Scope and Content Monthly ACA Newsletter
May 2022, Volume 3, Issue 5
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Click here if you are having trouble reading the newsletter.
Scope and Content is issued the first Thursday of each month. If you have any comments or feedback, please contact the Communications Committee.
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Welcome to May, everyone! There’s a lot to let you know about this month. Here are a few highlights!
ACA’s First Ever Hybrid Conference: Vancouver, BC, June 15-18, 2022: Are you as excited as we are? Registration is NOW open for pre-conference tours and workshops, concurrent sessions, and poster sessions, and don’t forget about the social activities! So whether you are joining us in person or online, we can’t wait to see you at this year’s hybrid conference event! Don’t miss out – register now for ACA 2022: UnSettled: Redefining Archival Power. State Archival Service of Ukraine Fundraising Call-Out: Have
you heard? We’re organizing a week-long fundraising event (June 6-10,
2022) to raise funds for post-war reconstruction/conservation work for
archives in Ukraine, and we need your help! See below for four ways to
participate. Spring Planning & Priorities Meeting Update: The
2022 Spring Planning & Priorities Meeting took place on April 22
and 23. At this virtual meeting, the Board met with Committee and
Working Group Chairs and co-Chairs. We touched base on activity status,
identified areas for cross-committee support and collaboration, and
tried hard to figure out whose committee was the best (it was a
stalemate!). We also got down to work. The Website Working Group met and
identified some more navigational changes for the ACA website, while
the Indigenous Matters Working Group developed a draft action plan
during its inaugural meeting. There was also much deliberation about
membership categories and the ACA’s current fee structure. No final
recommendations to present to members yet, but there will be soon so
stay tuned!
New Sponsorship Announcement: ACA has been extremely grateful for past financial support received from Ancestry.
The Board of Directors is once again pleased to announce that Ancestry
has decided to continue its financial support through a multi-year
sponsorship agreement that will provide up to $60,000 to
the ACA over the next five years. Through this agreement, sponsorship
funds will be allocated towards the following activities in support of
member services and activities:
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In-person and virtual conference support
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Continuation of the annual Ancestry Continuing Education Grant Program, for the value of not less than $1,250
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Sponsored speakers series
As
always, if you have any suggestions on directions you would like to see
the ACA go or initiatives you would like the ACA to undertake, please
don’t hesitate to reach out! Your Board would love to hear from you! Erica Hernández-Read, ACA President
ACAPresident@archivists.ca
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Silent Auction for Ukrainian Aid
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The ACA is preparing an online silent auction to raise funds in support of our colleagues in Ukraine, which will take place during International Archives Week, June 6-10, 2022. Funds raised from this auction will be donated to archival institutions after the war is over to assist in the recovery and preservation of Ukraine’s documentary heritage.
There are four ways you can contribute to this important fundraising effort:
- Donate items to the auction: We are looking for crafted items from artists and makers in the ACA community (embroidery, fibre arts, jewelry, metal arts, etc.). Without fabulous creations from crafters / makers / artists like you, we wouldn’t have an auction, so please don’t be shy – donate today!
- Donate funds directly to this initiative via the auction platform: A “Donate Now” button will be available on the auction site, so no need to rely on a winning bid to donate funds.
- Donate an image: Canada is home to one of the largest Ukrainian diaspora communities in the world. Do you have a fabulous Ukrainian-related image in your archival holdings? Let us feature it on one of our print-on-demand fundraising products (mugs, bookmarks, tote bags, etc.).
- Purchase a print-on-demand tote or mug: Several different designs will be available, so you’ll be able to buy one or buy one of each – it all goes to a great cause!
You don't need to be an ACA member to contribute or to bid. All are welcome and encouraged to get involved. So don't be shy! Step forward and lend a hand!
Please contact Jo McCutcheon or Erica Hernandez-Reid with donation offers, questions, or suggestions for additional ways we can support archives in Ukraine.
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In June 2018, the ACA Board presented “Moving Forward Together: ACA Strategic Plan 2018-2021” to members. This member-driven 3-year strategic plan set the ACA on a clear path forward with five priorities: Advocacy, Continuing Education, Membership Services, Communication, and Organizational Performance. Over the past four years, the ACA Board has used this strategic plan as a blueprint to help us improve our services to members.
Now it is time for you, the members, to tell us how we have done. Within the next couple of weeks, all members will be emailed a brief survey seeking your thoughts on how well the ACA is meeting your needs. The survey will take between 10-12 minutes to complete and will be sent out by The Portage Group, the consultants who supported the ACA with the development of the 2018 Strategic Plan. The ACA Board felt it was important to have a third party assess our performance over the past few years so we could provide our members with an impartial report for review.
Please watch your email for this important survey. We appreciate you taking the time to give us your feedback. |
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SISARO Webinar on the NCTR
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Indigenous History Month and International Archives Week Events
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The ACA and the Australian Society of Archivists (ASA) are organizing a series of events to honour and celebrate both Indigenous History Month and International Archives Week. Stay tuned for registration details.
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The Reconciliation Framework: Open Conversation with Members of the TRC-TF
June 1, 2022, 1:00 pm (ET) via Zoom
Cost: Free
Do you have questions about the Reconciliation Framework? Are
you worried you won’t be able to apply the recommendations to your
institutional context? Well, let’s talk about it! Bring your questions
or concerns to this conversation, and together let’s find some
solutions!
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The First Nations Principles of OCAP – a presentation by Kristine Neglia, First Nations Information Governance Centre
June 7, 2022, 4:00–5:30 pm (ET) via Zoom
Cost: TBD
Join Kristine Neglia, Manager of Education & Training at the First Nations Information Governance Centre, as she presents the First Nations principles of OCAP®. Standing for ownership, control, access, and possession, OCAP® is a tool to support strong information governance on the path to First Nations data sovereignty. If you work with First Nations or First Nations-related records, OCAP will make you re-consider how you interact with First Nations data.
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Kairos Canada, Virtual Blanket Exercise
June 8, 2022, 4:00–7:00 pm (ET) via Zoom
Cost: $50; seats are limited to 25
Join Kairos Canada workshop facilitator Jessica Prichard as she leads participants in a virtual Blanket Exercise. This interactive, Indigenous-led workshop uses Indigenous methodologies in a virtual context to build understanding about our shared history as Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada. Participants will be encouraged to get actively involved in this creative, digital environment in order to fully engage with this shared history on an emotional and intellectual level. |
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“Implementing a Trauma-Informed Approach to Archives” Workshop
June 9, 2022, 6:00 pm (ET) via Zoom
Cost: TBD; seats limited to 20
Hosted by the Australian Society of Archivists, this workshop will consider how archives can use the principles of trauma-informed practice to provide a better service for all who use and engage with archives. Trauma-informed archival practice enables better connections with those who use archives, facilitates a reimagining about what archives can be for everyone, and challenges current models of archival work.
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(Silent) Online Fundraising Auction in Support of State Archival Service of Ukraine (SASU) June 6–10, 2022; open 24 hours each day
Cost: You decide!! All welcome
Join colleagues and allied supporters in a national week-long silent online fundraising auction to raise monies for the State Archival Service of Ukraine. All proceeds will be given to the Friends of Galt Museum & Archives, who will distribute funds directly to SASU when the war is over. Monies raised will be used to help archives across Ukraine in their post-war conservation/re-building work.
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Program highlights from Krisztina Laszlo, Chair, ACA 2022 Program Committee As the conference draws closer and the last details of the program are finalized, I’m thrilled to see how it is all coming together. In addition to the many sessions we have planned, this year’s keynote and plenary speakers will draw on and contribute to the themes of UnSettled: Redefining Archival Power.
Dr.
Laura Ishiguro, an Associate Professor at UBC in the Department of
History and affiliated faculty with Asian Canadian and Asian Migration
Studies at the University of British Columbia, will start the day on
Friday. Her presentation will reimagine the colonial past and reckons with power and silence in the archive in her talk, "No smoke without fire: historical silence, archival rumour, and feminist fabulation – reimagining Barkerville, British Columbia."
On Saturday morning Dominique Luster of the Luster Company will present "Presence, Absence, and the Construct[ion] of Power: Black first-person narrative in the Historical Record." The
Luster Company seeks to create a space for Black first-person
narratives and to make them accessible in the historical record. In this
talk, Ms. Luster will focus on ideas around the historiography and
construction of memory created by Black people and how those memories
are included in English-speaking institutional practices.
Our final keynote on Saturday is presented by Sdahl K'awaas, Lucy Bell. Lucy
is a passionate Haida museologist, language revitalizer, and Haida nerd
with a passion for learning from her Ancestors. She has over 20 years'
experience in museums and archives. With her at the helm, the Haida have
repatriated over 500 ancestral remains and many archival resources. Her
keynote, "One drop at a time - How to put out the fire in museums and archives, a Haida perspective," will, in part, respond to the conference sessions and themes of the previous three days.
Finally, we have set aside space for the Musqueam, on whose lands the conference is held, at the beginning and end of the program. Members
of the community have been working with Musqueam Archives to identify
parts of their cultural practice around gatherings, which they will help
the ACA adapt. The
aim is to provide information about some cultural practices while
allowing attendees to learn through experience. The conference will
close with the Musqueam to reflect on the practices learned Thursday
morning. Everyone is encouraged to arrive with a good and open heart and
mind.
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The lead-up to the conference always includes a wide variety of events. Here are some to highlight:
TAATU is back for its 15th iteration! June 14, 2022, 9:00 am–12:00 pm (PT)
TAATU is a yearly, casual, and informative event about archives and technology. As ACA has gone hybrid this year, the Technology and Archives Special Interest Section will be offering an online version of TAATU (The Archives and Technology Unconference) to ensure everyone who wishes to participate will be able to do so. Come present new ideas and work, and geek out about archives, tech, and digital culture! All are welcome – there is no need to be an ACA member or registered for the rest of the conference to attend! If you'd like to check it out and join us, please see this document for details.
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Pre-Conference Workshop: Every Last Byte: Making the Most of Access Copies in Archives
June 14, 2022, 10:00 am–12:00 pm (PT)
Online (Zoom)
Capacity: 100 participants
In this workshop, with Anthony Martinez Cuervo, participants at any level of experience with video can learn more about creating access copies for videos, the tools available for video compression, the factors that affect a video file's size, and how to specifically measure performance of a certain codec or configuration.
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Pre-Conference Workshop: “Artificial Intelligence and Archives: the I Trust AI Research Project.”
June 14, 2022, 1:00–4:00 pm (PT) In-person at University of British Columbia, the Nest
Capacity: 40 participants
This workshop will explain the fundamental ideas on which AI is based, discuss types of AI tools available, and identify both the advantages and issues presented by their use on records and archives. It will then outline the way the new InterPARES project, I Trust AI, aims to determine how the records and archives community can develop its own AI tools based on archival principles and leverage them to support society's demand for trustworthy public records. Finally, it will present some of the studies that are being carried out by the I Trust AI researchers, and their outcomes to date, and will involve the workshop participants in the analysis and discussion of such outcomes. Workshop instructors: Muhammad Abdul Mageed, Peter Sullivan, Luciana Duranti, and Corinne Rogers. |
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The Accessibility Forum
June 15, 2022, 10:00 am (PT) (online)
The Accessibility Forum is a safe space where conference attendees who have a disability, chronic illness, or are neurodivergent can share their experiences in the archival field. Potential topics for discussion include education, workplace accessibility, equitable hiring practises, and ACA’s role in accessibility advocacy and awareness. The session will be hosted by Michael Marlatt, who is a film archivist with epilepsy, archival accessibility advocate, and current member of ACA’s Professional Development Committee. Medical diagnosis is not necessary. The session will not be recorded.
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Third Annual IBPOC Forum June 15, 2022, 1:00–2:30 pm (PT) (Hybrid)
The IBPOC Archivists Forum is back for a third instalment! This is a space for archivists who are Indigenous, Black, and/or people of colour to network with one another, discuss issues of race and diversity in the profession, and collaborate on strategies for how to navigate the field.
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Sponsorship and Support Opportunities at ACA 2022 Conference
This year’s ACA annual conference will attract more than 250 online
participants working in the archives and information community across Canada,
the USA, and internationally. Conference sponsorship allows you to reach this
influential group of professionals, leaders, and decision-makers.
Our exciting marketing opportunities will enable your organization to
- obtain valuable exposure and prominence
with current and potential clients;
- increase corporate visibility; and
- show your organization's commitment to
supporting the Canadian archival community and the important work it does
in preserving the records of today for future generations.
There are four conference sponsorship levels to choose from, each
with benefits and recognition for your organization:
- Partner: from $250
- Bronze: from $750
- Silver: from $1250
- Gold: from $2750
- Platinum: from $5000
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ACA Annual General Meeting
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Save the date for the ACA Annual General Meeting on Tuesday,
June 28, 2022 at 1:00 pm (ET) / 10:00 am (PT). The meeting will
take place on Zoom, and the agenda and supporting documents will be sent out in
advance of the meeting.
The AGM will include board reports and an update on
ACA activities, including committees, SISs, and Student Chapters. The results
of the 2022 election will also be announced. Members will have an opportunity
to review ACA audit documents and the ACA 2023 budget, meet the new ACA
2022-2024 board members, and share their input and ideas during this meeting.
Institutional members are reminded to ensure that a
designated delegate has been entered into your membership profile to ensure
they receive the online voting link and AGM information.
The ACA Awards ceremony will take place during ACA
2022 on Thursday, June 17 from the University of British Columbia and will be
broadcasted online.
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In the Field: The ACA Blog
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The ACA blog has had a really busy month with 6 new articles published in April!
The BIPOC Forum Turns 3 and A Preliminary Analysis of Authorship in Archivaria (2011-2021) by Rodney Carter are thought-provoking pieces that speak to trends in the Canadian archival community.
Four articles are part of the PeepShow & Tell: Sex in Archives series, coordinated by McGill University students Jay Bossé and Ezell Carter. Hats off to Jay and Ezell for their drive and passion to bring this series to life.
We're still looking for conference reporters! Please email us at blog@archivists.ca by May 15 to express interest.
Please complete our submission form to submit an idea or a draft blog post.
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The GRSIS quarterly chat session happened on April 28, 2022, and despite a small attendance we spent a lively couple of hours discussing mutual concerns. Attendees represented municipal and provincial government archives from Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. After a roundtable, we focused our discussion on three common themes cropping up for all of us these days:
Professional development support from our employers is tied to relevance: When asking for time and money to attend conferences and workshops, we find that our employers need to know that what we learn has practical applicability. We discussed taking this on as a challenge for GRSIS next year, and we hope to make some proposals for the 2023 conference program and workshops!
Protecting privacy: The need to incorporate privacy considerations into information management programs throughout our governments is a focus for many of us, including the need to identify personal information banks, conduct privacy assessments of digital archives and other programs, and establish research agreements that can avert page-by-page reviews when confidential records are needed for research purposes.
Participating in digital government: It was particularly interesting to hear that all of us are embarking on new programs these days, varying from implementing an EDRMS system, planning digital archives, to implementing Microsoft 365. Some useful advice and follow-up plans were shared. The excellent point was made that a key to success in many ventures is to ensure RM/archival leaders have a seat at the table when key information technology infrastructure decisions get made. (Tip from Susan based on personal experience: This may entail attending many meetings where you may feel out of your depth, but it does pay off if you make yourself agreeable – they’ll keep inviting you and asking for your advice!)
Thanks, everybody, for coming. Looking forward to next quarter’s meeting!
Susan Hart, GRSIS Chair
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Consultation on National Japanese Canadian Digitization Strategy: The Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre and the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre are pleased to host our final community consultation session to help guide the development of the National Japanese Canadian Digitization Strategy. Anyone interested in Japanese Canadian history and heritage is welcome to participate. The session will be hosted on May 14, 2022, 11:00 am (PT) / 2:00 pm (ET) via Zoom. No registration required.
Survey: Building Relationships with Indigenous Communities – BCMA: Despite years of educational and training opportunities, settler-led heritage institutions often struggle with Indigenous relationship building. The British Columbia Museums Association and the archives department at the Musqueam First Nation have collaborated on a survey that seeks to uncover related barriers experienced within these institutions. The deadline is May 31, 2022. Your candid and honest perspective will remain anonymous. Questions can be directed to Leia Patterson at engagement@museum.bc.ca.
DPASSH 2022, the biennial ‘Digital Preservation for the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities’ conference: DPASSH will return as a hybrid event in June 2022, with the theme of Digital Preservation of Religious Collections: Conversations and Collaborations. This will combine online workshops on June 27 with a hybrid-format conference on June 29 and 30, where presenters and audiences can attend online or at the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin. |
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The Archivists of Religious Collections Section of the Society of American Archivists has announced their upcoming "Lunch and Learn" webinar series. Registration is now available for the May events.
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May 6: How to talk to management about archives, with Lisa Gibbon, Congregation of St. Joseph Archives
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May 13: The importance of religious archives, with Malachy McCarthy, Claretian Missionaries Archives USA-Canada
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May 20: Making archival digital spaces accessible, with Lisa Snider, Access Changes Everything
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June 3: Outreach, with Carey Pallister, Consultant
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June 23: Social justice and Catholic nuns – how archives support research, with Sara Ludewig, Library of Congress
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July 8: Digital preservation principles, with Mary Grace Kosta, CSJ Archives
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September 2: Reference services, with Nadia Nasr, Santa Clara University
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September 23: Environment and storage and IPM, with Holly Fiedler, Sisters of St. Francis and Carolynn Bart Riedstra, Western University
- October 5: Introduction to AtoM, with Jody Robinson, Bishop University, and Mary Grace Kosta, CSJ Archives
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Do
you know a member who's made big news? Is there something going on that
you think the Canadian archival community should hear about? Don't
hesitate to forward stories to the Communications Committee, and we'll help spread the word.
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Submit your job opportunity here and it will be posted to the ACA website. We will also share this opportunity on our social media channels.
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Archivist, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver
Deadline: Until filled
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Do you have news you’d like the ACA to share via its social media channels? The Communications Committee has created a form you can use to give us the details!
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Contact Us
Suite 1912-130 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4
Tel: 613-234-6977
Email: aca@archivists.ca
www.archivists.ca
The ACA office is located on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.
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