AAO News

On behalf the Executive of the Municipal Archives Interest Group (MAIG), I am pleased to announce that the 2026 Open House will be held on Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at the Region of Peel Archives in Brampton.

The Region of Peel Archives has invited us to join them for a tour of their facility, as well as an offsite visit to the Lorne Scots Regimental Museum. As always, lunch will be provided by a local caterer.

Please RSVP by Monday, September 28, 2026 to Gina Elias, MAIG Secretary-Treasurer via email: gelias@elgin.ca or by phone at 519-631-1460 ext. 154, and please indicate any dietary restrictions or allergies when you RSVP.

When: Wednesday October 21^st 2026, 10am-4pm

Where: Region of Peel Archives (9 Wellington Street East, Brampton, ON, L6W 1Y1)

Schedule:

• 10-10:30 AM:         Arrival and Social (light refreshments)
• 10:30-12:00 PM:   Tour of the Region of Peel Archives & Campus
• 12:00-1:00 PM:    Lunch (catered)
• 1:00-2:30 PM:     MAIG Meeting
• 2:30-2:45 PM:     Walk to the Lorne Scots Regimental Museum
• 2:45-3:45 PM:     Visit the Lorne Scots Regimental Museum
• 3:45-4:00 PM:     Return to Archives & Wrap-Up

We hope to see you there!

Best,

Jennifer Georgiou

Chair of MAIG

It's that time of year again, the Municipal Archives Interest Group (MAIG) is seeking submissions for our annual publication, the MAIGazine. For our 22nd issue, we are leaving this year’s submissions open ended. Feel free to submit an article, an institutional update, or a photo for our photo section! The deadline is Friday, August 14th, 2026.

We would love some small news corner articles for our upcoming MAIGazine (100-300 words). Here are some ideas: you can highlight exciting updates, accomplishments or milestones such as grants, new acquisitions, special projects, introducing a new staff member, retirements, reaching a career milestone, or simply celebrate a colleague for their work.

We are also happy to accept:

• Articles: Of any length, with or without photos. Articles can be about an interesting donation, a large project you or your institution accomplished, a new website or database migration, interesting interactions or finds with researchers, designing a new exhibit or preparing for a County/Regional celebration…etc.
• Photo Section: Have an interesting photo in our collection that you just don’t know how to share? Share it here with or without a caption! Puzzle us, delight us, or scare us with the photos from your vault!
• Cover Photo Submissions: Last but not least, we are seeking photograph submissions to be used on the cover page. We are simply looking to feature images from our community's collections!

If you are interested in contributing to the 2026 edition of the MAIGazine, please send your submissions as a MS word document to Jennifer Georgiou (jgeorgiou@regionofwaterloo.ca) by Friday August 14th, 2026. If you are including photos with your submission, please send them as JPG scanned at least 300dpi. Feel free to contact Jennifer with any questions about submitting your article.

For information about MAIG, or to view past issues of the MAIGazine, please visit our webpage here: https://aao-archivists.ca/maig

Thank you in advance. We look forward to your submissions!

Best,

Jennifer Georgiou

Chair of MAIG

Issue 42.3 is full of firsts: meet the new co-editor, Jocelyn; hear from AAO’s new President, Holly Barclay; and get an update from the new Archeion Coordinator, Connor White.

The issue is available to AAO members here: https://aao-archivists.ca/otr-current-issues

In this issue, Marisa Kelly at TMU walks us through a fascinating and useful case study on unsticking gelatin silver prints. Marina Bokovay shares her experience with the Canadian Archive of Women in STEM portal, and reflects on the challenges of maintaining archival aggregators. This summer, OTR spotlights Jae Kim, recent graduate, curator of Of Kin and Other Impossible Homes at The ArQuives, and the Archives Assistant at the AGO's Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives. From the AAO community, we have an update from the Communications and Advocacy Committee and the Toronto Area Archivists' Group. If your committee or group is interested in submitting an update, please reach out to otr@aao-archivists.ca!

Happy reading!

Isobel

2024-2027 Editor

Hello AAO!
 
With the weather finally warming up it's time to think about submitting to the Summer 2026 issue of Off the Record!

The submission deadline for this issue is July 10th. Please review the submission requirements, and feel free to send any questions my way!
 
Please send me your articles, news, and announcements. Do you have new initiatives or exhibits underway? Are you experimenting with a new approach or refining an old one? We already have some exciting pieces about creative approaches to problems. Write a short piece for OTR and share it with the community! And, as always, feel free to reach out with questions, article ideas, or suggestions for our segment "Memory Workers Working."

Happy Spring and keep in touch!

Isobel Carnegie | otr@aao-archivists.ca

It's that time of year again, the Municipal Archives Interest Group (MAIG) is seeking submissions for our annual publication, the MAIGazine. For our 22nd issue, we are leaving this year’s submissions open ended. Feel free to submit an article, an institutional update, or a photo for our photo section!

Here are some suggestions for each:

• Articles: Of any length, with or without photos. Articles can be about an interesting donation, a large project you or your institution accomplished, a new website or database migration, interesting interactions or finds with researchers, designing a new exhibit or preparing for a County/Regional celebration…etc.
• News Corner: Here we highlight exciting updates, accomplishments or milestones such as grants, new acquisitions, special projects, introducing a new staff member, retirements, reaching a career milestone, or simply celebrating a colleague for their work.
• Photo Section: Have an interesting photo in our collection that you just don’t know how to share? Share it here with or without a caption! Puzzle us, delight us, or scare us with the photos from your vault!
• Cover Photo Submissions: Last but not least, we are seeking photograph submissions to be used on the cover page. We are simply looking to feature images from our community's collections!

If you are interested in contributing to the 2026 edition of the MAIGazine, please send your submissions as a MS word document to Jennifer Georgiou (jgeorgiou@regionofwaterloo.ca) by Friday August 7, 2026. If you are including photos with your submission, please send them as JPG scanned at least 300dpi. Feel free to contact Jennifer with any questions about submitting your article.

For information about MAIG, or to view past issues of the MAIGazine, please visit our webpage here: https://aao-archivists.ca/maig.

Thank you in advance. We look forward to your submissions!

Best,

Jennifer

Chair of MAIG

Call for 2027 Conference Committee Volunteers

The Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) Annual Conference will be held virtually in late spring of 2027.

This year's Conference Committee has the flexibility to be formed by archivists across Ontario. If you've wanted to work on the AAO Conference in the past but were unable due to travel requirements, this could be an excellent opportunity for you!

Duties of the Conference Committee:

• Select the theme of the 2027 AAO Virtual Conference. As the conference isn’t bound to a particular area or predetermined theme, Conference Committee members will play an active role in shaping the message and direction of the conference. 

• Oversee planning for the programming of the conference: call for papers, building the agenda, selecting virtual tour hosts and social activities, etc. 

• Select moderators and keynote speakers.

• Provide support for participants alongside AAO office staff and virtual event vendor contacts during the conference.

• Write the Post-Conference final report.

Who we are looking for:

• Archivists from across Ontario are welcome to volunteer - perfect for people who might live/work in remote areas and would otherwise be unlikely to be able to coordinate an in-person conference.

• Experience with planning events and conferences is not required. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals looking to gain experience in conference planning.  

If you are interested in joining the 2027 Conference Committee or have any questions about the work involved in organizing the AAO Virtual Conference, please contact Holly Barclay, AAO President, at president@aao-archivists.ca by Friday, June 26, 2026.

2026-2027 Call for Volunteers – IDC, SNPO, and Advancement Committees

Get involved with the Archives Association of Ontario (AAO)! Are you a new or experienced professional looking to meet fellow archivists and contribute to the field? If so, you’re in luck! The AAO is looking for individuals to help support our mandate of furthering the education of Ontario’s records and information professionals and advocating for the interests of the province’s community of archives, heritage organizations, and records institutions.

The AAO is currently looking for volunteers for the following committees:

• Chair of the Institutional Development Committee (IDC)

• Chair of the Student and New Professional Outreach Committee (SNPOC)

• Chair of the Advancement Committee

Detailed committee descriptions and a listing of current membership can be found on the AAO website. 

If you are interested in volunteering or wish to learn more about these opportunities, please reach out to AAO President, Holly Barclay at president@aao-archivists.ca by June 26, 2026.

Hello AAO,

The Spring 2026 issue of Off the Record is now available! Spring often brings new beginnings and OTR is no exception: this will be Simon Vickers’ last issue after two years as co-editor. But fear not, OTR is in good hands! Starting with the Summer issue the very capable Jocelyn Oprzedek will be formally taking over from Simon as co-editor. 

In this issue you will find an excellent submission from Alexandra Hoare about building a broad coalition of community partners to develop the recently launched Illuminate Black exhibit at the Archives of Ontario. OTR Editor Isobel Carnegie writes about the recent surge of genealogical inquiries following the Federal government’s amendment to the Citizenship Act, which removed the first-generation limit to passing on citizenship for people born abroad. Lara Morrison of the Simcoe County Archives walks us through re-describing private collections, from the project history and process to results. The issue also includes an update from the AAO East/Est chapter.

The issue is available to AAO members here: https://www.aao-archivists.ca/otr-current-issues

Farewell Simon, and welcome Jocelyn!

Happy reading!

Isobel

This strategic plan represents the opportunity to set a new direction for the AAO, refresh the operations and procedures, and strengthen its capacity to play an important role as Ontario’s foremost network to support the province’s archives, heritage, and records institutions and information professionals.

The 2026-2029 Strategic Plan is available to view here.

On April 22, 2026, the President of the Archives Association of Ontario, Shelley Respondek, sent a letter to Warden Post and Members of Dufferin County Council with serious concerns regarding the Dufferin County's Municipal Program Assessment and the implication of its recommendations for the County of Dufferin Archives.

The County of Dufferin Archives is responsible for municipal archival services across eight municipalities. It is the main repository for public records, documenting the actions of local governments, Council minutes, by-Laws, tax records, and departmental records. This collection and associated research services support the municipalities’ obligation to preserve and provide access to government records as per the Municipal Act, 2001 and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

In addition to government records, the Archives collects significant non-government records, including those of organizations, groups, and private citizens that document the history and development of the area and its people.

These records serve as the collective memory of Dufferin County, providing accountability and transparency, and fostering an understanding of the county’s place within Ontario.

You can read the letter here.