SCAA COVID-19 messages

To our SCAA membership:

We wanted to reach out to our members to be sure you are all updated as to how SCAA has been handling the uncertainty of the Covid-19 pandemic. We realize that for most, the priority is to keep yourself, your families and your workplaces as safe as possible.

We have been doing the same, taking necessary steps to protect the community at large.

The Privacy Round-table Workshop that was scheduled for March 27^thand was postponed until a later date, is still being planned. There will be other educational offerings as well in the coming year, and we;continue to monitor and re-evaluate our upcoming programs as necessary and try to gauge the best outlet for their presentation. Our commitment to our mission, vision and values stands; and we strive to offer you the best services and professional development opportunities available under the circumstances. Please watch for further details.
Our Annual General Meeting was held on June 24^thby virtual means. Thank you to those that attended, and assisted in conducting council business.
Our Archives Advisor, Cameron Hart, will refrain from site visits for the time-being, but is eager to help by phone at (306) 242-0796 or email, scaa.advisorsasktel.net. When everyone is comfortable arrangements for an in-person visit can be made.
The back-end work on the SAIN merger project was completed in March, creating a new consolidated database for Saskatchewan archival descriptions. Several contributing institutions have been adding and updating entries through a temporary hosting arrangement. This arrangement was facilitated by USask, which hosts the public database, to minimize further downtime as their IT staff were focused on support required due to the pandemic. We now expect to be able to publicly launch the new MemorySask – SAIN database by mid to late September.

We are also calling on you to work together and share resources. If you have a story or experience you would like to communicate; or feel the need to connect, discuss and collaborate with peers, consider contributing to SCAA’s Outside the Box Blog. Please contact scaa.advisorsasktel.net for a submission.

It is not too late to renew your memberships if it was not possible to do so previously. Please contact the office at scaasasktel.net or at 306-780-9414 to make a payment, ask a question or express concerns.

SCAA is moving forward with our Institutional Grants Program (IGP) for 2021-2022 and invite member institutions to visit the funding web-page to apply.

The SCAA staff, Board and committees will continue to adapt as the situation changes, and hopefully improves, and will take whatever steps are prudent and appropriate. When the time is right, we look forward to being back up and running as close to usual as possible!

Mission

The SCAA promotes Saskatchewan's documentary heritage through leadership, support and education of archives and archivists.

Goals:

1. Refine governance systems

2. Improve programs and services

3. Expand human and financial resources

4. Enhance communication with members

5. Increase awareness of value and use of archives

Current SCAA projects

MemorySask - SAIN Merger

Public launch update

September 28th and 29th marked for data freeze prior to the public launch

After a 2020 that has seen much of our world altered in negative ways the SCAA is excited to offer a positive change!

As part of the SCAA's mission to promote the use of Archives, we have maintained the Saskatchewan Archival Information Network (SAIN) with the help of the University of Saskatchewan. SAIN initially was established in 2000 and has gone through many transformations since. It is a network of information about archival holdings in Saskatchewan and currently consists of two databases, one containing descriptions of archival collections and the other descriptions and digital scans of photographs in our members' collections.

One of the most significant transformations was the deployment of the software platform "Access to Memory" or AtoM. This piece of software is open-source, developed by Artefactual Systems in British Columbia, and has been implemented by most provinces and territories including Archives Canada at the national level. AtoM allows our members to directly enter their descriptions into the database, with minimal help of SCAA staff. The ability to handle all the differing levels in archival description with the AtoM software has made it possible to merge SCAA's two SAIN databases into one.

In late 2019, U of S, with funding and staff support from SCAA, contracted Artefactual Systems to merge the two databases. This was a major undertaking involving both custom programming and manual review of descriptions. The work on the SAIN merger project was completed in March. Since then, several contributing institutions have been adding and updating entries through a temporary hosting arrangement. This arrangement was facilitated by U of S, which hosts the public database, to minimize further downtime as their IT staff were focused on support required due to the pandemic.

Now with the U of S able to take-on the hosting duties from Artefactual the public launch is on the horizon. Research and searches of the full content of both databases at once will be possible, including the ability to search within different photograph collections making MemorySask - SAIN a powerful tool for research.

After the data freeze on September 28th and 29th those institutions already contributing will be able to log-in was usual. Institutions who wish to begin contributing can contact the Archives Advisor (Cam) at either 306-242-0796 or email, scaa.advisor@sasktel.net, to get your Log-in set up.

Watch for further news as we near our Public launch!

AtoM is being used provincially and nationally;

British Columbia, https://www.memorybc.ca/; Alberta, https://albertaonrecord.ca/; Manitoba, https://main.lib.umanitoba.ca/; Ontario, https://www.archeion.ca/; New Brunswick, https://search.canbarchives.ca/; Nova Scotia, https://memoryns.ca/; Prince Edward Island, http://www.archives.pe.ca/atom/; Newfoundland, https://arc.anla.nf.ca/.

And finally, of course, Library and Archives of Canada, https://archivescanada.accesstomemory.ca/

Archival Records/Primary Sources

An archival record can be:

A textual document like a letter, a report or meeting minutes
A visual document like a photograph, map or architectural drawing
An audio document like a tape recording of music or oral history interview
A multimedia document like a home movie
A digital document like an email

The important thing to remember about any kind of archival record is that it is a primary
source of historical information.

A primary source is a record created or collected by an individual, organization or institution to document a particular event, activity, idea or decision.

Some examples of primary sources include: letters and diaries; government, church, and business records; oral histories; photographs, motion pictures, and videos; maps and land records; and blueprints.

These archival records/primary sources provide unique opportunities for exploring and understanding history.
By examining the primary sources stored in any archives, one can begin to see why history attaches importance to specific dates, names and places. At the same time, you may find information related to these dates, names and places that you would not be able to find in any history textbook.

Whats new

MemorySask - SAIN merger update

September 28th and 29th marked for data freeze prior to the public launch. See message on the SAIN webpage for more details

Institutional Grants Program 2021-22

2020 has been has been a very fluid year and this is a reminder that things are still moving forward in our new normal.
The SCAA Grants Committee invites Institutional Members to submit project proposals for the 2021-22 Institutional Grants Program (IGP) and a limit of $5000 per project continues.