2021 Style Guide
for Society Documentation/Communication
● Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society – written out in first use, then can use:
o the Society (cap S),
o don’t use “the Historical Society” – leave off “Historical”
o the GH/MCHS (all caps, no space between C and H)
o OK to use GH/MC when referring to geographical area covered by Society
● Tour of Homes
o Homes is plural; “T” and “H” are capitalized
o Don’t use “home tour”, or “Home Tour”
o Can refer to the Society’s Tour of Homes (cap S)
o Can use “tour” without caps
o triennial; not triannual
● the GH/MCHS Annual Meeting
o not the annual GH/MCHS meeting
o Cap “A” and “M”
o Can refer to “meeting”, lower case, without Annual
o Refer to the Society’s Annual Meeting, or simply the meeting.
o Don’t lower case both words: “annual meeting”
● Do not include “rd” or “th” with specific dates in text (e.g., March 18; not March 18th)
● Follow Grandview Heights Schools (GHS) branding guidelines when referring to schools
o https://d3jc3ahdjad7x7.cloudfront.net/5sFbxtMorIo3fpntKcGAnUPcU6v8RZWTqdyoJcznzRq9GuYV.pdf
● Referencing individuals – use full name in first reference, then last name only.
o Don’t use Mr. , Mrs., Ms., with last name
● Stew Harrison (not Stu)
● website – one word
● Board
o Board of Trustees (not Board of Directors)
o Can refer to “the Board”
● Don’t mention Grandview Heights and not Marble Cliff (or vice versa) when referring to both of our communities; collective membership; etc.
● Numbers 1 – 9 should be written out in text (“three members”); use numeral in text for 10 or numbers greater than 10
o Numbers can be used for 1 – 9 in tables, figures, and photo captions for space saving
o OK to use number for 1- 9 when used with unit (e.g., 2-story; 1 foot).
o Hyphenate number when used as adjective (e.g., 10-story building).
● One space after period at end of a sentence in text.
● Comma before “and” in a series: ...lions, tiger, and bears.
● Grandview Heights Public Library
o GHPL after first use of entire formal name
o the library is OK after use of entire formal name, lower case “l”
● Archives
o Refer to “Society archives” (lower case “a”)
o Room is now formally designated the “Founders Room”, not the Archives Room.
o Refer to location as the/our Archives Room (cap “A” and cap “R”)
o Don’t use “archives room” (lower case) or “Archival Room”
● To attract new community members to the Society – avoid insular content. Not everyone knows GH/MC history. Briefly explain places, people, locations, events, etc. that new community members or visitors won’t know.
● a.m. and p.m. - lower case, with periods, in text.
● Define acronyms on first use.
● Referring to decades – no apostrophe: 1930s, 1980s, etc.
● Membership: Life and Annual (not “lifetime”)
● Street Suffix Abbreviations:
o Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd., Rd., and St. with a period for a numbered location: 2210 Wilbur Ave. Spell them out and capitalize when part of a formal street name without a number: Wilbur Avenue
o Abbreviate compass points )with a period) used to indicate directional ends of a street or quadrants of a city in a numbered address: 1903 W. Michigan Ave.
o Do not abbreviate if the number is omitted: West Michigan Avenue.
o Always use figures for an address number. Spell out and capitalize First through Ninth when used as street names; use figures for 10th and above.
▪ 7 Fifth Ave.
▪ 100 21st St.
o For space saving in a table, OK to omit street suffix (just include street name) however needs to be done consistently throughout the table.
● History Walks
o History Walks is singular. The app however has several tours.
o Where/whenever possible, use bold italicized dark green text for History Walks
o Color Code for Green: 005f01