We expect that many of you have ventured into the world of archives.
You might have been working on a family tree and needed background material about your ancestors. Perhaps you were looking for photos of the street where your grandparents lived, or needed information from a census report.
Next Sunday, June 9, is International Archives Day. So, what are archives and why do they matter?
Well, that's a complicated question, but the International Council on Archives answers it very well: "Archival records are those documents that are preserved by their creators, successors or an appropriate archive institution because of their legal value or enduring historical significance. Archives constitute a major cultural heritage and information resource.
The archival heritage is a valuable testimony about the economical, political and social development of humanity."
Our work often leads us to archival collections where we hope to uncover that vital clue that will lead us to an answer to a perplexing question we may have.
In northern Scotland, a personal search required the review of many shelves full of ledgers while standing for hours in a court registrar's office. In southern Scotland, the search led to a ruined castle, an overgrown graveyard and a room full of old newspapers. You will have your own experiences.
On International Archives Day, we encourage you to be aware of the archival resources we have in British Columbia and especially right here in our city.
The New Westminster Museum and Archives is a fine resource for research, as is the New Westminster Public Library, and there are others locally as well.
Provincially, you will find the archives in Victoria (B.C. Archives and Records Service) to be a wonderful place to search, but, again, remember that there are hundreds of smaller community collections to seek out and delve into.
These days online sources are excellent and getting better. Have a look at what is offered at the simple, but careful and judicious, click of a button.
See the Archives Association of B.C. (www. aabc.ca) and look at "Memory B.C."
These sites alone will keep you involved for months. Also, explore the provincial site at www.royalbcmuseum. bc.ca, where you will find countless stories.
Archives and the census in Canada seem to be at odds with the federal government aims, but that is a major topic all on its own.
Archives, no matter what you might hear, remain vitally important, and not just for folks like us who work with such materials each day. It's worth repeating, "archives constitute a major cultural heritage and information resource."
A presentation that we give periodically is "From a Researcher's Notebook." It covers a widely diverse set of stories that show the actual process of researching, giving examples related to the end results. Interesting accounts - some exciting, some curious, some difficult - all linked solidly to archives.
