Scope and Content Monthly ACA Newsletter
March 2026, Volume 7, Issue 03 |
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Click here if you are having trouble reading the newsletter.
The next Scope and Content will be published April 2nd, 2026. If you have any comments or feedback, please contact the Communications Committee.
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My message this month will be brief. On February 24 the Board and Committee Chairs met to discuss progress on workplans and identify areas of collaboration. This was the first of several check-in meetings that are planned for the year. This was also an opportunity for Mab to meet all the Committee Chairs and to get a sense of the work that everyone is doing. On the advocacy front, since December 2025 the ACA has sent several letters to the Hon. Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture and Minister Responsible for Official Languages regarding the budget cuts to Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and the impacts that these cuts will have on access to information and the heritage community. We have yet to receive a response to these letters. Our advocacy letters and our Call to Action to restore the Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP) are available on the advocacy page of our website (archivists.ca/advocacy). We have also included the joint letter of the Association des archivistes du Québec (AAQ) and the Réseau des services d'archives du Québec (RAQ). Please take a look and consider adding your voice to our cause. Let’s make sure our voices are heard! Sincerely, Anna Gibson Hollow, President
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Executive Director's Message
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Dear ACA members,
My name is Mab Coates-Davies and I’m excited to be introducing myself as the new Executive Director of the ACA.
In my first few weeks, I’ve had a very warm welcome (particularly grateful for this in freezing Toronto!) and have been struck by the strength of this community. During a time of financial cuts to the sector, I’m particularly impressed by the depth of advocacy, and the passion that members bring to both the profession and to the Association. I’m very honoured to be joining you all.
Over the coming months, my focus will be on listening and learning, strengthening our operational foundations, and supporting the 2026 Virtual Conference coming this June.
If you’re open to it, I’d love to hear from you: What is one thing the ACA is doing well, and one thing you’d like to see us improve or prioritize this year?
I can always be reached at executive.director[at]archivists.ca and look forward to connecting.
Warmly,
Mab Coates-Davies (they/she)
Executive Director |
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ACA Virtual Conference 2026 – Registration Opens March 25th
Save the Date: How Does That Help Me? Making Archival Theory Relevant to Daily Practice (ACA 2026 Virtual Conference | June 8–11, 2026)
Registration opens March 25! We’re excited to virtually welcome archives professionals from across Canada and beyond. We’ll be sharing more details in the weeks ahead, so please keep an eye on the Conference page for program and speaker updates.
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Nominations Open for the ACA Board of Director Elections
The Nominations and Awards Committee is seeking nominations for the following ACA Director (Board) positions that are up for election:
The term of office for these positions is two years and will begin following the AGM, which takes place on JUNE 17, 2026 at 10am PT / 1pm ET on ZOOM.
The slate of candidates will be presented to the Board by the beginning of June. Online voting will open JUNE 10, 2026 and close end of day PDT, JUNE 16, 2026. All members in good standing will receive an online ballot via email. Institutional members should ensure that their designated delegate is clearly identified and up to date in their membership profile. If you need support entering your delegate name or updating your form, please reach out to the ACA[at]archivists.ca.
See here for a full description of the Board positions and the commitment required for each elected position.
You may download the nomination form for signature here and submit your nomination form, online using this link.
See also the ACA Nominations and Elections Policy here .
Directors must be individual members in good standing. Institutional members may have their designated delegate nominated for the Director-at-Large position. Nominations must be supported by five (5) ACA members. Those nominated must also provide a brief biography that will be made available to ACA members in advance of the online voting period, will be posted on the ACA website and available on the electronic ballot.
The ACA welcomes more diverse and inclusive representation in the composition of its Board and Committees and encourages the nomination of all qualified individuals including women, members of racialized communities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity.
Questions should be directed to Sarah Glassford (NAAC.Co-Chair1[at]archivists.ca), chair, Nominations and Awards Committee.
The deadline for nominations is close of day PDT, APRIL 8, 2026.
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Access & Privacy Special Interest Section (APSIS) Meeting – March 12th
The ACA Access & Privacy Special Interest Section (SIS) will be holding a meeting for anyone interested in information access and privacy as a social value, citizen right, and as it pertains to your institutional holdings.
The SIS seeks to establish a foundation for archivists to openly connect and share perspectives on access to information, access and privacy practices, and archival access more broadly. Topics of interest include access services and barriers to accessing archives, user experience and access to archives, access rights, understanding privacy, how access & privacy laws apply to public & private sector archives, and the various challenges that coincide with disclosure. Identifying steps and strategies for implementing privacy compliant business practices can also be considered.
Date: March 12, 2026
Time: 1 PM (EST) / 11 AM (PST)
Location: Virtual
Register for the meeting here.
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Workshop: Preserving Moving Image Film and Outsourcing Digitization – May 21 
This workshop is designed for all archivists with the goal of demystifying the world of moving image film and its digitization. Nearly all archives have film materials, but not the traditional equipment to make the content accessible. This workshop aims to make that content come to life again by focusing on where and how to start a digitization project. The topics covered will be film identification and preservation, understanding digitization services, budgets, what questions to ask vendors, and finally how to prep your film materials for digitization. By the end of the workshop, archivists will have a clearer understanding of their materials, the services they will need, but also the confidence to talk to vendors. Participants are asked to bring questions and collection scenarios for discussion. Date: May 21, 2026
Time: Time: 2:00 PM - 4:30 PM (EST)/11:00 AM – 1:30 PM (PST)
Location: Virtual
Register for the workshop here.
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2026 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 Bluesky. 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, February 26th, and the theme was #ArchivesBlackHistory! Thank you to everyone who shared materials from their collections to celebrate the diversity, histories, and cultures of Black people in Canada.
The next ACA Hashtag Party will take place on March 26, 2026, and the theme will be #ArchivesColourTheory! Let’s bring some colour to our last few weeks of winter. On the day, share your most colourful archival materials, and don’t forget to tag us and use the hashtag so we can re-share your posts.
The upcoming themes for the ACA Hashtag Parties will be:
Keep an eye on future issues of Scope and 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 feedback, or if you have initiatives that you would like the ACA Hashtag Party to support, please email us at communications[at]archivists.ca.
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Carr McLean Discount
Carr McLean is once again offering a discount for both individual and institutional ACA members for the 2026 membership year. This 10% discount can be applied to any order over $100 and is non-transferrable. The discount code will remain effective until December 31, 2026.
To obtain the code for the 2026 calendar year, please login to the members only site and go to the Member Benefits page. You will need to have an active membership to obtain the code. |
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If you are interested in volunteering for the ACA, please contact our Vice President, Angela Fornelli, at vicepresident(at)archivists.ca with a brief statement of your interest and experience.
The following committees are currently recruiting volunteers:
- Communications Committee
- Financial Review Committee
- Governance Committee
- Membership Committee
- Professional Development Committee
- Public Awareness & Advocacy Committee
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Membership Committee Seeks Volunteers
The Membership Committee is seeking a new member! The membership committee promotes membership in the ACA, works on new services and benefits for members, and coordinates the popular Mentorship Program to help those new to the profession. If this sounds like something in which you would like to be involved, please submit an online application here. If you would like to learn more about the Membership Committee before you put your name forward or have questions about Committee activities, please contact Curtis Frederick, Committee Chair, at membership@archivists.ca. Thank you for considering joining! |
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In the Field: The ACA Blog
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If you’d like to submit a blog post, please read and complete this form. We look forward to your contribution!
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SAA’s New Issue of Archival Outlook Available
Archival Outlook is SAA's award-winning bimonthly magazine. Articles focus on best practice and how-to pieces on timely and relevant topics, how archives are used by the public, and archivists on the job. In addition, the magazine updates readers on important association business and the work of SAA's many shared interest groups. You can read the 2026 January/February issue online here.
Archives Unlocked: World War II – Film Records in Colour
The National Archives of Singapore is offering a free webinar. Over 30 years ago, it became clear to Adrian Wood that socio-political histories could be presented on television for the engagement of younger audiences using original colour images and contemporaneous sound recordings. It took a further seven years to persuade others of this potential.
The concept became a series of documentaries produced initially in the UK, and then the US, Australia, Canada, and Japan. In total, they amounted to 30 hours of television that presented an overview of the events of World War Two and the collapse of the British Empire in its aftermath. Some of these documentaries focused on the war from a specific national perspective. In addition, four companion books were published using colour illustrations.
This illustrated talk will present the story of the research behind the films and have specific focus on the imagery used, in various episodes, to tell the Singapore story of that period and addressing the difficulties faced in accessing archival records, how these challenges were overcome and the insights we gained on researching and using archives for a subject on the Second World War limited to only original colour materials.
Zoom link: https://nlbsingapore.zoom.us/j/93288437455?pwd=bO7xg2Jd43b2olWmdTbPsEhoNkqs78.1
Webinar ID: 932 8843 7455
Passcode: 969762 |
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Do you have news you’d like the ACA to share via its social media channels? Contact the Communications Committee to give us the details! Communications(at)archivists.ca
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The next issue of Scope & Content will come out on
Thursday, April 2nd, 2026. See you then!
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Contact Us
Suite 1912-130 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4
Email: aca(at)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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