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!

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

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/. 

The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB) is proud to announce that the recipient of the 2022 OHRAB Achievement Award is the Archives and Special Collections of University Libraries at The University of Akron.

During The University of Akron’s sesquicentennial anniversary year from May 31, 2020, to June 1, 2021, the staff and faculty of the Archives and Special Collections preserved and made available important archival resources documenting the long history of the University.  The staff overcame difficulties created by the pandemic, mass protests over the killing of George Floyd, and limited staff and resources to make their collections more accessible to the campus, the community, and the public for research and study. 

The Archives and Special Collections completed multiple projects across a broad range of formats and subjects.  The staff curated four online exhibits on The University of Akron’s history, including “Peace & Power: Black Activism at The University of Akron.”  In addition, they digitized and uploaded nearly 27,000 items from the archives to their digital repository, including nearly 20,000 university photographs, over 5,500 issues of the student newspaper, and nearly 100 volumes of student yearbooks. 

The staff provided research and support for several sesquicentennial-related projects sponsored by the campus and the community, such as the University history docu-series “Keeping the Lamp of Learning Burning.”  Staff also collaborated with the Department of History and team taught an oral history class that recorded twelve oral history interviews on inclusion and diversity that are available online. 

To view the online collections, visit the Archives and Special Collections website at:  https://www.uakron.edu/libraries/archives/ [uakron.edu]

OHRAB congratulates the staff and faculty of the Archives and Special Collections of University Libraries at The University of Akron for their accomplishments and wishes them continued success in their efforts to preserve the history of Ohio.

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.

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]

Nominations must be received by October 31, 2022.

Self-nominations are encouraged.

Questions? Contact Tina Ratcliff at [email protected] or 937.496.6932

2022-OHRAB-Achievement-Award-Announcement and Recent Winners

The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB) is proud to announce that the recipient of the 2021 OHRAB Achievement Award is the Muskingum County Records Center.

In 2019, the Muskingum County Records Center began a partnership with Family Search to preserve the historic records of the Muskingum County Common Pleas Clerk of Courts Office and make the records more accessible. These include the Common Pleas Civil and Criminal files from 1840 to the early 1900s and the Common Pleas Domestic Court files to the late 1980s.  Prior to this project, the records could only be viewed at the Records Center. The lack of an index also hindered access to the documents, which were damaged by inadequate storage conditions.

During the project volunteers contributed over 40,000 hours of their time to unfold, flatten, clean, image, and properly store the original historic documents. Once the records were preserved, the Records Center staff indexed the records, making the original records easily accessible to the public for the first time. Family Search then uploaded the records to its website where the images are now available for free to all researchers.

With this award, OHRAB also honors the memory of Muskingum County Common Pleas Court Clerk of Courts Todd Bickle. Mr. Bickle was a believer in the citizen’s right to access public records. He spearheaded the creation of the Records Center and remained its champion. Mr. Bickle initiated the project with Family Search and his office purchased the materials needed to preserve the historic records. Due to his untimely death, he did not see the project’s completion, but his efforts will continue to benefit all Ohioans.

OHRAB congratulates the staff and volunteers of the Muskingum County Records Center for their accomplishments and wishes them continued success in their efforts to preserve the history of Ohio.

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.

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]

Nominations must be received by November 12, 2021.

More information is available here: 2021 OHRAB Achievement Award Announcement

Questions? Contact Tina Ratcliff at [email protected] or 937.496.6932

The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB) is proud to announce that the recipients of the 2020 OHRAB Achievement Award are the Clark County Historical Society and the Toledo Lucas County Public Library.

In 2019, the Clark County Historical Society confronted every archivist’s worst fear:  an overhead water pipe that bursts in the middle of the night.  The pipe burst severely damaged the ceiling over the archives and genealogy library.  Staff and volunteers worked courageously to save the collections.  By acting quickly, the Society saved the entire collection.  Following this experience, the Society’s staff has reached out to other institutions and professionals to teach the value of disaster planning and preparedness, using themselves as an example of how quick thinking and preparation can save an archive from disaster.  OHRAB honors the Clark County Historical Society for their fortitude in saving the Society’s collections and for their resulting commitment to teaching others about the necessity of disaster planning and preparedness.

The Toledo Lucas County Public Library possesses an enormous collection of architectural records.  For decades, the staff of the Local History and Genealogy department have worked to organize and preserve the records donated to the library by local architecture and engineering firms.  The records, which includes hundreds of thousands of drawings, pertain not only to buildings in Toledo but also to buildings in the entire Midwest.  To make the records more accessible, the library has created the Architecture of Northwest Ohio, a digital library that allows researchers to search and browse images from the collection.  This website gives researchers an unrivaled view into the architectural past of the Midwest.  OHRAB applauds the Toledo Lucas County Public Library for their continuing efforts to preserve their vast architectural records collection and to make it accessible to all through the Architecture of Northwest Ohio digital library.