AAO News

Hello Colleagues,

Please join the MAIG Executive for our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, April 29th, 2026, at 2-4pm. Everyone is welcome to attend! This event is a great opportunity to connect with your municipal archives peers, and to hear about MAIG's upcoming plans and projects.

If you plan to join us, please RSVP to Gina Elias by email at gelias@elgin.ca. A meeting link will be sent to registrants prior to the meeting. 

Thank you,

Gina Elias, MAIG Secretary-Treasurer

 

Good Morning Colleagues,

The Municipal Archives Interest Group (MAIG) is currently accepting nominations for the Chair and Vice Chair positions, each for a two-year term (2026-2028). Volunteering on the MAIG Executive is an excellent professional development experience, providing an opportunity to develop leadership skills, network with other professionals, and share their knowledge and experiences with other members of Ontario’s municipal archival community. Please see below for more information about these roles, and feel free to contact our Executive team if you have any questions. 

Chair, Two-year term (May 2026 - May 2028) 

• Leads all MAIG meetings and promotes the organization’s interests

• Submit reports on the group's activities to the AAO

• Attend the AOO Annual Leadership meeting on behalf of MAIG

• Assist in the publication of  MAIG's annual newsletter

Vice Chair, Two-year term (May 2026 - May 2028) 

• Attend executive meetings, and Chair meetings in the absence of the Committee Chair

• Develop and publish the annual MAIG newsletter, with the support of the Chair and Secretary-Treasurer

To nominate yourself or a colleague, please email Amber Mandich at amberm@northmiddlesex.on.ca with a brief biography by 5:00pm on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. The election will be held at MAIG’s virtual Annual General Meeting on April 29, 2026, and nominations will also be accepted from the floor. 

Warm Regards,

Amber Mandich

Invitation was originally circulated on the AAOLIST:

You are invited to a meeting to identify ways to advocate for galleries, libraries, archives, and museums in Canada in light of the cuts to funding by the federal government.

We have invited historians, archivists, genealogists, curators, registrars, and librarians from across Canada.

This will be an apolitical meeting. We will identify where cuts have been made, and decide how we can best pool our resources and amplify our voices through joint action to demand that funding be restored.

The meeting will be held on Zoom on April 17 at 12:00 pm EST/EDT. You must register to attend:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/3lA13EZhTyexalubwI53Bg

Please share this invitation with all members of your organization.

Because there is no budget, live translation will not be possible. However, all communications stemming from the meeting will be produced in French and English.

----------------

Vous êtes invités à une réunion visant à définir des moyens de défendre les intérêts des galeries, bibliothèques, archives et musées au Canada, compte tenu des coupes budgétaires imposées par le gouvernement fédéral.

Nous avons invité des historiens, des archivistes, des généalogistes, des conservateurs, des responsables des registres et des bibliothécaires de partout au Canada.

Cette réunion sera apolitique. Nous identifierons les domaines où des coupes ont été effectuées et déciderons de la meilleure façon de mettre en commun nos ressources et de faire entendre notre voix par une action conjointe afin d'exiger le rétablissement du financement.

La réunion aura lieu sur Zoom le vendredi 17 avril à 12 h (heure de l'Est/heure d'été de l'Est). Vous devez vous inscrire pour y participer:

https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/3lA13EZhTyexalubwI53Bg

Merci de transmettre cette invitation à tous les membres de votre organisation.

Parce qu’il n’y a pas un budget, traduction en direct ne sera pas possible. Toutes les communications qui viennent de la réunion sera produit en français et anglais.

The Archives Association of Ontario has designated April 7-10, 2026 as Archives Awareness Week (AAW) with the theme "Archives Activism: Advocating for Archives Survival."

As our province and our country faces tough financial times and a shift towards austerity, there is an increasing need to show the vital role that archives play in preserving our history and protecting democracy. Now is the time to collectively raise our voices and advocate for archives. This week is your opportunity to celebrate the creative ways you speak up and out for your repository and for archives in general.

We received a record-breaking 12 submissions this year! Stories will be added throughout the week, check back every day of Archives Awareness Week to read them all: https://aao-archivists.ca/2026-Story-submissions.

The Toronto Area Archivists' Group is looking for new members to join our board. TAAG is the Toronto chapter of the Archives Association of Ontario. We are volunteer run and regularly organize tours, workshops, and social events for archival professionals to learn from each other. Our Annual General Meeting will be held in person on Friday April 17 at 6pm. Members of AAO and those interested in joining are encouraged to sign up via our Eventbrite page.  

We will be voting for new executives at our AGM. This is a great opportunity to join the archival community in Toronto. TAAG executives meet virtually about 6 times a year to plan events. Joining TAAG is a low barrier way to meet fellow archival professionals and plan professional events you are interested in. We are currently looking to fill the following positions for the upcoming 2026/2027 year. Please note that positions are usually held for a 2 year term. 

President
The President provides leadership to the Chapter, and acts as the spokesperson for the Chapter to the AAO Board and other groups, as well as representing the Chapter at events such as the University of Toronto iSchool Convocation Reception. The President also schedules and chairs meetings, coordinates Chapter planning and resources, and ensures that the Chapter meets its responsibilities e.g. reporting to Chapter membership and the AAO Board.

Vice-President
The Vice-President performs the duties of the President in their absence and provides support with planning Chapter professional development and social events. The Vice-President is encouraged to stand for President after their term as Vice-President.

Member-at-Large 

The Member at Large position is a flexible position that provides extra resources and assistance to the Executive. They may take on specific tasks, such as managing the Chapter’s social media presence, or help on projects such as coordinating workshops or other Chapter events. There is no limit on the number of Member-at-Large positions.

If any of these roles are of interest to you, please reach out to taag.chapter@gmail.com. Please also reach out if you would like further information about TAAG, the positions, or the AGM.  

Best wishes

Elizabeth Carroll

TAAG President

Archives Awareness Week

We’ve got a great deal for you! We have a one-week sale on the AAO online store for a limited time! For a limited time, select pick up at the AAO conference, and skip the shipping fees.

50% off AAO Tote bags
50% off the AAO history book: In Pursuit of the Archival Endeavour: The Story of the Archives Association of Ontario (Hardcover)  50% off the AAO history book: In Pursuit of the Archival Endeavour: The Story of the Archives Association of Ontario (Soft-cover)

You can read about the trials and triumphs in our history and carry the book in a unique and stylish bag – all without breaking the bank!  

Be sure to pick up your AAO swag before it's too late!  Any questions can be directed to the AAO office at aao@aao-archivists.ca.

The Archives Association of Ontario has designated April 7th to 10th as Archives Awareness Week!

As our province and our country faces tough financial times and a shift towards austerity, there is an increasing need to show the vital role that archives play in preserving our history and protecting democracy. Now is the time to collectively raise our voices and advocate for archives. Therefore, our theme for 2026 is: “Archives Activism: Advocating for Archives Survival.” This week is your opportunity to celebrate the creative ways you speak up and out for your repository and for archives in general.

Share your story of resistance and advocacy! Your submissions can be personal stories about your work as an archivist, descriptions of advocacy initiatives within your organization, or brief highlights of archival fonds related to activism.

No submission is too short or too long - archives have always been political and now, more than ever, we need to engage with activism in our professional practice.

Stories will be collected and posted to the AAO's 2026 Archives Awareness Week page to celebrate archives activism during 2026's Archives Awareness Week. Images will also be compiled and shared on our social media accounts throughout the week!

We kindly ask that stories be submitted by Thursday, April 2, 2026 by filling out this form. The form collects your email as the point of contact for posting your story to the AAO website. If you are not the point of contact for your story, please include the relevant email.

If you have any issues using the form to submit you can email your submission to the Communications and Advocacy Committee Chair at communications@aao-archivists.ca. If submitting via email, together with your submission please include your name and/or name of your institution, a title, any image captions and alt-text, any citations or resources, and indicate if we have your permission to post the images you provide onto our social media pages.

Reach out to the Communications and Advocacy Committee Chair with any questions at communications@aao-archivists.ca.

Archival students, recent graduates, and archivists in financial need who wish to attend the 2026 AAO Conference in Toronto are encouraged to apply for the Shirley Spragge Bursary.

Up to $700 will be provided to cover conference registration fees and travel expenses for this year’s conference, which is being held in person at St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto, 6-8 May.

Applications are due March 25th.

More details on the bursary and information on how to apply can be found at https://aao-archivists.ca/shirley-spragge-bursary

Rodney Carter,
Chair
AAO Awards Committee

Registration is now OPEN for the 2026 AAO Conference on Object Lessons: Continuing Care for the Physical in a Digital World! Join us this spring from May 6-8 at St. Michael’s College, University of Toronto.

This return to a physical space invites us to reflect on the heart of the archival tradition: the stewardship of physical objects for the long term in an increasingly digital society. This conference will explore the enduring importance, practical challenges, and profound joys of caring for physical collections.

AAO Members have access to Early Bird pricing until March 31, 2026.

Secure your spot today for:

- The Conference

- Pre-Conference Workshops

- Conference Events

- Safe Spaces Sessions

Register now on our website: https://aao-archivists.ca/conference-2026-registration.

Having trouble with registration? Contact us at aao@aao-archivists.ca.

Be sure to check out the Program-at-a-Glance on our website to see the exciting lineup of speakers and events waiting for you at the 2026 AAO Conference!

Nominations for the AAO 2026 Awards are now OPEN! 

In order to nominate someone for one of the awards, please review the nomination criteria and procedures before completing and submitting the nomination form. The form, which should be used for all five awards, along with the criteria and procedures can be found on the AAO's Awards page: https://aao-archivists.ca/awards.

An AAO member in good standing must sign the nomination form. It must be accompanied by a narrative (maximum one thousand words) explaining the reasons for the nomination. Additional documentation—including résumé, clippings, publications, etc.—is strongly encouraged but not required. An electronic version of the nomination package must be received by the chair prior to the deadline, with original documentation mailed upon request.

Nominations are being accepted for the following awards:

- Alexander Fraser Award
- James J. Talman Award
- AAO Emerging Leader Award
- AAO Corporate Award
- AAO Institutional Award

Nominations should be submitted to the chair of the Awards Committee, Rodney Carter, via email at awards@aao-archivists.ca by March 13, 2026.