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Board of Directors report for the year 2001-2002
Submitted by Jo-Ann Munn Gafuik, President, June 1, 2002
The year 2001-2002 will be remembered as a turning point in the history of the Archives Society of Alberta. It has been an exciting and challenging year as the Board of Directors oversaw the continuing evolution of ongoing projects and sought new opportunities to promote the development of Alberta's archival community.
The most visible activities this year have surrounded the ASA's CAIN initiative. In June, the ASA received a $1.225 million Centennial Legacies grant from the Province of Alberta to expand development of the Archives Network of Alberta (ANA) database. Combined with the federal CAIN funding from the Canadian Council of Archives, the ASA is in the strongest position of all provincial archival associations in relation to archival Internet initiatives. In addition to the digitization and RAD conversion project grants received by many institutional members, this funding has allowed the ASA to hire Geraldine Harris as the CAIN Project Manager with responsibilities for overall co-ordination and project reporting.
Geraldine's first major task was to co-ordinate the selection of the database software. After completing a review process, the Board chose the existing Cinemage software to mount the ANA database online, and Bill Purver has been contracted to customize the ANA database to meet the needs of institutional members contributing data and researchers using the system. During the process of purchasing the server to house the database and selecting hardware and software managers, the ASA website was moved from the Glenbow site to its own domain at www.archivesalberta.org. This will allow the managers to co-ordinate updates and ensure smooth transfer of data between systems.
The results of this funding are felt throughout the province as institutions receive the necessary hardware and software to participate fully in the ASA's ongoing goal to provide greater access to the documentary heritage of the province. As the province's centennial celebrations approach, the ASA's efforts in this area will take on increasing importance.
While the CAIN/ANA initiative has captured the lion's share of attention, the ASA has continued to make advances in other areas. The ASA Education Programme continues to offer timely and popular workshops, as shown by the fully subscribed Archival Ethics and Modern Information Carriers seminars. The ASA Archives Education Institute continues to draw a large audience seeking basic archival education and will likely continue for at least the next two years. Next year's program of workshops, including another Institute and sessions on Privacy and Emergency Preparedness, promise to offer compelling professional development opportunities for Alberta's archivists.
A variety of public awareness and advocacy activities also occupied the Board throughout the year. Archives Week featured a luncheon speech by Dr. Terry Cook and the creative virtual exhibit, "Extreme Archives." The Board continued its participation in the Alberta Heritage Council, serving as the coordinating organization for this year, as well as the Provincial Archives Advisory Board. ASA representatives also participated fully in the Government of Alberta's Future Summit consultations. The Board has also offered its assistance with discussions surrounding the staffing changes at the City of Edmonton Archives and has drafted a submission to the committee reviewing Alberta's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Last fall, the ASA, along with representatives from the other provincial heritage organizations, met with the Minister of Community Development, the Hon. Gene Zwozdesky, to discuss an increase to the annual grant allocation provided to the province's heritage sector under the Alberta Historical Resources Foundation. In particular, we were concerned about increasing financial obligations as a result of CAIN, the inability to afford appropriate office space, an increasing need for technical training, and our diminishing ability to deal with access to holdings grant requests. We have just received word and I am pleased to announce that, subject to the approval of the Legislative Assembly, the annual allocation to the ASA will increase from $100,000 to $160,000 commencing in the fiscal year 2003/2004. This will go a long way toward dealing with the pressures outlined above.
In this time of change and evolution, the Board has addressed the internal management of the Society. The creation of a Finance Committee is a natural outgrowth of the need to provide careful stewardship of the Centennial Legacy grant as well as the ASA's ongoing funding. The financial management over the past year has ensured that the ASA's finances are healthy and in good order. The Board has reviewed existing and, where necessary, created new policies and procedures to ensure that the ASA is working as efficiently as possible during this period of change.
With the support of the membership, the Board of Directors will continue its activities and projects to further the development of the province's archivists and archival institutions. My thanks to everyone for their work and support over the past year.
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