Scope and Content Monthly ACA Newsletter
April 2026, Volume 7, Issue 04 |
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Click here if you are having trouble reading the newsletter.
The next Scope and Content will be published May 7th, 2026. If you have any comments or feedback, please contact the Communications Committee.
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Minister Marc Miller and Minister Evan Solomon at the National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture. Photo by Anna Gibson Hollow.
This month I attended the National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture held in Banff, Alberta from March 15 to 17. The summit brought together leaders from the cultural sector, government, technology, and academia to discuss the interactions between artificial intelligence and culture, and to connect the cultural sector with Canada’s artificial intelligence research and business ecosystem.
Over the course of two days, we heard presentations and panel discussions with artists, authors, musicians, and people working in the technology industry. One of the primary concerns highlighted by speakers and participants alike was the lack of transparency around the development of AI tools. Various creators shared concerns about their stories, songs, and content being mined and used without permission and payment.
We also participated in “reflection zones” where we broke up into smaller groups to discuss three topics: 1) Building partnerships in AI Research and Development; 2) Protecting creativity by taking steps to make AI solutions responsible, reliable, and supportive of human creation; and 3) Empowering the cultural sector through AI adoption, training and talent development. The summit also included a showcase room featuring interactive kiosks with demos, testimonials and opportunities to engage directly with Canadian artificial intelligence companies, experts and cultural organizations.
Representing the Government of Canada were Ministers Marc Miller, Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture, and Evan Solomon, Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, who gave an opening address and closed the event with a “fireside chat” and press conference. At the press conference, Minister Miller and Minister Solomon announced that the federal government is creating an AI and Culture Advisory Council, which will consist of 12 rotating members across creative and technology fields. You can read more here on CBC.
Right before the press conference began, I was able to talk briefly with Minister Miller. Unfortunately, I only had enough time to introduce myself, but Minister Miller acknowledged that a response to the ACA letters of concern was coming.
Sincerely,
Anna Gibson Hollow, President |
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ACA 2026 Virtual Conference
June 8–11, 2026 Join colleagues from across the country for four days of conversation, learning, and connection at the ACA 2026 Virtual Conference. Early Bird registration is open now through April 22. View the program here.
Workshop Proposal Call Have an idea for a 90-minute workshop inspired by the 2026 Virtual Conference theme? ACA is now accepting proposals. Please send your proposal to Jesse Carson at program-team-co-chair1(at)archivists.ca.
Nominations open for Board of Directors Deadline: April 8
The Nominations and Awards Committee (NAAC) would like to remind everyone that nominations are open for the Board of Directors until APRIL 8, 2026. The NAAC is seeking nominations for the following ACA Board of Directors positions that are up for election in 2026:
The deadline for nominations is close of day PDT, APRIL 8, 2026. Nominations can be submitted through the Nomination Form here. See the ACA website for more information about the nomination and election process, descriptions of Board positions, and the elections policy.
Call for Volunteers
Looking for a volunteer opportunity at the ACA? The following committees are looking for members to join:
If you are interested in volunteering and want to learn more, please fill out this form.
In the Field: the ACA Blog
In the Field is a place for discussion about the wide range of issues encountered and raised in these spaces related to archives, archival education, and archival interventions. For more information on proposing or submitting a blog post please read and complete this form. We look forward to reading your contribution!
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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ACA Partners with Reel Canada for National Canadian Film Day – April 15
The ACA is excited to collaborate with Reel Canada for National Canadian Film Day on April 15th, 2026. As part of the celebration, Michael Marlatt (Film Archivist and archival consultant based in New Brunswick) recently hosted a recorded conversation with Christina Stewart, Tom McSorley, and Piers Handling. The interview will be featured as part of the day’s programming.
Stay tuned for details on how to watch!
Student and Early Career Special Interest Section (SECSIS) Meeting – April 20
The ACA Student and Early Career Special Interest Section is holding their monthly meeting on April 20th for students and emerging professionals. Join us to connect with your peers, learn new skills, and participate in upcoming projects.
The Special Interest Section for Early Career and Students (SECSIS) supports students and early career archivists through educational and professional development opportunities, shared resources, and meaningful networking initiatives.
SECSIS provides a welcoming space for peer mentorship, with a focus on supporting the transition into the archival profession and promoting long‑term career sustainability. We amplify a diverse range of voices and aim to generate enthusiasm for the field through conversations on archives, archival theory, records management, and related disciplines.
Have questions? Reach out to Carolyn Smith at carolyn.s137(at)gmail.com
See event details here.
NAAC Accepting Award Nominations – Deadline: April 30
The ACA Nominations and Awards Committee (NAAC) is currently inviting nominations from the Canadian archival community for the following honours:
Information on each award as well as the nomination process can be found on the Honours and Awards page.
Closing date for nominations is: April 30, 2026
Questions may be directed to Sarah Glassford (NAAC.Co-Chair1(at)archivists.ca) chair, NAAC.
We encourage you to consider nominating individuals whose contributions to the archival profession deserve recognition, and we look forward to celebrating these accomplishments together at the 2026 ACA Virtual Conference.
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.
Register for the workshop here.
2026 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 #ArchivesColourTheory hashtag party took place on Thursday, March 26th. Thank you to everyone who participated in sharing some of the most colourful items from their collections!
The next ACA Hashtag Party will take place on April 30, 2026, and the theme will be #ArchivesLabour. You can participate by sharing materials in your collection which honour labour and workers' movements. Make sure to use the #ArchivesLabour hashtag with your post.
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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Archival Awareness Week: April 7-10
April 7–10th is Archives Awareness Week! The Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) is gathering stories celebrating archives activism, including outreach efforts to make archival work visible, share ideas for public awareness campaigns, or outline funding event creativity. No submission is too short or too long.
Stories will be collected and posted by the AAO Web Administrator to the AAO's 2026 Archives Awareness Week page to celebrate archives activism during 2026's Archives Awareness Week from Tuesday, April 7 to Friday, April 10.
Submit information using this form by Thursday, April 2nd, or visit the Archives Awareness Week website for more details.
National DPC RAM Benchmarking Project : Kick Off Webinar – April 7
Are you interested in building your organization’s digital preservation capabilities? Join the second phase of the National DPC RAM Benchmarking Project, facilitated by the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL). This project empowers institutions across Canada engaged in digital preservation at any level to collectively build capacity, set goals for continuous improvement, and contribute to a snapshot of the current state of digital preservation in Canada.
Libraries, archives, repositories, museums, galleries and other Canadian organizations engaged in digital preservation at any level are invited to complete the assessment, irrespective of CARL membership. If this is your first benchmarking exercise, we are here to support you! CARL’s Digital Preservation Working Group (DPWG) will provide support to organizations completing the assessment by sharing resources and hosting office hours.
Join us for an overview of the project, facilitated by Amanda Tomé, Digital Research Alliance of Canada, and Sarah Lake, Concordia University and CARL Visiting Program Officer for Digital Preservation. The kick off webinar will provide participants with a background to the project and the DPC RAM, take participants through resources created by the CARL DPWG, provide an overview of the office hours process and provide a forum for participants to ask questions.
An English language call will take place April 7, and a French language one on April 8. The English webinar will feature a short presentation on the DPC RAM by Anna Perricci, Head of DPC Americas. You can register for the webinar here.
Conference Registration Open - From Marginalization to Visibility 2SLGBTQ+ Archives & Public Memory Conference
Registration is now open for From Marginalization to Visibility: 2SLGBTQ+ Archives and Public Memory, a hybrid conference taking place in Halifax from May 15-17, 2026. This conference hopes to bring together 2SLGBTQIA+ community members, researchers, nonprofit organizations, heritage professionals, academics, historians, publishers, and emerging scholars who share an interest in documenting, preserving, and celebrating diverse and intersectional 2SLGBTQ+ histories in Canada.
See more information and register for the conference here.
Conference Registration Open - AAO Conference
The Archives Association of Ontario is thrilled to announce the 2026 Annual Conference, our first in-person gathering in years, to be held from May 6-8 at St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto.
Theme: Object Lessons: Continuing Care for the Physical in a Digital World
This return to a physical space invites us to reflect on the heart of the archival tradition: the stewardship of physical objects for the long term in an increasingly digital society. When access is so often virtually mediated, what is the evolving role of the physical artifact? How do we respond to changing researcher expectations while preserving the unique value and materiality of original, physical records? This conference will explore the enduring importance, practical challenges, and profound joys of caring for physical collections.
See more information and register for the conference here.
AAQ Conference Special Rates for ACA Members
The Quebec Association of Archivists (AAQ) and the ACA have a cooperation agreement which grants conference member rates to each other's annual conference. ACA members can use the code 2026atoutACA to get the AAQ member rate at their annual hybrid conference in Montebello, Québec, from May 13-15, 2026.
See more information and register for the conference on the AAQ website.
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Special Feature: Preserving ACA History: The Bulletin Digitization Project |
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Context
The Association of Canadian Archivists is pleased to share an update on an important internal initiative: the amalgamation and digitization of the ACA Bulletin publications. This project brings together decades of association-member communications into a unified digital archive on our website that preserves the documented history of the association while improving long-term access for members and researchers.
The ACA Bulletin has long served a central role in communication for the Association. Since the early 1970’s it has documented governance and related updates, conference news, committee reports, professional developments, member achievements, and the evolving priorities and commitments of the archival community in Canada. As both a newsletter and archival record of the Association's memory, the ACA Bulletin reflects the dynamic landscape of the archival practice and our professional identity.
History of the Bulletin
Over time, the format and frequency of the Bulletin have evolved; the print version of the ACA Bulletin has enjoyed a long history and the dedication of many editors. The publication was first published in 1971 under the title Archives Bulletin by the Archives section of the Canadian Historical Association. The volume and issue number used today made its debut in 1976. The title Archives Bulletin changed in the August 1979 issue, (Vol. 4, No. 4), to ACA Bulletin. The September 2002 publication featured the first instance of the current ACA logo on its cover page. In Spring 2014, the last print issue of the ACA Bulletin was issued. The ACA Bulletin switched to a blog format with a new logo in the same year.
In the early days of the ACA Bulletin, each volume consisted of six numbers per year, offering regular and detailed member updates. This later shifted to a quarterly publication, and more recently to a single annual publication functioning primarily as an annual report. These changes reflect an intentional shift to provide members with a concise, transparent, annual update that encompasses all ACA and Association of Canadian Archivists Foundation news.
Contribute
As part of this project, we have been working to identify and fill gaps in our collection. To date, 146 numbers have been digitized and prepared for the website. If you have copies of the following volume numbers and would be willing to donate them to support the completion of the collection so we can make them digitally available for all members, we would be grateful to hear from you:
Vol.5 No.4
Vol.27 No.5
Vol.28 No.4
Vol.30 No.3
Vol.32 No.4
Vol.33 No.3
Vol.38 No.3
Vol.38 No.4
Please contact the ACA Administrative Assistant at acastudent@archivists.ca if you can contribute. Your support will help ensure that the full record of the Association is preserved and accessible for future generations.
We look forward to sharing more updates as the project progresses.
Acknowledgements
The ACA wishes to share their sincerest gratitude to Suzanne Dubeau and Tim Hutchinson for their generous contributions to this project so far.
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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, May 7th, 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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