|
People and Places
The City of Wetaskiwin Archives is currently in the midst of two very different grant supported initiatives. We received an ASA grant to update and increase our fonds level descriptions on the ANA database. To accomplish this we are very happy to welcome ASA "Roving Archivist", Scott Goodine to Wetaskiwin. Not only is he producing descriptions; he is also helping us to more fully understand RAD theory and practice. Hopefully he will survive the project.
On the preservation side of the archival equation we received an Infrastructure Canada - Alberta Program grant. With this funding we have begun the process of completely reconstructing our storage facility to allow for the installation of an energy efficient system for heating, humidification, ventilation and air conditioning based on the Canadian Council of Archives Preservation Committee Publications: Information Bulletin # 15 Guidelines for Humidity and Temperature in Canadian Archives and Conservation Environment Guidelines for Libraries and Archives. Of course this meant moving our holdings soon after Scott began working in Wetaskiwin. How convenient.
A boardroom was appropriated from the Finance Department as a secure temporary storage area. Thanks to efficient and hard working public works staff, volunteer Rod Hamilton, Scott and none to myself, 180 m of records and two map cabinets were relocated during one long, tiring day. We are currently working diligently on our 2003 budget.
Leslie Latta-Guthrie has joined the City of Edmonton Archives as its new City Archivist. Previously, she worked in the University of Alberta's Department of Museums and Collections Services.
Michael Dawe, of the Red Deer and District Museum and Archives, was one of twenty-one distinguished, community-minded citizens of Red Deer honoured on November 12th, 2002 in a presentation ceremony of Queen's Jubilee Medals by Red Deer MP Bob Mills. The following appeared in the Red Deer Advocate of November 14th:
Mr. Dawe has worked extensively toward preserving and developing the cultural heritage resources in Central Alberta. Over the past 20 years, Mr. Dawe has volunteered his time to develop the archival community of the province in organizations such as the Archives Society of Alberta, the Legal Archives Society of Alberta, and many other smaller organizations. In addition to his prominent role as author, speaker, and educator of the history of the region, Mr. Dawe is highly involved in community volunteerism. He has been actively involved in the David Thompson Health Region on a variety of boards, and the Rotary Service Club.
The Provincial Archives of Alberta celebrated this year's Archives Week with an archival trivia event. Each morning from October 7th though 11th staff members were emailed a multiple choice trivia question. Each question was based upon some aspect of archival trivia (e.g., who is the Patron Saint of Archives), and the first person to email the correct answer won a fabulous "goody bag." Competition among the staff was fierce with the victors winning by mere seconds. Bravo to all of the participants and congratulations to all of the winners!
The Provincial Archives of Alberta also teamed up with CBC Radio to spread Archives Week activities over the airwaves. Three times during the week, the CBC played three different audio recordings of historical food advertisements chosen from the holdings of the Provincial Archives. Based upon these recordings, listeners were asked a skill-testing question by our two celebrity archivists. Three lucky listeners each won a matted, black and white photograph from the Provincial Archives of Alberta. Thank you to the CBC for making our Archives Week activities such a success!
Submitted by Anna Gibson
ASA Institutional Member-at-Large Brock Silversides has left the Medicine Hat Museum and Art Gallery to take the position of Head of Audiovisual / Media Special Collections at the University of Toronto. Leslie Latta-Guthrie will take on the position of Institutional Member-at-Large.
At the Provincial Archives of Alberta, Melissa Lowenberg has left the Provincial Archives of Alberta to take a position with the Thompson-Nicola Regional Library District in Kamloops. Anna Gibson, formerly a CAIN Project Archivist, is working as the FOIP Officer and MUSH Sector Records Archivist. Alex Richmond, CN Railways Project archivist, has taken a position as University Archivist at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.
In the spring of 2003, the Provincial Archives of Alberta will move from its two present locations (12845 - 102 Avenue and 11628 - 142 Street), to its new location at:
8555 Roper Road, Edmonton. It is estimated that the Archives will be moving about 200,000 containers of information, which consists of approximately 39,000 meters of textual records, 75,000 maps and architectural drawings, 2,000,000 photographs and 112,000 hours of sound, film and video recordings.
Staff are excited about the new facility, as it will not only contain custodial and archival processing space, but also a fully equipped conservation lab and appropriate records storage facilities for archival holdings of all record types.
The objectives of the move include: minimizing disruption of services to clients; ensuring proper environments for, and mitigating damage to, archival records; ensuring safety of staff and other move personnel to eliminate the risk of injury; and adhering to the move schedule and budget as much as possible.
As we draw closer to the move date, "Bulletins" will be posted in the Reference Room to inform clients about the move plans, and move "Updates" will also be provided on our web site. The official opening for the new Provincial Archives of Alberta is scheduled for October 5, 2003.
The ASA welcomes Bruce Ibsen back to the Alberta community after a year in Australia!
| 
