Preface [1988]

This Manual is not a textbook for professionally educated or trained archivists. It is designed to help persons in small archives, with limited access to training, with few employees, with restricted finances and time. It attempts to explain archival principles and practices, offer guidelines and suggestions for various archival activities, and provide information on available resources, such as archival publications, regional and national associations, and other supplies and services for archives.

A Manual for Small Archives started inauspiciously at a joint meeting of the Association of British Columbia Archivists and the North West Archivists at Seattle in May 1984. Driving down and back to Seattle with Linda Johnston, Men with the Delta Museum and Archives, we talked about the needs of the archivists in the small repositories throughout the province. we concluded that A.B.C.A. was the instrument and a survey of member needs was the vehicle for action.

Linda co-opted an archivist colleague, Elizabeth Eso from the Richmond Museum and Archives, to sound out the association's executive on a proposed survey. The answer was positive and an ad hoc committee was struck with members Linda and Elizabeth. A survey was drafted and circulated to the membership and the majority conclusion was to prepare a "how to" manual for archivists in small archives and museums. The findings of the ad hoc committee were startling in that over 70 per cent of the archives that responded had no permanent full-time employees and nearly 60 per cent had no permanent part-time employees. Most repositories were managed by volunteers working part-time and alone. The average archives had less than 600 square feet of storage and office space, and over 95 per cent shared their space with a museum, library, municipal hall, or other institution. The archives collected all types of archival material, from private manuscripts and government records to photographs, videotapes, maps, and oral histories. Almost every respondent asked for more educational assistance, particularly in the form of workshops, pamphlets, and a basic manual on archival practices.

David Chamberlin, then president of A.B.C.A., struck an Education Committee later to be called Small Archives Committee, and asked me to serve as chair. I invited Linda Johnston, Elizabeth Eso, Lillian Bickerton from the Surrey Museum and Archives, and Leonard DeLozier, archives advisor for the Provincial Archives of British Columbia, to join with me in this simple and straightforward enterprise. Hah!

Work began immediately and We committee acquired grants from the British Columbia Heritage Trust ($4,500) and the Koerner Foundation ($1,000). The former allowed us to hire Diane Beattie, a master of archival studies student, to aid us in developing a structure for the Manual and to prepare a bibliography. Diane was followed by Linda Johnston as our writer. At the end of this period we were nearly out of money and beginning to feel that writing a "book" was not an easy role for a group of amateur writers who were otherwise employed full time.

Enter Laura Coles, a master of archival studies graduate and a freelance archivist and editor. Grants began to arrive again with funds from the B.C. Cultural Services Branch ($4,000)and another Koerner award ($1000). We were on a roll! Chapters began to flow; monthly meetings were constructive and further funding was awarded from the Canadian Council of Archives ($5,000 and $2,500) and Association of British Columbia Archivists from internally transferred funds($2,500) and again the British Columbia Heritage Trust ($6,000). The Canadian Council of Archives attached a caveat to their grant whereby a market survey or test of the text of the Manual was required in two provinces before the funds could be spent. This was agreed and Alberta and Nova Scotia became the guinea pigs! Six archivists in small repositories in each province were identified and the manuscript was sent to those individuals trough the good offices of the Provincial Archivists, Brian Speirs in Alberta and Carman Carroll in Nova Scotia. We had previously sent copies to six archivists to be readers in British Columbia. The eighteen readers provided critical comment which aided us enormously in improving the text.

Our committee wishes to thank both individuals and organizations for their assistance in bringing to completion As publication which has been in gestation for four years and at a cost of over $26,000. We first must bow to the members of the executive committee of the Association of British Columbia Archivists: their support has been constant and their decisions timely. We further wish to thank the British Columbia Heritage Trust for two grants, the Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation for three grants, the Cultural Service Branch of the B.C. Government, and the Canadian Council of Archives fortwo grants. Numerous individuals gave advice freely and we thank them together with those below:

British Columbia: Sister Thelma Boutin, Saint Ann Archives, Victoria; Jim Bowman, Chilliwack Museum, Chilliwack; Barry Byers, Conservation Division, Public Archives of British Columbia, Victoria; Jennifer Carpenter, Heiltsuk Cultural and Educational Centre, Waglisla; David Chamberlin, Library and Maps Division, Public Archives of British Columbia, Victoria; Laurenda Daniells, University Archives, U.B.C., Vancouver; Jerry Davison, Visual Records Division, Public Archives of British Columbia, Victoria; Ann Holt, Alberni District Historical Society Archives, Alberni; Carol Law, Harrison Lake Historical Society, Harrison Hot Springs; Derek Reimer, Sound and Moving Image Division, Public Archives of British Columbia, Victoria; Diane Rogers, Port Moody Station Museum, Port Moody; Allen Specht, Sound and Moving Image Division, Public Archivesof British Columbia, Victoria; June Thompson, North Shore Museum and Archives, North Vancouver; Kathy Trainer, Sidney Museum, Sidney; Linda Wills, Vernon Museum and Archives, Vernon; Betty Walsh, Conservation Division, Public Archives of British Columbia, Victoria.

Alberta: Laurette Doucett, Eastern Irrigation District Archives and Library, Brooks; Carolyn Hill, City of Wetaskiwin Archives, Wetaskiwin; Eva McGill, Edson Public Library and Archives, Edson; Karen Sundberg, Sisters Faithful Companion of Jesus Archives, Edmonton; Geraldine Wiper, Mountain View Museum, Olds; Brian Speirs, Provincial Archivist of Alberta, Edmonton.

Nova Scotia: Carolyn Earle, Maritime Conference Archives, Halifax; Helen Hill, Yarmouth County Museum, Yarmouth; Barry King, Cumberland County Museum; Kathy MacKenzie, St. Francis Xavier University Archives, Antigonish; Bob Morgan, Beaton Institute of Cape Breton Studies, Sydney; Carman Carroll, Provincial Archivists of Nova Scotia, Halifax.

Each of the provincial archives and the National Archives of Canada has generously provided the committee with photographs of their buildings and we hereby acknowledge their permission to use them. We are also grateful to the Surrey Museum and Archives for regularly providing meeting space for our committee.

I wish to add a personal footnote of gratitude for the hard work and camaraderie that the Committee displayed over the past four years. One of our original members, Elizabeth Eso, had to resign from the Committee when she was promoted to Municipal Archivist for Richmond. My personal affection and gratitude to our major writer and woman of all things, Laura Coles. We may have been close to defeat but Laura put us back on the firing line and our prolonged battle is over.

And lastly Simon Fraser University Archives and my colleagues Enid Britt and Jim Ross. They covered for me when I was absent at meetings, when opinions were needed, when photocopies were required, when letters and forms were prepared. Gratitude.