Scope and Content Monthly ACA Newsletter
May 2026, Volume 7, Issue 05 |
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Click here if you are having trouble reading the newsletter.
The next Scope and Content will be published June 4th, 2026. If you have any comments or feedback, please contact the Communications Committee.
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Greetings all,
As my term as ACA President draws to an end, this will be my second last message for Scope and Content. Rather than provide the usual updates, I thought I would take a little time to reflect briefly on my experience over the past two years.
Serving as President of the ACA Board has been very rewarding. During my term, I have had the opportunity to connect with many members and work with an incredible group of volunteers. We are fortunate to have dedicated members who serve on the Board, Committees, Teams, Working Groups, and Special Interest Sections. Our community is made up of people who are passionate about archives and records issues, and it has been a pleasure to work with all of you.
Of course, these past two years have not been without challenges. As a community we have faced the fallout of political decisions both at home and abroad, which have caused financial uncertainty and increased workloads for many archives and records professionals. As a community we have rallied, but still, it can feel like our voices are being ignored. However, through the resilience of members, strength of the association, and support of our Executive Director and ACA Office staff, we continue to weather these storms. Thank you everyone for your continued support of the ACA.
Sincerely,
Anna Gibson Hollow, President |
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May is already upon us, and it is hard to believe that we are over four months into the year. Surely I cannot be the only one that feels like 2026 is on a speed run? Even though I have been quiet in Scope & Content, it does not mean the committees I work with or the Records Management Working Group have been idle!
The Governance Committee last met on April 7th and is advancing several policy initiatives which include, but definitely not limited to: The Fee Refund Policy, Fee Subsidy Policy, Advocacy Policy, and Compliance Practices Policy. The Records Management Working Group (RMWG) met on April 2nd and are now meeting biweekly as progress continues on a functional based classification schedule. The hope is to have it ready to be presented at the AGM. Last but not least, the Conference Planning Committee has been working on both the 2026 Virtual conference and the 2027 In-person conference in Winnipeg (I am so excited to be in Winnipeg next year as it is one of my favourite cities).
It would not be my update without a quick plug for volunteering with the ACA. Volunteering is especially valuable in fields like ours, where archival professionals often work independently or in small teams. Working on a committee creates opportunities to connect with peers, share knowledge, and build a sense of community that might otherwise be missing day to day. Volunteering helps strengthen the archival profession itself—whether by supporting advocacy, or mentoring others it is also a chance to step outside the isolation of solo work, contribute to something collective, and stay engaged with new ideas and perspectives.
Sincerely,
Angela Fornelli, Vice President |
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Staffing Updates – Mickenna Ward Continuing as Programs & Development Coordinator We are delighted to announce that Mickenna Ward will continue as an ACA staff member in a year-long contract as Programs and Development Coordinator. In this role, Mickenna will drive key revenue and engagement streams in fundraising and programming, as well as supporting the annual conference. Mickenna is a cultural anthropologist and museum studies professional currently focused on contributing to the archival field through fostering accessibility and community-centered initiatives. Since May 2025, she has served as the student Administrative Assistant for the ACA, working hybrid to support the Bulletin digitization project, inventorying internal analog records, web-related projects, conference administration, and other supportive roles. Mickenna is committed to advancing archives as dynamic spaces that connect people, histories, and material culture. To read more, and to view all our staff bios, please visit the ACA Staff page.
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Mickenna Ward, newly appointed Programs and Development Coordinator of the ACA.
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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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Upcoming ACA Events and Opportunities |
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‘What Can You Do With That?’: Alt-Ac Careers After the Grad Degree Workshop: May 14
The CHA’s Graduate Students’ Committee invites you to a roundtable of alumni from History and Archival Sciences graduate programs who work in and beyond the academy! The three panelists will discuss their career trajectories after grad school and how the skills gained in their graduate degree(s) helped them find ‘alt-ac’ success. An informal Q&A will follow. The jump from grad school to finding a career outside of academia can be intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be! Join this webinar to hear from three experts who found industry success with History and Archival Sciences graduate degrees.
This joint event between the Canadian Historical Association and Association of Canadian Archivists will take place via Zoom on Thursday, May 14th, from 1:00–2:30 p.m. Eastern time (5:00–6:30 p.m. UTC). All are welcome.
Click here to register. |
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Introduction to Digital Preservation Workshop: July 8 & 9
This two-part workshop series by Mary Grace Kosta will introduce digital preservation with a focus on strategies for archives with limited resources. The topics covered will include: Preservation issues concerning digital records, preservation strategies and actions (including fixity checks for integrity), the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) reference model, the National Digital Stewardship Alliance (NDSA) Levels of Preservation, file formats, metadata, and more.
The workshop dates are:
See more details and register here. |
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ACA Awards 2026: Nomination Deadline EXTENDED
In tough times we need good news to help keep our spirits up, and the Canadian archival community is full of excellent archivists absolutely crushing it in challenging circumstances. Celebrate the people who are making it happen by nominating a colleague for an ACA award by May 15, 2026.
The ACA Nominations and Awards Committee (NAAC) invites nominations for the following awards and honours:
You can find more information about the awards and the nomination process on the Honours and Awards page: https://archivists.ca/Honours-and-Awards.
Extended Deadline for Submissions: May 15, 2026
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2026 Hashtag Party!
You’re invited to the ACA Hashtag Party! On the last Thursday of every month, the ACA Social Media Teamorganizes 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 #ArchivesLabour hashtag party took place on Thursday, April 30th. Thank you to everyone who participated in sharing materials related to labour and collective rights with us.
The next ACA Hashtag Party will take place on May 28, 2026, and the theme will be #ArchivesCuisine. You can participate by sharing materials in your collection which relate to food, recipes, or cuisine. Make sure to use the #ArchivesCuisine hashtag with your post.
The upcoming themes for the ACA Hashtag Parties will be:
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July 30, 2026: #ArchivesAudio (Spotlighting materials related to sound including recordings, snippets, transcripts, and more)
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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ACA 2026 Virtual Conference Call for Conference Chairs Interested in contributing to the ACA 2026 Virtual Conference? We’re looking for volunteers to chair some of this year’s sessions. Chairing is a simple and rewarding way to get involved. You’ll help guide sessions and support presenters, and comprehensive guidance and support will be provided for chairs along the way. If you’d like to chair one or more sessions, please reach out to us at executive.director[at]archivists.ca. We’d love to hear from you!
Join Us The ACA 2026 Virtual Conference explores the connections (and disconnections) between theories of archival practice and the daily realities and challenges archivists face. We will hear about the work being done by archivists across (and beyond) the discipline to address challenges particular to circumstance, whether it be engaging systematically marginalized communities, preservation on a budget, or implementing the Reconciliation Framework released by the Steering Committee on Canada’s Archives. Already, over 256 industry professionals have registered! Registration is open now - purchase tickets before June 1st to take advantage of regular pricing.
Register Now View the Conference Program Please note, the conference program will continue to be updated.
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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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‘100 Years of The Cord’ Panel – May 12
‘The College Cord’ was founded in 1926 by students at Waterloo College (now Wilfrid Laurier University) as a means to share student news and experiences with residents of the Twin City area (Kitchener-Waterloo) and members of the Lutheran Church in Canada. Hosted by Laurier Archives and Special Collections, this panel features past editors of The Cord. Panelists will reflect on the 100-year history of The Cord, their time working at the paper, and consider the next chapter of this student publication.
Date: Tuesday, May 12 at 2 p.m. (ET)
Registration here.
SAA’s Archival Outlook March/April Edition Available Now
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 March/April issue online here.
CCDH’s 2025 Year in Review Report Published
The Coalition for Canadian Digital Heritage is excited to announce that our 2025 Year in Review is now available! This initiative is part of our ongoing effort to reach a broad range of professionals in the GLAM sector to share our mission, our vision, and to showcase our work to date. Please view it on the CCDH website and distribute it within your networks to interested parties.
You can see the report online here.
Introduction to Digital Archives & Digital Preservation at The ArQuives – May 7
Curious about how digital materials are preserved in archives? This free introductory webinar with The ArQuives’ Digital Archivist, Natasha Fisher, will explore what digital preservation is, why it’s important, and how it’s being implemented at The ArQuives. We’ll also touch on how web archiving works and why preserving online content is increasingly important. Designed for anyone interested in getting started in digital archiving and preservation.
Date: May 7, 2026 at 6 – 7:15 p.m. (ET)
You can register online here.
CARL DPWG Calls for DPC RAM Submissions for Benchmarking Project
CARL’s Digital Preservation Working Group (DPWG) is facilitating a national benchmarking exercise using the Digital Preservation Coalition’s Rapid Assessment Model (DPC RAM). This project aims to gain insight into the status of digital preservation activities among Canadian organizations, helping us better understand the opportunities and challenges for capacity building and support for improvement.
Now in its second phase, the wider Canadian digital preservation community, including libraries, archives, repositories, museums, galleries and other Canadian organizations engaged in digital preservation at any level, are invited to complete the assessment by June 30, 2026. For more information or questions about the project, watch the kickoff video recording or contact us at info@carl-abrc.ca.
Office hours will be available in early June for anyone who would like to learn more about the project or how to complete the DPC RAM assessment.
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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 and Content will come out on
June 4th, 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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