[SOA] OHRAB Achievement Award

[Jill Tatem]

Good evening,

On behalf of the Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board I am pleased
to announce that the Euclid Public Library and the Clark County
Historical Society have received the 2012 OHRAB Achievement Awards.

The Euclid Public Library is using the web to document and increase
access to its city’s history with a broad range of documentation from
many sources. The library has digitized residents’ family photos, high
school yearbooks, and local newspaper editions. The web-accessible
collection also includes recordings of City Council meetings, as well
as oral histories, in audio and video format, revealing multiple
perspectives on the history of Euclid. This impressive range of
formats and documents has expanded the public’s ability to connect
with its history. Beginning as a celebration of the Euclid
Bicentennial, the Library has committed to continuing this project,
creating an ongoing program. OHRAB congratulates the Euclid Public
Library for its efforts to improve access to its city’s history.

Like many counties, the Clark County Probate Court’s case files of
wills and estate settlements, guardianship, and civil cases contain a
wealth of information about the County’s history. The Clark County
Historical Society brought together the expertise of staff, the
enthusiasm of volunteers and interns, and a small grant for supplies
to create a focused effort toward ensuring the preservation of and
better access to these important local records. This project was not
only ambitious, but creative in its use of resources – including the
transformation of back-room activities into a public teachable moment.
Because of space constraints, a significant amount of document
processing occurred in the public reading room. Project staff and
volunteers engaged visitors in the process, explaining how and why
these records were being preserved. OHRAB congratulates the Clark
County Historical Society for its perseverance and creativity in
preserving Ohio’s local records.

Also nominated were Miami University Libraries Digital Library,
University of Akron Archival Services, and University of Dayton
Libraries.

Congratulations to the winners and all the nominees.

Jill Tatem
University Archivist
Case Western Reserve University
phone: 216-368-3320
email: archives at case.edu
http://library.case.edu/ksl/archives