Elizabeth Diamond, 1945-2002, Founding Fellow 

Highlights

Career on three continents (UK, Kenya, Canada), archival educator, worked in both records management and traditional archival roles, and helped develop the Canadian Archival Information Network (CAIN) as well as the International Council on Archives (ICA) Agora. 

Education and background 

Born in England in 1945, Elizabeth Diamond immigrated to Canada with her family, grew up in Victoria, and completed a BA at the University of Victoria (1966). She pursued an MA in history at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, graduating in 1969. She completed the Bodleian Library (Oxford, England) Archives Course in 1973.  

 Professional Career 

Elizabeth Diamond began her archival career in 1971 in Oxford, England, where she worked and studied concurrently at the Oxford University Archives, Bodleian Libraries. In 1976 she went to work for the Kenya National Museum in Nairobi, arranging and describing the records of some significant historical personages (among them Joseph Murumbi and Mary Leakey). She returned to the Bodleian in 1980.  

Diamond came home to Canada in 1983, taking up a position in the Manuscript Division of the National Archives of Canada (Now Library and Archives Canada). In 1988 she headed to Saskatoon to work at the John G. Diefenbaker Centre, initially as an archivist and later as Acting Head. In 1993 when the City of Saskatoon established a permanent space for its archives, Diamond was hired as City Archivist. Her initial focus there was to move the municipality’s archival records from the records center into a purpose-built archival facility. 

Moving to Fredericton in 1994, Diamond became an archives and records management consultant, working with several provincial government agencies and designing distance education for records managers. Taking a keen interest in the development of the Canadian Archival Information Network (CAIN), Diamond undertook a feasibility study for CAIN in New Brunswick and served from 1997 on as the CAIN Project Officer for the Council of New Brunswick Provincial Archives. 

Contributions to the Profession 

During her career, Elizabeth Diamond actively participated in several professional associations. She helped establish the Saskatchewan Archivists Society and developed an archival module for the Saskatchewan Museums Section Information Network. She was a member of the Canadian Council of Archives’ planning committee for the International Council on Archives (ICA) meeting in Montreal in 1992, and helped institute the ICA Agora which has become a tradition for that organization’s meetings. Within the ACA, she served as the editor for the ACA Bulletin from 1994-1997, followed by a term as the Chair of the Publications Committee. She took a key role in establishing and building the ACA website. 

Honours, Awards and Recognition 

• ACA Fellow, 2004 
• Elizabeth Diamond Memorial Acquisition Trust Fund, established in 2004by the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick (PANB) to “honour the memory of well-respected archivist Elizabeth Diamond, a cherished member of the New Brunswick archival community”. This fund aids the PANB to acquire valuable acquisitions. 

 Further Information 

• Elizabeth Diamond, “The Archivist as Forensic Scientist: Seeing Ourselves in a Different Way”, Archivaria 38 (Fall 1994): 139-54. https://archivaria.ca/index.php/archivaria/article/view/12031  
•  Marion Beyea, “Elizabeth Diamond, 1945-2002,” Archivaria 54 (Fall 2002): 182-186. 

Photo source: https://archivaria.ca/index.php/archivaria/article/view/12865/14097