Shelley Sweeney 

Highlights

Accomplished university archivist, leader, and advocate for the archival profession locally, nationally and internationally for over 3 decades; one of the first graduates of the first graduate-level archival education in Canada (the UBC MAS program); served as ACA President; led development of the ACA Code of Ethics for Archivists; leader in preserving Indigenous records. 

Education and Background 

Born in North Vancouver, Shelley Sweeney received a BA in Latin from University of British Columbia (UBC), (1981). She then joined the initial 10-student cohort in the first graduate level archival studies program in North America, established in 1983 at UBC, receiving her Master of Archival Studies (MAS) in 1985. She later received a PhD in Archival Enterprise from the University of Texas at Austin (2002). 

Professional Career 

Shelley Sweeney began her career in 1983 as University Archivist at the University of Regina in Saskatchewan. She moved on in 1998 to become Head of the University of Manitoba Archives & Special Collections, taking on additional roles over time within the University: Coordinator of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act; Coordinator of Personal Health Information Act; and teaching and supervising students in the university’s Archival Studies MA program. 

Sweeney has been a very strong and creative promoter of preserving records of Indigenous communities, work that has included: actively acquiring early Indigenous records; supporting the Urban Aboriginal Archiving project; co-chairing the establishment of the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba; and beginning the process of indigenizing the University of Manitoba Archives. Another focus for Sweeney has been Spiritualism and psychical research, an area in which she made her institution a world leader. In 2018 she not only collaborated with colleagues to host the second Canadian Preserving the Historical Collections of Parapsychology (PHCP) conference, but also launched an exhibit she co-curated with Walter Meyer zuErpen titled “Investigation of the Human Psyche: Spiritualist & Parapsychology Collections at the University of Manitoba Archives.”  

Sweeney retired in 2019, acknowledged as “a tireless and sustained promoter of archives and archival education in this province and at the University of Manitoba” who had dramatically increased and broadened the Archives’ holdings relating to private citizens and organizations of the province, and welcomed women in particular to donate their records. Another acknowledgement from three of her fellow UBC MAS classmates mentions her “great intelligence, zest for learning, and her interest in, support of, and participation in all aspects of our profession (including ACA’s East/West baseball games)” (“Dr. Shelley Sweeney Retires from the University of Manitoba” https://archivists.ca/resources/Documents/Newsletters/2020/202002_Sweeney%20ACA%20Newsletter%20Tributes.pdf) 

Contributions to the Profession 

Shelley Sweeney has published and presented widely at the regional, national, and international level. She has served as Editor of the ACA Bulletin (1985-1987) and President of the ACA (1998-2000), among other positions, and led development of the original ACA Code of Ethics for Archivists. She served as Secretary of the international Academy of Certified Archivists (2003-2005), of which she is a charter member. She helped found three archival organizations: the Saskatchewan Council of Archives (1986), the Saskatchewan Archivists Society (1988), and the University Special Interest Section of the International Council of Archives (1992). From 2006-2008, she was Secretary General of the Bureau of Canadian Archivists, appointed by the ACA and representing Canadian archival professional interests abroad. She was appointed the ACA representative on the Sectoral Committee of the Canadian Commission on UNESCO in 2009.  

Honours, Awards and Recognition 

• ACA Fellow, 2011 
• UBC School of Library, Archival and Information Studies Distinguished Alumni Service and Leadership Award, 2011 
• University of Manitoba Librarian (Archivist) Emerita, 2021 
• Province of Manitoba’s Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for service, 2022 
• Canada’s King Charles III Coronation Medal for a significant contribution to Canada, 2025 

Further Information 

• “Head of UM Archives Leaves a Rich Legacy.” UM Today, Dec 3, 2019. https://news.umanitoba.ca/head-of-um-archives-leaves-a-rich-legacy/ 
• Shelley Sweeney article, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelley_Sweeney. 
• ACA oral history interview of Shelley Sweeney by Sarah Janes, 2010, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkkKBcjzvB4  

Photo source: https://news.umanitoba.ca/head-of-um-archives-leaves-a-rich-legacy/

If you see any inaccuracies or information gaps in any biography, the ACA would very much welcome your input. Please send a message to the current chair of the Nominations and Awards Committee.