Encyclopedia of Alabama wins award for digital history excellence

The online Encyclopedia of Alabama won the Alabama Historical Association’s inaugural Digital History Award. The award recognizes excellence in projects that deliver information on Alabama’s past using the internet and social media tools. It was presented on April 15 at the association’s annual meeting in Montgomery. The Encyclopedia of Alabama offers articles and multi-media resources on the state’s history, history, culture, geography, and natural environment. EOA is a state-wide project sponsored by the office of the Vice President for University Outreach at Auburn University; its editorial offices are located in Ralph Brown Draughon Library.

"The Digital History Award committee was impressed that the Encyclopedia of Alabama provides an exemplary example of how to manage the tensions between digital accessibility and authoritative content," said Marty Olliff, committee chair. "Furthermore, EOA’s base of knowledge is broad-based, programmatic, and continually enhanced. Finally, the committee recognized EOA’s robust interaction with its user community through social media." Olliff is director of the Wiregrass Archives and an associate professor of history at Troy University Dothan Campus.

EOA won in the large project category (designated as having outside funding and at least one full-time equivalent staff). The small project category was won by BhamWiki, an encyclopedic resource about Birmingham and the region around it. The award committee chose the winners from more than a dozen entries. The selection criteria included projects that made obvious contributions to promulgating Alabama history or a component thereof, that were historically accurate, that exhibited superior design and navigation practices.

The Alabama Historical Association, the oldest statewide historical society in Alabama, is a volunteer led organization established in 1947 to provide opportunities for meaningful engagement with the past through publications, meetings, historical markers, and other programs. The AHA Digital History Award will be awarded every odd-numbered year.

Last Updated: October 24, 2018