Rep. Sykes Announces Nearly $5,000 Federal Grant to Preserve Hudson’s 1845 Herbarium

November 05, 2026 Rep. Sykes Announces Nearly $5,000 Federal Grant to Preserve Hudson’s 1845 Herbarium HUDSON, OH — Today, U.S. Representative Emilia Sykes (OH-13) announced that the Hudson Library & Historical Society has been awarded $4,999 in federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Library Services and Technology Act funds by the State Library of Ohio. The funds will be used to conserve an herbarium created in 1845 by Mary Strong, founder of the Hudson Female Seminary. Strong’s herbarium is a single leather volume containing a wide variety of dried and pressed plant specimens mounted on paper, including leaves, plants, flowers, fungi, and moss. The collection offers insight into Ohio’s natural history and a window into the role female education played in Hudson’s early history. “Our libraries and historical societies are where our community’s story is kept, and Mary Strong’s herbarium is a remarkable piece of that story,” said Rep. Sykes. “It captures Ohio’s natural history and honors the role of women’s education in Hudson’s early days. I’m proud that federal dollars are helping preserve it, and I commend the Hudson Library & Historical Society for its work to protect this treasure for future generations.” The grant is one of 10 awarded statewide, totaling $48,627 in federal IMLS Library Services and Technology Act funds. Conservation and Preservation Grants enable libraries to conserve a single item or preserve a small, discrete group of items within their collections. Funds are used primarily to contract a professional conservator or conservation lab to ensure the materials are preserved according to best practices. Print Email Share Tweet