Scope and Content Monthly ACA Newsletter
November 2023, Volume 4, Issue 11
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Click here if you are having trouble reading the newsletter.
Scope and Content will be published December 7, 2023. If you have any comments or feedback, please contact the Communications Committee.
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President’s Update – November 2023
I don’t know about you, but I always find November to be a sobering month. With winter’s chill quickly approaching, the memory of warm summer days seems quite far away. I also find this month often leaves me feeling reflective, a bit sombre and melancholy, really. But perhaps that’s to be expected during that interim month after the festive ghoulishness that is the Halloween season and before the many celebrations of December begin. November, for me, is a time for pause, for contemplation, and for remembrance.
Being the caring members, that I know you are, of our shared professional community, I believe you too have been thinking about the horrors being endured by both Palestinian and Israeli families. It’s difficult to even fathom the tragedy. War – all violence really – is like that though, isn’t it? Senseless, needless human suffering inflicted upon people who lack the power to make any real change to their lives.
In our mission to further connect our members with our history – history which we as archivists dedicate our professional lives to acquiring, preserving, and making accessible – I’m once again sharing with you some of the many days of commemoration which Canada acknowledges. As you watch today’s current tragic events unfold, please give some time to reflect upon past events as well.
Lest we forget…..but when will we learn?
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(Nov. 8) Indigenous Veterans Day – PTN has a wonderful page filled with interesting historical retrospectives documenting First Nations, Inuit, and Métis veteran experiences. Also, check out the 1997 film Forgotten Warriors by Loretta Todd on the National Film Board website, the Library and Archives Canada blog featuring posts regarding Indigenous veterans, and the Canadian War Museum’s online exhibitions featuring the experiences of Indigenous soldiers.
(Nov. 11) Remembrance Day – At 11 a.m. on November 11, Canadians around the world pause in a moment of silent remembrance for the men and women who have served, and continue to serve, our country during times of war, conflict, and peace. To learn more about this service, and these sacrifices, please check out these war-related films produced by the National Film Board, the Library and Archives Canada blog featuring Remembrance Day posts, and the many online exhibitions developed by the Canadian War Museum.
(Nov. 20) Transgender Day of Remembrance is a day to honour all Trans, Two-Spirit, and non-binary people who were victims of violence, hatred, and discrimination and who had their lives taken. Canada began marking this day in 1999 in response to the 1998 brutal killing of Rita Hester, a Black Trans woman whose murder is still unsolved. Visit the Queer Events website to learn more about this important day and about Trans and Queer history in Canada overall.
(Nov. 25) Holodomor Memorial Day – According to the Holodomor Research and Education Consortium (HREC), the term holodomor translates from Ukrainian to English as "death by hunger." Holodomor Memorial Day is therefore a day of remembrance for the millions of Ukrainians who were starved to death in 1932-33 as a result of Soviet assault policies on the Ukrainian peasantry under Joseph Stalin. To learn more about this horrific event and how it is memorialized around the world, visit the HREC Memorialization and Special Collections websites along with the “Holodomor” webpage of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress.
(Nov 25-Dec. 10) 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an annual international campaign that begins on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and goes until December 10, Human Rights Day. This campaign started in 1991 to call out and speak up on gender-based violence and to renew our commitment to ending violence against women, girls, and 2SLGBTQI+ individuals. To learn more about gender-based violence (GBV), check out this suite of films by the National Film Board of Canada, and then read up on the 16 ways you can help end GBV.
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Update on Afghan Refugee Support Efforts
As many of you may recall, UNESCO Archivist and fellow Canadian Eng Sengsavang has been tirelessly advocating for refugee status and resettlement for Afghan archivist Eshaq Yaqubi and his family, ever since first receiving his emailed call for help back in August 2021. As members of the historically persecuted Hazara ethnic and Shiite religious minority groups, Mr. Yaqubi and his family were forced to flee their Kabul home and livelihoods after the Taliban take over and have been living in refugee conditions in Abu Dhabi’s International Humanitarian City for the past two years. Throughout this time, ACA has been working to support Ms. Sengsavang in her tireless efforts to raise funds and find sponsorship opportunities for the Yaqubi family to resettle. It’s been a rough ride, full of incredible kindness and a maddening amount of red tape; however, on October 21, 2023, Eng announced the best news possible:
Very good news - in an unexpected turn of events, the Afghan family was recently sponsored by Australia, and this week, were flown to Melbourne. They are currently settling into their new city. After two years in the camp, the family feels very happy and relieved to be given this opportunity. We would still like to donate the funds to the family, even if they did not go to Canada as originally planned. They will need all the help they can get settling into their new circumstances. If you would like a refund, please let me know by sending a message via GoFundMe. Otherwise, we will ensure the money gets to the family, and will provide updates as we make this happen. Thank you as ever for your support.
-Eng Sengsavang, Organizer
As Eng mentions, if you have donated to this fund and you would prefer to receive a refund, please send her an email message via GoFundMe. A HUGE thank you to everyone who contributed to this campaign!
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Planning & Priorities Meeting Complete
Another shout-out goes to all the Chairs, co-Chairs, and Committee/Working Group members who participated in the Fall 2023 Planning & Priorities Meetings! Over the course of two days, October 20 & 21, Directors met with Chairs/co-Chairs and members of ACA Committees and Working Groups to discuss priorities, address challenges, and encourage cross-committee collaboration. This important bi-annual meeting plots the course for the incredible work undertaken by our committees and working groups for the next 12 months.
If you’ve been thinking about putting your hand up to join an ACA committee, there is no time like the present! Check out the current vacancies here – we’d love to have you on board!
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ACA-ASA Reciprocal Agreement For the past several months, the Board of Directors of the Association of Canadian Archivists and the Council of the Australian Society of Archivists have been working out the practical logistics of our reciprocal membership agreement. I’m pleased to announce that the ACA-ASA reciprocal membership agreement is now ready for implementation! Please read on for more information on how this agreement benefits ACA members and how you can become engaged in ASA activities. What does “reciprocal membership” mean for me? |
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Benefits for ASA Members:
- Access to all professional development opportunities offered by the ACA at ACA member rates
- Open digital access to ACA’s Archivaria journal, both archived & current issues
- Receipt of digital version of ACA’s monthly Scope and Content newsletter
- ACA member rates on the purchase of commercially produced Association publications
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Benefits for ACA Members:
- Access to all professional development opportunities offered by the ASA at ASA member rates
- Open digital access to ASA’s Archives and Manuscripts journal, both archived & current issues
- Receive digital version of ASA’s monthly newsletter
- ASA member rates on the purchase of commercially produced Association publications
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How do I take advantage of this reciprocal membership agreement?
Simply fill out the ACA-ASA Reciprocal Membership form.
Once filled and submitted, a copy of your application will go to offices of both the ASA and ACA. Within three (3) to five (5) business days, you will receive confirmation for membership and gain access to the members-only section of the ASA's website. You will begin to receive emails, correspondence, and invitations from the ASA. Also, be sure to watch for emails that may contain discount codes and other benefits of reciprocal ACA-ASA membership.
Is there an extra cost to participate in this reciprocal membership agreement?
Absolutely not! This reciprocal membership agreement was established as a benefit to membership for existing and future members of both the Association of Canadian Archivists and the Australian Society of Archivists.
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Reminder: Upcoming Changes to Membership Fees
With our early bird membership renewal campaign just around the corner, I thought it prudent to remind members of the upcoming changes to our membership fees for 2024. Please see the ACA’s new fee structures below: |
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Individual Membership Fees for 2024 based on salary bands
- $0 to $19,999 = $75.00
- $20,000 to $29,999 = $100.00
- $30,000 to $39,999 = $150.00
- $40,000 to $49,999 = $190.00
- $50,000 to $59,999 = $235.00
- $60,000 to $69,999 = $250.00
- $70,000 to $79,999 = $265.00
- $80,000 to $89,999 = $280.00
- $90,000+ = $295.00
- Student: $75.00 / 3 years
- Retired: $125.00
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Institutional Membership Fees for 2024 based on number of staff - 0-5 = $285.00
- 6-10 = $750.00
- 11-20 = $1,000.00
- 21-50 = $1,850.00
- 51-250 = $2,750.00
- 251-1000 = $16,000.00
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New Social Account
The ACA is now on Threads! Follow us at aca_canada to see everything we’re up to and start a conversation with us.
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ACA Hashtag Party
You’re invited to the ACA Hashtag Party! On the last Thursday of every month, the ACA Social Media Team organizes a hashtag party, which takes place virtually on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). There is a different theme for each month, which we announce on social media and Arcan-l in advance. On the day of the party, you can share materials in your collections related to that theme, tag us and use the hashtag, and we’ll re-share your post. The goal of the parties is to engage more with institutions across Canada, see what kinds of materials other institutions have, and promote weird, fun, and interesting items from your own collections.
Last month’s party took place on Thursday, October 26, and the theme was #QueerHistoryMonthCanada! We valued this opportunity to collaborate with 2SLGBTQIA+ History Month Canada. Thank you to everyone who participated.
The next party will take place on Thursday, November 30, and the theme will be #ArchivesActivism! We've enjoyed seeing materials in your collections related to labour activism and queer rights activism this year, and now we want to see anything related to other kinds of activism: climate activism, women's rights, ethno-cultural rights, and more!
Please note that there will not be an ACA Hashtag Party in December, in order to accommodate time off for our volunteers.
The dates and themes for January-April 2024 will be:
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January 25, 2024: ArchivesScience
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February 29, 2024: ArchivesBlackHistory
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March 28, 2024: ArchivesFeast
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April 25, 2024: ArchivesVolunteers
Keep an eye on future issues of Scope & Content and on all our social media accounts to learn more about what we’re interested in for each of these themes!
For any questions, or if you have initiatives that you would like the ACA Hashtag Party to support, please email us at communications@archivists.ca.
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Call for New Co-Chair: The Technology and Archives Special Interest Section (TaASIS)
The Technology and Archives Special Interest Section (TaASIS) needs a new co-chair! The committee would like to give a big shoutout to thank former co-chair Andréa Tarnawsky for all the amazing work they did for TaASIS from 2020-2022!
ACA members who are interested in taking on this role or who have questions can reach out to TaASIS.Chair@archivists.ca. Your level of experience in digital archives or tech doesn't matter; all that is needed is a desire to become more engaged with like-minded practitioners and students who share the same interests as you.
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ACA 2024 Conference Host Team – Volunteers Needed
The ACA 2024 Virtual Conference will be “hosted” by Alberta, and we need volunteers for the Host Team! What does the Host Team do? Well, we’re the team responsible for planning and coordinating those fun social activities that conference participants love to do.
We are looking for ACA members at any stage in their career and from all backgrounds to help us plan some engaging, virtual activities. Please sign up using the ACA Volunteer Form.
Interested, but not sure if you want to commit or just looking for more information? Just email Anna Gibson Hollow at Host.Team@archivists.ca.
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Nominations and Awards Committee (NAAC) Volunteers Needed
The ACA is looking for volunteers for the Nominations and Awards Committee to be a part of the process to recognize and celebrate ACA members.
The mandate of NAAC is to manage the ACA Honours and Awards program as well as to support the succession of qualified members to serve on the ACA Board of Directors and its committees by facilitating the transparent search, nomination, and election process.
If this sounds like something that would be of interest to you and if you are an ACA member in good standing, please contact Angela Fornelli, Vice President of the ACA (vicepresident@archivists.ca), or fill out the ACA Volunteer Form here! |
ACA Mentorship Program
Enrolment will open for the 2024 Mentorship Program starting November 15.
Please consider signing up as volunteer mentor to connect with someone newly entering the profession and offer your insight into archival issues, working environments, and career development. If you’re an ACA member, we welcome archivists and information professionals with a range of job titles and institutional backgrounds to become a new mentor.
To find out more about the program and if you’re eligible to become new mentors or mentees, visit the ACA Website.
Any questions can also be directed to Mentorship Program Coordinators, Nicole Aminian and Kyle Pugh at mentorship.program@archivists.ca.
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Renew Your Membership This Fall
Renew your 2023 ACA membership early and you’ll be entered in our annual Early Bird Prize Draw. Membership runs January-December, so you’ll be covered for next year.
Remember: Membership with ACA includes access to Archivaria, the Mentorship Program, discounted rates on workshops and the Conference, and more. Members can also help lead our Association by participating on Committees and the Board of Directors, as well as having voting power at our AGM. So why not renew early?
Prizes for Early Bird renewals will be announced in December, and winners will be drawn by the ACA Secretariat in January.
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Carr McLean Discount Available for 2023
The Carr McLean
10% discount is available for both Individual and Institutional ACA
members for the entire membership year. This discount can be applied to
any order over $100 and is non-transferrable. Contact the ACA Secretariat at executive.director@archivists.ca for the new discount code that will remain effective until December 31, 2023.
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Australian Society of Archivists Events |
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November 22, 2023: Virtual Workshop Implementing Trauma-Informed Archival Practice, led by Nicola Laurent and Kirsten Wright Virtual Workshop Description: This 3hr 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 re-imagining about what archives can be for everyone; and challenges current models of archival work. It is aimed at anyone working in archives and across the broader GLAMR sector.
Registration Details
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Date: November 23 in Sydney, Australia = November 22 in Canada
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Canadian Time Zone: 3:00-6:00 pm PST / 6:00-9:00 pm EST
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Cost: ACA members with reciprocal ASA membership is AU$160 (approx. CAD$140)
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ACA members with reciprocal ASA membership, please contact sales@archivists.org.au to register. Workshop link here.
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ASA Keeping Archives Online Learning Series
Thinking about taking an ASA online course through their Keeping Archives Online Learning Series? Check out the ASA Webinars (link here) developed as a means to introduce folks to course content. Webinars presented include:
- Webinar: Trauma-Informed Archives – If you can’t attend the amazing Trauma-Informed Archival Practice virtual workshop this November, please take a look at the webinar recording. Course creators Nicola Laurent (Vice President of the ASA; Find & Connect web resource, University of Melbourne) and Kirsten Wright (Find & Connect web resource, University of Melbourne) discuss how a trauma-informed approach to managing archives is a useful model to consider for professional practice.
- Webinar: Indigenous Recordkeeping and Archives – Course creator Kirsten Thorpe (Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education & Research (JIIER) at University of Technology Sydney) introduces the Indigenous Archives and Recordkeeping module that has been developed by the Australian Society of Archivists in collaboration with Jumbunna Research at the University of Technology Sydney.
- Webinar: Out-of-Home Care Records – Course creators Kirsten Wright (Program Manager, Find & Connect web resource) and Nicola Laurent (Vice President of the ASA; Senior Project Archivist, Find & Connect web resource) are joined by Frank Golding (Vice President of CLAN) and Simon Froude (Director, State Records of South Australia) to discuss why records are important to people who grew up in care, what organisations can do to improve access to these records, and how CAARA has responded to the record-keeping recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
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Dear Members, Tuesday, November 28 is Giving Tuesday. If circumstances permit, I would encourage you to donate to the ACA Foundation! Your donation would help support an emerging archives professional to attend the conference, present a research paper, or simply pursue an archives education. It's a donation that will truly contribute to the archival community! Donations to the ACA Foundation are eligible for a tax receipt. You can find our website here. Humbly yours, Kyle Pugh ACA Treasurer and Chair, ACA Foundation
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Merchandise: The Foundation is excited to say that we have added our purchasable merchandise to the ACA store! If you’d like some archives swag, the materials can be found here. Great for all your upcoming holiday gift-giving!
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New Director of Operations, AAQ
The Association
des archivistes du Québec is pleased to warmly welcome Joëlle Derulle as the new Director of Operations. Her solid experience in the field of NPOs, notably as deputy director of the Association of Green Space Managers of Quebec (AREVQ) and 14 years of experience as manager of the training department of the Alliance québécoise du leisure public, will be a valuable asset to guide the AAQ’s operations in the years to come. Learn more about Derulle’s appointment here.
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Papers of the Bibliographic Society of Canada
The deadline to submit abstracts to the recently announced special issue of the Papers of the Bibliographical Society of Canada –
titled “Disrupting Whiteness Within Special Collections, Bibliography
and Book History,” featuring works only from Black, Indigenous, and
Other Scholars of Colour – has been extended until November 10, 2023. Please see here for more information.
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NEDCC Webinars and Workshops
The Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) has a variety of preservation-related opportunities coming up! Full descriptions and registration are available here. Webinars are available to registrants for three months after enrolment. Free preservation webinars are available on YouTube.
Multi-session courses in the upcoming months:
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January 22, 2024: Fundamentals of Photograph Preservation Course (6 sessions)
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February 20, 2024: Preservation 101 Course (10 sessions)
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June 6, 2024: Writing A Disaster Plan Course (2 sessions)
November 11, 2023: Listening for Embodied Knowledge: An Approach to the Oral History Interview, led by Dr. Nyssa Chow
Virtual Workshop Description: What does it mean to have BIPOC voices at the center of our practice—what are we inviting them to speak on, or claim authority over? How can our practice better ‘hear’ and legitimize embodied knowledge(s)? In this workshop we will consider the oral history interview as an ‘act of translation’, an approach that permissions the narrator to be both the ‘teller’ of their story, and also the first interpreter of their lived experience. We will discuss forms of un-hearing that can interrupt this process; reflect on the making and un-making of agency and authority in the interview by introducing both the language and concept of permission; and consider the oral history encounter as a ‘space of remembering’ and translation.
Registration Details:
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Registration is open to the public with pre-registration required - Eventbrite registration link here.
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Date: Saturday. November 11, 2023
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Time: 9:00 am-12:00 pm PST / 12:00 pm-3:00 pm EST
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Cost: Free for participants based outside the USA
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Digital Museums Canada Funding
Calling Canadian museums and heritage organisations...
The countdown is on! There are less than three months left to submit your proposal for Digital Museums Canada funding.
The call for proposals closes on December 1, 2023 at 5:00 pm EST
Learn more about the investment streams here. |
British Columbia History Digitization Program (BCHDP)
The British Columbia History Digitization Program (BCHDP) is now accepting applications for project funding. The program, initiated by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre in 2006, provides matching funds to support digitization projects that make unique British Columbia content freely available. Since its inception in 2006, the BCHDP has awarded more than $2 million of matching funds for more than 250 projects.
Prospective applicants should be a registered charity or qualified donee listed by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). If an applicant is not a registered charity or qualified donee, a community organization that is a qualified donee may be permitted to act as a financial intermediary. If you have further questions or concerns about this requirement, please contact the BCHDP Coordinator.
In the context of de-colonization and reconciliation, the BC History Digitization Program will consider applications from Indigenous organizations for projects that will not result in public access to the digitized material. IKBLC recognizes that open access is not always ethical or appropriate for Indigenous content. Indigenous applications will be evaluated according to the same criteria in all other aspects of the project applications but will not be required to provide public access to the digitized content.
Applications are due by Friday, December 8, 2023 at 5:00 pm PST. Information about the application process as well as the guidelines and application form are available on the BCHDP website.
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Contribute to Short Survey on Digital Materials in Archives and Special Collections
Do you engage with born-digital or digitized materials in
your work?
Consider this short survey on archives and special
collections and their relationship with digital materials. We’re looking for
input from archivists, special collections librarians, paraprofessionals, and
anyone else who manages digital resources related to archives and special
collections. The survey takes about 10 minutes and will ask about your current
practices and gauge your opinion on new approaches. Take the survey here.
Questions about the survey? Contact Hilary Barlow of York
University via hbarlow@yorku.ca.
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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 1138, City of Kamloops, British Columbia Deadline: November 30, 2023
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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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The next issue of Scope & Content will come out on
Thursday, December 7, 2023. See you then!
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Contact Us
Suite 1912-130 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4
Tel: 613-383-2009
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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