Minutes
Ohio
Historical Records Advisory Board Meeting
15
December 2000
Ohio
Historical Center
Columbus
Board
members present:
Roland Baumann, Keith Corman, Barbara Floyd, Raimund Goerler,
Ronald Koetters, Michael Lucas, Julie McMaster, George Parkinson
& Carol Tomer
Board
members not present: Gary Ness, James Oda
Staff
present: Charles Arp, Matthew Benz, Laurie Gemmill, Angela
O’Neal, and Judy Walker
Guests
present: David Larson
Deputy
State Coordinator George Parkinson called the meeting to order
at 10:00 a.m. He then welcomed the board and made opening remarks.
The
Board members provided brief institutional and regional updates.
Barbara Floyd spoke on recent staff changes at the Special Collections
Department of the University of Toledo Library. As its sole employee,
Floyd has established "by appointment only" hours. Raimund Goerler
informed the Board that in January architects would be conducting
a feasibility study for proposed restorations and renovations
of the Ohio State University Main Library. Plans call for Special
Collections to be housed in the new space. Fund-raising will be
conducted for the projected ten year, $100,000,000 project. He
mentioned that Ohio Memory Project team would be meeting with
the OSU curatorial staff in the coming months.
Julie
McMaster reported that the Toledo Museum of Art is planning for
its Centennial in 2001. The Archives Department is fully engaged
in the efforts, helping with exhibits and a television documentary.
As a result she has hired an assistant to help with the work and
believes that renewed interest in the archives points to a productive
future. It was noted that an NHPRC grant helped to establish the
Archives. There are also plans for an architectural firm to design
a new glass museum that might include space for the Archives
Ronald
Koetters, a trustee of the Cincinnati Museum Center, described
its fiscal outlook as improving on several fronts. In particular,
the CMC sold its old museum site and purchased property next to
the Museum Center that will provide storage space. George Parkinson
reported that the Ohio Historical Society and the National Underground
Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati are planning to digitize
the Wilbur H. Siebert Underground Railroad papers. This project
includes conservation of the narrative accounts of participants
and related materials. Parkinson also mentioned a recent recognition
of the African-American
Experience in Ohio: 1850-1920. This online database of
primary sources, an overview of Ohio African American history,
was made possible by the generous support of the Library of Congress
and Ameritech. The Civil War on the Web: The Guide to the Best,
written by William G. Thomas and Alice Carter (Scholarly Research
Inc, 2000), lists it as one of the ninety-five best sites on the
Civil War.
Carol
Tomer described an inventory of the art collection at the Cleveland
Clinic, being conducted by her and other archive staff. Roland
Baumann announced that Ken Grossi, formerly with Ohio State University
Archives and past president of the Society of Ohio Archivists,
had been promoted to Associate Archivist at the Oberlin Archives.
Baumann is working on a publication titled Anthology of Black
Education at Oberlin, which will be available in print as
well as online. A major collection was accessioned, the business
papers of Bayer Diagnostics and its predecessor entities (Gilford
Diagnostics, Ciba Geigy, Ciba Corning, and Chiron Diagnostics).
Michael
Lucas, State Librarian of Ohio, reported that the State Library
closed in November as the staff prepares for the move to a remodeled
old Jeffrey Mining Company building, 274 East 1st Ave.,
Columbus, OH. Lucas indicated that the library would re-open at
the new site on 29 January. He also encouraged Board members to
visit the new location and mentioned that meeting rooms will be
available for future OHRAB meetings.
Laurie
Gemmill showed examples of materials that had been submitted for
consideration in the Ohio Memory Scrapbook, following thirteen
workshops held around the state that were attended by approximately
236 representatives from 174 interested archives, libraries, and
museums, and other historical agencies. The staff is setting appointments
to examine some of the larger collections that have been offered.
It was explained that they were identifying target regions of
the state for which material is still needed as well as additional
subject matter. In following up the discussion at the October
meeting on the board’s role with the project, a list of workshop
attendees was provided to the Board so that it might work with
potential participants.
There
were suggestions to further engage the Board in the project. Floyd
and Goerler agreed to take the lead in contacting educational
institutions. Koetters will coordinate with the Cincinnati Museum
Center, and Tomer will contact the Cleveland Archival Roundtable.
Parkinson suggested that the project consider documenting library
history in Ohio.
Judy
Walker briefed the board on the status of the Joint Electronic
Records Repository Initiative [JERRI], a cooperative project between
the Ohio Department of Administrative Services, the Supercomputer
Center at the Ohio State University, the State Library of Ohio
and the Ohio Historical Society. Its goal is an electronic records
archive for the State of Ohio. The NHPRC has provided informal
notification of a conditional grant of up to $100,000 for JERRI.
The award is contingent on additional funding from the State and
revisions in the work plan. On 4 December, the JERRI partners
met and signed the following:
The
Ohio Department of Administrative Services, the Ohio Historical
Society, the State Library of Ohio and the Ohio Supercomputer
Center affirm their mutual support for the Joint Electronic
Records Repository Initiative. The goal of this interagency
partnership is to collaboratively develop an electronic records
repository that will preserve and provide access to the state
government’s electronic resources with enduring value.
The
four sponsoring agencies agree to jointly seek adequate funding
in the next Biennial State of Ohio budget to formally establish
an electronic records archives effective July 1, 2001. This
memorandum of understanding serves to ratify the financial
participation goals of each agency for at least the next fiscal
biennium during which time the electronic archives will be
developed.
Walker
reported that State Archives staff will be working with the Minnesota
Historical Society and the San Diego Supercomputer Center as well
as others on establishing educational workshops to train archivists
on electronic record archival issues.
Charles
Arp briefed the Board on efforts to work with Legislators on creating
a schedule of retention for the records of out-going members.
This is critical as term limits are in effect and over forty representatives
will be leaving the Legislature. Drafts of a general schedule
have been shared with the Speaker of the House and pending approval
of legal counsel, the State Archives Department hopes to have
the schedule in place soon.
The
Board took up the issue of revising its plan, a proposal on hold
until Board appointments were current. It was agreed to re-activate
the sub-committee, replacing Dembo (who resigned in April) with
Goerler. The sub-committee was asked to organize a retreat for
the spring of 2001 and to report back to the board at its February
meeting.
The
board then approved with changes the minutes from the 13 October
Meeting.
The
Board received a written progress report on Archives Week prepared
by George Bain. (See attachment) Julie McMaster agreed to serve
as OHRAB liaison to Archives Week.
The
Board discussed a preliminary outline of Ohio University’s proposal
for an NHPRC grant to process the records of the Columbus/Hocking
Iron & Coal Company.
Parkinson
then gave a brief report on recent activity at the NHPRC.
The
Board examined the Procedures Governing Records of State Agencies
Transferred to the State Archives of Ohio. Arp will be contacting
Board members for reaction and will be meeting with the Society’s
attorney to formalize the new rules.
The
meeting was adjourned at 12:00.
Respectfully
submitted,
George
Parkinson
Deputy State Coordinator
