Larry Dohey Award

Named after Larry Dohey, director of programming and public engagement at The Rooms in St. John’s, Newfoundland, the purpose of this award is to identify and honour members of the ACA whose work has raised public awareness of archives and recordkeeping, and to recognize, celebrate, and encourage outstanding examples of advocacy and outreach within the archives and records profession.

First introduced as the Outreach and Advocacy Award in 2019, it was renamed the Larry Dohey Award in September 2020.

Nominate a member for this award (Deadline TBD 2025)
List of Award Recipients

Purpose

To identify and honour members of the Association whose work has raised public awareness of archives and recordkeeping;
To recognize, celebrate, and encourage outstanding examples of advocacy and outreach within archives and recordkeeping;

Scope
The Larry Dohey Award may be awarded annually to any individual or organization who is a member of the Association in good standing.

Responsibility

The Nominations and Awards Committee shall receive and evaluate all nominations.
The Committee shall decide the recipient(s) of the award for each year or decide that no award shall be given and recommend this decision to the Board for approval.
The Board of Directors shall approve the recipient(s) of the Larry Dohey Award.

Eligibility

Current members of the Board of Directors; Governance Committee; Awards Committee; Coordinators and Association employees are not eligible.

Selection Criteria

The Larry Dohey Award acknowledges an ACA member (individual or organization) whose work has fostered public awareness of archives, records management, and recordkeeping. The Award recognizes Advocacy and Outreach work that is particularly impactful and has raised public consciousness of the value of archives, records management, and recordkeeping either regionally, nationally, or internationally. Advocacy and Outreach work may include, but is not limited to:
Community Partnerships: Leadership in fostering collaboration between the profession and community-driven archives.

Equity initiatives: Advocacy and outreach initiatives that have a direct impact on BIPOC, people with disabilities, new Canadians, and 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and communities.
Exhibitions: An exhibition, either physical or digital, which demonstrates excellence and originality in exhibition content and design.
Indigenization and Reconciliation: Innovative and proactive leadership in support of the vision, principles, objectives and strategies of the Steering Committee on Canadian Archives’ Reconciliation Framework.
Legislation: Advocating successfully for legal or policy changes that advance archives, records management, and recordkeeping.
Publicity: Excellence in representing the archives and recordkeeping profession in the media (print, radio, or television).
Writing & Publishing: Writing a finding aid or other form of archival description, an article, a book, or other publication, which demonstrates excellence in writing and fosters access to, and awareness of, archives.
Training Programs designed to educate those outside of the profession on archives, records management, and/or recordkeeping, implemented either within an organization or as part of a broader public outreach initiative.

Instructions for Submissions

All nominations must be accompanied by a completed nomination form describing the nominee’s achievements, related supporting documentation, and two letters of support from members in good standing. Nomination form and related documentation must be submitted electronically.

Nomination and Selection Procedures

Nominations are made by the membership at large and submitted to the Nominations and Awards Committee. Bestowing the award shall be based on evidence submitted by the nominator(s) and the criteria outlined for the award. The Committee decides the final recipient(s) by majority vote and submits them to the Board of Directors.

Deadline for Submissions

End of day - TBD 2025

Prize

Certificate

Date and Place of Presentation

The Membership Recognition Award shall be bestowed at the Awards Celebration during the ACA 50th Anniversary Conference in Ottawa, ON, 9-12 June 2025.