The board's activities during the reporting
period included two meetings, the creation
of a World Wide Web home page, and sponsorship
of the Historical Records Repository Survey
(HRRS).
A June meeting was held at Edison State College
in Piqua. Mike Lucas briefed the board on
the Government Information Locator Service
Initiative (GILS). A joint project between
the State Library of Ohio and the Ohio Historical
Society, this initiative is designed to improve
Ohioans access to state government information.
At the same time, the GILS should: 1), serve
as an effective electronic records management
system for state agencies; 2), provide the
means for improving the State of Ohio's compliance
with state and federal public access to information
regulations; 3), serve as an automatic inventory
of state publications; 4), supplement and
eventually replace the existing Ohio Government
Documents Depository System; 5), improve management
of state resources devoted to the production,
storage, retrieval, and reporting of computer-based
State of Ohio information; and 6), support
the development of the state's electronic
archives.
Also at the June meeting, Deputy Coordinator
George Parkinson reported on the state capital
bill recently signed by Governor Voinovich.
The Ohio Historical Society's Archives/Library
will receive $1.5 million to establish an
electronic records program in the State Archives
and to support ongoing automation projects
to catalog the State Archives and to retrospectively
convert the printed materials card catalog
to machine readable format. The capital money
will be used in conjunction with the $10,000
grant that the NHPRC awarded for the "Establishing
the Ohio Electronic Records Archives"
project. Consultant Margaret Hedstrom is working
with the Society on this project to develop
an electronic records program in Ohio. The
board also learned that the Ohio Historical
Society, together with the Cincinnati Historical
Society and the Western Reserve Historical
Society, released a request for proposal for
an integrated library and information system
on 21 June 1996. Capital funding will support
the Ohio Historical Society's purchase of
the selected hardware and software.
The board was briefed by Elizabeth Nelson
on the board's new World Wide Web home page,
(http://winslo.ohio.gov/ohswww/ohrab/index.html)
designed to advertise board activities and
provide quick access to information. The June
meeting was the last for Nelson, as she moved
on to graduate school in the fall. The board
expressed their appreciation to Nelson for
her work and assistance, and wished her well
in her future endeavors. OHS Archivist Matthew
Benz was named as her replacement.
While at Piqua, the board held an open house
discussion of issues facing county and local
historical societies in the state. Representatives
from local historical societies participated
in the discussion, which centered around the
board's interest in establishing an integrated
catalog of holdings that will connect local
historical societies around the state.
An August meeting was held at the Ohio State
University Archives. Parkinson reported to
the board of the standing of the Local Government
Records Initiative. The Ohio Historical Society's
Board of Trustees had endorsed the newly revised
plan for the Ohio Local Government Information
Locator System (LGILS) at its 18 July meeting.
Further revisions to the initiative are expected.
The OHRAB board agreed to issue a resolution
of support for the Ohio LGILS proposal.
The board reviewed the Historical Records
and Repository Survey (HRRS), which OHRAB
is cosponsoring along with the Society of
Ohio Archivists (SOA). Parkinson reported
that the Ohio Survey will be sent out to approximately
1,400 respondents. As they have had much experience
in survey work, the Ohio Historical Society's
Local History Office has agreed to assist
the board in coordinating the survey.
The board discussed the Homefront and
Battlefront: Ohioans Serve The Nation
regrant proposal revision. They agreed to
re-submit the proposal as revised for the
1 October deadline. The board also learned
that the Cleveland Museum of Natural History
withdrew its request for a grant as it received
local private funding.
As of 30 November, the board has spent $14,227.30
of a total grant award of $18,524. This includes
$948.00 in encumbrances to cover costs for
the 5 December meeting. During this reporting
period, the board expended $2,179.94 on travel
and meetings and $43.80 on supplies and services.
On 25 November, NHPRC approved an extension
of the grant to 31 May. Also approved was
a new cost category in the budget of $1,850
for data entry and other costs associated
with the board's participation in the HRRS.
In addition to this amount, OHRAB encumbered
the remaining original grant funds with the
intention of using them for the printing and
distribution of The Ohio 2003 Plan
revision, as well as providing for additional
meetings and services and supplies.
