Congratulations are in order for the diocesan archives office for winning the Joseph Cardinal Bernardin Award from the Association of Catholic Diocesan Archivists. The award was presented at the biennial conference in recognition for building an “exemplary archives and records program.”
The Diocese of Cleveland was chosen for their outreach work, especially through their digital collection. Emily Ahlin, director of archives, attended the conference and received the award from Katie Oubre, ACDA President, who serves as vice chancellor for archives and records in the Diocese of Springfield, IL.
The award and the work are a total team effort as Ahlin praised Kathy Scafidi, often a person’s first point of contact with the office, along with many interns who have assisted in the archives over the years. In addition, Ahlin said the work by her predecessors, Phil Haas and Chris Krosel, helped make the archives what they are today.
“There is no version of the story where we receive this award and recognition without the decades of work that several people before me have done to collect, arrange, describe, preserve, and provide access to the history of the people of God in Northeast Ohio,” Ahlin said.
While the award is given for past work, Ahlin notes that there is so much more to do to continue to improve and expand the diocesan archives and as far as she’s concerned, “we are just getting started.”
The diocese has various digital exhibits available including:
To view some of the office’s digital archives, click here.