RECORDS CONFERENCE MEETS AT OHIO HISTORICAL CENTER TO DISCUSS 'FUTURE OF THE PAST'
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COLUMBUS, Ohio – More than 100 archivists, librarians, curators, records managers and public officials gathered Sept. 26 at the Ohio Historical Center to discuss creation of a long-range and collaborative agenda for strengthening historical records programs throughout Ohio.

As part of Ohio’s bicentennial celebration, the Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board convened The Future of Our Past: Ohio’s Historical Records at 200 Years to examine the creation, maintenance and preservation of Ohio’s historical records and to propose solutions to challenges faced by records programs.

“In The Future of Our Past, we encouraged frank discussion of what needs to be done to sustain our accomplishments and also move forward on the many challenges we face,” said George Parkinson, division chief of the Archives/Library of the Ohio Historical Society and deputy state coordinator of OHRAB. “We also sought to rekindle the enthusiasm of those who create, use and preserve Ohio’s historical records.”

Administered by the Ohio Historical Society, the Ohio Historical Records Advisory Board is the central body for historical records planning in Ohio. Board members, who are appointed by the governor, represent Ohio’s public and private archives, records offices and research institutions. The board’s mission is to serve the people of Ohio by advocating, nurturing and advising programs that identify, preserve and provide access to their documentary heritage, which enriches the culture and protects the rights of Ohioans.

Nearly 10 years ago, OHRAB received a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission, a unit of the National Archives, to develop an agenda for historical records programs in Ohio. The board approved a final version of the plan in December 1994, creating The Ohio 2003 Plan. From 1995 through 2003, the plan served as a guide for the Ohio Historical Society and other organizations as they improved access to historical materials, launching initiatives such as the Ohio Memory Project, the award-winning online portal to historical treasures belonging to more than 300 archives, historical societies and museums in Ohio.

Speakers at the records conference included Dr. John Grabowski, associate professor in applied history at Case Western Reserve University and director of research, Western Reserve Historical Society, and Dr. Ken Thibodeau, director of the electronic records archives program at the National Archives and Records Administration. In addition, William K. Laidlaw Jr., executive director of the Ohio Historical Society, and Elaine H. Hairston, vice president of the OHS Board of Trustees, opened the records summit.

Information gathered at the Sept. 26 event will be used to create the updated OHRAB strategic plan, to be called The Ohio 2010 Plan. For more information or to comment, please contact George Parkinson at 614.297.2501 or gparkinson@ohiohistory.org.