Archives of Ontario presents Archive Awareness Week at York

Archives of Ontario Archives week poster

The Archives of Ontario will host a series of activities on Thursday to celebrate Archive Awareness Week, where attendees can experience first-hand rare archival footage and get a behind-the-scenes tour of the building.

Archives BuildingOn Thursday, April 9, there will be a series of presentations and activities, including a talk by York University head archivist Michael Moir, who will explore the impact of generational change on the development of York University’s research collections. The discussion, “The Once and Future Archive”, will look at how this transition has opened many horizons, including broadcast communications, sexual diversity and multiculturalism.

Attendees can also visit the Ask-a-Conservator Booth, from 10am to 4pm, for information on how to preserve and handle family heirlooms, such as historical documents, photographs and books. Or participate in the Multicultural History Society of Ontario’s newly developed archive session, which offers a view of oral histories collected from ethnic communities across Ontario.

The day will be packed with information on the current initiatives at the archives, expert presentations, as well as a tour of the Archives of Ontario with an introduction to the building’s public areas. There will also be a First World War exhibit and an overview of the Preservation Services Lab. To end off the week, there will be the “Finding Your Upper Canada Ancestors” workshop on Saturday, April 11th to get expert help with your genealogical research.

Learn more about the archives and collections happening all week long at the Archives of Ontario from April 7 to 11, at 134 Ian Macdonald Boulevard, York University, Keele campus.

For more information, including a complete list of presentations and activities, and to register, visit the Archives of Ontario website.

By Shanice Grocia, communications assistant