Archival Services and Design & Development Services of University Libraries, along with the Department of History, won a Society of Ohio Archivists (SOA) Merit Award last week at the SOA Annual Meeting and Conference for their Sesquicentennial Oral History Project. The award is given to individuals or organizations that have by excellence in deeds, actions, or initiatives improved the state of archives in Ohio over the past year. The oral histories captured the often-unheard stories and voices of African Americans, women, the LGBTQ community, and people with disabilities from the university campus and with Zips living in the greater Akron community. In addition to filling gaps in the historical record in University Archives, the project also involved students in the sesquicentennial celebration and provided an important hands-on experiential learning opportunity. The 12 oral history videos and transcripts can be accessed on Archival Services’ digital collections website at https://cdm15960.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p15960coll3/search/searchterm/The%20University%20of%20Akron%20Sesquicentennial%20Oral%20History%20Project/field/collec/mode/exact/conn/and/order/date/ad/asc/page/1.
Congratulations to all!