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"An Interesting Kind of Darkness"
David Dusome, Executive Director, Museums Alberta
I was one of 14 participants in this year's Archives Institute, held May 13-18, 2002 at Concordia University College, in Edmonton. As Executive Director of Museums Alberta, I was especially interested in learning more about the role and function of archives since so many of our institutional members are both museums and archives and virtually all of our cultural history museums hold archival material.
Almost all participants were working in, or had previous experience in, archives. I do not. My personal challenge was to set aside definitions and practices we use in the museum field in order to embrace their different meanings when used in archives. Not always an easy task, but by the end of the six days I was proud (and surprised!) to say that I had survived the Archives Institute!
The Institute is an intensive, focussed and demanding week with sessions running to 10:00 pm daily. It is also one of the most rewarding learning programs I've experienced.
Co-instructors Michael Gourlie and Margery Hadley set the stage with an in-depth historical background, introduction to Canadian archival practice and a look at the archival scene in Alberta. Throughout the week they delivered a dynamic, engaging and comprehensive program covering the functional areas of archival practice: institutional mandate and foundational policies, selection, appraisal, arrangement, description, and processing.
Guest presenters provided additional insights on client needs and reference services, conservation / preservation topics, and on emergency preparedness and response. Our visit to the Lutheran Historical Institute Archives was especially valuable. Here, we saw principles applied and I commend archivist Karen Baron for sharing with us not only her Archives' successes and challenges, but also her grander vision for its future.
Material was delivered with ease, humour, patience and, above all, competence. As participants, we were enveloped in a learning environment where questions, comments and disagreements were encouraged. It was refreshing to hear instructors debate each other's answers, supporting their positions with personal experiences. This reinforced that, like any profession, archival work is not an exact science, but relies on the judgment of the archivist based on accepted standards, best practices and adherence to a code of ethics.
Throughout the week, we returned time and again to basic definitions and core principles. This grounding was particularly useful for the few of us, like myself, new to the material. I must admit that during those first few days, I was often quite confused. One day in class, a fellow student commented that he was still 'in the dark.' I expressed that I was too, but that it was, nonetheless, an 'interesting kind of darkness!'
I would encourage anyone working in or using archives to enroll in the ASA Archives Institute. For my part, I learned a great deal and I am encouraging members of Museums Alberta to broaden their own understanding of our heritage resources by enrolling next year. My congratulations to the Archives Society of Alberta for developing such an innovative learning opportunity!
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