19 Oct 2017

The 76th Ohioana Awards

by Ohioana_Admin | posted in: Awards | 0

**Ohioana award winners, L to R: Marisa Silver, Douglas Brinkley, Teri Ellen Cross Davis, C.F. Payne, Tiffany McDaniel, Ohioana Executive Director David Weaver, Ashley Bethard, and Sally Derby**

What a great night! Food, friends, music, awards — and BOOKS! Once again, we gathered in the Atrium of the Ohio Statehouse to honor the recipients of one of the oldest state literary awards in the nation. We were only missing author and speaker J.D. Vance, who had a previous engagement, but he created a wonderful video for us.

There was a surprise video visit, however, from author and Governor John Kasich, who showed his appreciation for the authors and for the literary heritage of the state.

Here are our awardees and their books:

Juvenile Literature: C.F. Payne, Miss Mary Reporting. Sponsor: Margaret
W. Wong & Associates
Middle Grade/Young Adult Literature: Sally Derby, Jump Back, Paul
Reader’s Choice: Tiffany McDaniel, The Summer That Melted Everything
About Ohio or an Ohioan: J.D.Vance, Hillbilly Elegy. Sponsor:
Huntington Bank
Poetry: Terry Ellen Cross, Haint. Sponsor: Ohio Arts Council/Poetry Out
Loud
Fiction: Marisa Silver, Little Nothing. Sponsor: Vorys, Sater, Seymour &
Pease LLP
Nonfiction: Douglas Brinkley, Rightful Heritage. Sponsor: Porter Wright

Thanks to all who attended and THANK YOU to our wonderful sponsors:

Awards:

The Columbus Foundation

Event:

Table Sponsors:

Margaret W. Wong & Associates

Media Associates and In-Kind:

7 Oct 2017

The Big Give!

by Ohioana_Admin | posted in: Support, The Big Give | 0

“I am really grateful because I know the people who have won [the Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant] in the past go on to do bigger and better things.”

Negesti Kaudo, 2015 Walter Rumsey Marvin Grant winner congratulated by Steven Moore of the Columbus Foundation.

Every day Ohioana Library works to connect readers and Ohio writers. Serving over 150,000 people a year, Ohioana celebrates Ohio’s creativity through its festival and awards while collecting and preserving the state’s rich literary heritage.

Your donation will make a BIG difference! And thanks to The Big Give, it will go farther. From 10 a.m. Tuesday, October 10th to 12 noon Wednesday, October 11th, your gift will be amplified courtesy of a $1.3 million bonus pool.

Donations help Ohioana continue outreach to children and underrepresented populations, keep the largest festival on Ohio literature free, and provide encouragement to up-and-coming authors like Negesti Kaudo and now Pulitzer Prize Winner Anthony Doerr.

Donating during The Big Give is simple!

VISIT beginning at 10 a.m. October 10.
GIVE securely using a major credit card with a minimum gift of $20.
CELEBRATE as you’ve made a real difference!

All gifts must be made using a credit card or through a Columbus Foundation Donor Advised Fund on The Columbus Foundation’s website.

If you have any questions, please contact Ohioana Executive Director David Weaver at 614-466-3831 or dweaver@ohioana.org.

Thank you for ensuring Ohio’s literary legacy thrives and that authors like Negesti and Anthony can connect with people like you.

Sincerely,
David Weaver

3 May 2017

Make YOUR voice heard for Ohioana!

by Ohioana_Admin | posted in: News | 0

This is not a drill: Ohioana’s operating support has been eliminated from the state budget, or at least the version passed May 2 in the Ohio House of Representatives. I’m sure you’re as surprised and shocked as we are.

Ohioana promotes and celebrates our great state and is one of the nation’s leading literary centers. It directly serves 150,000 Ohioans every year and serves ALL Ohioans as the caretaker of our state’s rich literary heritage.

Eleven Ohio Governors and 34 consecutive General Assemblies since 1949 have recognized the public value of Ohioana’s work by providing it with operating support. This support is even a part of state law under the Ohio Revised Code.

Of course, you already know that Ohioana has value because you love books, reading, and storytelling. Perhaps you were at the 11^th annual Ohioana Book Festival on April 8 in Columbus and you had a chance to meet one of 120 authors and attended a festival panel. You read the Ohioana Quarterly for book reviews and articles about literary Ohio. Maybe you follow the Ohioana Awards and cheer for your favorite authors when they are nominated.

So today we’re asking for your help. Will you call your state senator and ask them to restore funding? Here are just a few of the reasons to keep Ohioana, reasons that you can mention when you call:

The Ohioana Library Association directly serves 150,000 Ohioans each year.
It serves ALL Ohioans as the caretaker of our state’s literary heritage.
It costs the state a penny-and-half per Ohioan to support Ohioana.
Ohioana generates more than $1 for every $1 provided by the State.

Just go to this link and under “Find Your Senator” enter your zip code + 4.

Yes, state revenues are tight. Yes, the state has many priorities. But Ohioana’s history proves it has yielded major dividends for a modest investment. Don’t just take our word for it – ask the eleven Ohio Governors and 34 General Assemblies that have supported us since 1949.

Ohioana has always worked hard to be a good steward of both public and private money. And we have faced shortages before. But removal from the budget could not just hinder our ability to serve the people. It could, if not halted, ultimately jeopardize our very existence. So please help and make your voice heard – it has never been as important before as it is now! Take a moment and call your state senator before May 10.

After all, what is any place without its stories and its storytellers?

3 May 2017

Ohioana’s First Virtual Exhibit

by Ohioana_Admin | posted in: Collection Highlights | 0

This year marks Ohioana’s 88th year in operation, and during that time Ohioana has had plenty of time to grow, adapt and, of course, collect literature from Ohio authors. Ohioana’s collection now includes more than 45,000 books, 10,000 pieces of sheet music, and approximately 20,000 biographical files on Ohio writers, musicians, and artists. The best news? Any of these items can be requested to be viewed in our library, by anyone!

While this is wonderful for everyone who is able to make it to visit Ohioana’s collection in person in downtown Columbus, some may live too far away or simply may not be able to visit us. However, we think it’s very important to highlight interesting and culturally significant pieces in our collection, and to show them to you even if you can’t make it here to see them. That’s why Ohioana is happy to present our very first virtural exhibit!

This exhibit features the entirety of a scrapbook from Ohioana’s collection, created by the Junior-Juvenile division of the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs during 1935-1937. The Ohio Federation of Music Clubs (OFMC) is part of the National Federation of Music Clubs, which is dedicated to the love and study of music, and just celebrated their cenntinial year. Click here to visit the OFMC’s Website and learn more about the history of the organization, as well as current events.

The scrapbook is composed of 98 pages, with each page decorated by members of music-focused clubs from 30 towns and cities located across Ohio. Pages include articles and programs, as well as photographs, illustrations and handpainted, hand-drawn and handwritten components. This exhibit includes images of all of the pages of the scrapbook, as well as images of every program and fold-out featured on the individual pages.

This scrapbook is a proud part of Ohioana’s collection, and we are very happy to have the opportunity to share it with you! Click here to visit it, or navigate from our homepage by clicking on the link under “Resources”. Enjoy, and check back for more virtual exhibits featuring items from Ohioana’s collection in the future!