AAO News

Hello AAO members!

The Winter 2021 issue of Off the Record is now available. Members can access the issue here.

The most recent issue includes features from Alison Little discussing the launch of the James Bay Treaty (Treaty No. 9) online exhibit and Iona McCraith encouraging AAO members to join the Archives Emergency Response Network (AERN). The issue also includes a member spotlight on Jacinda Bains. Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not draw attention to the handsome canine on the cover: Charlie. Thank you to Karin Nobel of the Grey Roots Museum and Archives for submitting that.

This was my first time editing Off the Record, and I want to extend thanks to Grant Hurley and Farah Friesen, both of whom improved on the layout I came up with and provided a much needed second (and third!) pair of eyes.

The excellent Winter 2020 issue is now available to all. 

Wishing everyone health and safety,

Michael

The Archives Association of Ontario is pleased to announce its Call for Posters for the 2021 Annual Conference to be held virtually from May 11-14, 2021.

The Conference Program Committee invites poster proposals broadly connected to the conference theme.

We especially welcome and encourage posters by and from archivists who identify as part of minority communities. We also welcome posters from students, new graduates, and emerging archivists, or those archivists associated with under-represented institutions or collections. All individuals who work with archival records are invited to submit a proposal.

Potential subjects for consideration include but are not limited to:

• Archival silences and barriers to access

• Redescription projects, addressing colonial legacies in archivy

• Community archival disruptions, adaptations, and innovations

• Individual and institutional responses to the A Reconciliation Framework for Canadian Archives, TRC Final Report, UNDRIP, OCAP, the Protocols for Native American Archival Materials, and other recommendations

• Approaches to community consultation, collaboration, and outreach 

• Imagining and re-imagining archival futures

• Re-imagining archival education

• Thinking critically about “the profession”

• Anti-racism and archives

• Critical race theory from a Canadian archival lens

The presenter(s) will be required to submit a short video (under 5 minutes) of their poster presentation and be available to attend a live Q&A during the conference. Presenters will also have the option of sharing their poster on the AAO Instagram and Facebook account.

Poster proposals should include an abstract of up to 250 words and a biographical note of no more than 100 words for each participant.

Proposals should be submitted to: AAO Office at aao@aao-archivists.ca 

Proposals should use the subject line format: AAO2021_Poster_Lastname-Firstname 

The due date of applications/submissions is February 28, 2021.

On behalf of the AAO 2021 Conference Program Committee

On behalf of the AAO’s staff and board of directors, I would like to offer you and our fellow members our best wishes for a healthy and restful holiday break. While this year has been a difficult one (to say the least), I hope that we can all look forward to better times in 2021.

We would also like to inform you that the AAO office will be closed for the holidays from December 21st, 2020 to January 3rd, 2021 inclusive, reopening on January 4th.

Take care of yourselves and stay safe.

All my best,

Jennifer Grant
President, 2020-2021
president@aao-archivists.ca
Archives Association of Ontario (AAO)

Hello AAO friends,

I am pleased to announce that the Fall 2020 issue of Off the Record
is now available to members. AAO members can access the issue here.

This issue includes features from Sara Janes, who reports on an informal survey of archives' reopening policies, and Danielle Robichaud on the joys and trials of migrating descriptions to AtoM. The issue also includes a member spotlight featuring Katrina Cohen-Palacios and plenty of news and updates on the many goings-on of the AAO and our community. And not to mention an amazing stitched cover submission from Julia Holland!

The Fall 2019 issue is also now open to all readers.

Finally, I should note that this is my last issue in the role of Editor. You can read all about it in the Editor's message, but the long and short of it is that I am extremely grateful for the wonderful support OTR has received over the last 5 years, including all the great writing, ideas and projects I have been privileged to showcase in this publication. I am extremely excited to say that Michael Friesen (Archivist at the Ontario Jewish Archives) will be taking on the role starting with the next issue. Please join me in welcoming Michael - and think about submitting something to the next issue! I will be assisting Michael with the Winter 2021 issue so it would be ideal to have some wonderful writing for us to edit together!

Best,

Grant Hurley
OTR Editor

The Northwestern Ontario Archivists' Association is holding its first-ever Virtual Archives Crawl on November 10, 8pm EST/ 7pm CST. We'll be sharing behind-the-scenes videos and slideshows of our facilities and collections, featuring contributions from across the Northwest. 

Anyone working in archives, museums, or heritage collections in the North of Ontario is invited to register for the event at: 

https://lakeheadu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJ0ldOyhrzsvH9AINcoZfv33Sx5HlX132m1o

For more information, please contact noaa.archivists@gmail.com.

Hope to (virtually) see you there!

On behalf of the MAIG Executive, I am pleased to present the 2020 Edition of the Municipal Archive Interest Group’s yearly publication, the MAIGazine. This issue features various updates from throughout the Province, including information from the AAO’s COVID-19 Survey, the upcoming Institutional Issues Symposium, and institutional updates. For quick access, please find the current issue available on the MAIG Website, or view the issue through this shortened link: https://bit.ly/2EN87hX. 

For more information about MAIG, to view previous issues of the MAIGazine, please visit our page on the AAO website: http://aao-archivists.ca/maig.

Thank you to everyone who submitted articles for the 2020 Edition!

Take care,

Gillian

Please join us on Thursday, October 22, 2020, for the AAO’s annual all-day Institutional Members’ Symposium, organized by the Institutional Development Committee (IDC).

It is no secret that this year has been unprecedented for archives and archivists across the province. The timing of this year’s symposium should provide us with a unique opportunity for an open and wide-ranging conversation about our experiences during COVID-19. There is a lot for us to share and explore with questions ranging from “how did we do?” to “how are we doing?” and the fundamental question of what this experience means for the future of our profession.

In addition, the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others have magnified conversations related to policy brutality, abuse and discrimination against Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC). Their deaths have also brought into focus the far-reaching nature of inequality in all facets of society, including the archival profession. This year’s symposium will also provide time for participants to unpack the AAO’s anti-racism statement and to start looking constructively at what we, as a profession, can do to activate it in our day-to-day work.

This year’s symposium will be held exclusively online via Zoom. Although we have enjoyed the in-person meetings at the Archives of Ontario in Toronto over the last few years, we hope that the move to an online platform will open up the dialogue to participation by members from all areas of the province. 

Save the date for now, but stay tuned for more information.

Do you want to get involved with the Archives Association of Ontario (AAO)? The Programme Committee for the AAO 2021 conference is looking for volunteers. The 2021 conference will be held in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, on May 12-14, 2021.  

The broad theme for the 2021 conference is reconciliation and decolonization. The Programme Committee is responsible for the management of information and ideas for the intellectual direction of the conference and will be working to put together the programme for the 2021 conference. 

If you are interested in volunteering or have any questions about this opportunity, please contact Krista McCracken at vp@aao-archivists.ca.

Are you an AAO member who has enjoyed reading or contributing to Off the Record (OTR), the quarterly digital newsletter published by the AAO? Or are you looking for opportunities to connect with and learn from other members of the archival community in Ontario? Or perhaps you’re an archivist with great organizational and editorial skills to share with the AAO?

If so, the AAO has a volunteer opportunity for you as the new editor of Off the Record!

Off the Record publishes quality writing on archives by the AAO community, the AAO Board of Directors, chapters, special interest groups and AAO staff on a variety of subjects. Issues include articles sharing professional knowledge, updates on outreach activities, profiles of archival workers, features on archives-related projects and events, and news and announcements about the AAO’s activities.

Off the Record is published four times per year in the spring, summer, fall and winter. Back issues are located on the AAO website here.

The OTR Editor is responsible for collecting, editing, and formatting submissions, and publishing the issue. The Editor also assists with coordinating advertising and reporting annually to the AAO Board of Directors. The term for this position is typically two years with an option for renewal. This position can also be configured as a co-editorship for two people on a staggered term basis.

Please contact Jennifer Grant or current OTR Editor, Grant Hurley, with expressions of interest or for more detailed information about this position.

The Municipal Archives Interest Group (MAIG) is seeking article submissions to include in our 2020 edition of the MAIGazine. This year we are looking for articles about your new projects or any updates and interesting news you would like to share. How have you been staying connected with your patrons, communities, and peers this year? What new virtual services are you now offering? What steps have been taken at your archives to diversify your community’s historical narrative? We want to hear from you!

If you are interested in submitting an article, please send your submission as a Word Document to Megan Lockhart (mlockhart@oxfordcounty.ca) by September 4th. Please submit any photos you would like included in your article separately as a JPEG or TIFF. Feel free to contact Megan with any questions about submitting your article.

For information about MAIG, the MAIGazine or to view past issues, visit our webpage at http://aao-archivists.ca/maig .

Thank you in advance for your submissions, we look forward to reading them.

Best,

Gillian Shaw, Megan Lockhart and Gina Dewaele

MAIG Executive​