The AAO’s Professional Development Committee and Student and New Professionals Outreach Committee present part one of the Archives Bootcamp workshop series*:
Beyond the Rules: Archival Arrangement and Description in Practice
*The Archives Bootcamp series consists of workshops tailored to emerging archival professionals. This is the first of two workshops being co-presented this spring.
This half-day workshop is designed for students and new professionals who are familiar with arrangement and description practices/standards and want to build confidence applying them in action.
The session uses case studies to examine situations where RAD and other standards do not provide clear answers. Participants will work through examples in which arrangement and description decisions are shaped by institutional context, collection complexity, and practical constraints, and will consider the consequences of those choices for access, discovery, and historical understanding.
Through short presentations, facilitated discussion, and small-group breakout activities, participants will practice analytical and decision-making skills essential to archival work, bridging the gap between formal training and day-to-day professional responsibilities.
When: May 25, 2026, 1:00 pm-4:00 pm EDT
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)
Additional requirements: Familiarity with arrangement and description standards/practices
About the instructor:
Karen Suurtamm (she/her) is the University Archivist and Head of Special Collections at Trent University and has 15 years’ experience as an archivist and archival educator. Prior to her current position, Karen was an Assistant Professor (Teaching Stream) at the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto, where she taught courses in archives and records management. She has also worked as an archivist at the University of Toronto, Victoria University, and York University. Karen is passionate about creating active, engaged archival spaces that support a wide range of researchers, staff, and students.
Format: Lecture/demonstration/discussion
Recording: This workshop will NOT be recorded.
Registration: A minimum of 10 participants and a maximum of 50 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 co-chairs at professionaldevelopment@aao-archivists.ca.
