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JaniceDilg's comments:
on Multnomah County Elections
Last Friday I met at the OHS research library with library staff and two descedants of prominent Oregon woman suffrgist Abigail Scott Duniway. While it was a delight to see Abigail's 10 year-old namesake read some of her great, great, great, great, great grandmother's writings about the importance of women's right to vote, there are larger lessons to be learned from those documents we reviewed.
The fact that women didn't always have the right to vote is an important aspect of Oregon and U.S. history. The centennial of women's getting the vote in Oregon will happen in 2012. This anniversary gives us a unique opportunity to discuss and highlight the value women and men put on being able to fully participate in our democracy, as well as to make their history well known. That can't happen without the materials held by institutions like OHS.
posted 2 years, 6 months ago
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on The Political Power of Women
Women realized having the vote was the first step in being full citizens in Oregon, the nation, and the world. In addition to Abigail Scott Duniway, people like Dr. Esther Pohl Lovejoy, Sara Evans, William "Pike" Davis, and Millie Trumbull worked to make Votes for Women a reality.
One of the reason's Oregon's 1912 campaign for woman suffrage was successful was that the women and men behind the effort made broad coalitions with groups and organizations across rural/urban, ethnic/racial, and class lines. Native women did not get the vote in Oregon in 1912 because the US did not consider them American citizens until 1924.
The centennial of Oregon woman suffrage occurs in 2012 and you can learn more about that history and centennial planning by going to www.oregonsuffrage.org
posted 2 years, 8 months ago
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on Society's History
Scholar's work translates into textbooks, biographies, radio and TV documentaries, movies, and online websites that reach many pepole that do not physically come to, or use, the OHS library or museum. The numbers George Vogt alludes are difficult to tally, and cannot just be counted by who comes to the OHS facility.
posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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on Society's History
Questions for Michael Fischer:
The mission statement for your library and archives is: “The Nevada State Library and Archives serves as the foundation of Nevada democracy by providing full access to a range of information services that enhance the quality of life for all and center on creating an educated and enlightened citizenry while supporting the best interests of the state of Nevada. In support of this mission, the agency serves government, libraries, business, and citizens by providing a range of information services."
How is Nevada's state library staffed and funded? How are the collections used? How integral do you consider the library and archives to the education of the state’s citizens, from students to senior citizens?
posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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on Society's History
On March 13 over 80 historians, archivists, librarians, filmmakers, authors, students and others interested in the future of Oregon history rallied in the Park Blocks across from the Oregon Historical Society. When we organized the rally, we chose a bit of historical theater, mounting a soapbox to proclaim our purposes, but our intent was serious and our tone somber. A treasured public asset, the entire contents of the Oregon Historical Society research library, was being removed from public access, the professional staff that made use of that material possible laid off, and the future of historical research and production of historical works relevant to Oregon was cast into doubt.
When those staff members left the research library that Friday, they took with them more than 100 years of collective institutional memory. Anyone who has used the OHS research library can recount an instance where they would not have found what they needed or were led to a source they never would have thought of, without the knowledgable staff. This loss could not pass unnoticed; it will continue to reverberate with anyone who studies or teaches Oregon history.
The people losing access to Oregon’s history are not just the scholars and researchers who walk through the doors of the library. They include everyone who has ever read a book on Oregon history, an article in the Oregon Historical Quarterly, or enjoyed a radio or television documentary based on research conducted in the OHS library. One striking example: the current Oregon Reads selection, Stubborn Twig: Three Generations in the Life of a Japanese American Family would not exist had author Lauren Kessler not had access to Yasui family records housed at the OHS research library.
Because this closure has such wide ranging implications, the OHS administration and Trustees must be transparent about their decisions and plans for the future of the research library. The core mission of the Oregon Historical Society since 1899, according to its charter, has been: “for the purpose of collecting and preserving a library of historical literature . . . relative to the history of this state, . . . to hold all of its collections of material for the use and benefit of all the people of this state.” Tough times require tough decisions. Protecting the collections housed in the OHS research library and providing access to them must be the board’s top priority.
posted 4 years, 1 month ago
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