Professional Development Scholarships

The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB) is pleased to announce a new development opportunity for students, volunteers and records professionals.

OHRAB, in conjunction with the National Historical Publications and Records Commission has allocated $1,200 annually in scholarship aid to support continuing archival education for graduate students and individuals who care for the historic record. The Board will award up to four $300 scholarships to assist individuals in attending a professional development opportunity of their choosing. More information, including the application form, is available here.

OHRAB Endorses “Value of History” Statement!

The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board has endorsed the History Relevance Campaign’s “Value of History” statement.  Going against the perception that “history is nice, but not essential”, this statement shares the ways that history is crucial for ourselves, our communities and our future.  More information about the History Relevance Campaign is available at https://www.historyrelevance.com/.

 

Young Scholar Visits Wright State: Annabelle in the Archives

Board member Dawne Dewey has shared the story about a young scholar who visited Wright State University’s Special Collections and Archives this past summer.  Annabelle visited the archives to research Katharine Wright, sister of the Wright Brothers.  The full story is available here on Wright State University’s Special Collections and Archives blog, Out of the Box.

Free OhioERC Workshop-Registration Now Open

NOTE: REGISTRATION IS FULL AS OF AUGUST 24, 2017

Registration is now open for the Ohio Electronic Record Committee’s 2017 Fall Workshop, To Scan or Not to Scan: That is the Question! This workshop is free to attend, plus a travel stipend for mileage is being sponsored by OHRAB and the NHPRC.

There will be 2 identical sessions on October 6, 9:00-11:30 and 1:00-3:30, for you to choose from. Seating is limited to 50 per session, so register early. https://goo.gl/forms/uhE4KCl8jbX7P1r12

This workshop will investigate the pros and cons of scanning various types of records, as well as demonstrate a new feasibility tool developed by the OhioERC for evaluating records for digitization. Following the presentation, we’ll have 4 session rotations to take a fun, hands-on, small group, deeper dive into uncovering the hidden costs and variables before, during, and after digitizing, as well as utilizing the feasibility tool and touring the Delaware County Records Center and Archives reformatting operations.

This training has been certified for:
• 2 hours toward NAGARA’s Local Government Archives and Records Administrator’s certificate in the core competency of Reformatting
• 1 credit toward the Ohio Recorders Association professional development
• 2.5 certification maintenance credits for CRMs and CRAs through the Institute of Certified Records Managers

Please see this flyer for more details, the agenda, location, and travel stipend information. Questions can be directed to [email protected].

Don’t keep this to yourself! Please pass this on to anyone that you feel would benefit from this workshop.

Advocacy Alert!

The Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board (OHRAB) urgently seeks your help in contacting Congress to support the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).  The President’s FY2018 budget, released May 23, included no funding for the NHPRC, eliminating the commission.  The process has now moved to Congress where House Appropriations Committee subcommittees will be drafting their spending bills by the end of June.

 

Since 1976, the NHPRC has awarded $1.5 million in grant funding to 50 projects across Ohio to establish archival programs, preserve documents and digitize and make accessible records (a list of projects funded by the NHPRC is available at https://www.archives.gov/nhprc/projects).   The NHPRC also funds OHRAB and its activities.  This includes an annual regrant program that preserves and provides access to Ohio’s historical records.  Since 2011, 73 projects have been funded under this program.  In addition, funding from the NHPRC provided electronic records management training to hundreds of Ohioans, helping to ensure that tomorrow’s records will also be preserved.

 

What can you do?  Please contact your representative and share how the NHPRC has benefited your district or Ohio.  You can find your representative here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/.

 

The National Humanities Alliance has created a legislative action center that allows you to email Congress about NHPRC funding (http://p2a.co/kLlz8Vr). The website includes a pre-written letter that you can personalize or send as is. The system uses your zip code to identify your House member and Senators automatically.

 

Legislators are interested to know what programs are important to their constituents. Please let them know how valuable NHPRC and OHRAB have been to your institution and to the public you serve.

Advocacy Alert!

OHRAB seeks your help in contacting Congress to support the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC).  A division of the National Archives, the NHPRC’s mission is to provide opportunities for the American people to discover and use records that increase understanding of our democracy, history and culture.  This includes opportunities right here in Ohio.  Since 1976, $1.5 million in grant funding has been awarded to 50 projects across the state to establish archival programs, preserve documents and digitize and make accessible records.

The NHPRC also funds OHRAB and its activities.  This includes an annual regrant program that preserves and provides access to Ohio’s historical records.  Since 2011, 73 projects have been funded under this program.  In addition, funding from the NHPRC provided electronic records management training to hundreds of Ohioans, helping to ensure that tomorrow’s records will also be preserved.

What can you do?  If your representative is on the House Appropriations Committee (David Joyce R-14th District, Marcy Kaptur D-9th District and Tim Ryan D-13th District) please share a story about how the NHPRC has benefited your district or Ohio and ask that he or she support the NHPRC’s budget of $6 million.  If your representative is not on the committee, please ask that they contact members of the committee to express support for the NHPRC.  You can find your representative here: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/.  

Sample Script:

Dear [Member of Congress]

I am [emailing/calling/writing/contacting you] on behalf of the [name of organization] to express support for the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.  I led a project for the [name of organization] which received a grant from the NHPRC to [briefly describe project.]  This project has had an important impact on the community and public, specifically [briefly describe impact.]  

Thank you for your consideration.

OHRAB Visits Governor’s Mansion

On September 30th, several of OHRAB’s Board Members attended Gov. Kasich’s luncheon thanking Board and Commissions members for their service to the State of Ohio.

OHRAB Members Pari Swift, Dan Noonan, John Runion, Dawne Dewey and Rhonda Freeze at Governor's Mansion 20130930

From left to right: Pari Swift; Dan Noonan, Vice Chair; John Runion; Dawne Dewey and Rhonda Freeze, Chair.