Archives Association of Ontario upcoming events

The AAO’s Professional Development Committee presents Managing Small Archives (10 Apr 2026)

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 13:00:00 GMT

The AAO’s Professional Development Committee presents

Managing Small Archives

This introductory workshop will guide participants on managing small archives. New archivists are often unprepared for the tasks involved in working in an archives, especially when they are the sole worker. Topics include: how to set up an archives, developing policies, managing volunteers, promoting the archives, and making the most of technology.

When: April 10, 2026, 9:00 am-1:00 pm EST

Where: Online. Instructions to join the online platform will be sent closer to the workshop date

Cost*:$80 (AAO members), $50 (AAO student members), $120 (non-members)

*There will be limited fully subsidized workshop spots for participants who are students and/or precariously employed (on a first-come, first-served basis). Please contact professionaldevelopment@aao-archivists.ca for details.

About the instructor:

Amanda Hill trained as an archivist in England in the 1990s and has worked at Canterbury Cathedral Archives, the Essex Record Office and the Universities of Oxford and Manchester. She immigrated to Canada in 2007 and has been the archivist for the Town of Deseronto and the Coordinator for Archeion, Ontario's online archive network. In 2015, she became the archivist for the Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County.

Format: lecture/demonstration/Discussion/Q&A

Recording: This workshop will NOT be recorded.

Registration: A minimum of 10 participants and a maximum of 30 participants may register for this event. Institutional members can register three participants at the members rate. If you require additional time to prepare payment, please contact aao@aao-archivists.ca to set up an invoice.

Please be advised that this event is governed by the AAO’s Code of Conduct and is subject to the AAO’s Cancellation Policy. Questions about the workshop can be directed to the PDC Chair at professionaldevelopment@aao-archivists.ca.

TAAG - Tour of St. Michael's Hospital Archive (10 Apr 2026)

Fri, 10 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT

TAAG is excited to announce we will be visiting the archive at St. Michael's Hospital to learn more about hospital archives.

The St. Michael’s Hospital Archives opened in 1974. They collect and preserve a permanent record of the work and activities of St. Michael’s according to archival standards. The archives house a rich collection of the hospital’s corporate and historical records.

The tour has very limited space, so please make sure to RSVP via the Eventbrite link to reserve your spot. We hope to see you there!

When: Friday, April 10 at 2:00 pm

Where: St. Michael's Hospital, 209 Victoria St., Toronto

For more information on TAAG, visit https://aao-archivists.ca/taag

Safe Spaces for Records Professionals with Disabilities, Chronic Illnesses, and the Neurodivergent (06 May 2026)

Wed, 06 May 2026 20:30:00 GMT

The AAO’s Professional Development Committee presents

Safe Spaces for Records Professionals with Disabilities, Chronic Illnesses, and the Neurodivergent

The Professional Development Committee is thrilled to present the first in-person safe space sessions at this year’s annual conference! These sessions are safe spaces set aside and reserved for archives workers and records managers from historically excluded groups in our profession to connect with one another in an informal, participant-driven environment. Participants will also have the opportunity to share feedback on the sessions and help shape their future format.

These sessions are open to students, emerging, and established professionals, as well as those working in volunteer and activist roles. Note that this space is only open to archives workers and records managers with visible and/or invisible disabilities. The AAO follows the ADA’s definition of disability as “a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.” Registrants who do not identify as records professionals with visible and/or invisible disabilities will be asked to leave the meeting.

Date: Wednesday, May 6, 2026, 4:30-5:20 pm EDT

Location: University of St. Michael’s College

113 St. Joseph Street, Toronto, ON.

Room location will be emailed upon registration

Registration: FREE (AAO members, student members, and non-members)

Refreshments: Light refreshments will be provided

Meetings are governed by the AAO’s Code of Conduct as well as a guideline of confidentiality. It is essential that all participants agree to keep confidential the identities of individual participants and any names that may be mentioned during their time together, as well as any attributed specific comments. Agreement about this point is required.

About the moderator:

Sarah McDougall has been a stutterer since early childhood and has experienced discrimination, accessibility barriers, and mental health challenges related to her disability. She is the Archives Assistant at the Anglican Diocese of Toronto Archives and the 2024-2025 Past President of the AAO. Sarah holds a Master of Information and a Master of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto's iSchool.

Please contact professionaldevelopment@aao-archivists.ca with your questions and any requests for accommodation.

The AAO’s Professional Development Committee presents Safe Spaces for BIPOC Records Professionals (07 May 2026)

Thu, 07 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT

The AAO’s Professional Development Committee presents

Safe Spaces for BIPOC Records Professionals

These sessions are open to students, emerging, and established professionals, as well as those working in volunteer and activist roles. Note that this space is only open to Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) identifying archives workers and records managers. Registrants who do not identify as BIPOC will be asked to leave the meeting.

Date: Thursday May 7, 2026, 12:00-12:50pm EDT

Location: University of St. Michael’s College

113 St. Joseph Street, Toronto, ON.

Room location will be emailed upon registration

Registration: FREE (AAO members, student members, and non-members)

Refreshments: Light refreshments will be provided. Participants are welcome to bring their own lunch to enjoy during the session.

This meeting is governed by the AAO’s Code of Conduct as well as a guideline of confidentiality. It is essential that all participants agree to keep confidential the identities of individual participants and any names that may be mentioned during their time together, as well as any attributed specific comments. Agreement about this point is required.

About the moderator:

Dez Nacario (she/her) is the Archivist for the Anglican Diocese of Huron, situated on the ancestral beaver hunting grounds of the Algonquin, Haudenosaunee and Attawandaran peoples; the traditional and unceded lands of the Anishinaabe Peoples, of Walpole Island, Kettle Point and the Thames, the settled people’s Haudenosaunee Confederacy, at the Grand River and the Thames and the Lenni Lenape Delaware people’s of Moraviantown and Muncey. She holds a Master of Libraries and Information Science from Western University and is an active member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and Professional Development Committee for the AAO, as well as the current Chair of SISARO for the ACA. Dez is passionate about diversifying the GLAM world and creating professional opportunities for individuals from underrepresented communities.

Please contact professionaldevelopment@aao-archivists.ca with your questions and any requests for accommodation.

The AAO’s Professional Development Committee presents Safe Spaces for LGBTQ2S+ Records Professionals (07 May 2026)

Thu, 07 May 2026 20:00:00 GMT

The AAO’s Professional Development Committee presents

Safe Spaces for LGBTQ2S+ Records Professionals

These sessions are open to students, emerging, and established professionals, as well as those working in volunteer and activist roles. Note that this space is only open to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, two-spirited, and sexual or gender minorities identifying (LGBTQ2S+) archives workers and records managers. Registrants who do not identify as LGBTQ2S+ will be asked to leave the meeting.

Date: Thursday May 7, 2026, 4:00-4:50pm EDT

Location: University of St. Michael’s College

113 St. Joseph Street, Toronto, ON.

Room location will be emailed upon registration

Registration: FREE (AAO members, student members, and non-members)

Refreshments: Light refreshments will be provided

Please contact professionaldevelopment@aao-archivists.ca with your questions and any requests for accommodation.