Dear AAO membership,
Please join us on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 (9:45-12:00) for the AAO’s annual Institutional Members’ Symposium, organized by the Institutional Development Committee (IDC).
The IDC would like to acknowledge that since it held its annual members’ symposium last fall, that things have not necessarily become easier for archivists across the province.
When we met in 2020, there was a sense of cautious optimism and a feeling that this would pass. It is unlikely that anyone thought we would be in the place where many of us are today. Burnout, uncertainty, concern and fear are very real for many in the profession. That is why the IDC has decided to split this year’s symposium into two separate sessions.
For our first session, to be held virtually, we intend to give the space over to members, some of whom will have returned to work while others will still be working from home. We hope that this will provide our community with a forum for open dialogue around the myriad of issues we face or simply to commiserate with each other. While we typically like to focus on a few key issues at the IDC symposium, there are simply too many on both a personal and professional level for us to choose from. We will keep the business period of the meeting brief so that the members’ roundtable can be as wide open as possible.
The second session will also be a half day and will be scheduled for sometime in the winter. Hopefully, we will have a better understanding of the new normal by that point and we will be able to focus on a professional issue or two. If not, we will open up the space again for whatever the membership needs.
This year’s symposium will be held exclusively online via Zoom.
