We’ve all known that it was coming at some point – the Ohio Historical Society was going to have to do more painful cutting of its ranks and services.  Already having faced repeated reductions in staff, decreased hours and turning over sites to private hands, the Society was facing implementation of a week-long closure and furlough this Spring.  Now, more cuts are on their way from 1982 Velma Avenue in response to state budget allocations.

Monday’s Columbus Dispatch profiled these reductions yesterday in a feature article; click here to access.  The article shares a list of sites that will be affected; they include archaeological sites, the Warren G. Harding Home in Marion and Youngstown’s Historical Center of Industry and Labor, among 15 others.  Some 25 employees are being eliminated.

At the same time, it is worth noting that history and preservation continue to generate strong support among Ohioans.  Today’s Dispatch “Hot Issue” (click here) asks – “Should preserving history be a higher priority in the state’s budget?”  As of the time that this entry was posted, some 69% of respondents have answered “yes.”  Comments provided by readers (45 of them at this point) then provide an interesting insight into general views on the issue.  This strong support parallels the conclusions unveiled in a recently-released study entitled “Exploring the Public Value of Ohio’s History,” which was conducted by the University of Toledo’s Urban Affairs Center (click here for the OHS page on this study).

Cuts to the Ohio Historical Society are also the focus of “The Daily Briefing” in today’s Dispatch.

Unfortunately, it appears that these cuts may be followed with others if additional funding is not restored in the state budget, which must be passed by July 1.

Click here to read a special notice from The Ohio Historical Society concerning its upcoming week-long closure.

Photo: Interior, Ohio Historical Center, 1982 Velma Avenue, Columbus -- drshorn/Creative Commons License