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- November 2021, Volume 1, Issue 1
The Original Order of Things:
An AAO Monthly Newsletter
November 2021, Volume 1, Issue 1
Editor's Welcome
Welcome to the first edition of the brand-new Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) newsletter! As seems to be the custom with association newsletters, the title – The Original Order of Things – is a play on some familiar archival lingo (with a hint of David Suzuki’s informative docuseries!). The purpose of this newsletter is to provide our membership with monthly updates and create a consistent and central space for AAO news and updates, events and workshops, and job postings. The newsletter will also include a series of rotating monthly features such as the Student and New Professional Spotlight, Collection Highlights from Members, and other informal columns that will be of interest to members.
Led by members of the Communications and Advocacy Committee, editors of this newsletter will be working closely with our colleagues at Off the Record to preserve the role and place of that wonderful publication, and to minimize duplication of information in our newsletter.
This is the first edition of the newsletter, and we are open to all suggestions, comments, and criticisms, which can be directed to Tys Klumpenhouwer and MacKenzie Gott, co-editors of The Original Order of Things. A special thanks to Tiffany Ribeiro, the AAO’s Web Administrator, for her help editing and publishing this newsletter online.
Presidential Welcome
Dear Colleagues,
I’m pleased to be writing a president’s message for the first issue of The Original Order of Things: An AAO Monthly Newsletter. I’m especially grateful to the volunteers of the Communications and Advocacy Committee of the AAO who have been working diligently behind the scenes to make this newsletter possible.
The volunteers of the AAO are the lifeblood of the organization and represent a tremendous amount of care, work, and enthusiasm. I am extremely glad to be part of such a vibrant organization and to work alongside so many great people. I look forward to seeing this newsletter develop and grow in the coming months.
As always, please feel free to reach out to me if you have any concerns about the AAO. I welcome feedback and suggestions.
Krista McCracken
AAO President, 2021-2022
AAO News
A reminder that the Fall 2021 edition of Off the Record is now available on the AAO Website.
From Michael Friesen, Editor of Off the Record: The most recent issue includes a message from AAO president Krista McCracken; a profile on AAO member Rob Fisher; a joint article by Neale Borutskie and Sean Smith on the Archives of Ontario’s GLAM Wiki initiative; another article by Sean Smith introducing the Ontario archival community to Dr. Cheryl Thompson and Dr. Karen Cyrus, who are working on a project titled Mapping Ontario’s Black Archives; and a tribute to the late John David Smart by Iona McCraith.
a. AAO's Released Statements
On September 29, through the Communications and Advocacy Committee, the AAO released it’s Statement on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day. All statements made by the AAO can be read on our Advocacy page.
b. Professional Development Committee Activities
i. John Yolkowski, Co-Chair of the Professional Development Committee, provides an update on recent events and workshops.
On November 16, 2021, 25 brave individuals came together on Zoom for the absolute most fun any sentient being can conceive of—an all-day copyright workshop! But, in reality, even if the Copyright in Images workshop with Jean Dryden may not have been a bacchanalian feast, it was still very informative. We learned about moral rights using Kent Monkman’s The Daddies and gained valuable advice about having volunteers sign copyright agreements. Did you know that volunteers are not covered as employees, so they may own the copyright in any work they do? We also received a handy cheat sheet to help navigate the complex world of copyright terms and ownership in photos (Spoiler: it’s way more complex and convoluted than you think…it’s like a game of 3D chess!). Many thanks to Jean Dryden for leading this workshop, and a special shout out to the Professional Development Committee’s Teresa Wong for facilitating it!
If you were not able to attend Jean’s workshop—no need for professional development FOMO! The AAO is planning a whole host of exciting workshops for the 2021-22 year, including Paul Leatherdale’s Rad for Beginners on February 10, 2022! Keep your eyes peeled for a few more announcements in the coming weeks. There may even be opportunities to learn more about digitization, managing small archives, and records management in 2022! We also have our ongoing Safe Spaces sessions, and we are planning some new archival conversations, which are free for members.
First up, on December 13, 2021, attendees will have a chance to learn about publishing with the editors of Off the Record and Archivaria!
We hope to see you at some of these events, but in the meantime, you can check out aao-archivists.ca/workshops to see what’s on tap and when registration opens. If you have any suggestions or ideas for future workshops, please email the Professional Development Committee at professionaldevelopment@aao-archivists.ca.
ii. Sign up for upcoming Professional Development Committee events
Safe Spaces for LGBTQ2S+ ArchivistsNovember 24, 2021 at 12:00 PM (Online)Safe Spaces for Archivists with DisabilitiesNovember 24, 2021 at 5:30 PM (Online)Safe Spaces for BIPOC ArchivistsNovember 26, 2021 at 12:00 PM (Online)
c. Reminder: "Giving Tuesday" is on November 30th this year.
i. The Archives Association of Ontario welcomes donations on our website. We also welcome donations in the form of volunteers!
ii. In consideration of AAO’s Statement on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day, members are also encouraged to consider donating to one of the following groups:
- Orange Shirt Society
- Atlohsa Family Healing Services
- Legacy of Hope, a charitable organization with the mandate to educate and create awareness and understanding about the Residential School System
- RAVEN, a registered charity with a mission to raise funds for Indigenous People's access to justice
- Native Women’s Association of Canada
- National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
- Indspire, an organization provide scholarships and bursaries to Indigenous post-secondary students across Canada
AAO Conference 2022 Update
It's that time again! The AAO Conference Program Committee has released the 2022 Call For Papers. The title of this year’s conference is “These Are Unprecedented Times: How Archives and Archivists Changed, Struggled and Thrived Through Challenging Periods.” The Committee hopes to solicit proposals for papers focusing on change within archives in past, present and future contexts.
Student/New Professional Spotlight
The Student or New Professional Spotlight will be a semi-regular feature of this newsletter supported by the Student and New Professional Outreach Committee. Much like the Member Spotlight in Off the Record, this section will highlight the accomplishments, interests, and highlight pressing issues facing new graduates and professionals in the archival field.
In our first ever Student or New Professional Spotlight, we learn about recent graduate Joseph Iyengar, who recently completed his studies at the University of Toronto. Thanks to Jenna Lemay, Chair of the Student and New Professional Outreach Committee for organizing the spotlight!
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