Calls for Collections
Our collections enable people to discover their place in historical events. While we have collected and continue to preserve items spanning thousands of years of human history, we also recognize the importance of collecting and documenting the history we are making today, and filling gaps in the collections to better represent all Ohioans. This page documents our past and current calls for collections.
- Civil Rights Protests and Historic Preservation
- Ohio Women's Activism
- Documenting the COVID-19 Pandemic
Considering recent events surrounding the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the ensuing protests around the globe, we must ask ourselves what can I do, or more poignantly, what should I do? Ohio history makes it clear that current civil rights struggles are directly related to the broader legacy of slavery, racism and discrimination, and even white supremacy.
At Ohio History Connection, we want to offer our skills to you to document and preserve this moment in Ohio's civil rights legacy. If you would like to donate related objects, papers, or photographs to our collections, or if you would like guidelines for historic preservation at home, please send us a message by visiting our Contact Us page and selecting "Collections" from the drop-down menu.
In August 2020, the 19th Amendment will be 100 years old. This Amendment made it illegal to discriminate against voters on the basis of sex and allowed many women to vote for the first time.
To commemorate this anniversary, the Ohio History Connection is issuing a call for donations documenting all Ohio women's activism--past and present. Items of interest might include:
- Letters and diaries
- Organizational records
- Photographs and video recordings
- Banners and buttons
- Clothing
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to develop, we're collecting items documenting Ohioans' response to COVID-19 and attempts to limit its spread. These pieces will help us and future Ohioans to understand this extraordinary time in our history. As Ohio's public history organization, the stories you share with us will help us understand the day-to-day impacts of this pandemic.
What types of items are you seeking?
- Documents including letters from friends and family, flyers advertising aid, creative online lesson plans, communications about resources from neighborhood associations, etc.
- Photographs depicting empty store shelves, unique things you did while social distancing, etc. – please include information about the scene, including date, location and photographer
- Objects such as Ohio-made products aiding in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, unique items that speak to social distancing, etc.
These items may relate to:
- Gathering restrictions and the way they have reshaped how we learn, work and socialize
- The role of medical professionals and first responders throughout Ohio who are fighting the COVID-19 pandemic
- Effects of the pandemic on local businesses
- Impact of school and childcare closings on family life and student activities
- Experiences of people diagnosed with COVID-19 and/or their caregivers