Death in the archives

Distressing news from Thailand where eight people died at a bank as the result of a accidental release of fire extinguishing chemicals. Where did this tragedy occur? In the basement archive room of the Siam Commercial Bank's headquarters in Bangkok. Contractors were working on the system and tripped it. The chemical is called Pyrogen.
Source: http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/thailand-8-dead-after-lethal-pyrogen-spray-mistakenly-released-bangkok-bank-1549457

Colonial North American Project at Harvard University

Harvard University has embarked on a remarkable multi-year project to digitize and make freely available all 17th and 18th century archival records and publications from all its campus repositories relating to life in colonial North America. This ambitious enterprise is called the Colonial North Amercian Project at Harvard University.

In addition to the collection itself, there are also a series of thematic essays which provide deeper insight into the contents of this digital library and archives.

It appears that the public interface is powered by the Omeka open source software.

BitCurator Consortium launches website

The BitCurator Consortium (BCC) has launched its website at http://bitcuratorconsortium.org/. The website contains numerous information resources about the BitCurator Consortium, digital forensics, and more.

The BCC is an independent, community-led membership association that supports the curation of born-digital materials by libraries, archives, and museums. Members of the BitCurator user community founded BCC in 2014 to enhance, promote, and explore this growing area of professional activity.

The BitCurator environment is an Ubuntu-based Linux distribution that includes open source and public domain digital forensics tools, as well as unique reporting mechanisms and user interfaces, designed to assist libraries, archives, and museums with the curation of born-digital materials. Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the BitCurator project has developed, packaged, and documented open-source forensics and data analysis tools to create forensic disk images, analyze files and file systems, extract file system metadata, identify and redact sensitive information, and identify and remove duplicate files.

The BCC operates as an affiliated community of the Educopia Institute, a nonprofit organization that advances cultural, scientific, and scholarly institutions by catalyzing networks and collaborative communities to facilitate collective impact.

Source: edited from ARCAN-L, "Announcement: New BitCurator Consortium Website!", 020150903

Digital Library Federation DLF Forum meeting in Vancouver, BC, Canada, October 02015

The Digital Library Federation is holdings its DLF Forum in Vancouver, BC, Canada from October 26 to 28, 02015. The call for paper proposals is open until June 22, 02015 and the program will be announced in August. This is the first time the meeting has been held outside the United States.

Library and Archives Canada restores archival development funding

Library and Archives Canada's new Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP) appears to replace the National Archival Development Program (NADP) that the Library and Archives Canada cancelled more than three years ago. According to the Guidelines page,

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is investing $8,698,000 million over five (5) years to implement the Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP) to ensure Canada's continuing memory is documented and accessible to current and future generations by adopting a more collaborative approach with local documentary heritage communities. The program will be delivered in the form of contributions, which are based on eligibility criteria.

The contributions will support the development of Canada's local archival and library communities by increasing their capacity to preserve, provide access to and promote documentary heritage and will provide opportunities for local documentary heritage communities to evolve and remain sustainable and strategic.

As posted on the ARCAN-L mailing list on June 12, 02015 by Hilary Morgan, Director, Stakeholder Relations and International Affairs,Library and Archives Canada:

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce the launch of its new Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP). This contribution program is a collaborative approach which will ensure the outreach of Canada’s local documentary heritage communities.

The contributions will support the development of Canada’s local archival and library communities, as well as their professional associations, by increasing their capacity to preserve, provide access to and promote documentary heritage and will provide opportunities for local documentary heritage communities to evolve and remain sustainable.

LAC invites all eligible organizations to apply at their earliest convenience. The deadline for the 2015 funding cycle is September 4, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.
Additional information on the DHCP, including eligibility criteria for organizations and initiatives can be found on LAC’s website (www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/contributions) or by contacting LAC at (819) 997-0893 or 1-844-757-8035 (toll-free in Canada and the US).
Associated Links

DHCP Website (www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/contributions)

Guidelines (http://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/services/documentary-heritage-communities-program/Pages/guidelines.aspx)
Contacts
Documentary Heritage Communities Program
Telephone: (819) 997-0893 or 1-844-757-8035 (toll-free in Canada and the US)
Email: contributions@bac-lac.gc.ca

About Library and Archives Canada
The mandate of Library and Archives Canada is to preserve the documentary heritage of Canada for the benefit of present and future generations, and to be a source of enduring knowledge accessible to all, thereby contributing to the cultural, social and economic advancement of Canada. Library and Archives Canada also facilitates cooperation among communities involved in the acquisition, preservation and diffusion of knowledge, and serves as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions. Stay connected with Library and Archives Canada on Twitter (http://twitter.com/LibraryArchives) (@LibraryArchives), Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LibraryArchives), Flickr (http://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/) and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/LibraryArchiveCanada).

Hug an archivist: happy International Archives Day 02015

June 9, 02015 is International Archives Day. Here is the official blurb as posted on the mailing list ARCAN-L about the importance of International Archives Day and why you should hug an archivist today. I did not mean that literally, however, archivists and archives need our support as much as fire departments, police departments and libraries:

The International Council on Archives invites the world to celebrate International Archives Day on June 9!

All around the world, archivists will unite their voices on International Archives Day, June 9, to make the public understand why it is important to support archives and the profession. An excellent opportunity to discover or better know the archival profession, and to get in closer touch with a fascinating domain!

June 9 was launched in 2007 as International Archives Day because on the 9th of June 1948, the International Council on Archives (ICA) was created under the auspices of the UNESCO. This choice was adopted by the archives community as a whole around the world.

On this important universal awareness day, the President of the International Council on Archives, David Fricker reminds us to recognize the unique quality of archives as authentic evidence of administrative, cultural and intellectual activities and as a reflection of the evolution of societies. We also recognize the role of archivists in supporting the creation of records and making records available for use.

David Fricker says: "Archivists are the keepers of memory, bringing the past into the present.  Archivists make these primary sources available so that citizens can make their own sense of the past, to understand ourselves and to make informed decisions about the future" adding that "The Archivists true obligation is not to the past or even the present; archivists must always think of the future."

How to join the celebration of International Archives Day 2015

You will have the opportunity to celebrate this Day in your country, through activities and events organized by national or local archives institutions or professional associations.

In addition, archivists look forward to sharing their unique, extraordinary and rare treasures with you everywhere in the world. You will view these treasures at http://www.ica.org/17207/international-archives-day/the-international-archives-day-in-2015-9-june-2015.html

The ICA also developed the Universal Declaration on Archives which is a powerful, succinct statement of the relevance of archives in modern society.  On June 9, register your support for archives by signing the ICA online register at https://icarchives.wufoo.com/forms/register-your-support-for-the-uda/

1912 Goad Fire Insurance Plan now available in Vanmap

Vanmap, a geomatics tool from the City of Vancouver, now includes a layer representing Goad’s 1912 Fire Insurance Plan contributed by the City of Vancouver Archives. The fire insurance plan data is also available through the city's Open Data Catalogue. You can read an extensive description by the city archives about the fire insurance plan.

Royal BC Museum launches crowd-sourcing transcription project

From the announcement circulated to mailing lists such as ARCAN-L:

Today, to celebrate National Volunteer Week, the Royal BC Museum launched Transcribe (transcribe.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca), a crowd-sourcing website that invites the public to transcribe valuable historical records from our archival collection.

Wonder becomes reality: BC Government reaches agreement with Royal BC Museum on transfer of thousands of boxes to the BC Archives

You read it here first when I posted in early March 02015 a reflection about Bill 5, the Government Information Act that is working its way through the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia:

I wonder too whether with this new legislation the door may be opening for the payment of a one-time fee and transfer of thousands of boxes to the "museum archives of government" as the bill styles the Royal BC Museum.

On April 15, 02015 the BC Government announced that it had reached an agreement with the Royal BC Museum to begin funding the transfer of government records to the BC Archives.

According to the BC Government news release,

The agreement includes:

• Commitment to fund storage of government records being transferred to RBCM now and in the future (up-front payment for first 20 years).
• Government will provide up to $400,000/yr. funding to the RBCM for the costs of arranging, cataloguing and preserving newly transferred and future records (to be reviewed after five years).
• The RBCM will cover storage, arrangement, cataloguing and preservation costs relating to previously transferred archival records from its existing budget.

The agreement (memorandum of understanding) is included as part of the news release at

http://www.newsroom.gov.bc.ca/2015/04/agreement-reached-to-address-archival-backlog.html 

Congratulations to all involved in accomplishing this agreement, far more than I thought would be possible. I know from having worked at the BC Archives after it was amalgamated with the Royal BC Museum that there was a great deal of skepticism that any kind of accommodation with government would ever be reached. Thankfully, that goal has now been achieved.

"Tackling the wicked problem of managing records in the digital environment" lecture, Victoria, BC, April 21, 02015

As part of the Archives Association of British Columbia's pre-conference, Dr. Julie McLeod,  Professor in Records Management, iSchool, Northumbria University, United Kingdom, will present a lecture titled "Tackling the wicked problem of managing records in the digital environment".

The lecture will be held on April 21, 02015 at St. Ann's Academy Auditorium, 835 Humboldt St., Victoria, BC, from 10 am to 11 am. Pre-registration at a cost of $10 is required by April 20. You can pre-register at http://www.gifttool.com/registrar/ShowEventDetails?ID=1831&EID=19998

Further details and updates are at http://aabc.ca/resources/news/2015/4/7/new-aabc-pre-conference-lecture-in-victoria-announced/

British Columbia Government Information Act begins second reading in Legislative Assembly

Update for March 3, 02015: The second reading of Bill, the Government Information Act, began on March 2, 02015 in the British Columbia Legislative Assembly. The Hansard transcript is here: http://www.leg.bc.ca/hansard/40th4th/20150302pm-House-Blues.htm

In speaking about the bill, opposition member Doug Routley gave a lengthy critique and highlighted the 33,000 boxes of records in government warehouses awaiting transfer to the BC Archives, part of the Royal BC Museum.

 Original post: British Columbia government introduces legislation to create government digital archives

The British Columbia government introduced Bill 5, the Government Information Act, on February 12, 02015. The main purpose of the act is to repeal the 1936 Document Disposal Act. The new act will also establish a "digital archives for government information" and mandate a new position, the chief records officer, who will be "responsible for managing, securing and preserving the digital archives." The digitization of government information will become mandatory under this legislation unless the information is exempt from being digitized. Information in a non-digital form "must be digitized before it is archived."

Although it is open for interpretation and clarification, section 20(2)(e) appears to lay the groundwork for the government to begin paying fees to the Royal BC Museum for archival services. Except in a few very special circumstances, the Royal BC Museum has not taken in government records for over a decade. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner highlighted this situation in its July 02014 special report A Failure to Archive: Recommendations to Modernize Government Information Management. Could this bill be a response to the OIPCBC's report?

I wonder too whether with this new legislation the door may be opening for the payment of a one-time fee and transfer of thousands of boxes to the "museum archives of government" as the bill styles the Royal BC Museum.

The first reading version of the bill is at
http://www.leg.bc.ca/40th4th/1st_read/gov05-1.htm

A news release offers some additional information: the "digital archives will be open to the public and searchable online" and "The transition to digital information management will begin in the spring of 2015 and is expected to take three years."

The Victoria newspaper Times-Colonist's article about Bill 5 is here.

Denmark presents digitized cultural heritage to the world

According to this BBC News story, Denmark has opened its digitized cultural heritage of over two million images and other types of content to the world. The site is called arkivdk. The content comes from over 500 Danish archives. There appears to be no English language interface as yet.

Key reports and publications in Canadian archival history

The Association of Canadian Archivists created a page pulling together Key Reports and Publications in Canadian Archival History. The documents span the development of Canadian archives from the 19th century to the present.

Leading in the Digital World: Opportunities for Canada’s Memory Institutions report

The Council of Canadian Academics has released its report Leading in the Digital World: Opportunities for Canada's Memory Institutions. The report was assembled by an Expert Panel on Memory Institutions and the Digital Revolution haired by Dr. Doug Owram.

Good morning IRENE, new hope for early audio formats

The new IRENE Audio Preservation service at the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) is the culmination of a decade of research and development at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and the US Library of Congress.

The IRENE technology uses a non-contact approach, which eliminates the possibility of damage caused by mechanical contact of a stylus on fragile media.  The process creates ultra-high resolution images of the audio groove structures in either 2D or 3D, and the resulting image files are then processed through software that translates them into an audio file.

NEDCC CURRENTLY WORKS WITH THE FOLLOWING FORMATS:
Wax cylinders, lacquer discs ("acetate" discs), aluminum transcription discs, shellac discs, tin foils, and other rare formats (e.g., Dictabelt, Voice-O-Graph, etc.), and can handle rare, fragile, or damaged media.

LEARN MORE:
About the NEDCC IRENE Service:
https://www.nedcc.org/audio-preservation/about

About the History of the of the IRENE IMLS Grant Project at NEDCC:
https://www.nedcc.org/audio-preservation/history

QUESTIONS about NEDCC's IRENE Audio Preservation Service?
Contact:  Mason Vander Lugt, mlugt@nedcc.orgmlugt@nedcc.org
>
  NORTHEAST DOCUMENT CONSERVATION CENTER
Andover, MA  USA -  nedcc.org
JOIN THE NEDCC E-List for Updates on new IRENE projects and other preservation news you can use:
https://www.nedcc.org/contact/sign-up-for-news

 

Source: ARCAN-L mailing list, 020141120

Saskatchewan Historic Newspapers Online launched

The Saskatchewan Historic Newspapers Online collection has been created in collaboration between the Saskatchewan Archives and Sask History Online (SHO). The project when completed will see the digitization of newspapers from all across Saskatchewan from 1878 through to the mid 1960s. The first stage of the project that you see here focuses upon Saskatchewan newspapers published during the Great War period, from January 1914 through to the end of hostilities in 1918. This initial stage will ultimately include the equivalent of approximately 400 reels of microfilm from nearly 100 communities, making up over 200,000 pages of newsprint. The collection includes newspapers from communities across the province which were published in English, French, German, and Ukrainian.

Source: Saskatchewan Historic Newspapers Online (SHNO)

Royal Society of Canada expert panel on future of archives and libraries releases its report

The Royal Society of Canada’s Expert Panel on The Future Now: Canada’s Libraries, Archives, and Public Memory is now available at: https://rsc-src.ca/en/expert-panels/rsc-reports/future-now-canadas-libraries-archives-and-public-memory

A free copy of the full report is downloadable at the  bottom of the page.

Source: ARCAN-L mailing list, 020141113

Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC releases special report, "A Failure to Archive"

Elizabeth Denham, the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC, released a special report on July 22, 2014 titled "A Failure to Archive: Recommendations to Modernize Government Records Management". The report deals with three issues:

1. the decade-old backlog of 30,000+ boxes of records awaiting transfer from government to the BC Archives, which is part of the Royal BC Museum, a Crown corporation. The RBCM established a fee of $454 for the transfer of a box, so government offices decided to warehouse the records which was less expensive. 
2. "the lack of a practical method for archiving government’s electronic records", especially on the part of the BC Archives, which "does not have the capability to accept or archive those records. This challenge has been addressed in other jurisdictions, but B.C. [the province] has yet to make any significant progress in managing the archiving of electronic records."
3. modernization of the legislative framework for records management.

You can download the PDF report at https://www.oipc.bc.ca/special-reports/ and a press release is available for downloading at https://www.oipc.bc.ca/news-releases/

The Getty opens its public domain art to all

The Getty launched its Open Content Program on August 12, 02013 to make digital versions of its public domain artwork available to all. They went above and beyond, as have some other cultural organizations, by providing "high-resolution, reproduction-quality images with embedded metadata, some over 100 megabytes in size."

I applaud The Getty's decision and hope that many more cultural institutions will follow their example. In British Columbia, the City of Vancouver Archives has a comparable policy to the Getty. I would love to see my former employer, the Royal British Columbia Museum, step onto the open access/open content stage. Perhaps this will happen once the BC Archives, which has been part of the RBCM for a decade, converts its database systems for public access via the new content management system, work on which has been underway for at least five years. Amazingly, the existing BC Archives search system is nearly 20 years old, possibly a world record when it comes to public access Web-based databases.

I've always felt it was wrong for cultural institutions to charge money for the use or licensing of public domain content they were preserving since most if not all these organizations also held full rights to other content or could find other ways to generate revenue.

 For some further information about The Getty's decision, see President and CEO of the J. Paul Getty Trust Jame Cuno's article "Open Content, An Idea Whose Time Has Come" in The Getty Iris.

Census of Canada 1921 available for free at Ancestry.ca

In one of those P3 (public-private partnership) deals, the first phase in the release of the 1921 Census of Canada was announced by the Library and Archives Canada on August 9, 2013. Here's how it reads:

Canadians can now browse the 1921 Census data of the Canadian population, free of charge on Ancestry.ca.
The 1921 Census includes 197,529 images; it is therefore a massive electronic file to prepare and make accessible. Once it is fully indexed, this census will be the largest source of Canadian genealogical information online.
Researchers can explore the 197,529 pages of information through an index of districts and sub-districts. Ancestry.ca will also take the extra step of indexing 8.8 million names, addresses and other information for a searchable database, and developing advanced search tools to go along with it. Canadians will only be required to pay for the extra convenience of doing advanced searches from the comfort of their home. Ancestry.ca will assume the costs associated with this work and will offer a choice of free or paid access.

• Free access will be possible in person at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and through hundreds of subscribing libraries across Canada. 
• Free access to raw census records will be available online. 
• Paid access will only be necessary if someone wants the extra convenience of doing advanced searches from home.

Individuals can make the most of their visit in Library and Archives Canada’s reading room in Ottawa by preparing in advance and consulting Preparing for a Visit or viewing the Orientation Services for Clients at 395 Wellington video or reading the blog post, The Top Five Things You Need to Know Before You Visit.

Canadians can access censuses taken before 1921 on Library and Archives Canada’s Census webpage.