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  • 11 May 2020 3:15 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Dear Archival Colleagues,

    I am pleased to announce that Archivaria 89 (Spring 2020) is now available online at https://archivaria.ca/. It will also be available on Project Muse within the coming days. The print issue is in production and will be mailed to members and subscribers in the next few weeks. Canada Post is reporting delays to their service and this may affect when members receive their printed copies.

    All Archivaria content is currently available to everyone without any restrictions. After June 30, 2020, we will be implementing a new embargo policy, by which access to articles included in the most recent two issues (instead of the last eight issues) is going to be restricted to members and subscribers.

    With this issue, you'll also notice things have changed a bit on our website. In recent weeks, we upgraded the journal to a more responsive, mobile-friendly version of Open Journal Systems (OJS).

    A huge thank you to the authors who have contributed to the new issue, to the Archivaria Editorial Team, and to the ACA office staff for all the hard work it takes to put an issue together.

    Happy reading!

    Fiorella Foscarini, General Editor

  • 27 Apr 2020 10:00 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Nominations for the ACA Board of Director Elections 

    Deadline Extended to 8 May 2020

    Online Form

    The Nominations Committee, a sub-committee of the Governance Committee is seeking nominations for (4) ACA Director (Board) positions that are up for election at the ACA Annual General Meeting that will take place online Tuesday 23 June 2020, 12:00 EDT via Zoom.

    Nominations are requested for the following positions:

    ·         President (2 year term)
    ·        Treasurer (2 year term)
    ·        Director at Large 1 (2 year term)
    ·     Director at Large 3 ( 2 year term)

    The term of office for these positions is two years and may begin following the AGM and election in July 2020.

    See here for a full description of the board positions and the time required for each elected position.

    You may download the nomination form for signature here and submit your nomination form, online using the link below:

    https://archivists_ca.formstack.com/forms/aca_elections__bod__nominations

    See also the ACA Nominations and Elections Policy here.

    Directors must be individual members in good standing. Their nomination 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 AGM, 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 Deirdre Bryden and Michael Gourlie from the Governance's nominating committee at nominations@archivists.ca.

    The deadline for nominations is 8 May 2020.

    nominations@archivists.ca

    J.M. McCutcheon

    executive.director@archivists.ca

  • 17 Apr 2020 10:25 AM | Anonymous

    It’s time for another email full of links to news articles, blog posts, videos, and podcasts to pertaining to Indigenous people, cultures, and issues. 

    For the year ahead, we’ll be connecting these emails with the Moose Cree lunar-based calendar; the month of April aligns with Niski-piisim (Canada Goose Moon), signalling the return of migratory birds to Northern Ontario and the start of the annual spring goose hunt.

    These links have been collected and are graciously provided by Alison Little, Senior Coordinator of Educational Programming and Exhibitions at the Archives of Ontario. 

    The list is provided for reference only and the ACA does not guarantee the accuracy or comprehensiveness of each resource, nor endorse a particular perspective. Our aim is only to provide opportunities for our members to learn more about Indigenous peoples and colonial issues. 

  • 8 Apr 2020 9:24 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The Nominations Committee, a sub-committee of the Governance Committee is seeking nominations for 4 (four) ACA Director (Board) positions that are up for election at the ACA Annual General Meeting.  This year's AGM will take place online Tuesday 23 June 2020, 12:00 EDT via Zoom.  ACA members in good standing can RSVP here and you will be emailed information and meeting details.

    Nominations are requested for the following positions:

    • President
    • Treasurer
    • Director at Large 1
    • Director at Large 3

    The term of office for these positions is two years and may begin

    following the AGM and online election in July 2020.

     

    See here for a full description of board positions and the time required for each elected position.  You may download the nomination for for signature here and submit your nomination form online using the link below:

    https://archivists_ca.formstack.com/forms/aca_elections__bod__nominations

     

    See also the ACA Nominations and Election Policy here.

     

    Directors must be individual members in good standing.  Their nomination must be supported by 5 (five) ACA members in good standing.  Those nominated must also provide a brief biography that will be made available to ACA members in advance of the AGM, 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 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 Deirdre Bryden and Michael Gourlie from Governance's nominating committee at nominations@archivists.ca.

    The deadline for nominations is 24 April 2020.

    Nominations and submission link here:


  • 20 Mar 2020 8:07 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    In light of the current situation with regards to COVID-19, we wish to provide an update concerning the status of the Association of Canadian Archivists’ annual conference scheduled for June 10-13, 2020 in Vancouver.

    The Board, in consultation with the Program and Host teams, has decided to cancel the in-person conference. We are currently working with all of our speakers to provide instead a virtual conference. This decision to provide an online conference was made to recognize the work already done by the Program Committee and the speakers who committed to delivering quality content. We also acknowledge our members’ desire for excellent professional development opportunities.

    The conference workshops will go ahead at a later date outside of the virtual conference. We believe this will provide more opportunities for everyone to attend more workshops, while minimizing screen time!

    Further conference program and workshop details will be announced in the coming weeks.

    In agreement with the Archivaria Board, we are also pleased to announce that we have opened Archivaria to everyone until June 30, 2020.

    We are all disappointed with not going to Vancouver this year. Rest assured that we are working on plans to return in 2022, after ACA 2021 in Charlottetown.

    We thank you for your understanding and look forward to seeing you virtually. Best wishes to you during these difficult times.

    Sincerely,

    ACA Board of Directors

    ACA 2020 Program and Host Team Chairs
  • 20 Mar 2020 4:05 PM | Anonymous

    After a brief hiatus, we are happy to share another post full of links to news articles, blog posts, videos, and podcasts pertaining to Indigenous people, cultures, and issues. These links have been collected and are graciously provided by Alison Little, Senior Coordinator of Educational Programming and Exhibitions at the Archives of Ontario. 

    For the year ahead, we’ll be connecting these emails with the Moose Cree lunar-based calendar, where new year begins in March with Mikisiwi-piisim (Eagle Moon). The moon of March signals the return of the first migratory birds (those with talons), and with them the start of a new annual cycle. 

    The list is provided for reference only and the ACA does not guarantee the accuracy or comprehensiveness of each resource, nor endorse a particular perspective. Our aim is only to provide opportunities for our members to learn more about Indigenous peoples and colonial issues. 

    Media Indigena: When Coronavirus and Colonialism Collide (ep. 201)

    https://mediaindigena.libsyn.com/when-coronavirus-and-colonialism-collide-ep-201 

    First Nations artists, business owners promote their work online amid COVID-19 social distancing

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/artists-business-covid19-online-1.5500768 

    COVID-19 concerns, closures have families and communities heading out on the land

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/covid-19-tradition-land-medicine-1.5500973 

    Tribunal orders Canada to compensate parents who lost children in care

    https://aptnnews.ca/2020/03/16/tribunal-orders-canada-to-compensate-parents-who-lost-children-in-care/ 

    SmartICE: Supporting Inuit knowledge of the landscape with technology

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/indigenous-remains-repatriation-efforts-1.5489390 

    ‘A nightmare scenario’ — Indigenous communities are bracing for COVID-19

    https://www.thestar.com/politics/federal/2020/03/13/a-nightmare-scenario-indigenous-communities-are-bracing-for-covid-19.html 

    The Government of Canada Consults with Indigenous Peoples on the Implementation of the Indigenous Languages Act

    https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/the-government-of-canada-consults-with-indigenous-peoples-on-the-implementation-of-the-indigenous-languages-act-895483757.html 

    Sewing, seal stew and stories: Inuit women in Ottawa gather to share traditions

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/isaruit-inuit-sewing-centre-1.5489197 

    A Métis Royal Rumble: Identity, Politics & The Failure Of Our Leadership

    https://yellowheadinstitute.org/2020/03/10/a-metis-royal-rumble-identity-politics-the-failure-of-our-leadership/ 

    When multiple First Nations lay claim to ancient Indigenous remains, how does repatriation get sorted?

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/indigenous-remains-repatriation-consensus-1.5488750 

    Indigenous youth co-develop a new way to measure their health

    http://cmajnews.com/2020/03/06/indigenous-app/

    Government of Canada partners with Tłı̨chǫ First Nation to protect culturally important land in the Northwest Territories

    https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-partners-with-tlicho-first-nation-to-protect-culturally-important-land-in-the-northwest-territories-851971347.html 

    965 Indigenous artifacts found in Kitchener during road construction

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/kitchener-indigenous-artifacts-1.5485132 

    The blockades no one talks about devastate Indigenous economies

    https://www.macleans.ca/opinion/the-blockades-no-one-talks-about-devastate-indigenous-economies/ 

    Wet’suwet’en: a wake-up call for Canada

    https://nowtoronto.com/news/wetsuweten-canada/ 

    'Reconciliation is dead and it was never really alive': Jesse Wente

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/jesse-wente-metro-morning-blockades-indigenous-1.5475492 

    Indigenous MPPs: Why we won’t sing ‘God Save the Queen’ at Queen’s Park today

    https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2020/02/24/indigenous-mpps-why-we-wont-sing-god-save-the-queen-at-queens-park-today.html 

    'Reconciliation Is Dead,' Says MPP Sol Mamakwa After Tyendinaga Arrests

    https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/reconciliation-is-dead-sol-mamakwa-tyendinaga_ca_5e542d50c5b66729cf60728c 

    ‘Historic’ meeting between Mohawk and Wet’suwet’en Nations occurs in Kahnawake

    https://aptnnews.ca/2020/02/22/historic-meeting-between-mohawk-and-wetsueweten-nations-occurs-in-kahnawake/ 

    Elected Mohawk Chiefs call for Canada to respect traditional leadership and “see beyond the Indian Act”

    https://realpeoples.media/elected-mohawk-chiefs-call-for-canada-to-respect-traditional-leadership-and-see-beyond-the-indian-act/ 

    A pipeline offers a stark reminder of Canada’s ongoing colonialism

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/13/pipeline-offers-stark-reminder-canadas-ongoing-colonialism/

    Yolanda Bonnell's bug is an enthralling journey into Indigenous women's lives

    https://nowtoronto.com/stage/theatre/yolanda-bonnell-s-bug-manidoons/ 

    Putting the RCMP raid on the Wet’suwet’en in historical perspective

    https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2020/02/11/putting-the-rcmp-raid-on-the-wetsuweten-in-historical-perspective.html 

    Indigenous languages are seeing a dramatic revival through the arts

    https://ottawacitizen.com/entertainment/local-arts/indigenous-languages-are-seeing-a-dramatic-revival-through-the-arts 

    Partnerships form to repatriate cultural items

    https://anishinabeknews.ca/2020/02/05/partnerships-form-to-repatriate-cultural-items/ 

    New wave of voices on #Indigenous TikTok

    https://toronto.citynews.ca/video/2020/02/01/new-wave-of-voices-on-indigenous-tiktok/#.XjdBSV5vrBI.twitter 

    The breathtaking hypocrisy of the howls for "rule of law"

    https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/february-2020/the-breathtaking-hypocrisy-of-the-howls-for-rule-of-law/ 

    ‘Institutionalized racism’ behind over-representation of Indigenous people in prisons

    https://aptnnews.ca/2020/01/29/institutionalized-racism-behind-over-representation-of-indigenous-people-in-prisons/ 

    Indigenous water activist Autumn Peltier challenges politicians during World Economic Forum

    https://northernontario.ctvnews.ca/indigenous-water-activist-autumn-peltier-challenges-politicians-during-world-economic-forum-1.4777341 

    Suspended: Metis Nation of Ontario out of national council, but is the decision valid?

    https://windspeaker.com/index.php/news/windspeaker-news/suspended-metis-nation-ontario-out-national-council-decision-valid 

  • 17 Mar 2020 9:45 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Dear Colleagues,

    Due to the current situation with regards to COVID-19, we wish to provide an update concerning our annual conference scheduled for June 10-13, 2020 in Vancouver.

    We are currently exploring all options for the conference, including moving the conference to a virtual delivery format, postponing the conference to a later date or, if need be, cancelling it. The Board is meeting weekly to reassess the situation and takes into account first and foremost the health and safety of all our members and delegates, but also the feasibility of people to travel out of province or internationally and the financial obligations of the ACA thus far.

    The Board, in consultation with our Host and Program Committees Teams as well as U.B.C., will communicate its decision to members and conference participants on April 2nd.

    Until then, we ask that you refrain from registering or making travel arrangements. Full refunds will be made at your request if you have already paid.

    We thank you for your understanding and wish you well during these difficult times.

    Sincerely,

    ACA Board of Directors
    2020 Program and Host Committees

  • 16 Mar 2020 11:50 AM | Anonymous


    With growing global spread of COVID-19, the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) is concerned about the health, safety and well-being of archivists and recordkeeping professionals. It’s time to close the archives to the public and allow staff to make decisions about where to safely continue their work. 

    The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Canada’s Chief Medical Officer of Health have urged all Canadians to practice social distancing to limit the spread of the virus. In response, many schools have now closed, and universities and colleges have moved classes online. These precautionary efforts are proactive and prioritize the safety of students, staff and faculty. At this time, there is little benefit to allowing researchers to physically access archives and special collections. It’s time to suspend in-person visits and encourage staff to work from home where appropriate. 

    In many locations across Canada, public services have been suspended or curtailed, including public library services. The ACA strongly encourages the closure of all public archives, museums, local history rooms, and historical sites as an additional proactive measure. 

    The ACA acknowledges that any closure or reduction of services will disproportionately affect student workers, contract staff and hourly workers who may lose wages or access to benefits during this time. The ACA encourages employers to consider any and all opportunities to allow for remote work. Possible projects include: [1]

    Administrative work, such as: 

    • developing or revising policies, workflows, or manuals
    • continuing committee work via phone or teleconference
    • updating emergency planning protocols and continuity planning
    • cleaning up shared work drives by standardizing file names, organizing files, and deleting duplicates, etc.
    • researching new and emerging technologies applicable to collections management
    Collections work, such as:
    • auditing collections for EAD- and/or RAD-compliant descriptions and outdated/oppressive language, importing/encoding legacy finding aids
    • cleaning descriptive data, such as finding aids, catalog records, and database descriptions (e.g., running spell check, populating fields, building templates)
    • exploring ways to share your collections in aggregators or linked data repositories, such as your provincial and territorial network, WorldCat, ArchiveGrid, SNAC 
    • adding information from your collections to Wikipedia and Wikidata, or uploading images to Wikimedia Commons, or transcribing documents in Wikisource
    • identifying collections for digitization and planning out each project
    • transcribing/translating digitized handwritten documents (e.g, diaries, correspondence, etc.)
    • creating libguides or research guides
    • reviewing digitized content for quality control
    • archiving web content using either the Wayback Machine or Webrecorder
    • maintaining and cleaning up website, checking for alt-text in images and doing accessibility audits
    Reference and outreach work, such as:
    • answering reference requests as appropriate and possible
    • creating FAQs or “ready reference” answers 
    • engaging with users online through social media platforms
    • drafting, scheduling and writing blog posts
    • researching writing and recording podcasts or video tutorials
    Staff development work, such as:
    • reaching out to hourly and student workers to ensure that they are able to submit timesheets electronically
    • arranging for regular phone calls/email check-ins with staff and volunteers
    • inviting fellow workers to collaborate on a project
    • researching and writing grants to support projects or scholarly research
    • learning a new skill, such as API, python, etc.
    • attending to annual performance evaluations or reviewing professional goals
    • completing applications for professional support and funding

    If staff continue to work from office buildings, they should continue to follow good health and safety practices. Where possible, remain at least two arms lengths from other people, wash your hands frequently, and avoid touching your face. Do not work in an unsafe environment. 

    For up-to-date information about COVID-19, visit Infection Prevention and Control Canada at: https://ipac-canada.org/coronavirus-resources.php or call the Coronavirus Hotline at: 1-833-784-4397.

    We appreciate that the global COVID-19 pandemic is increasingly worrisome and that mitigation efforts will require significant adjustments. In these challenging times, we remain ready to advocate for archives and recordkeeping professionals. We also acknowledge the strength of our professional community and the good will that characterizes ACA membership. Let’s keep this community safe and healthy so that they can care for our important documentary heritage now and in the future. 

    Sincerely,

    ACA Board of Directors


    [1] Thanks to the SAA Accessibility and Disability Section for compiling this list of work tasks and projects that archivists can do remotely. For more ideas, visit the Section’s growing google resource page here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/16ubmmTtJ7oCjbUFI_75fqG9J62pul9dg_RCd4au4tMw/mobilebasic

  • 11 Mar 2020 1:11 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Dear Archival Colleagues:

    Because of concerns about COVID-19, the Association of Canadian Archivists has received questions about the status of our June conference. We share your concern and have been monitoring developments on COVID-19. We want you to know that the ACA’s 45th Annual Conference will continue as planned at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, 10 to 13 of June.

    We will continue to monitor the situation and re-evaluate as may be needed. We recognize that some universities have issued statements on academic travel and we will work to determine how to manage these statements and advisories.

    Our top priority is the health and safety of our members, speakers, exhibitors and other conference attendees. Health Canada authorities continue to provide strong assurances that Vancouver is a safe city to visit and that the risk to Canadian travelers coming to Vancouver remains extremely low.

    The ACA assures you that your safety is our priority. We are committed to offering you the best in professional development and the invaluable opportunity to spend time with your archival colleagues. We hope you’ll join us in Vancouver this June.

    Best Regards,

    Loryl MacDonald, ACA President

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    COVID-19 Resources

    The following list provides you with links to the most accurate and updated information on COVID-19.

    BC Centre for Disease Control

    Health Canada – Travel Advisories

    Government of Canada:  COVID-19

    World Health Organization

  • 4 Mar 2020 2:46 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    The Dodds Prize recognizes superior research and writing on an archival topic by a student enrolled in a Master's level archival studies program at a Canadian university.

    To be considered, a faculty member or instructor associated with the program must submit the student paper to verify that it was written within the context of an archival studies program between May 1, 2019 and April 30, 2020. Submissions must be received by June 30, 2020. Papers written in French or English are eligible.

    The submission form and procedures are available at https://archivaria.ca/index.php/archivaria/archivaria-awards#Dodds-submission

    Submissions will be judged by the Dodds Prize Adjudication Committee on the quality of their scholarship, creativity and clarity of writing. The Adjudication Committee comprises the General Editor of Archivaria (or delegate), the ACA Board Liaison to Archivaria (or delegate) and two additional ACA members chosen annually by the General Editor. Delegates will be used in cases where a conflict of interest exists.

    Winners will receive a certificate, a cash prize, publication of the winning entry in Archivaria and a listing on the ACA website.

    I encourage archival educators to make your students aware of this award, and to keep the award in mind while you're grading papers. Papers must be between 5,000 and 8,000 words and written on an archival topic.

    For more information or if you have any questions, please contact me.


    All the best,

    Shyla Seller

    Managing Editor, Archivaria

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