What are personal archives?

Personal archives are the archives of individual people and families. Personal archives are created and maintained by private individuals. Because individuals and families create and maintain their archives in non-organizational settings, the issues surrounding personal archives are distinct from organizational or government archives and merit further study.

Personal archives form half of the larger designation refered to as private archives which includes all archives of non-governmental provenance: both private-sector organizations and individuals.

What is a listserv discussion?

SISPA holds twice-yearly discussions on a topic relating to personal archives. Members are invited to suggest topics as well as guest experts for discussion. Guest experts select preparatory readings and help tease out themes and nuances during the weeklong discussion with listserv participants. Have an idea for a listserv discussion? Please contact the Chair, Catherine Hobbs

How do I join SISPA's listserv?
To join SISPA's listserv, please click here.

Can I participate in SISPA and not be an ACA member?

SISPA encourages international dialogue on the topic of personal archives. We do not restrict our listserv to Canadian ACA members and have, in the past, invited groups of interested students and scholars to join in our listserv discussions. We are also busy forging alliances with related interest groups. However, only SISPA members have administrative rights to add content to the bibliography and submit proposals for events and initiatives.