The National Digital Newspaper Program in Ohio relies on its advisory board for the selection of papers as well as for its members’ expertise in a variety of areas. The board is currently comprised of six members with knowledge and expertise in digitization, as well as Ohio history and communities. For more information about the newspaper selection process, see below.

• Janet Carleton, Digital Initiatives Coordinator, Ohio University
• Jill Clever, Manager, Local History and Genealogy Department, Toledo Lucas County Public Library
• Dr. John Grabowski, Krieger-Mueller Associate Professor of Applied History, Case Western Reserve University, & Senior VP for Research Publications/Krieger-Mueller Historian, Western Reserve Historical Society
• Suzanne Reller, Reference/Collections Librarian, Archives and Rare Books Library, University of Cincinnati
• Tom Rieder, Reference Archivist, Ohio History Connection
• Dr. Doreen Uhas-Sauer, Outreach and Education Coordinator, Columbus Landmarks Foundation

During the first three phases of the grant, running from July 2008 through August 2015, the board was comprised of ten regional members, one from each of the Ohio Local History Alliance regions, and five to eight at-large members. Representatives came from historical, state and genealogical libraries and museums, public and academic libraries, newspaper associations, the education community and academic institutions. Advisory board members were responsible for selecting papers, promoting the project and providing guidance to NDNP-OH staff in their areas of expertise. For more information about the newspaper selection process, see the Regional Selection Process, 2008-2015, section below.

Regional Members

• Steve Charter, Bowling Green State University (Region 1, Northwest Ohio, 2008-2015)
• Tom Neel, Ohio Genealogical Society (Region 2, North Central Ohio, 2008-2015)
• John Vacha, Western Reserve Historical Society (Region 3, Northeast Ohio, 2010-2015)
• Bill Barrow, Cleveland State University (Region 3, Northeast Ohio, 2008-2010)
• Brian Brennan, Youngstown State University (Region 4, Northeast Ohio, 2010-2015)
• Bill Lawson, Mahoning Valley Historical Society (Region 4, Northeast Ohio, 2008-2010)
• Kimberly Kenney, McKinley Presidential Library & Museum (Region 5, Northeast/East Central Ohio, 2010-2015)
• Kathy Fernandez, North Canton Heritage Society (Region 5, Northeast/East Central Ohio, 2008-2010)
• Susan Allen, Worthington Public Library (Region 6, Central Ohio, 2008-2015)
• Jane Wildermuth, Wright State University (Region 7, West Central Ohio, 2008-2015)
• Greg Edwards, Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County (Region 8, Southwest Ohio, 2008-2015)
• Janet Carleton, Ohio University (Region 9, Southeast/South Central Ohio, 2008-2015)
• Ernest Thode, Washington County Public Library (Region 10, Southeast/East Central Ohio, 2008-2015)

At-Large Members

• Jim Buchman, State Library of Ohio (2008-2011)
• John Burnham, Ohio State University (2008-2012)
• Frank Deaner, Ohio Newspaper Association (2008-2015)
• Cynthia DuChane, INFOhio (2009-2011)
• Jim Gibson, Knox County Historical Society Museum (2010-2015)
• John Haas, Ohio History Connection (2010-2015)
• Stuart Hobbs, Ohio State University (2011-2012)
• Tutti Jackson, Ohio History Connection (2011-2015)
• Shannon Kupfer, State Library of Ohio (2011-2015)
• Virginia Moore, Ohio Resource Center & Ohio Department of Education (2010-2014)
• Laura Sponhour, INFOhio (2011-2015)

Advisory Board Meeting: July 31, 2020

• Agenda & Packet

Advisory Board Meeting: October 7, 2019

• Agenda & Packet

Advisory Board Meeting: December 5, 2018

• Agenda & Packet
• Tentative Selection List

Advisory Board Meeting: October 17, 2018

• Agenda & Packet
• Newspaper Selection Instructions & Review Worksheet
• Newspaper Review Worksheet (fillable PDF)
• Preliminary Selection List (click to download)

Advisory Board Meeting: April 11, 2018

• Agenda & Packet

Advisory Board Meeting: October 16, 2017

• Agenda & Packet

Advisory Board Meeting: February 22, 2017

• Agenda & Packet
• Tentative Selection List

Advisory Board Meeting: September 28, 2016

• Agenda & Packet
• Newspaper Selection Instructions & Review Worksheet
• Newspaper Review Worksheet (fillable PDF)
• Preliminary Selection List (click to download)

NDNP-OH’s fifth phase, running September 2018-August 2020, focused on newspapers published between 1920 and 1960. Each board member was asked to review the selection list and submit three titles, along with Newspaper Review Worksheets, from each of five regions (see below) to consider for digitization.

As in previous phases, these recommendations were used to guide discussion so that the final selection list included at least one title from each region; coverage of each decade within the target time period; representation of communities not already represented on Chronicling America; and at least one special press title (e.g. labor, religious, ethnic, etc.).

• Northwest Ohio (Allen, Auglaize, Crawford, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Logan, Lucas, Mercer, Miami, Ottawa, Paulding, Putnam, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca, Shelby, Van Wert, Williams, Wood & Wyandot Counties)
• Northeast Ohio (Ashland, Ashtabula, Carroll, Columbiana, Coshocton, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning, Medina, Portage, Stark, Summit, Trumbull, Tuscarawas & Wayne Counties)
• Central Ohio (Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Knox, Licking, Madison, Marion, Morrow, Pickaway & Union Counties)
• Southwest Ohio (Adams, Brown, Butler, Champaign, Clark, Clermont, Clinton, Darke, Fayette, Greene, Hamilton, Highland, Montgomery, Pike, Preble, Ross, Scioto & Warren Counties)
• Southeast Ohio (Athens, Belmont, Gallia, Guernsey, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Vinton & Washington Counties)

During the fourth phase of the grant, running from September 2016 through August 2018, board members selected newspapers that represent several of Ohio’s immigrant and ethnic communities. The 2016-2018 selection list includes 19 historically significant titles covering 1834-1959 and representing German, Hungarian German, Czech, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Serbo-Croatian, Slovak and Slovenian groups.

Prior to the February 22, 2017 meeting, board members used the Preliminary Selection List and Newspaper Review Worksheet to evaluate and choose five German-language titles and two titles from each of the other foreign-languages (if more than two were available). These initial recommendations guided discussion and final selections, allowing for a variety of perspectives and time periods to be represented within the 100,000 page digitization limit.

During the first three phases of the grant, running from July 2008 through August 2015, regional advisory board members were responsible for consulting with representatives from their regions to compile Top 5 Lists of titles that should be considered for digitization. With the rest of the advisory board, final selections were made (with a goal of choosing at least one paper or family of papers from each region) from these lists. For more information about each region and its selection process, click on the links below:

• Region 1: Northwest Ohio (Allen, Defiance, Fulton, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Lucas, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, Williams & Wood Counties)
• Region 2: North Central Ohio (Ashland, Crawford, Erie, Huron, Marion, Morrow, Ottawa, Richland, Sandusky, Seneca & Wyandot Counties)
• Region 3: Northeast Ohio (Cuyahoga, Lake, Lorain, Median & Summit Counties)
• Region 4: Northeast Ohio (Ashtabula, Geauga, Mahoning, Portage & Trumbull Counties)
• Region 5: Northeast/East Central Ohio (Carroll, Columbiana, Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, Stark, Tuscarawas & Wayne Counties)
• Region 6: Central Ohio (Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin, Knox, Licking, Madison, Perry, Pickaway & Union Counties)
• Region 7: West Central Ohio (Auglaize, Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene, Logan, Mercer, Miami, Troy, Montgomery, Preble & Shelby Counties)
• Region 8: Southwest Ohio (Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, Highland & Warren Counties)
• Region 9: Southeast/South Central Ohio (Athens, Gallia, Hocking, Jackson, Lawrence, Meigs, Pike, Ross, Scioto & Vinton Counties)
• Region 10: Southeast/East Central Ohio (Belmont, Coshocton, Guernsey, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble & Washington Counties)