A group of Ohio State faculty has taken the lead in working with other universities throughout the region to develop an encyclopedia of 12 Midwestern states, including Ohio.The encyclopedia will be called The Encyclopedia of the Midwest.The project was launched by Richard Sisson, trustees chairman in comparative politics at OSU, and general editor of the encyclopedia. “I have a very deep interest in this part of the world,” Sisson said.Sisson believes the industrial and agricultural impact the Midwest has had on the world is very significant. “Our industry put the world on wheels and in the air,” he said.”We have an extraordinary agricultural tradition in the Midwest, and some of the strongest land grant universities in the world,” Sisson said.The encyclopedia will capture and focus on the roots, culture, and life of Midwest since its development.The final document is projected to consist of 1.5 million words, 1,600 pages, 25 topically arranged sections, and over 1,500 entries by nearly 800 authors. Over $1 million will have been invested into the printed version of the encyclopedia through university funding, and also private foundations. Investment estimates that include a planned web-based version of the encyclopedia are still unavailable.The creators hope that the encyclopedia can be used at various levels in the classroom, but also in the public sector. “It is meant to be a coffee table book for the general public,” said Christian Zacher, professor of English, director of the Institute for Collaborative Research and Public Humanities, and general editor for the encyclopedia.Zacher pointed out that the book will provide many benefits for OSU. “We have arranged the contract so that some of the royalties will come back to the institute, and Ohio State,” he said.Charlotte Dihoff, managing editor of the encyclopedia, is very enthused about getting the public involved with the encyclopedia. The editors are asking for the public to give feedback on unique cultural aspects of the region. Dihoff calls it the “Cabinet of Curiosities.”The group is also looking for people’s conception of the Midwest, and information about unique land forms, hauntings, and other folklore within the region.The public can send the information, and access other information about the encyclopedia on the group’s web site at www.allmidwest.org. Some of the information donated will be printed in the encyclopedia as side bars.Sisson pointed out that the web version of the encyclopedia will provide interactive opportunities to readers. “The language of the Midwest has evolved over time. We are hoping to have live examples of people’s dialect from 50 years ago, to the present,” Sisson said.Sisson believes that people should be proud they are from the heart of America, and never forget it. He pointed out that he left the Midwest, but had to return. “When you leave the Midwest you always have your roots here; you can never leave, and that is important,” Sisson said.The project was initiated in 1998, and is expected to appear on bookshelves just in time for Ohio’s Bicentennial in 2003.