AAO News

Do you want to 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:

• Advancement Committee

• Digital Access and Preservation Committee (DAPC)

• Professional Development Committee (PDC)

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 Gina Dewaele, Chapter and Special Interest Group Stakeholder, at chapters@aao-archivists.ca by November 8, 2024.

The Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) Annual Conference will be held virtually between May 6-8, 2025.

Unlike recent years’ virtual conferences that have been organized by a particular AAO Regional Chapter, 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 2025 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 Whova 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 2025 Conference Committee or have any questions about the work involved in organizing the AAO Virtual Conference, please contact Shelley Respondek, AAO President, at president@aao-archivists.ca by Thursday, October 31, 2024.

The AAO Board of Directors is looking for two dedicated members in good standing who are motivated to contribute to the governance and leadership of the Archives Association of Ontario to join the Board in the following positions immediately:

• Director Without Portfolio 2 - including acting Communications/Advocacy Committee Chair 

• Institutional Development Committee Chair

Additionally, the Board is also seeking someone who would be willing to stand for:

• Vice President/President-Elect

The Board of Directors seeks individuals who reflect the rich diversity of perspectives and experiences of the Ontario archives community and who represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds, cultures, identities, and regions to ensure an inclusive governing board.

Board of Directors are expected to serve a two-year term, attending monthly Board meetings in addition to completing the duties of their roles as outlined below:

Institutional Development Committee Chair

• The Institutional Development Committee Chair shall advise the Board on all matters pertaining to the interests of institutions in Ontario and the development of a provincial archives system.  The Chair of the IDC will also be responsible for planning the annual Institutional Members Forum.  

• Estimated time commitment: 5-10 hours a month

Director Without Portfolio

• Serving as a Board liaison to one or more of the Standing and Special Committees of the AAO Board and/or Sub-committees thereof. Liaison positions involve attending Committee meetings as required, relaying relevant information between the Committee Chair and members and the Board, providing decisions, information and advice as the Board representative to Committees as required, and informing the Board of Committee questions and concerns and relaying information back to the Committee. Directors without Portfolio do not vote on Committee matters.

• Participating fully in Board decision-­making; and

• Contributing to the development of Association policies, procedures and guidelines.

• Estimated time commitment: 5-10 hours a month

Vice President/President-Elect

• Serves to provide assistance in planning and policy decisions as well as communications and advocacy

• Represents the AAO at meetings with the organization's stakeholders and within the broader Canadian archival community

• Liaising with various AAO Committees and Chapters (is an ex-officio member of all committees save the IDC);

• Performing the duties of the President in cases of absence or inability;

• With the President, providing general supervision of the operations of the AAO, the staff, and the secretariat.

• Estimated time commitment: 5 - 10 hours a month

If you are interested in joining the AAO Board or wish to learn more about these opportunities, please contact our Secretary-Treasurer, Al Stanton-Hagan, at secretary.treasurer@aao-archivists.ca.

Best,

The Archives Association of Ontario

Join SWOC on Thursday, October 17, 2024, for a tour of the Norfolk County Archives, some light refreshments, and a historic walk of downtown Simcoe. Learn about the plans to expand the Archives’ storage space, their current newspaper digitization project, and all about how the Archives was established in 2018. 

Event will begin at 10 a.m. and end around 12:30 p.m. Please RSVP to Josh at joshua.klar@norfolkcounty.ca by Friday, October 11^th. All are welcome to attend, no previous involvement with SWOC or AAO necessary. 

For more information about the Norfolk County Archives or directions on how to get there please see their website: www.norfolkheritage.ca/ If there are any questions about the event, please reach out. 

We hope to see you there! 

SWOC Executive

Save the Date: Registration is now open for the 2024 MAIG Open House

On behalf of the MAIG Executive, I am excited to announce that the 2024 Open House will be held on Friday, October 25th, at Elgin County Archives in St. Thomas. Please join us for a facility tour, meeting, and an offsite tour of the Old St. Thomas Church and Cemetery. As always, light refreshments and lunch from a local caterer will be provided.

Established in 1824, this year marks the 200th Anniversary of the Old St. Thomas Church, which is one of the earliest churches in the Talbot Settlement, and one of the oldest structures in St. Thomas and Elgin County. The church is surrounded by a cemetery that dates to 1819 and serves as the burial ground for some of the earliest settlers and residents of the area. We look forward to sharing this piece of local history with you as Reverand Canon Nick Wells guides us on a tour of the church and its grounds!

RSVP by October 2nd to Gina Dewaele, MAIG Secretary-Treasurer, via email: gdewaele@elgin.ca, or by phone: 519-631-1460 ext. 154.

If you have any dietary restrictions or allergies, please let us know with your RSVP.

When: Friday, October 25th, 2024 - 10:00 am – 4:00 pm

Where: Elgin County Archives (Please meet at the Elgin County Heritage Centre, 460 Sunset Drive, St. Thomas)

Agenda:

10:00am-10:15am: Arrival

10:15am-12:00pm: MAIG Meeting

12:00pm-1:00pm: Lunch

1:00pm-2:15pm: Tour of Elgin County Archives and Heritage Centre

2:15pm-2:30pm: Travel to the Old St. Thomas Church and Cemetery

2:30pm-4:00pm: Tour of the Old St. Thomas Church and Cemetery

Note: Please be prepared for a walking tour with appropriate footwear, clothing, and the possibility of rain.

Kind Regards,

Amber Mandich, MAIG Chair

Hello AAO,

The Summer 2024 issue of Off the Record is now available. It's a perfect accompaniment to the fine weather that has arrived! 

The issue is available to AAO members here. 

This issue features an update from president Sarah McDougall, an Archeion update from coordinator Kelli Babcock, and bios to introduce you to the new editors. We want you to know us, where we come from, and what we hope to pursue in our time running OTR! Following, we have a wonderful new Feature on a community memory work titled Memory Workers at Work. This issue, we hear from the Black Memory Collective.

Our membership spotlight is with recent iSchool grad Lenora Huynh. This issue rounds out with the perspective of the user: Naomi E. Norquay tells her account of using the Grey County Archives and the impact of budget cuts. Finally, Alex Hoare from the Archives of Ontario provides some reflections on the McMichael Canadian Art Collection exhibit “People of the Watershed,” which features AO archival records.

Happy reading!

Isobel and Simon

The AAO is requesting your feedback on our website. Our short, anonymous survey asks for your input on our website's design, navigation (both desktop and mobile), and any general feedback you may have. This survey is open to members and fellow friends of the archives. 

Your responses will help us refine and improve the site. Please complete the survey by Friday, May 17, 2024. 

If you have any questions about our website, beyond this survey, contact Tiffany Ribeiro, AAO Web Administrator, at webadmin@aao-archivists.ca. We love to hear from you!

Link to survey

AAO Board of Directors Election 2024 Nominations are open

Nominations are currently being accepted for three (3) positions on the Board of Directors of the AAO. Each term will commence upon election at the AAO’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), to be held virtually on May 10, 2024, during the AAO 2024 conference.

Volunteering on the AAO Board offers an invaluable professional development experience. It provides candidates with an opportunity to network with other professionals in the field, develop their leadership skills, and to apply their existing knowledge and skill set to the service of Ontario’s archival community.

The positions that are currently open for nominations include:

Vice-President/President Elect: Three-year term (May 2024 - May 2027)

The Vice-President/President Elect (VP) serves as the deputy to the President, and provides assistance in all aspects of Board planning and policy decision-making. Along with the President, the VP may represent the AAO at meetings with the Association's stakeholders and within the broader Canadian archival community. Specific duties include:

Director Without Portfolio: Two-year term (May 2024 - May 2026)

The Director Without Portfolio position provides assistance in the general governing of the affairs of the Association. Specific duties may therefore include:

Chair, Institutional Development Committee: Two-year term (May 2024 - May 2026)

The Institutional Development Committee Chair acts as the representative for the AAO institutional members at a Board level. The person in this position must be the head of an archival institution and will be elected by special ballot by AAO Institutional Members in advance of, or at, the AGM, as per article 6.10 of the AAO Constitution.

Specific activities include:

You are invited to contact the following current Board members with any questions about the available positions:

Nominations can be submitted by downloading and sending the nomination form via email, to the AAO Office at aao@aao-archivists.ca, using the subject line "Nominations 2024", and direct your message to the attention of the Nominations Committee.

Nominations must be received by the AAO Office by close of business on Friday, May 3rd, 2024.

Sincerely,

Sarah McDougall

President, 2023-2024

president@aao-archivists.ca 

The Archives Association of Ontario

MAIG Constitution Proposed Amendments

The MAIG Executive have reviewed the constitution for the Municipal Archives Interest Group and have proposed amendments that will be voted on at the Annual General Meeting on May 6, 2024. In summary, the amendments include the following:

• The addition of a Past Chair position to the Executive.
• Reducing the term length of the Executive positions from three years to two years.
• Changing some of the language to reflect contemporary sociocultural standards and 2SLGBTQIA+ allyship (genderless language).
• Changing the deadline for the core funding request to align with the AAO Chapter/SIG Manual.
• Additional duties in the Executive Terms of Reference to reflect the evolution of the positions to the present day.

In accordance with article 10.1 of the MAIG constitution, a review period of 30 days has been provided prior to the AGM. Please send questions and feedback to Megan Lockhart, MAIG Chair, at mlockhart@oxfordcounty.ca.

Download the Proposed Amendments.

Upcoming MAIG Election

The Municipal Archives Interest Group is currently accepting nominations for our Chair and Vice-Chair positions for the 2024-2027 term. The terms for these positions are currently 3 years, but the terms could potentially be reduced to 2 years if the proposed amendments to the constitution are ratified at the upcoming Annual General Meeting on May 6. Nominations can be sent in advance of the meeting or submitted from the floor during the AGM.

Volunteering on the MAIG Executive is an excellent professional development experience, providing candidates with an opportunity to develop their leadership skills, network with other professionals and share their knowledge and experiences with other members of Ontario’s municipal archival community.

Summaries of the duties for each position are as follows:

Chair - The Chair shall preside at all meetings of MAIG and will advance the interests of MAIG. The Chair coordinates the yearly AGM, the Open House event for members, and assists the Vice-Chair with the production of the annual “MAIGazine” newsletter. Other duties include a submission on MAIG’s activities to the AAO Annual General Meeting Annual Report, and a report to MAIG on the group’s activities at MAIG’s Annual General Meeting. The Chair shall also be responsible for ensuring that regular updates on MAIG’s activities are submitted to the AAO publication, “Off the Record”, and is expected to attend the AAO’s Annual Leadership Meeting. They serve as a liaison between the AAO Board and municipal members, discussing any developments affecting municipal archives.

Vice-Chair - The Vice-Chair shall attend all general and executive meetings of MAIG and chair meetings if the Chair is unable to do so. They also assist the Chair with coordinating the AGM and yearly Open House event. The Vice-Chair develops and publishes the annual MAIG newsletter the “MAIGazine” in co-operation with the Chair and Secretary-Treasurer. The Vice-Chair will work to advance the interests of MAIG.
Nominations are being accepted by email only. Please complete and submit the form below to Megan Lockhart at mlockhart@oxfordcounty.ca, using the subject line “MAIG Nominations 2024”. Interested parties are also welcome to contact Megan with questions about the available positions. Nomination forms must be received by 5:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, May 1, 2024.

MAIG Nomination Form

2024 MAIG Annual General Meeting

Please join the Municipal Archives Interest Group at our upcoming virtual AGM on May 6^th, at 1:00 PM EST. The AGM agenda package is available below:

We would like to provide a friendly reminder that nominations for the Chair and Vice-Chair positions are due on May 1st. We are also requesting that those attending the AGM please review the proposed amendments to the constitution before the meeting. Download the Proposed Amendments.

Please RSVP to Gina Dewaele at gdewaele@elgin.ca by May 1st to receive a link to the meeting. We’re looking forward to seeing you all virtually!

MAIG Executive

The Spring 2024 issue of Off the Record is now available to AAO members here: Current Issues.

This issue features an update from AAO President Sarah McDougall followed by an Archeion update from coordinator Kelli Babcock. Next we have a Member Spotlight with County of Prince Edward Archives Manager Krista Richardson. We close with an article by Rachel Arseneau about her time in the music collections at Wilfrid Laurier University Archives and Special Collections.

We're now accepting submissions for the OTR Summer 2024 Issue. If you’re interested in submitting to Off the Record, you can start sending your original submissions and cover art to otr@aao-archivists.ca.

We’ll be accepting submissions for the Summer issue until June 20th, 2024. For more details, please see the Submissions Guidelines page online.

Finally, we'd like to introduce the new editors of Off The Record, Isobel Carnegie and Simon Vickers. We've already heard some of their exciting new ideas for OTR and we're looking forward to the direction they take things. Thanks to everyone for your continued readership and submissions. 

Best,

Adam & Arvind