AAO News

The AAO Board of Directors is looking for AAO individual members to form a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Working Group for a one-year term (2021-2022). While the specific activities of this new group will be determined by its members, the general focus of the AAO Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Working Group will be to:

• Provide advice to the AAO Board of Directors on integrating diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) principles into the AAO’s work, policies and structures and aligning with the 2020-2023 AAO Strategic Plan goal 1.3 to diversify AAO leadership and membership

• Provide guidance to assist AAO members on matters relating to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in their institutions, including locating resources and training

At the completion of the one-year term, the Working Group will provide the AAO Board of Directors with DEI-related recommendations, which may include the creation of a permanent AAO Diversity, Equity and Inclusion standing committee.

Questions and expressions of interest can be sent to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Working Group’s co-chairs Jennifer Grant (president@aao-archivists.ca) and Krista McCracken (vp@aao-archivists.ca).

In celebration of Archives Awareness Week 2021, the Archives Association of Ontario has once again organized a virtual  “Ask an Archivist” event, taking place Tuesday, April 6 to Thursday, April 8 between 10 am to 4 pm EDT. 

This year, a roster of guests will take over the AAO Twitter account @AAO_tweet for one hour around the theme of Archives@home. We invite guests to share information and answer questions about working with archives remotely, how they’ve made material and services available online, and methods used during the pandemic to support research and engagement with archival collections.

Archival staff and institutions interested in signing up for a one hour time slot are asked to contact MacKenzie Gott, AAO Web Administrator at webadmin@aao-archivists.ca by March 29th, 2021. 

Dear AAO East (AAOEe) Chapter Members, 

It is once again that time of the year when we welcome you to attend our Annual General Meeting (AGM), taking place on Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 7 pm. At that time, we will be electing the Chapter’s Executive for the 2021-2022 year. 

Volunteering on the AAOEe Executive 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 knowledge and skill set to the service of Ontario’s archival community. 

All executive positions are open and are one-year terms. We welcome any AAO Eastern Chapter member in good standing to put forth their name to stand for an executive position. For the descriptions of all the positions on the Executive follow the link https://aao-archivists.ca/News/8738116. If you wish to put your name forward or to nominate a member, please contact us at aaoeast@gmail.com. 

Call for nominations are open until Friday, April 9, 2021 after which nominations are closed until the AGM. At the AGM, calls for nominations will be made from the floor. 

This year, the AGM will be virtual using Zoom. We will provide further details closer to the date. 

We are also pondering a virtual social after the meeting. What that may look like we are working out.  

For a full list of current AAOEe Executive Members please check out our Bios on the AAO website, https://aao-archivists.ca/aaoee.  Our social media guru and Member-at-Large, Maria Paraschos is stepping aside from her position.  We would like to thank her and we greatly appreciate her time and effort. 

Please register through Zoom: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUvf-CupjMjGtB1bwIOvoPmzzyMv1z_x46e  

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. 

Our contact list may not be fully up to date.  If you wish to be removed from the contact list please let us know and we will endeavour to remove you.  On the flip side if we have missed anyone, please let us know.

Sincerely, 

John Lund, President 

AAOEe Chapter 

Join the Archives Association of Ontario, East/est Chapter on Thursday, April 8 as we virtually explore three archives in Eastern Ontario and beyond. See behind the scenes of the newly built Ingenium Archives, the Port Hope Archives, and the City of Ottawa Archives. Archivists from each institution will introduce their video tour and be available for questions. 

Date: Thursday, April 8, 2021

Time: 7–8:30 PM  EDT

Cost: Free (registration is required)

Location: Virtual (Zoom)

Register by April 7: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlf-GvqDwiH9DP5ZtUUZT70sf9RJ-pOINR

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Ingenium Archives – Adele Torrance :

Adele Torrance is Archivist at Ingenium (Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Canada Science and Technology Museum, and Canada Agriculture and Food Museum) in Ottawa. Prior to joining Ingenium in 2017, Adele worked for UNESCO in Paris, the International Monetary Fund Archives in Washington, D.C., and at the Halifax Regional Municipality Archives as a Young Canada Works intern. She graduated with a Master of Archival Studies from UBC in 2005.  

Port Hope Archives - Rachel Arnaud:

For the past 4 years, Rachel has been the sole archivist at Port Hope Archives, located in a former Land Registry office in Port Hope, Ontario. This small town has a rich history stemming from the mighty Ganaraska River which runs through the middle of town down to Lake Ontario. The Archives exists to collect, preserve, and provide public access to the history of the town of Port Hope and Hope Township. 

City of Ottawa Archives – John D. Lund:

John D. Lund is the Digital Records archivist at the City of Ottawa Archives. He is an active member of the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) and is the President of the AAO Eastern Chapter, AAOEe. John specializes in the history of photography, digital records management, and copyright. He holds a Master's of Archival Studies from UBC and an MA in History from UVic.

For questions, please contact the AAOEe at aaoeast@gmail.com

Dear AAO members,

The AAO Board of Directors voted in favour of proposed changes to the AAO Constitution in two areas: composition of the AAO Board of Directors and membership categories. It is the Board’s belief that these amendments would provide better support for the creation of responsive professional development programming and make it easier for new professionals to affordably join the AAO. Please direct any questions about these proposed changes to aao@aao-archivists.ca. 

The following is a summary of the recommended changes to the Constitution of the Archives Association Of Ontario. In accordance with Section 20, Amendments to the Constitution, these recommended changes are being distributed to AAO members at least 60 days prior to the 2021 AAO Annual General Meeting. These proposed amendments will be voted on by AAO members at the 2021 AAO Annual General Meeting on 14 May 2021, with the opportunity for discussion in advance of the votes.

1. Creation of a new Board of Directors position: Professional Development Committee Chair

Current wording

1.     Definitions

1.1   Definitions — In these by-laws:

(e) “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Association, composed of the elected positions:

• President
• Vice President / President Elect
• Secretary / Treasurer
• Two Directors Without Portfolios
• Chapter and Special Interest Group Stakeholder
• Website Administrator
• Institutional Development Committee Chair

3.     Directors

3.1   Composition of the Board of Directors —

(a) The affairs of the Association shall be directed by a Board of eight (8) elected Directors, each of whom shall be a Voting Member of the Association.

(b) The eight members of the Board of Directors shall consist of the President, the Vice-President/President Elect, the Secretary / Treasurer, two (2) Directors without Portfolio, the Chair of the Institutional Development Committee, the Chapter and Special Interest Group Stakeholder, and the Website Administrator. Presidents shall attend board meetings for one (1) year following the end of their term in a Past President role, which holds no voting rights.

4.     Officers

4.1   Officers  —  The  Board  shall  have  the  following  Officers  as  elected  at large by  the memberships:

(a) a President;
(b) a Vice President/President Elect;
(c) Secretary / Treasurer;
(d) Two Directors Without Portfolios
(e) a Website Administrator

and can appoint among its members such other Officers as the Board may determine from time to time.

Revised wording

1.     Definitions

1.1   Definitions — In these by-laws:

(e) “Board” means the Board of Directors of the Association, composed of the elected positions: 

• President
• Vice President / President Elect
• Secretary / Treasurer
• Two Directors Without Portfolios
• Chapter and Special Interest Group Stakeholder
• Website Administrator
• Institutional Development Committee Chair
• Professional Development Committee Chair

3.     Directors

3.1  Composition of the Board of Directors —

(a) The affairs of the Association shall be directed by a Board of nine (9) elected Directors, each of whom shall be a Voting Member of the Association.

(b) The nine members of the Board of Directors shall consist of the President, the Vice-President/President Elect, the Secretary / Treasurer, two (2) Directors without Portfolio, the Chair of the Institutional Development Committee, the Chapter and Special Interest Group Stakeholder, the Website Administrator, and the Professional Development Committee Chair. Presidents shall attend board meetings for one (1) year following the end of their term in a Past President role, which holds no voting rights.

4.     Officers

4.1 Officers  —  The  Board  shall  have  the  following  Officers  as  elected  at large by  the memberships:

(a) a President;
(b) a Vice President/President Elect; 
(c) Secretary / Treasurer
(d) Two Directors Without Portfolios
(e) a Website Administrator
(f) a Professional Development Committee Chair

and can appoint among its members such other Officers as the Board may determine from time to time.

2. Change to classes of membership: Student and New Professional Members

Current wording

8.     Membership

8.1   Classes of Membership — There shall be five classes of Members in the Association as follows:

(a) Institutional Members — Open to institutions in Ontario which have met basic standards established by the Canadian Council of Archives nationally and by the Association provincially to be considered recognized archives.   These institutions are eligible for institutional funding;
(b) Individual Members — Open to all individuals engaged in a professional capacity in the field of archival science and all other individuals interested in the field of archival science;
(c) Friends of the  AAO — Open to all institutions, corporations and individuals who wish to receive the Association publications and who are interested in supporting the aims and objectives of the Association;
(d) Student Members - Open to all individuals pursuing full-time studies at a recognized educational institution who are interested in pursuing a career in archival work for the duration of their studies plus two years after the year of graduation;
(e) Retired members – Open to all individuals who have retired from full-time work as archivists.

Revised wording

8.     Membership

8.1   Classes of Membership — There shall be five classes of Members in the Association as follows:

(a) Institutional Members — Open to institutions in Ontario which have met basic standards established by the Canadian Council of Archives nationally and by the Association provincially to be considered recognized archives.   These institutions are eligible for institutional funding;
(b) Individual Members — Open to all individuals engaged in a professional capacity in the field of archival science and all other individuals interested in the field of archival science;
(c) Friends of the  AAO — Open to all institutions, corporations and individuals who wish to receive the Association publications and who are interested in supporting the aims and objectives of the Association;
(d) Student and New Professional Members - Open to all individuals pursuing full-time studies at a recognized educational institution who are interested in pursuing a career in archival work for the duration of their studies and new professionals who have graduated within the past two years;
(e) Retired members – Open to all individuals who have retired from full-time work as archivists.

Register for the Toronto Area Archivist Groups' (TAAG) Dismantling White Supremacy in GLAMs Workshop on March 18, 2021 from 7:00-8:30pm. 

This workshop will use activities and tools developed by Archivists Against to identify and dismantle white supremacy in the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums) sector. Participants will develop an understanding of white privilege, white supremacy, personal and structural racism, and how they manifest in and through GLAM educational programs and professional practice. Participants will brainstorm concrete actions to dismantle oppressive structures in their workplaces, organizations, and the field as a whole. The workshop is intended to open a conversation that will continue into individual workplaces, and nurture a community of practitioners who are working together against white supremacy in the GLAM sector.

Date/Time: March 18th, 7-8:30 pm

Tickets: 

• AAO members: $20
• AAO student members: $15
• AAO non-members: $40

Register here in order to receive the event link.

The 2021 AAO annual conference, with the theme "Doing The Work: From Colonial Pasts to Inclusive Futures" will be held virtually from May 11-14, 2021.

Up to $1300 in funding for free registrations is available through the Shirley Spragge Bursary for students, new professionals, and archivists in financial need.

To qualify for the bursary you must be an Ontario resident, and be either:

• A student enrolled in a recognized archival program (must submit proof of enrollment), or

• A recent (1-3 years) graduate of a recognized archival program (must submit proof of program completion), or

• A practicing or volunteer archivist in financial need (must submit proof of employment or volunteering).

In order to make the conference as accessible and as inclusive as possible, it is no longer a requirement that applicants be AAO members and applications from individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or a Person of Colour will be prioritized. This year, multiple bursaries will be awarded.

Interested applicants are required to fill in the bursary application available on the AAO website and demonstrate financial need, an interest in archives education and/or professional development, and confirmed intent to participate in the annual AAO conference.

For more information and to submit your application, visit the Shirley Spragge Bursary page on the AAO website.

Applications are due on April 9th.

Artefactual is going to be working on Archeion as of 5 pm on Wednesday, March 3rd. It will be not available for use until the next morning, Thursday, March 4th at 10 am.

In order for this upgrade to take place, I need to ask members to NOT input any data into Archeion from 5 pm on Wednesday, March 3rd to 10 am on Thursday March 4th.

Any new data uploaded during this time may be lost, so please refrain from logging in to the site until the upgrade is complete.

I do apologize in advance for any inconvenience.

Cheers,

Lisa Snider

Archeion Coordinator

Archives Association of Ontario

Nominations are currently being accepted for five (5) 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 14, 2021, during the AAO 2021 conference.

Volunteering as a Director 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 2021 – May 2024)

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:

• Liaising with AAO Standing and Special Committees and/or Sub-committees thereof, and Special Interest Groups (SIGs);
• Performing the duties of the President in cases of absence or inability; and
• Supporting the President in providing general supervision of the operations of the AAO, its staff, and the secretariat office.
• The VP assumes the position of President in the second year of their term and in the third year serves as a non-voting member of the Board in the capacity of Past President.

Director Without Portfolio: Two-year term (May 2021 – May 2023)

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

• Serving as a Board liaison to one or more of the Standing and Special Committees of the AAO, and/or Sub-committees thereof;
• Participating fully in Board decision-making; and
• Contributing to the development of Association policies, procedures and guidelines.

Secretary/Treasurer: Two-year term (May 2021 – May 2023)

The Secretary/Treasurer provides a key oversight function of the financial affairs and records management of the association. Specific duties include:

(Secretary role):

• Being acquainted with Roberts Rules of Order, and ensuring the Board follows these in its proceedings;
• Ensuring that documentation for all Board meetings is compiled, posted to the AAO Google Drive, and shared with meeting participants in advance of each meeting, consulting with Board members as necessary to do so;
• Taking and finalizing all Board meeting minutes, and ensuring that all decisions are motioned and recorded;
• Circulating draft Board meeting minutes to meeting participants for review within two weeks following each meeting;
• Entering decisions carried in the master Motions database;
• Saving all approved Board meeting minutes on the Google Drive and ensuring public access to them via the AAO website;
• Playing a lead role in efforts to maintain and update the written policies, procedures, guidelines and manuals of the Board; and
• In collaboration with the AAO Office, ensuring that the records of the Association are properly filed and disposed of.

(Treasurer role:)

• Monitoring, on a monthly basis, the AAO's budget as prepared and managed on the Association's behalf by the AAO Office, and bringing issues regarding revenues or expenditures to the Board's attention as they arise;
• Ensuring the Board's financial policies are being followed, or recommending actions where financial policy gaps persist;
• In cooperation with the President, approving all expenses incurred by the Association and signing all cheques of the Association;
• Recommending the approval of the auditor (to be identified by the AAO Office) to the membership (to be ratified at each AGM);
• Presenting to the membership (at each AGM) highlights of the annual audit prepared by the auditor; and
• On behalf of the Board, working with the AAO Office to ensure that government compliance documents are filed with various government agencies as required.

Website Administrator: Two-year term (May 2021 - May 2023)

The Web Administrator is responsible for maintaining the website by ensuring that information about the AAO and its operations is up-to-date and accurate and providing administrative support to AAO members seeking to add or update content. The role also includes the promotion of AAO events and news via Twitter and Facebook as well as the sharing of AAO and event photos on Instagram. The Web Administrator may also assist the AAO Secretariat with the management of website administrators. The current service agreement limits the number of administrators to 25. Those with full or partial access need to be reviewed on an annual basis as Board and Committee roles are transferred to new AAO Directors, Staff or Committee heads.

The Web Administrator is also a part of the Communications and Advocacy Committee.

Chair, Institutional Development Committee: Two-year term (May 2021 - May 2023)

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:

• Reporting all matters related to institutional members discussed at a Board level;
• Liaising with institutional members to bring matters of concern from the institutional members level to the Board level for discussion and/or action; and
• Optimizing the relationship between institutional members and the Board;
• Coordinating the annual Institutional Members Symposium;
• Representing the AAO at meetings of the Canadian Council of Archives (CCA).

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

• Jennifer Grant, President and former VP (president@aao-archivists.ca)
• Krista McCracken, Vice-President (vp@aao-archivists.ca)
• Tys Klumpenhouwer, Director Without Portfolio (director2@aao-archivists.ca)

Nominations are being accepted by email only.

Please complete and submit the nomination form to the AAO Office at aao@aao-archivists.ca, using the subject line “Nominations 2021”, and direct your message to the attention of the Nominations Committee.

Nomination forms must be received by the AAO Office by close of business on Monday, April 5, 2021.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Grant

President, 2020-2021

president@aao-archivists.ca

Archives Association of Ontario (AAO)

The AAO Awards Committee is pleased to announce that nominations for the 2020 AA1 Awards are now open.

We are accepting nominations for the five awards given out annually by the association: the Alexander Fraser Award, the James J. Talman Award, and the AAO Emerging Leaders Award, which are presented to individuals, as well as the Corporate and Institutional Awards which recognize archives, corporations and other organizations which have made significant contributions to the archival community in Ontario.

The awards will be announced at the AAO Annual General Meeting during the Conference being held virtually 11-14 May 2021.

Nominations are due by April 9th, 2021.

For more information on the awards criteria and nominations process, please visit the Awards page. 

Yours,

Rodney Carter

Chair, AAO Awards Committee