OHRAB Citizen Archivist Award Announcement

2024 Citizen Archivist Award Recipients

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The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB) is proud to announce that Nancy Brock of the Hudson Library & Historical Society and Jim Hearlihy of the Clark County Historical Society are recipients of the 2024 OHRAB Citizen Archivist Award.

The OHRAB Citizen Archivist Award honors volunteers in Ohio’s archives who work long hours, unpaid and often unacknowledged, answering reference requests, processing collections, and indexing historic records.  This award recognizes those in Ohio archives who best exemplify the dedication and hard work volunteers–our citizen archivists–contribute to Ohio’s archives each day.

Nancy Brock has been a devoted volunteer at the Hudson Library & Historical Society for over twenty-seven years, where, according to the society’s staff, she has had a hand in just about everything.  She has taught genealogy classes and coordinated genealogy programming.  Nancy has a vast knowledge of the society’s collections and directs researchers to the best materials.  When the library moved to a new building, Nancy volunteered to organize and reshelve the collection. Currently, Nancy maintains the society’s obituary index and provides individual tutoring sessions to any researcher in need.  Nancy’s enthusiasm for genealogy and the Hudson Library & History Society has inspired many to start researching their family tree.  On their first visits, they tell the society’s staff, “Nancy told me I could find it here.”

Jim Hearlihy has volunteered for the Clark County Historical Society for ten years and has contributed over 1,200 hours to its archives.  His main project during that time has been processing the society’s enormous Springfield News-Sun collection, which encompassed nearly 2,000 reels of microfilm and 165 record boxes of material from the newspaper’s “clippings morgue.”  Jim organized and inventoried the collection by subjects, such as Local People, Local Subjects, and Sports Files.  His handwritten lists were turned into spreadsheets that can be viewed online.  Jim has also processed many other collections, including the Clark County Historical Society’s own newsletters.  Natalie Fritz, Archivist & Outreach Director, says, “Jim’s hard work and contributions have allowed so many collections to be accessible.  We are so grateful for his time and service and want to recognize his dedication.”

Please join OHRAB in celebrating the accomplishments of Nancy Brock and Jim Hearlihy and their contributions to the history of Ohio.  We applaud the dedication, talent, and love that they and their fellow volunteers bring to Ohio’s archives each day.

2024 Archives Achievement Award Recipient

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The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB) is proud to announce that the recipient of the 2024 OHRAB Achievement Award is the Union County Records Center & Archives.

In 2019, the Union County Records Center & Archives began its Union County Common Pleas Court and Clerk of Courts File Access, Preservation, and Digitization Project.  The project encompassed all the Union County Common Pleas Court case files from 1820 to 1900.  The files begin with the creation of Union County in 1820 and document events of significant historical, genealogical, and legal importance to the people of Union County.  The case files answer the “who, when, where, and why” questions so many researchers have about their families and their land.

Despite the importance of the files, they were disorganized.  In 1860, Union County started to organize the files by case number.  But prior to that, the files were organized by disposition date or judgement date, not by name.  This made the files almost impossible to locate.  The files were also stored in acidic packets that were slowly eating away at the paper inside them.  The records suffered from limited access and inadequate preservation. 

The Union County Records Center & Archives began its project with the goal to improve access to the Common Pleas Court files and to preserve them.  The files were indexed by name, case type, file date, judgement, and judgement date.  The information for each file was cross-checked by other court records, such as court journals or dockets, to make sure the index was comprehensive and complete.  Once the index was complete, volunteers unfolded, flattened, and organized the more than 15,000 case files and placed them in acid-free files. Union County then collaborated with the Latter-day Saints to digitize the records.  The images were uploaded along with the index to the website of the Union County Records Center & Archives.  (https://www.unioncountyohio.gov/Clerk-of-Courts-49169)

With this project, the Union County Records Center & Archives succeeded in improving access to the Common Pleas court files and preserving them for the future.  They serve as an example of what a small institution with limited resources can do with hard work, persistence, and the ability to collaborate.  OHRAB congratulates the Union County Records Center & Archives for their accomplishments and wishes them continued success in their efforts to preserve the history of Ohio!

Celebrate Archives Month by Honoring the Accomplishments of an Ohio Archival Institution

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The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board Achievement Award recognizes significant accomplishments in preserving and improving access to historical records, in any format, by an Ohio archival institution.

All Ohio institutions responsible for archival records that provide public access to at least a portion of their collections are eligible. Eligible accomplishments include recent special projects or on-going programs that:

  • build significant collections
  • implement successful preservation strategies
  • enhance access to archives
  • develop effective digitization programs

Preference will be given to projects or programs that can be adapted for use by other institutions.

Nominations must be received by October 11, 2024

Because the award recognizes institutional achievements, individuals are not eligible. Departments employing members of OHRAB are not eligible, but other departments in their institutions are eligible.

Nominating letters should be no longer than two pages, 12-pt, single spaced, describing the institution’s program/project along with its goals, accomplishments, and significance. Each must include the nominee’s institutional name along with a contact person’s name, mailing and email addresses, and phone number. If the nomination includes online collections, please include a link to the website.

Send nominations via email or U.S. mail to:

Tina Ratcliff

County Records & Information Manager
Montgomery County Records Center & Archives
117 South Main Street

P.O. Box 972
Dayton, OH 45422
937.496.6932 

[email protected]

Self-nominations are encouraged.

More information, including a list of recent recipients, is available on the attached document.

2024 OHRAB Achievement Award

Celebrate Ohio’s Citizen Archivists by Honoring the Accomplishments of a Volunteer in an Ohio Archival Institution

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The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board Citizen Archivist Award honors volunteers in Ohio’s archives who work long hours answering reference requests, processing collections, and indexing historic records.  This award recognizes a volunteer in an Ohio archive who best exemplifies the dedication and hard work volunteers—our citizen archivists—contribute to Ohio’s archives each day.

All Ohio institutions responsible for archival records that provide free public access to at least a portion of their collections are eligible. Preference will be given to volunteers whose work increases access to archival collections in Ohio.  OHRAB will accept nominations from Ohio archival institutions as well as the general public.

Departments employing members of OHRAB are not eligible, but other departments in their institutions are eligible.

Nominating letters should be no longer than two pages, 12-pt, single spaced, describing the accomplishments and dedication of the volunteer. Include the nominee’s name along with a contact person’s name, mailing and email addresses, and phone number.  If the nominee’s contributions include online collections, please include a link to the website.

Send nominations by September 20, 2024 via email or U.S. mail to:

Tina Ratcliff

County Records & Information Manager
Montgomery County Records Center & Archives
117 South Main Street

P.O. Box 972
Dayton, OH 45422
937.496.6932 

[email protected]

2024 OHRAB Citizen Archivist Award Announcement

2023 Archives Achievement Award Recipient

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The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB) is proud to announce that the recipient of the 2023 OHRAB Achievement Award is the Bay Village Historical Society.

In 2019, the Bay Village Historical Society began a project to conserve and increase access to the portraits and photographs in its Rose Hill Museum. These portraits are vital to the Bay Village Historical Society. According to the will donating the land and home to the historical society, the portraits of the descendants of the Cahoon family, the first settlers of Bay Village, and the portraits of other early settler families must be displayed.

In the first phase of the project, historical society staff and volunteers removed the portraits from their original frames and transported them to the Cleveland Public Library’s Main Branch where they were scanned as high-resolution tiffs. The Cleveland Institute of Art then produced an archival copy of each portrait.  A local artist who volunteered with the historical society restored the frames, touching up the paint and using modeling clay to repair the cracks.  The archival copies were placed in the repaired frames and hung on the walls of the Rose Hill Museum.

The historical society also consulted with staff from ICA-Art Conservation, Jamison Art Conservation, and Cleveland State University to develop a plan to conserve the original portraits.  This included some portraits consisting of chalk drawings on paper with silk backing, which had not been anticipated. Custom-made archival boxes with archival foam core and all-cotton batting were built to house the original portraits and preserve them for future generations. 

During the project the Bay Village Historical Society created an index to the portrait gallery, including biographical information about the individuals.  A physical copy of the index is available for visitors at the Rose Hill Museum and the information, along with digital copies of the portraits, is available online at https://www.bayhistorical.com/portrait-gallery/.      

OHRAB congratulates the Bay Village Historical Society for their accomplishments and wishes them continued success in their efforts to preserve the history of Ohio!

The Ohio Historical Advisory Board (OHRAB) is the central body for historical records planning in the state.  The Board is funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).  Board members represent Ohio’s public and private archives, records offices, and research institutions.  For more information on OHRAB and its Ohio Archives Grant Program, visit https://ohrab.org/. 

2023 Citizen Archivist Award Recipients

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The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB) is proud to announce that Patti Ark of the Clark County Historical Society, and Cristopher Shell of the Cummings Center at The University of Akron, are recipients of the 2023 OHRAB Citizen Archivist Award.

The OHRAB Citizen Archivist Award honors volunteers in Ohio’s archives who work long hours, unpaid and often unacknowledged, answering reference requests, processing collections, and indexing historic records.  This award recognizes those in Ohio archives who best exemplify the dedication and hard work volunteers–our citizen archivists–contribute to Ohio’s archives each day.

Patti Ark has been an invaluable volunteer for the Clark County Historical Society at the Heritage Center since she first stepped through its doors.  Within the first week of being a volunteer, she was thrown into a disaster recovery effort after a pipe burst in the Heritage Center.  Over the next several months, she helped dismantle and move the entire archives space.  According to Natalie Fritz, Archivist and Outreach Director, “She never complained about the work, and we could always count on her to be there with a smile and encouraging words.”  Since then, Patti has dedicated herself to the Clark County Historical Society, lending a hand wherever she can to preserve its collections and expand its reach into the community.

Cristopher Shell is a volunteer at the Cummings Center at The University of Akron.  His area of expertise is the David P. Campbell Postcard Collection.  He has worked tirelessly to preserve this collection of over 250,000 postcards.  During his time working with the collection, he has relocated, organized, digitized, created metadata, and designed community outreach education for the collection.  He is the co-founder of the Akron Postcard Club, which promotes the postcard collection and spreads Cris’s love of postcards.  He created a postcard education table, teaching young people how to send a postcard.  Cris has even pursued new postcard donations to be added to the collection and helped with fundraising.  He is truly a dedicated protector, supporter, and promoter of the beauty, fun, and romance of postcards. 

Please join OHRAB in celebrating the accomplishments of Patti Ark and Cristopher Shell and their contributions to the history of Ohio.  We applaud the dedication, talent, and love that they and their fellow volunteers bring to Ohio’s archives each day.