Greetings to all,

As previously mentioned at the 2005 AAO Conference, "Building Community Archives", one of the sessions had delegates come up with suggestions to build and promote our community of Archives at the Association level, at the Institution level, and as an Individual Associate. Through these suggestions, the AAO Board has decided to begin posting to the listserv questions and discussion threads that have emerged from the conference and from our strategic planning sessions. It is our hope that we will be able to create some meaningful discussion with those within the archival community.

Several suggestions and concerns that have come up included issues of identity, partnerships, and advocacy. Because of this I'd like to begin the first posting with this question:

"With Museums and Libraries expanding their focus to include more and more archival materials, how do Archives set themselves apart from the rest of the Heritage Community? On the other hand, do partnerships with other groups/organizations help heighten the profile of the archival community?"

Please feel free to contribute any thoughts and/or ideas that you might have. We are hoping to eventually compile an article for the OTR with the suggestions and concerns brought up through these postings. 

Happy discussing!

Liz Mayville


Vice President
Archives Assocation of Ontario