2025 marked the 50th anniversary of the Association of Canadian Archivists—a milestone that offers a unique opportunity to reflect on five decades of archival practice, community-building, and collective professional growth. To celebrate, the ACA Blog team has launched a special interview series to spotlight the voices, experiences, and insights of ACA members past and present through intergenerational conversations. Students and emerging professionals inteview longtime members, offering a space to share personal reflections, institutional memory, and the evolving landscape of archival work in Canada.

In today's feature, Grace Park chats with Erica Hernandez-Read, Head of Archives and Special Collections at the University of Northern British Columbia.

Can you tell us about your first experience with the Association of Canadian Archivists? What drew you to become a member? How did you first become involved with the ACA? 

My first experience with the ACA was back in 2002 at the Vancouver conference. I had been out of school for about a year and as a new professional working in the Lower Mainland, I had no professional development funds at all. So, it was an amazing opportunity for me to be able attend a conference of ACA’s calibre so close to home. I remember having read so many interesting articles from Archivaria in school and being able to listen to some of these authors speak at this conference, it was just an incredible experience.  

I believe there were a few ACA@UBC events that I probably attended while at UBC but I wasn't actively involved in the ACA until several years later. It took me a while to get my nerve up to volunteer even though I knew it was an important way for me to network and make those important collegial connections, as well as to continue my growth as a professional. After getting over that initial hesitation, I've pretty much been an active member since 2006.  

You said you’ve been involved since 2006. I'm curious about what keeps you motivated to stay involved every year, especially since you've been involved in many different capacities. How has it been like and how has it helped in your journey?  

When I first started volunteering at the committee level, it was to build my collegial network and my professional portfolio. Back in 2006 I was the only archivist in my institution, and it was important for me, as a new professional, to have colleagues to bounce ideas off of and learn from. But I soon came to understand that working in that kind of dynamic environment with like-minded and amazing people was a powerful way to explore new ideas and new ways of doing archival work — where we could amplify the ideas people were writing about and help support their introduction into archival practice. Helping to encourage, or support, the evolution of our professional practice in this way has been so meaningful and exciting to me both personally and professionally — it’s what’s fuelled my desire to continue on my 20 years (and counting) journey with the ACA.  

You are currently the Head of Archives and Special Collections at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). I feel that British Columbia is an interesting place because of its geography and the distant location of cities and towns. You’ve emphasized the collegial aspect of networking. Have these collegial networks been one thing that helps connect you with these dispersed archive communities? 

Absolutely! Having found meaningful growth as a professional through collegial networking myself, I've really tried to actively reach out and connect with those somewhat isolated folks working in community archives in my region. Given the distances between communities in the northern half of BC, along with the smaller population bases and lower access to “big city” amenities, it can be very difficult to entice trained archivists to move north of Kamloops. But trained, or not, there are still people doing archival work in northern communities and what's been important to me is to try to connect with these people, and make connections between these people — to ACA, to AABC, to myself and my institution, and to one another. To support that collegial communication within the region so they know they're not alone but rather part of a broader archival community.  

It’s clear that the creation of community and networking through the ACA is something that you're very proud of. What are some standout memories or milestones from your involvement with the ACA? 

One of my standout memories would have to be my work as the ACA representative on the “Response to the Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee Taskforce of the Steering Committee on Canada’s Archives,” also known as the TRC-TF. Working with a group of amazing archivists, heritage professionals, researchers, and educators from across the country, we laboured tirelessly for 7+ years to research and develop the framework. It was such a mammoth task, so emotionally challenging and at times overwhelming. Many people didn’t think we’d finish, but we did. I’m proud of this work and honoured to have realized this accomplishment in collaboration with my TRC-TF colleagues. We did the best we could for our colleagues across the country — to help them develop better archival practices — and for every Indigenous person who had ever been denied archival access to the documented truth about systemic colonial violence against themselves, their families and their communities.   

Another milestone from my involvement with ACA is when I was President. I had the honour to work with the Indigenous Matters Working Group (IMWG) to research and compile “Caretaking Memory: A Resource Guide for Archival Practitioners working in Indigenous-centred Archives.” We also undertook an assessment of ACA services, programs, events, membership frameworks, governance, and organizational structures in light of the recommendations outlined in the Reconciliation Framework. We made recommendations to the ACA Board for strategic changes to support the fundamental need for Indigenous-focused equity, diversity, and inclusion within the ACA. This important work came out of the recommendations of the TRC-TF and were actualized by the ACA, by this working group. I’m excited to see where this work leads the ACA in future.   

On a related note, what kind of significant changes have you seen in the archive profession? How have changes been reflected in the ACA? What has the rate of change been like? As someone who has recently graduated from the MAS program, I feel there is more conversation on community archives, participatory archiving, and oral history of Indigenous histories. 

In my early years as a young professional, I often felt like change within the profession moved at a snail’s pace. But once the TRC’s “Calls to Action” came out in 2015 and the broader non-Indigenous population started learning the truth of our shared and parallel histories and our complicity in the ongoing legacy of colonial violence against Indigenous People, I felt people were finally willing to open their minds to a revised understanding of Canadian history and the role of archival practice in daylighting those revisions. And while changes to archival practice (or any professional practice really) certainly don’t happen overnight, they are happening and the ACA has played a fundamental role in supporting this change. Not only has the ACA provided a safe space for difficult conversations to be held, it has also facilitated myriad educational opportunities for archivists looking to update or revise their core practices. Ultimately, it has supported the centering — or privileging of — historically marginalized collegial voices. 

What would you like the ACA to prioritize and continue to build upon for the next 50 years?  

I’m hoping that the ACA continues to balance the needs of the university-trained, professional archivist with those who have learned their craft through lived experience. Through post-graduate studies we are able to conceptualize and test new archival methodologies, technologies, and theories. But our true strength lies in understanding those methodologies, technologies, and theories through the lens of “diversity of lived experience” as provided by archival practitioners and public researchers. It’s via this diverse allyship that we as a collegial body can assess applicability, versatility, and scalability of our academic-centred advancements by running them through real-world applications. Through inclusion and consideration of myriad voices, we have the opportunity to continue to actively work against the marginalization — or downright exclusion — of any person(s)/communities from representation in record descriptions, as well as from our profession and its evolution. Through greater continued inclusivity, we’ll be able to more comprehensively and iteratively assess what works versus what doesn't and identify whose research needs are being met versus whose aren’t, helping to contribute to a stronger archival profession and practice overall. That is my dream for ACA, idealistic though it may be!  

On one last note, do you have any advice for early career archivists or new ACA members trying to start engaging with the profession? 

Imposter syndrome is real! Everybody has it. Whether you’re new to the profession, or just new to the ACA, I would wholeheartedly recommend volunteering for and actively engaging with the ACA. You will absolutely learn new skills, expand your collegial network, and contribute to the continued development of the archival profession in Canada. Plus, you’ll get to meet some truly amazing people!