Ohio Memory Online Scrapbook

May 14, 2002

Ohio Dominican Participates in Ohio Memory Online Scrapbook
Digital Versions of Important Documents and Artifacts Available on Internet

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio Dominican is one of 250 Ohio organizations that have contributed images of historical documents and artifacts for the Ohio Memory Online Scrapbook, which was officially opened by Hope Taft, First Lady of Ohio, at a ceremony at the Ohio Statehouse on March 26. More than a century of Ohio history can be found in the scrapbook, located online at http://www.ohiomemory.org.

The Ohio Memory Online Scrapbook is a project coordinated by the Ohio Historical Society that presents online items dating from prehistory to 1903, including letters, diaries, historical photographs, clothing, furniture, prehistoric artifacts and government records. The collections document important milestones in history, such as the signing of the Treaty of Greenville and the Wright Brothers' first flight. Other collections, such as prehistoric artifacts, handmade quilts and family letters offer glimpses into the everyday lives of past generations of Ohioans.

Visitors to the electronic scrapbook can search for specific information by subject, contributing organization and geographic area. The electronic scrapbook is organized into five categories for easy navigation: Ohio Citizenship, Economy, People, Culture, and Environment.

"This is an early bicentennial gift to Ohio in recognition of nearly 200 years of statehood," Mrs. Hope Taft, First Lady of Ohio, said. "The rich assortment of historical treasures contained in the more than 9,000 pages and images from Ohio's past can now be shared with anyone who is interested in Ohio history, 24 hours a day, seven days a week."

Items provided by Ohio Dominican for Ohio Memory include articles from early issues of the Catholic Columbian, a weekly newspaper published from 1875 to 1939 in association with the Diocese of Columbus. The articles contain information about the building and consecration of St. Joseph's Cathedral; the death of Bishop Rosecrans; and the appointment and installation of Bishop Watterson.

More than 250 organizations submitted their historical treasures to be digitized and included in the online scrapbook. Groups include: 29 special archives and libraries, 28 academic archives and libraries, 80 historical societies, 46 museums, and 73 public libraries.

"The mission of the Ohio Memory Project is to provide access to the historical treasures of Ohio, bringing together primary sources from all parts of the state," Ohio Historical Society Executive Director Gary C. Ness said. Ohio Memory is loosely based on the Library of Congress' American Memory Project, a long-term digitization project combining that institution's collections with those of other repositories throughout the U.S. The Ohio Historical Society created The African-American Experience in Ohio, 1850 -1920 for the American Memory Project.

While the Ohio Historical Society coordinates Ohio Memory, the project is a collaborative effort involving the support of five other statewide organizations. In 2000, OPLIN, the Ohio Public Library Information Network, awarded $500,000 to the Ohio Historical Society to launch the project. OhioLINK, the library consortium of Ohio's college and universities, hosts the online scrapbook on its servers. The Ohio Library Council and INFOhio, the Information Network for Ohio Schools, helped to inform Ohio's librarians and teachers about the project. The Executive Committee of the Ohio Bicentennial Commission recently recommended awarding a $50,000 legacy grant for the Ohio Memory Project. The Society will add collections to the online scrapbook regularly and hopes to secure additional funding so that more historical materials, in particular those created after 1903, can be made available through the Ohio Memory Online Scrapbook.