Introduction to Archives

Introduction to Archives

General Resources

Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA)

Canadian Council of Archives (CCA)

Society of American Archivists (SAA)

Library of Congress: Librarians and Archivists: Tools and Resources for Information Professionals

Managing Archives (IRMT)

Records Management

ARMA International

ARMA Canada

BC Government Records Management

BC Government ARCS Online: Administrative Records Classification System

International Records Management Trust

ISO Information and documentation: Records Management

World Bank Group Archives - Records Management Roadmap (August 2020)

Useful for governments and public-sector organizations to help them implement strategic and effective records management programs. The Roadmap is an eight-part toolkit for institutions wishing to improve the management of their records. It provides guidance, assessment tools, explanations of terms and concepts, and resources, to allow organizations to evaluate their records management needs and identify priorities for action.

What is an Archivist?

So you want to be an Archivist

What do Archivists do all day?

Ethics

ACA Canadian Code of Ethics

SAA Code of Ethics for Archivists

ICA Code of Ethics

Archival Theory and Principles

The Spirit of Total Archives: Seeking a Sustainable Archival System

The Tyranny of the Medium: A Comment on "Total Archives"

What is Archival Theory and Why is it Important?

Archival Theory and Practice: Between Two Paradigms

The Place of Theory in Archival Practice

Archival Theory and the Dutch Manual

The Power of the Principle of Provenance

Theoretical Principles and Practical Problems of Respect des Fonds in Archival Science

Terminology

Rules for Archival Description (RAD) - Appendix D. Glossary

SAA Dictionary of Archives Terminology

Climate Change and Archives Resources

The NDSA announces the new Climate Watch Substack. The site is a comprehensive resource for digital stewardship practitioners to explore the intersection of climate research and digital preservation. You can subscribe here: ndsaclimatewatch.substack.com

Pendergrass, Keith L., et al. (2019). Toward environmentally sustainable digital preservation. The American Archivist 82:1, 165 -206, https://doi.org/10.17723/0360-9081-82.1.165

Eira Tansey (2015). Archival adaptation to climate change. Sustainability: Science, Practice and Policy, 11:2, 45-56, https://doi.org/10.1080/15487733.2015.11908146

T. Mazurczyk, et al. (2018). American archives and climate change: Risks and adaptation. Climate Risk Management 20, 111-125, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2018.03.005

Oliver, Amanda (2021). The impact of climate change on Canadian archives. Records Management Journal, 31:3, 284-302, https://doi.org/10.1108/RMJ-10-2020-0035

Climate Change Impacts on Libraries and Archives course: https://libraryjuiceacademy.com/shop/course/328-climate-change-impacts-on-libraries-and-archives/

The Green New Deal for Archives: https://www.clir.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2023/07/A-Green-New-Deal-for-Archives2.pdf

Open Climate Campaign: https://openclimatecampaign.org/

Climate Action Strategy - American Library Association: https://sustainablelibrariesinitiative.org/news/sli-joins-forces-ala-create-climate-action-strategy-libraries

Trauma Informed Archives Resources

ACA Public Awareness and Advocacy Committee (PAAC), Jan 2025: Trauma-Informed Archives Resource List

Archives and Records Association UK. (2017). Emotional Support Guides: https://www.archives.org.uk/resources

Laurent, N. & Hart, M. (2018). “Emotional Labor and Archival Practice - Reflection”. Journal of the Society of North Carolina Archivists, 15, pp.13-22: https://www.ncarchivists.org/resources/Documents/JSNCA/JSNCA_Vol15_2018.pdf

Sloan, K, Vanderfluit, J and Douglas, J (2019). “Not 'Just My Problem to Handle': Emerging Themes on Secondary Trauma and Archivists”. Journal of Contemporary Archival Studies, Vol 6, Article 20: https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/jcas/vol6/iss1/20/

Thorpe, K and Willis, C (2019). “Aboriginal Histories in Australia Government Archives: Working with Records of Trauma”. Acid Free: https://www.laacollective.org/work/aboriginal-histories-in-australia-government-archives/

Weber, G (2019). “Gratitude in the Archives”. Garland Magazine: https://garlandmag.com/article/gratitude-in-the-archives/

Laurent, N. & Wright, K. (2020). “A trauma-informed approach to managing archives: a new online course”. Archives and Manuscripts, 48 (1), pp.80-87: https://doi.org/10.1080/01576895.2019.1705170, full text available https://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/233959

Douglas, J et al, Hard Feelings: on the intimate and emotional dimensions of archival work (blog): https://blogs.ubc.ca/hardfeelings/

Laurent, N. & Hart, M. (2020). “Building a trauma-informed community of practice”. Education for Information, 37 (1), pp.1-6: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350035240_Building_a_trauma-informed_community_of_practice

Publications

Archives: Principles and Practices by Laura Millar. (Neil-Schuman Publishers Inc., 2010)

Understanding Archives and Manuscripts (Archival Fundamentals Series II) by James M. O'Toole and Richard J. Cox. (Society of American Archivists, 2006)

Glossary of Archival and Records Terminology (Archival Fundamentals Series. II) by Richard Pearce-Moses. (Society of American Archivists, 2005)

Archival Theory, Records, and the Public by Trevor Livelton. (Scarecrow Press, January 2004)

Imagining Archives: Essays and Reflections by Hugh A. Taylor by Terry Cook and Gordon Dodds (eds.) (Scarecrow Press, Inc., Association of Canadian Archivists & Society of American Archivists, 2003)

Ethics and the Archival Profession: Introduction and Case Studies by Karen M. Benedict. (Society of American Archivists, 2003)

Managing Records as Evidence and Information by Richard J. Cox. (Quorum Books, 2001)

Keeping Archives by Judith Ellis (ed), 2nd ed. (Melbourne: D. W. Thorpe and the Australian Society of Archivists, 1993)

Canadian Archival Studies and the Rediscovery of Provenance by Tom Nesmith (ed.) (Association of Canadian Archivists, Society of American Archivists)