The ACA Nominations and Awards Committee (NAAC) is currently inviting nominations from the Canadian archival community for the following honors: 

• ACA Fellows
• Membership Recognition 
• Larry Dohey Award
• New Professional Award 
• Honorary Archivist Award 

Information on each award as well as the nomination process can be found on the Honours and Awards page: https://archivists.ca/Honours-and-Awards

Closing date for nominations is April 14th, 2023.

For more information, contact: Alice Albarda (NAAC.Co-Chair2@archivists.ca) or Shannon Hodge (NAAC.Co-Chair1@archivists.ca), co-chairs, NAAC.  

Date and Place of Presentation

Awards shall be bestowed at the Awards Celebration during the ACA Annual Conference in Charlottetown, PEI June 28 to July 1, 2023.

Nominations Open for the ACA Board of Director Elections

Online Form

Nominations Open January 30 - April 5, 2023, 11:59 pm (PT)

The Nominations and Awards Committee is seeking nominations for the following ACA Director (Board) positions that are up for election: 

·         Vice President (2 year term) 

·         Secretary (2 year term) 

·         Director at Large (2 year term) 

The term of office for these positions is two years and will begin the first week of July following the AGM, which takes place on June 14th, 2023 on Zoom. You may RSVP here: ACA Annual General Meeting - 2023

The slate of candidates will be presented to the Board once nominations have close, April 5, 2023. Online voting will open June 1, 2023 following the Members Input Session. You may RSVP here: Members Input Session

Nominations close, April 5, 2023 (11:59 pm PT).

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 Office.

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 the link below: 

 20230130_nomination form ACA directors.pdf

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 Alice Albarda (NAAC.Co-Chair2@archivists.ca) or Shannon Hodge (NAAC.Co-Chair1@archivists.ca), co-chairs, Nominations and Awards Committee. 

The deadline for nominations April 5, 2023, 11:59 pm (PT). 

Dear Colleagues,

As promised, here is the latest update on the work being done by the Department of Canadian Heritage towards the renewal of the Canadian museum policy:

The Department of Canadian Heritage is reaching out to provide you with an update on the renewal of the Canadian museum policy. We are pleased to announce that the museum policy website is now live and provides information on the renewal process. The website will be updated regularly as the Department navigates through the different phases of this important renewal. The website will soon contain links to a discussion guide, to an online survey which will be open to all, as well as updates on public consultations and engagement with Indigenous partners.  The website will also allow the heritage sector and the general public to provide input on how they would like to see the museum policy evolve for the future. You will find the link to the museum policy website here: 2022-23 Consultations on renewal of the Museum Policy - Canada.ca

The Department would also like to take this opportunity to share with you the preliminary results from the Museum Policy Stakeholder Survey which was conducted in November 2022. As you may remember the survey was directed at heritage institutions and stakeholders, asking them to provide their views on current and emerging priorities in the museum and heritage sector. The purpose of the survey was to validate the needs and gaps of Canada’s heritage institutions. You will find national level preliminary results in the PDF document attached to this email. A more in-depth analysis is currently underway and will break down the data by province and territory; that survey report will be made available later this spring.

Finally, we would like to thank all the associations and stakeholders who have provided their assistance throughout this process. Your support has been key in helping to move forward this important initiative.

Please be sure to visit the website for the latest developments on the renewal of the Canadian museum policy. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us.

Thank you

Ken Amaral (il/he)

Policy and Research Analyst, Heritage Policy and Legislation Directorate

Canadian Heritage, Government of Canada

ken.amaral@pch.gc.ca / Cell: 343-548-9144

We will keep you posted as we know more, in the meantime please take a moment to review the results of their Nov. 2022 Stakeholder Survey.

Museum Policy Stakeholder Survey Preliminary Results - January 2023_EN.pdf

Regards,

Erica Hernandez-Read

President

Email: acapresident@archivists.ca

Association of Canadian Archivists

Mount Stewart, Prince Edward Island; Photo by Robyn Biggar

City: Charlottetown

Dates: June 28 to July 1, 2023 at the Delta Hotels by Marriott, Prince Edward Island

A sense of belonging is a fundamental human need – as the story of Anne of Green Gables, PEI’s most famous (fictional) daughter, so vividly demonstrates. As peoples of many regions, ages, faiths, genders, abilities, sexualities, racialized or ethnic backgrounds, we want to see ourselves, our stories, and our experiences reflected in the historical memory of the many environments to which we feel we belong.  Archivists and archival practitioners now realize how many aspects of archival work contribute to peoples’ experiences of inclusion and exclusion in a community. Through our actions towards historical memory, people may or may not see their stories and experiences reflected, leaving them with feelings of belonging or disconnection, or at worst exclusion.

The 2023 ACA Program Team invites proposals that reflect on the theme of “Belonging” from the perspectives of archival theory and practice, related disciplines and professions, and/or diverse lived experiences of archives, records, and memory work.  What does ‘belonging' or conversely, ‘not belonging’ mean to you within your archival context or experience?

Topics could include (but are not limited to):

• Where does this profession belong? What disconnects exist between archivists, records managers, and/or IT professionals, and how can these be overcome? How are archival associations, councils, members, and associated organizations and communities working together in new ways?
• To whom do records belong? To the archives? To creators? To documented people/communities? To everyone? Who has stakes in the records and how are those understood/articulated/acted on?
• Whose experiences belong in archival records and collections?
• What groups of people or organizations are not well represented in archival collections? What impact do archival collections and/or exhibits connected with marginalized populations have on these groups’ sense of belonging in an institution, community, region, or nation?
• How are existing and emerging technologies changing arrangement, description, access, and use in ways that encourage or discourage a sense of belonging for patrons or staff? What are some innovative practices or projects that can cultivate a sense of belonging?
• What steps are being taken to develop a more diverse workforce? What kind of work has been effective in creating spaces of belonging? What barriers still must be overcome?
• How are archival services being made more inclusive for staff and users? How can archival spaces, services, practices, etc., be transformed so that more people feel like they belong in physical and virtual spaces? How do we relate to individuals or groups who do not want to ‘belong’ to the spaces archivists construct?
• How are new archivists transitioning into the profession? In what ways are archival workplaces and/or the archival community welcoming or otherwise? How does one figure out where they belong in the profession at any stage of their career?
• How can the desire to belong lead to practices shared between individuals and communities?

SUBMITTING PROPOSALS:

The 2023 Conference Program Team invites contributions, of either a practical and/or
theoretical nature, in a variety of formats including:

1. Traditional session: formal presentation of papers; approximately 20 minutes per speaker, with questions to follow as time allows.
2. Panel discussion: abbreviated presentation of papers; approximately 10-15 minutes per speaker, with discussion to follow.
3. Roundtable: brief 5-7-minute presentations with open discussion.
4. Focused Debate on a specific topic: brief presentations with open discussion & debate to follow.
5. Archival Book Club: Moderators select readings for discussion at the session; could also include creative elements like debate or voting for preferred works, as in the CBC’s “Canada Reads” broadcast.
6. Sprint Session: Is there a challenge that could be solved by a group of people in a short-term, time-bound exercise? What could you accomplish with a set amount of time, a hive mind, and no distractions?
7. Fishbowl session: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishbowl_(conversation)
8. Storytelling session
9. Other: Please share your ideas – be creative!

Use the “Call for Submissions” button on the ACA website at https://archivists.ca/ACA-2023-Belonging-Call-for-Submissions.

Submitting your session proposal in electronic form using this link is strongly encouraged.

2023 ACA Belonging Call for Submissions_FINAL.pdf

The deadline for these proposals is: Friday, January 13, 2023.

WORKSHOP PROPOSALS

For 2023, ACA will use the “Call for Submissions” button for any workshop proposals that will be associated with the Annual Conference. These submissions will go to the Professional Development Committee, which will make its decisions in Winter 2023.
https://archivists_ca.formstack.com/forms/workshopsubmissions

Note: Please be advised there will be a Call for Student Papers as well as a Call for Posters later this year, with submission deadlines early in 2023. Scholarships are available to students and are administered by the ACA Foundation

Please feel free to direct questions to:

Lara Wilson
Chair, ACA 2023 Conference Program Committee

Program.Team@archivists.ca

Program Team Members
Robyn Biggar
Jonathan Bowie
François Dansereau
Sarah Glassford
Sara Janes
Karen Suurtamm
Kelly Turner  

We have been notified by the CRA that the Association of Canadian Archivists Foundation (ACAF) charitable status has been reinstated, and that the ACAF is once again a registered charity. This letter ends a months-long process, and means that the ACAF can once again receive donations and issue tax receipts. The effective date of registration is November 6, 2021. This date means that all previous tax receipts issued  from November and December 2021 are valid.

For our generous donors who have held back receipts for 2021, you can submit them for your 2022 taxes or have 2021 reconsidered with this receipt.

The ACAF Business # is: 804138477RR0001

Thank you to the ACA Secretariat, the boards of the ACA and the ACAF for their support and input. Most importantly, a hearty thank you to our membership for your patience and understanding as this work was underway.

We are in the process of completing the new Foundation website and creating new content, but we are excited to have it up and running: https://acafoundation.ca.

Donations can be made to support the advancement of education and training in the fields of archival sciences, record keeping and information management. You will be redirected to the new website.

https://acafoundation.ca/Donate

Kind regards,

Kyle Pugh (he/him),
ACA Treasurer / ACA Foundation Chair

As you may, or may not know, the ACA Secretariat has been facing some unique challenges in mapping out the technological infrastructure plan for next year’s ACA Conference in Charlottetown, PEI. These challenges have included:

Hurricane Impact: In September 2022 our conference host city, along with the entirety of Atlantic Canada, was hit by Hurricane Fiona. Understandably, resultant power loss, internet outages and destruction to property and lands have contributed to substantial communication and service disruptions across the province. For the ACA, these disruptions have detrimentally affected our communications with Global Encore – the 3rd party tech support company with exclusive rights to support conferences and events at the Delta Hotels by Marriott Prince Edward Island.

Corporate Merger: Further contributing to this current state of ineffective communication is the recent corporate merger by Global Encore of Freeman’s – the company previously servicing Delta Hotels by Marriott (PEI) and two other AV companies in Canada. Whatever restructuring is going on, the result has been a decrease in current capacity to meet client planning needs.

Financial Unknown: Due to the impact COVID-19 has had on the global tourism industry we are now seeing an extremely high rise in conference planning costs. Because of lack of communication, we haven’t yet received service quotes from Global Encore even though they are aware that our conference budget planning work is being undertaken now. Our fear is that by committing to a hybrid conference format under these conditions, we commit to paying tech support costs which will: a) require us to significantly increase conference rates for 2023 in order to cover yet unknown tech and labour costs; and b) potentially still leave us in a financial deficit.

Due to these challenges, we’ve had to make the decision to facilitate our 2023 Conference as an in-person conference only with no hybrid component. While folks may not have expected next year’s conference to be hybrid, due to the positive feedback received from members regarding their hybrid conference experience at last year’s Vancouver conference we had hoped to provide a hybrid experience in 2023.

As per our Equity Commitments (see Commitment #4, p. 11) the ACA’s 2024 conference will be a fully virtual event.

Thank you for your understanding. If you have any additional questions please don’t hesitate to email me directly.

Warmest regards,

Erica Hernández-Read, M.A.S.

President

Email: acapresident@archivists.ca

Web: http://archivists.ca

Thank you to all members who have cast their vote on the ballot measure related to proposed changes to Individual and Institutional membership fees.Voting closed end of day, November 30, 2022.

For this measure, 222 (29 %) of 765 electors voted in this ballot.

Member Motion # 1:  Individual Membership Fees:

85 % in favour and 15 % opposed, the motion carries.

Member Motion # 2: Institutional Membership Fees:

93 % in favour and 7 % opposed, the motion carries.

The new fee structure will be established for the 2024 membership year and the website will be updated accordingly. Please reach out with any questions you have.

The certified results can be viewed here: 2022-11-30 Membership Ballot Measure Results Certified.pdf

Members will have an opportunity to provide feedback at the Members Input Session is scheduled for May 31, 2023, online via Zoom. The AGM is scheduled for June 14, 2022 also online. You are of course always encouraged to reach out to Board Members or the Secretariat with any questions you may have.

This work represents several years of consultations, meetings, report writing and research.  Thank you to the following folks who contributed to these motions and the supporting documentation:

• Jane Morrison, past Board Secretary; Kaitlin Normandin, current Board Secretary​

• Former Treasurers, Jonathan Dorey & Andrea McCutcheon and current Treasurer Kyle Pugh​

• Institutional Membership Working Group members: Anna Gibson Hollow, Elis Ing, David Mawhinney, Jennifer Mohan, John Roberts, Sean Hayes​

• Former Membership Committee Chair Shamin Malmas and current Membership Committee Chair Kira Baker​

• Membership Committee members: Nicole Aminian, Melanie Davey, Elis Ing, Kyle Pugh, and Jamie Sanford​

• Financial Review Committee members: Daniel German, Tom Belton and Jennifer Mohan​

• ACA Secretariat: Jo McCutcheon and Maureen Tracey​

• Past members of the Board of Directors

Please reach out with any questions you have.

Erica Hernández-Read, President

Anna Gibson-Hollow, Vice President

The Canadian Council of Archives (CCA) is pleased to announce that the 2023-2024 campaign for the Young Canada Works (YCW) program for heritage organizations has launched. This program is funded by the Department of Canadian Heritage (PCH), supporting the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment and Skills Strategy.

All archival institutions, as well as libraries operating in English, can now apply online for short-term jobs for students (YCW in Heritage Organizations), and internships for graduates (YCW at Building Careers in Heritage) via the official YCW website ( https://young-canada-works.canada.ca/Account/Login ).

Deadline

The application deadline for short-term student jobs (HO) and internships (BCH) is January 20, 2023.

 

Government Priorities

The Government of Canada is committed to strengthening diversity and inclusion in youth employment.

It is important to note the government priorities for 2023-2024.

Indigenous organizations, youth, and cultural heritage, including applications:

  *   from Indigenous employers (eligible projects);

  *   for a project aimed at Indigenous participants (Indigenous or a non-Indigenous employers);

  *   for a project focusing on Indigenous cultural heritage (Indigenous or a non-Indigenous employers); and

  *   underserved communities and populations (i.e. Indigenous communities, ethno-cultural communities, youth that are facing barriers to employment, etc.).

*If you have already submitted your application and would like to make changes based on these government priorities, please contact us so that we can unlock your application promptly.

Please visit CCA’s website for more information: https://archivescanada.ca/young-canada-works/ .

If you have any questions concerning your application in the archival field, do not hesitate to contact Louise Charlebois at ycw_jct@archivescanada.ca.

If you have any questions concerning your application as a library operating in English, do not hesitate to contact Kathleen Pond at ycw-cla@archivescanada.ca

*-*-*

La campagne Jeunesse Canada au travail 2023-2024 est lancée!

Le Conseil canadien des archives (CCA) est heureux d'annoncer que la campagne 2023-2024 du programme Jeunesse Canada au travail (JCT) pour les organismes du patrimoine est maintenant lancée. Ce programme est financé par le ministère du Patrimoine canadien (PCH) et appuie la Stratégie emploi et compétences jeunesse du Canada.

Tous les services d'archives, ainsi que les bibliothèques œuvrant en anglais, peuvent compléter leurs demandes en ligne pour des projets d’emplois étudiants à court terme (JCT dans les établissements du patrimoine) ainsi que pour des stages pour les diplômés (JCT pour une carrière vouée au patrimoine) sur le site officiel JCT (https://jeunesse-canada-travail.canada.ca/Account/Login ).

Date limite

La date limite pour la soumission de vos demandes pour les emplois étudiants à court terme et pour les stages est le 20 janvier 2023.

Les priorités du gouvernement

Le gouvernement du Canada s’engage à renforcer la diversité et l’inclusion au sein de l’emploi jeunesse.

Il est important de prendre note des priorités du gouvernement pour le cycle 2023-2024.

Les organismes, les jeunes et le patrimoine culturel autochtone, y compris les demandes :

  *   des employeurs autochtones (projets admissibles);

  *   pour un projet qui vise des participants autochtones (employeur autochtone ou non-autochtone);

  *   pour un projet axé sur le patrimoine culturel autochtone (employeur autochtone ou non-autochtone); et

  *   les collectivités et les populations mal desservies (p.ex. communautés autochtones, communautés ethnoculturelles, jeunes faisant face à des obstacles à l’emploi, etc.).

*Si vous avez déjà soumis votre demande et vous souhaitez apporter des modifications en fonction de ces priorités gouvernementales, veuillez nous contacter afin que nous puissions déverrouiller votre demande rapidement.

Nous vous invitons à visiter notre site pour plus d'information : https://archivescanada.ca/fr/jeunesse-canada-au-travail/  .

Si vous avez des questions concernant votre demande dans le domaine archivistique, n'hésitez pas à communiquer avec Louise Charlebois à l’adresse ycw_jct@archivescanada.ca.

Louise Charlebois

(she / her / elle)

Program Manager, YCW & Volunteer Coordinator/ Gestionnaire de programmes, JCT et Coordonnatrice des bénévoles Canadian Council of Archives/Conseil canadien des archives

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CCA staff members are presently working remotely and we appreciate your understanding for any delays in replying to your messages.

Le personnel du CCA travaille présentement à distance et nous apprécions votre compréhension pour tout retard de réponse à vos messages.

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130 Albert, Suite 1912

Ottawa, ON   K1P 5G4

Tel/tél:613.565.1222 # 110

Toll free/Sans frais: 1.866.254.1403

Fax/télécopieur: 1-855-855-0774

ACA Announcement

Announcement #1:

This past September, the Board received the sad news that our amazing Director-at-Large, James Roussain, was resigning from his ACA Board position effective Oct. 1, 2022 due to a significant increase to his work portfolio.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and membership, I want to say Thank You James – your time, energy and brilliant contributions served to enhance our Association during your term and you will be missed.

Guiding Protocol:

With a vacant position in Office, the Board was guided by Article 5.10 of the ACA’s By-Law No. 1 which states:

5.10 Vacancies.Subject to Section 5.9, a vacancy on the Board may be filled for the remainder of the term by a qualified individual by Ordinary Resolution of the Directors. Notwithstanding the above, if there is not a quorum of Directors or if a vacancy results from either (a) an increase in the number or change to the minimum or maximum number of Directors provided in the Articles or (b) a failure to elect the number or minimum number of Directors provided in the Articles, the Directors then in office shall call a special meeting of Members to fill the vacancy and, if they fail to call a meeting or if there are no Directors then in office, the meeting may be called by any Member.

The Board reached out to the Nominations and Awards Committee (NAAC) for assistance in identifying an ACA member in good standing who would be willing to serve out the remainder of James Roussain’s 7.5 month term on the Board up until the next ACA Annual General Meeting on June 14, 2023. This leads me to my second announcement.

Announcement #2:

In accordance with section 5.10 of By-Law No. 1, the Board has approved the appointment of Amanda Oliver to the position of Director-at-Large 3 effective Oct. 31, 2022. Amanda’s term will extend until June 14, 2023 at which time a member vote will determine an official incumbent to this position.

Please join me in welcoming Amanda to the ACA Board! With her previous experience both on the ACA Board and on various committees, we are confident she will be able to pick up where James’ left off without any trouble.

If members have any questions with this process of appointment, please do not hesitate to email myself, or any member of the Board, as we’d be happy to speak to your concerns.

Warmest regards,

Erica Hernández-Read, M.A.S.

President, Association of Canadian Archivists

Suite 1912-130 Albert Street, Ottawa K1P 6G4

Email: acapresident@archivists.ca

Web: www.archivists.ca

BACKGROUND

UNESCO Archivist and fellow Canadian, Eng Sengsavang, has been tirelessly advocating for this family since first receiving his email asking for help last August. She could not publish any information about the archivist or his family on the Go Fund Me page because it goes against Canadian sponsorship rules, however, she invited me to share the following information with you:

"Eshaq Yaqubi is an archivist with 7 years of experience in archival restoration and conservation in various departments of the former Afghan government, including the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Culture and Information, the National Archives, and the Presidential Palace Archives. He has been featured in the Kabul Times and Tolo News for his work on major digitization projects digitizing historical manuscripts, documents, and films at both the Afghanistan National Archives and the Presidential Palace Archives. He and his family are members of the historically persecuted Hazara ethnic and Shiite religious minority groups."

On behalf of the ACA Board of Directors, I want to ask you to please consider contributing to a GO FUND ME campaign for a fellow archivist who, along with his family, had to flee from Kabul out of fear for their lives after the Taliban takeover of August 2021. For the past year, this family has been living in a “humanitarian village” desperately trying to obtain refugee status and entry into a country of asylum so they could finally rebuild their lives and find peace again. Unfortunately, the Kafkaesque bureaucratic environment of their current ‘host’ country has so far prevented them from obtaining refugee status which has dramatically hindered their emigration efforts. Thankfully the Canadian Government’s new, year long immigration program allows Afghan refugees to apply for Canadian residency through the Canadian Group of 5 Sponsorship Program even if they do not have UNHCR refugee status. This is a rare opportunity that provides hope for this desperate family. However, there are still program conditions and only the first 3,000 applicants will be accepted AND there is still the $50,000 fund required to be in place to support this family upon entry.

This is where we need your help.

I know times are financially tough, but anything you can contribute will truly help this young family find peace and healing within a country with freedoms we so often take for granted. Let’s welcome our colleague into the Canadian archival fold and support the healing and flourishing of him and his family.

GO FUND ME CAMPAIGN link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-campaign-for-an-afghan-refugee-family

Thank you so much for your consideration!

Yours in archival solidarity,

Erica Hernandez-Read

President
Association of Canadian Archivists
Suite 1912 – 130 Albert St.
Ottawa, ON, K1P 5G4
Email: acapresident at archivists dot ca
Web: http://archivists.ca

The ACA acknowledges that our offices, located in Ottawa, are on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation whose presence here reaches back to time immemorial.