 The City of Edmonton ArchivesKathryn Evany
Ms. Evany started by explaining that everyone who keeps memories in the forms of photos, movies, documents or other artifacts are archivists. So that means that everyone in the room is an archivist and may have trouble keeping track of all the items that we have already. Now multiply that by all the employees and interested citizens in the city and then you will see the kind of work that is being undertaken at the City Archives.
The archives are housed in the Prince of Wales Armouries. The building was constructed in 1915. In addition to being the training ground for First World War recruits and since having a long history of military involvement until the 1980s, it has also been home to local cadets, flea markets and the food bank and various other organizations.
Members of the public can do research at the Archives free of charge. Their services are available 8:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday; and on Wednesdays to 8 pm. They are a municipal government organization that serves approximately 7,000 researchers annually.
Kathryn gave many examples of the type of documents and information that are available as well as how each are stored and the challenges in doing so. She also touched on the challenges of attempting to archive information in a digital age. You would think that it would be easier, but equipment, software and file types are always being upgraded, so this presents a unique challenge.
The Archivists provide access to original material – the raw data of research – without interpretation and without bias.
Occasionally, however, the Archivists will create an exhibit – on-site in display areas, or virtually on the internet – to showcase the collections and raise awareness – or to help tell the stories of the City in interesting ways. These online exhibits and much other information about the Archives can be found at: www.edmonton.ca/archives
Ms. Evany was thanked by Art Lachance for her very informative presentation.
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