ARCHIVES AWARENESS WEEK 2026

Host a letter writing event

• What: Invite colleagues and set aside a couple of hours to write letters to your local Member of Parliament to advocate for the restoration of dedicated federal support for community-based documentary heritage work.
• Cost: Free
• Sending mail to a Member of Parliament is free and does not require postage. Consider asking participants to bring paper and envelopes.
• Effort: Low
• The ACA has put together a letter template for archivists and users to send to their local members of parliament. Simply download the template, fill in the relevant information, and post the letter.
• Resources:
• Association of Canadian Archivists - Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP) Funding Cut - ACA Call to Action
• Current Members of Parliament - Members of Parliament - House of Commons of Canada

• Invite template:

• Hi [name],
  
  [Name of host institution] is hosting a letter writing event on [date] at [time] at [location]. In response to the recent funding cut to the Documentary Heritage Communities Program, we are gathering to advocate for the restoration of dedicated federal support for community-based documentary heritage work.
  
  We hope to see you on [date].
  
  Thank you,
  [Name of event organizer]

Host a visit or tour

• What: Invite local politicians and/or business leaders for a visit or tour. Folks can better advocate for your work when they understand the importance of what you do. Bringing people together is a great way to demonstrate the integral role that your archives plays in your community.
• Cost: Free
• Effort: Medium
• This will involve a few hours of staff time preparing for and leading the visit or tour. Consider repurposing a tour that is already developed or presenting a project that is actively underway.
• Invite template:

• Hello [name],
  
  We have some exciting work underway at [name of archives] and would love the opportunity to share it with you during Archives Awareness Week, April 7-10, 2026.
  
  Please join us on [date] at [time] at [location] for a tour and a behind-the-scenes look at how we support documentary heritage in our community.
  
  We look forward to seeing you soon.
  
  Thank you,
  [Name of event organizer]

Get together for a virtual or IRL coffee chat

• What:Connect with a colleague over coffee. Invite someone from another archive, a former classmate, or someone in an aligned discipline (e.g., your local museum)
• Cost: $0-$10
• Effort: Low
• Invite template:
  • Hi [name],
    
    This year for Archives Awareness Week, I am setting aside some time to connect with colleagues. Do you have availability for a coffee chat during one of these times?
    
    
  • [Date option one; e.g., April 7, 2026 between 10am and 12pm or between 2pm and 5pm]
  • [Date option one; e.g., April 9, 2026 between 9am and 3pm]

  We can meet up at [name of local coffee shop] or online via [video platform].
  
  Looking forward to connecting soon.
  
  Sincerely,
  [Your name]

• Note: You can consider adding a more personal note to the opening paragraph, such as referencing the last time you saw each other, a shared experience, or an expression of interest in a project they’ve worked on.
• E.g., It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since the physical arrangement workshop you offered our students. We’re still receiving positive feedback from that event. I would love to hear how things are going at Best Archives Ever and what you have been up to.

Organize a pub night with colleagues or your local chapter

• What: Connect with a colleague over coffee. Invite someone from another archive, a former classmate, or someone in an aligned discipline (e.g., your local museum)
• Cost: $0-$10
• Effort: Medium
  • If you are inviting a group, you may need to make a reservation in advance. You may also want to contact the venue to ask about accessibility concerns.
• Invite template:
  • Hi [name],
    
    I’m organizing a pub night for Archives Awareness Week for [date] at [time] at [location]. I hope you can attend! Let me know if you have any questions about the event.
    
    I’m looking forward to connecting soon.
    
    Sincerely, [Your name]

• Note: You can consider including additional information about the venue, such as parking instructions or accessibility information.

#ArchivesAtoZ is back! This April you’re invited to take part in this community-building and archives-celebrating social media campaign. Join the Archives of Ontario as we share content using a letter in the alphabet to spark creative posts about archives! The campaign will run throughout the month of April, including Archives Awareness Week (April 7 – 10).

Below is a bilingual calendar of proposed dates and terms that you’re welcome to use for inspiration. Tag us and we’ll re-post and share your content on our channels!

• On Facebook we’re @ArchivesOntario in English and @ArchivesON in French

• On Instagram we’re @archivesontario in English and @archives_ontario in French

• On X we’re @archivesontario in English and @ArchivesON in French

If you have any questions, please email Ashton Osmak (Outreach Officer at the Archives of Ontario) at ashtonosmak@ontario.ca. We look forward to seeing everyone comes up with this year!