Current archival thinking and debate in English-speaking Canada are reflected in this selection of previously published essays, arranged in four broad categories: the overall history and evolution of Canadian archives; major theoretical statements on the nature of archives and archival work; systematic analyses of archival records and media; and highlights of Canadian contributions to archival practice. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Records and archival arrangements in Australia are globally relevant because Australia's indigenous people represent the oldest living culture in the world, and because modern Australia is an ex-colonial society now heavily multicultural in outlook. Archives and Societal Provenance explores this distinctiveness using the theoretical concept of societal provenance as propounded by Canadian archival scholars led by Dr Tom Nesmith. The book's seventeen essays blend new writing and re-workings of earlier work, comprising the fi rst text to apply a societal provenance perspective to a national setting.After a prologue by Professor Michael Moss entitled A prologue to the afterlife, this title consists of four sections. The first considers historical themes in Australian recordkeeping. The second covers some of the institutions which make the Australian archival story distinctive, such as the Australian War Memorial and prime ministerial libraries. The third discusses the formation of archives. The fourth and final part explores debates surrounding archives in Australia. The book concludes by considering the notion of an archival afterlife. - Presents material from a life's career working and thinking about archives and records and their multiple relationships with history, biography, culture and society - The first book to focus specifically on the Australian archival scene - Covers a wide variety of themes, including: the theoretical concept of the records continuum; census records destruction; Prime Ministerial Libraries; and the documentation of war

With new technologies and additional goals driving their institutions, archives are changing drastically. This book shows how the foundations of archival practice can be brought forward to adapt to new environments—while adhering to the key principles of preservation and access. Archives of all types are experiencing a resurgence, evolving to meet new environments (digital and physical) and new priorities. To meet those changes, professional archivist education programs—now one of the more active segments of LIS schools—are proliferating as well. This book identifies core archival theories and approaches and how those interact with major issues and trends in the field. The essays explore the progression of archival thinking today, discussing the nature of archives in light of present-day roles for archivists and archival institutions in the preservation of documentary heritage. Examining new conceptualizations and emerging frameworks through the lenses of core archival practice and theory, the book covers core foundational topics, such as the nature of archives, the ruling concept of provenance, and the principal functions of archivists, discussing each in the context of current and future environments and priorities. Several new essays on topics of central importance not treated in the first edition are included, such as digital preservation and the influence of new technologies on institutional programs that facilitate archival access, advocacy, and outreach; the changing legal context of archives and archival work; and the archival collections of private persons and organizations. Readers will also learn how communities of various kinds intersect with the archival mission and how other disciplines' perspectives on archives can open new avenues.

In this collection of essays some of Canada's foremost writers and thinkers, including John Ralston Saul and Margaret Atwood, call for equilibrium among economics, culture, and technological change. While promoting the dynamism and change possible in Canadian society, they also call for a re-examination of Canada's past in order to chart its future.

Currents of Archival Thinking explores key topics in the theory and practice of archival studies within three frameworks: (1) the foundational concepts of the discipline, (2) the main components of the archival mission, and (3) the metaphors that shape how we think about archives and archival institutions. Each essay will explore a given topic from both a historical and contemporary perspective, with contributors drawn from Europe, Australia, Canada, and the United States and featuring a mix of academics and practitioners.

Spectacular, scientific, and educational cultural practices were used to establish and define public identities in the British colonies of nineteenth-century Canada. In Visibly Canadian, Karen Stanworth argues that visual representations were the era's primary mode of expressing identity, and shows how the citizenry of Quebec and Ontario was - or was not - represented in the visual culture of the time. Through nine case studies, each representing key moments of identity formation and contestation, Stanworth investigates how a broad range of cultural phenomena, from fine arts to institutional histories to public spectacles, were used to order, resist, and articulate identities within specific social and economic contexts. The negotiation and planning underpinning civic culture are evident in rare moments of compromise such as the surprising proposal from the Saint-Jean-Baptiste Society to merge their annual parade with the celebration of Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897. Equally astounding is the scale of nineteenth-century public spectacles; reenactments of Victorian scenes of war often attracted crowds of upwards of 10,000 people. Illustrated with over fifty images, many unseen for over a century, Visibly Canadian establishes the extraordinary significance of artwork and public spectacles in cutting across language, religion, and class to tell stories of nationhood, belonging, and difference.

Like their librarian colleagues, reference archivists mediate between the user and the source material. However, given the nature of archival materials and of their holding repositories, unique issues arise. While such matters as provenance and original order and access and security continue to be vital underpinnings of their work, a myriad of other issues comes into play as reference archivists attempt to balance the competing demands of donors, researchers, the public, and the press. From the creation and dissemination of finding aids for electronic resources to the implementation of marketing strategies to increase support and strengthen service, Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts shows you how to thrive in the changing world of archival reference. Intended to foster an appreciation of the issues both within and beyond the field of archives, Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts reveals that today's archivist is straddling the world of the traditional with the world of the new. The book establishes its value as it guides you through new concerns such as how to: take advantage of technological developments in appraisal, accession, and preservation address copyright, privacy, and funding issues for electronic resources mount archival cataloging records on local and wide-area databases create a publicly available site on the Internet improve in-house access tools, professional abilities, and the caliber of public service address security issues and respond to theft Reference Services for Archives and Manuscripts also helps you by preparing you for changes in the relationship between archivist and researcher that will inevitably occur with further changes in technology. Other vital issues discussed are improved access for unserved and underserved groups, a revision in ethical codes, and the ability of archivists to become more customer-centered.