Scope and Content Monthly ACA Newsletter
January 2023, Volume 4, Issue 1
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Click here if you are having trouble reading the newsletter.
Scope and Content is issued the first Thursday of each month. If you have any comments or feedback, please contact the Communications Committee.
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Dear Archival Colleagues,
Happy New Year to you and yours from all of us on your ACA Board!
Having accomplished so much last year, we’re excited to see what kind of work we’ll achieve together this year! What work was undertaken last year, you say? Well, let’s take a quick moment to reflect on just a few of the myriad activities undertaken by the ACA in 2022!
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Held our inaugural hybrid conference, “UnSettled: Redefining Archival Power”, in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia (June 15-18, 2022)
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Held a successful special membership vote which saw the approval of improvements to both Individual and Institutional membership fee structures (November 2022)
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Actualized the successful reinstatement of the ACAF’s charitable status and the establishment of a dedicated ACAF website (effective November 6, 2022)
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Worked together with the Australian Society of Archivists to organize a suite of 5 events and workshops both to honour and celebrate Indigenous History Month and International Archives Week (June 6-10, 2022)
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Saw the beginning of a membership consultation process to inform the development of the ACA’s new Strategic Plan (May 2022)
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Facilitated a national fundraising campaign that raised $6,103 for the State Archival Service of Ukraine with the understanding that these funds will be distributed to those archives across Ukraine whose infrastructure and/or archival materials were damaged during the war with Russia (June 6-10, 2022)
Of course, none of this work could be accomplished without our many incredible volunteers. If you haven’t already done so, please consider joining a committee or working group that touches on one of your areas of interest – it’s a fantastic way to gain professional experience, extend your national collegial network, and do something you love! Click here for the ACA volunteer form.
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On
that note of gratitude and encouragement, please join me in thanking
volunteers Devon Mordell and Karen Suurtamm. Devon has just completed
her time as Chair of the Professional Development Committee, while Karen
has finished her term on both the Communications Committee and the Archivaria Editorial
Board. A HUGE thank you to both individuals who accomplished so much
during their respective tenures! A warm welcome to Ashlynn Prasad,
incoming Chair of the Communications Committee, and Adria Seccareccia, incoming Chair of the Professional Development Committee. |
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That’s it for this month’s update. As always, please feel free to email me directly, or use the Raise an Issue form
if you have any concerns about the ACA or any suggestions on how to
make your association better. We always appreciate your feedback!
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GoFundMe reminder
Please see below for a reminder regarding the GoFundMe campaign set up to raise monies to bring fellow archivist Mr. Eshaq Yaqubi and his family to Canada from the Emirates Humanitarian City where they currently reside in limbo.
Thank
you so much to those who have donated to the GoFundMe campaign to help a
fellow Afghan archivist and his family apply for refugee sponsorship to
Canada.
We
are close to our goal of $50,000, and we have surpassed the bare
minimum amount the Canadian government requires to sponsor the family.
But we still need to reach our campaign goal to ensure the family can
live in dignified circumstances in their first year in Canada.
On
behalf of the Afghan archivist, we have been so touched by the caring
and generous responses of archivists and non-archivists alike – friends
and colleagues, not only in Canada but around the world, who have
donated and expressed their support and concern for the family. We are
also very fortunate to have a community of individual sponsors and
supporters who have volunteered to help the family settle into a new
home in Canada.
Please read the GoFundMe campaign and update, share, and donate to the campaign if you can.
Kind regards,
Eng Sengsavang
UNESCO Archives
For more information on this campaign and the Yaqubi family, please see the October 2022 ACA news release.
Should
you have any questions or concerns regarding this update, please don’t
hesitate to reach out directly to Eng Sengsavang at e.sengsavang@unesco.org or myself.
Warmest regards,
Erica Hernández-Read,
ACA President
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Hello, everyone! My name is Olivia White, and I am excited to be joining the ACA's Communications Committee as a co-editor of the Scope & Content Newsletter. I am a Digital Preservation Archivist at Simcoe County Archives and completed my Master of Information and Master of Museum Studies at the University of Toronto. From 2021-2022, I was the Communications Coordinator for the ACA Student Chapter at the University of Toronto. I look forward to promoting member initiatives through Scope & Content to keep the archival community connected and informed!
Hello! I’m Kelly Turner. I obtained my Master of Information from the University of Toronto iSchool in 2015 and have worked in a variety of archives in different cities since then. I’ve been proofreading Scope & Content since the spring of 2020, and I’m happy to be continuing that work, now as co-editor with Olivia. I was previously a member of the Membership Committee and am now on the 2023 ACA Conference Program Team and also recently started copy editing In the Field blog posts. Big thanks to Jo McCutcheon for her ongoing support and to Karen Suurtamm for her amazing work as the previous newsletter editor!
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Mentorship Program Last Reminder
Enrolment for the 2023 Mentorship Program is still open, but only for a limited time! Registration remains open until January 15. Please consider signing up as a volunteer mentor to connect with someone newly entering the profession and offer your insight into archival issues, working environments, and career development. Any ACA member with a minimum of 5 years post-graduate experience in the field is eligible, and we welcome archivists and information professionals with a range of job titles and institutional backgrounds to become new mentors.
Any questions can also be directed to Mentorship Program Coordinators Nicole Aminian and Kyle Pugh at mentorship.program@archivists.ca.
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Early Bird Renewal
Thank you to all those members who renewed early with us in the fall. Everyone’s names were included into the Early Bird Prize Draw, and the ACA Secretariat drew names on January 6. Winners will be contacted soon and later announced in the February newsletter.
Membership renewal or joining the ACA continues this month (or throughout the year, for that matter). Membership runs by the calendar year of January 1 to December 31, and anyone is welcome to sign up or renew for 2023. If you have any questions about membership, please don’t hesitate to get in touch at aca@archivists.ca.
Your membership keeps us going. Thank you for your continued support!
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Carr McLean Discount Available for 2023
The Carr McLean 10% discount is available for both Individual and Institutional ACA members for the entire membership year. This discount can be applied to any order over $100 and is non-transferrable. Contact the ACA Secretariat at executive.director@archivists.ca for the new discount code that will remain effective until December 31, 2023.
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Membership Committee
Three of our Membership Committee members are ending their terms this winter – Jamie Sanford, Melanie Davey, and Elis Ing. Jamie previously acted as the Mentorship Coordinator, and both have provided valuable input and contributed to special projects such as Mentorship Meet Up, presentations to students, and writing Committee documentation. Thank you, Jamie, Melanie, and Elis for
all your hard work over the years!
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This also means that the Membership Committee has space for new members. Please consider volunteering with us – we’re a great committee for folks newer to ACA as well as more long-term members! Feel free to contact the Chair, Kira Baker, with any questions you might have about volunteering at membership@archivists.ca. Or go ahead and submit an application online.
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Professional Development Committee update
Devon Mordell’s term as Chair, Professional Development Committee ended in December 2022. Devon has been a valued member of the committee for many years in addition to serving as chair for the last two years. Thank you, Devon, for all of your contributions to the Professional Development Committee!
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Special Interest Section Indigenous Archives - 2023 Reboot
Join Lisa Mullins and Lorne Shapiro, interim co-chairs for a reboot meeting, Friday, January 27, 2023, 1:00-2:00 pm (ET). An agenda will be sent out to community members who register for this event.
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ACA@UBC Symposium: Call for Participants
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The Association of Canadian Archivists Student Chapter at the University of British Columbia (ACA@UBC) is pleased to present its 14th annual Seminar and Symposium, Archives Unbound: Redefining Archival Concepts and Practice. This event will be held virtually on Zoom on Friday, February 10 and Saturday, February 11, 2023. Visit the ACA@UBC’s conference website to read more about the event and speakers! Registration is free for students but is necessary to receive the links to join.
This year’s two-day seminar and symposium brings together students, scholars, and practitioners whose work challenges dominant archival paradigms and who reimagine and redefine archival concepts and practices. In addition to panels on records and archives that fall outside Eurocentric definitions, we will facilitate conversations around digital archives and the ethics of digitization, archiving current events, archival businesses, and archival commitments to Truth and Reconciliation.
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Call for Submissions
ACA 2023: Belonging - Considering archival bonds and disconnects
Location: Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (Delta Hotels by Marriott)
Dates: June 28 to July 1, 2023
Call for Submissions – Deadline extended to January 13, 2023
Thank you to those who have had an opportunity to submit sessions and proposals for the in-person conference in Charlottetown, PEI, from June 28 to July 1, 2023. We recognize that it has been a busy and, for some, challenging holiday season with weather and travel. The 2023 ACA Program Team has extended the deadline to January 13, 2023 and 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)
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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?
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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?
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Whose experiences belong in archival records and collections?
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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?
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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:
- Traditional session: formal presentation of papers; approximately 20 minutes per speaker, with questions to follow as time allows.
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Panel discussion: abbreviated presentation of papers; approximately 10-15 minutes per speaker, with discussion to follow.
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Roundtable: brief 5-7-minute presentations with open discussion.
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Focused Debate on a specific topic: brief presentations with open discussion & debate to follow.
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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.
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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?
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Fishbowl session
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Storytelling session
- Other: Please share your ideas – be creative!
Please feel free to direct questions to Lara Wilson, Chair, ACA 2023 Conference Program Committee: Program.Team@archivists.ca.
Program Team Members: Robyn Biggar, François Dansereau, Sarah Glassford, Sara Janes, Karen Suurtamm, Kelly Turner
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Key Note / Plenary Speaker Ideas
The 2023 ACA Program Team invites community
members to suggest or share the names of folks they would like to hear
as key note speakers at the 2023 in-person conference 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. Community members are also
invited to suggest wish list speakers for the 2024 online conference and
future in-person conferences. The deadline to share your wish list and ideas is January 27, 2023.
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Workshop Proposals
The deadline for workshop proposals is has been extended to February 3, 2023.
The ACA Professional Development Committee invites proposals for workshops relating to all areas of archival practice for the ACA 2023 Annual Conference, Belonging - Considering archival bonds and disconnects. We are also seeking proposals for workshops to be offered throughout 2023.
Workshops will be facilitated online via Zoom, and in-person at the ACA Annual Conference. An honorarium of up to $250 will be offered per workshop based on duration.
Workshops on all topics are welcomed, particularly those relevant to remote working environments. Topics may include accessing, using, and working with collections in a digital environment, digital preservation, digital humanities, data sovereignty, privacy and copyright, decolonizing archives, policy development, oral history initiatives, cultural memory work, grant writing, and project management or any other skills you think might support your colleagues in their work.
Workshops can be between 1.5 and 2.5 hours long. Participation and interactivity are strongly encouraged to avoid Zoom fatigue.
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Call for Student Papers: Emerging Voices The deadline for student papers to be submitted for consideration is February 10, 2023.
Submissions are now open for the Emerging Voices session at the Association of Canadian Archivists 2023 conference!
Are
you an archives or information studies student with an idea that you
want to share with the community? Have you written a paper or conducted
research you would like to take to the next level? Do you want to build
your skills in public speaking and improve your resume? The ACA 2023
Conference Program Team wants to hear from you! Topics do not have to
relate to the conference theme. First-time presenters welcome! Three
submissions from this call will be chosen by the ACA Foundation Board
Members to present at the 2023 ACA Conference, June 28-July 1 in
Charlottetown, PEI. Successful applicants will receive a monetary award
and complimentary conference registration. To receive this award, you
must be an ACA student member. Submissions not selected for the awarded session may be considered for the general program. Visit the ACA website for more information about the
conference theme and call for submissions.
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Call for Posters: ACA 2023
Deadline: February 17, 2023
Many
aspects of archival work contribute to peoples’ experiences of
inclusion and exclusion in a community. What does ‘belonging’ or,
conversely, ‘not belonging’ mean to you within your archival experience?
The ACA 2023 Program Team invites POSTER proposals on the conference theme of “Belonging” from the lenses of archival theory and practice, as well as related disciplines and professions. This
is an excellent opportunity to highlight your repository, a
digitization project, a research project or another initiative, and
share your work with colleagues from across the country.
Up to 10 poster proposals will be selected to be displayed during the Poster Session at the 2023 ACA Conference, June 28-July 1, in Charlottetown, PEI.
What is a conference poster?
- Information is summarized using text and images and presented in a poster format.
- Posters are on display during a session and presenters discuss their work with conference attendees as they browse the area.
- Poster dimensions: 48 inches wide (121 cm), and up to 48 inches high (121 cm)
- The poster should be professionally printed.
- The ACA will provide display stands.
Visit the ACA
website for
more information about the conference theme and call for submissions. |
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ACA 2024 Virtual Conference
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Program Team and Host Team Chairs With
conference plans for the ACA 2023 Conference in Charlottetown, PEI,
well underway, the Board is now turning its attention to the 2024
Virtual Conference. To this end, we are seeking expressions of interest
from folks who would like to try their hand at Chairing either the
Conference Program Team or the Conference Host Team. To give you some
idea as to what such chairship duties entail, please review the Draft Terms of Reference for the Conference Host Team and the Conference Program Team. Any additional questions can be sent directly to Erica Hernandez-Read, ACA President or Jo McCutcheon. Volunteer Forms can be found here. It’s a great opportunity
to meet new people, develop conference planning skills, and contribute
to the development of the most exciting ACA event of the year!
Virtual Conference Anchor Location Along
with individual expressions of interest, the Board would also like to
hear from you about where you would like the 2024 Virtual Conference to
be anchored. So
what does this mean, and why do we need to anchor a virtual event? By
anchoring a virtual conference to an actual geographical location, we
will be able to establish a time zone for the facilitation of synchronous virtual conference sessions. We will also be able to establish a geographic point of connection,
which would allow for regional colleagues to come together as a "Host"
or anchor team. Through this type of anchored, virtual hosting, Host
Team members would be encouraged to develop regional opportunities for
conference attendees to engage in learning about the anchor location.
For example, a Host Team might offer virtual tours of regional archives
and sites of historic interest, facilitate the showing of pre-recorded
performances of a notable regional band or theatre group, or feature
online exhibits developed by regional archives/heritage organizations.
Taken together, an anchor location and Host Team has the potential to
provide virtual conference attendees from around the world with the
opportunity to learn about one of Canada’s many amazing regions! What’s
your suggestion? Let me know.
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Archivaria 94 (Fall/Winter 2022) is now available online!
Archivaria is the journal of the (ACA), devoted to the scholarly investigation of archives in Canada and internationally. The journal aims to be a bridge of communication among archivists, and between archivists and users of archives.
The new issue focuses on person-centred archival theory and praxis. It was guest edited by Jennifer Douglas, Mya Ballin, Jessica Lapp, and Sadaf Ahmadbeigi.
The print issue will be mailed to members and subscribers in the next few weeks. In accordance with our one-year rolling access window, the entire content of Archivaria 92 (Fall 2021) is now also available to all readers. |
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Archives & Things podcast
Archives & Things is a podcast that is dedicated to exploring archival practice in the Canadian landscape. Your host, Melissa J. Nelson, is an archivist, researcher, writer, and educator who is based in Toronto. In this podcast, Melissa will be in conversation with members of her network who come from different backgrounds and experiences. This podcast is intentional about centering the experiences of Black people in archives. Learn more about Melissa by visiting her website.
The first season of Archives & Things is now complete, and can be found on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Season 2 will be premiering in February 2023.
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BitCurator Forum 2023: Preliminary Program Now Available
The Forum Committee is pleased to announce that the preliminary program is now available for the BitCurator Forum 2023 (March 28-30, 2023). Registration will open early January. This year will feature virtual panels, workshops, lightning talks, "Great Question!," and Birds of a Feather sessions.
We are also experimenting with regional hybrid programming and encourage you to consider becoming part of this pilot program. Learn more about Bitcurator Satellites and register for an informational call on January 12, 2023.
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SAA – Archivists of Religious Collections section
Society of American Archivists - Archivists of Religious Collections are hosting an Archival Chat on January 19 at 3:00 pm (ET). The topic is History and Planning for the Boston College Catholic Religious Archives Repository. |
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The Society of American Archivists - Archivists of Religious Collections Section has uploaded all of their 2022 training videos to YouTube.
There are nine videos in total covering topics such as:
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the importance of religious archives
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how to construct an archival vault
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reference services
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introduction to Access to Memory (AtoM)
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doing outreach
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web accessibility
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outreach lesson planning
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web archiving with Archive-It
Be sure to bookmark this site to keep updated on new videos and the exciting program planned for this year!
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Yukon Archives celebrates 50 years of collecting memories
This year marked the 50th anniversary of the Yukon Archives, which provides a place for the territory's memories to stay alive. For the occasion, the centre in Whitehorse hosted an open house earlier this month that included tours of the various collections and specialized storage facilities.
Territorial archivist David Schlosser commented that as the centre moves toward the next 50 years, it will be important that the archives reflect the changing territory. He said the Yukon has many diverse and unique communities that are contributing to the territory's evolution. The full article can be read online at CBC News.
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Young Canada Works 2023-2024 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.
The application deadline for short-term student jobs (HO) and internships (BCH) is January 20, 2023.
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Brian King Fabulous Researcher Fund – Call for Applications 2023
The ArQuives created The Brian King Fabulous Researcher Fund in 2016 to honour the memory of former volunteer Brian King, one of the original Flashback Gala creators. Brian’s enthusiasm and devotion to the organization are legendary. The Brian King Fabulous Researcher Fund enables researchers outside of Toronto to travel to The ArQuives to conduct research.
Applications are open to Canadian and international scholars, graduate students, artists, cultural producers, and other independent researchers with an established research agenda who wish to conduct research at The ArQuives. The value of the award is $2,000.
For more information, visit the ArQuives' Call for Applications.
The submission deadline is January 29, 2023 at 11:59 pm (ET).
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Listen, Hear Our Voices Funding Call for Proposals
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has announced the official launch of the Listen, Hear Our Voices funding call for proposals to support First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation organizations in their efforts to digitize documentary heritage and enhance their digitization capacity.
For a fourth consecutive year, this initiative provides funding of up to $100,000 per project to eligible Indigenous governments and non-profit organizations to digitize existing documentary heritage related to Indigenous languages and cultures, and to support the building of skills, knowledge and resources to carry out this work in their communities.
For more information, visit the Listen, Hear Our Voices application site.
The deadline for proposals is January 31, 2023 at 12:00 pm (PT) / 3:00 pm (ET).
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Do
you know a member who's made big news? Is there something going on that
you think the Canadian archival community should hear about? Don't
hesitate to forward stories to the Communications Committee, and we'll help spread the word.
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Submit your job opportunity here and it will be posted to the ACA website. We will also share this opportunity on our social media channels.
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Dean, Faculty of Information (iSchool) University of Toronto
Deadline: March 16, 2023
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Do you have news you’d like the ACA to share via its social media channels? The Communications Committee has created a form you can use to give us the details!
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Contact Us
Suite 1912-130 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4
Tel: 613-234-6977
Email: aca@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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