Anna Hamilton Memorial Award

 for Outstanding Voluntary Service to the Nova Scotian Archival Community

Who Was Anna Hamilton?

Anna Hamilton was born in Brule Point, NS in 1918 and received her education at Pictou Academy, Provincial Normal College and Acadia University (BA 1942, MA 1954). She taught at Havergal College, Toronto, and later at Shelburne, Springhill and Wolfville High Schools. In 1957 she joined the staff of the Nova Scotia Teachers College. After her retirement in 1974, Anna returned to Brule Point and became a dedicated volunteer. Much of her service centred on the United Church and the Maritime Conference Archives Committee. She was also active as a volunteer and President of the North Shore Archives Committee. Largely as the result of her interest in local history the Archives published, in 1995, North Shore Physicians: From Here and Away. Her commitment to volunteerism was recognized in 1995 by the Municipality of Colchester when she was awarded the Pettigrew Leadership Award. Anna Hamilton died on 10 July 2002.

What is the Anna Hamilton Award?

The Anna Hamilton Memorial Award was established by the Council of Nova Scotia Archives in 2004 to honour one volunteer each year who has served the Nova Scotia archival community with sincere dedication and in an exemplary fashion, just as Anna Hamilton did for many years.

What is the prize?

The award consists of $100 cheque address to the winner, a Certificate of Appreciation, and free registration to the CNSA Spring Conference or to a CNSA workshop of the winner’s choice.

Who can be nominated for the award?

A person who has made a significant volunteer contribution to the archives in which they work, and/or to the Council of Nova Scotia Archives, and/or to the Nova Scotia archival community as a whole. The nominee must be a CNSA member. This could be a Student/Unwaged or Individual CNSA member; or a volunteer within an Associate Institutional or Institutional CNSA member.

Nominated volunteers must have been active up to December 31st of the year prior to application. Eligible volunteers might include:

  • a person who has distinguished themselves as someone who has given freely and enthusiastically of their time and/or resources to the archival community and/or to their own institution
  • has served as a model for others to follow
  • has demonstrated a cooperative attitude through a willingness to work with others
  • has completed appropriate training or demonstrated competence, or both, for the task that they undertakes
  • has improved the state of their archives

What sort of activities would qualify for an award?

The award is not limited to any one scope of endeavour. Examples of activities that the volunteer may have been involved in include but are not limited to:

  • a person involved in the development and implementation of programs and/or services for their archives
  • a person who has significantly increased their Archives’ positive image within the local community through a wide variety of methods and media
  • a person who has increased support from the local community
  • a person who has demonstrated the utmost interest in and support for the programs of the Council of Nova Scotia Archives.

How are nominations submitted?

  • Nominations may be submitted by a representative of the governing body of the institution/organization for which the candidate has volunteered; or by the appropriate staff member responsible for volunteer services; or by anyone who has knowledge of the candidate’s efforts.
  • Nominations, with any necessary accompanying documentation, must be submitted together with the nomination form by the annual deadline – watch for an announcement in News & Events or contact our Archives Advisor.
  • In addition to the form below, nomination packages may also include evidence of past recognition of contributions such as newspaper articles or other supportive materials; and letters of endorsement from archival institutions/organizations other than the organization for which the individual has volunteered.

The Process

To nominate someone for the Anna Hamilton Award, please fill out the online Anna Hamilton Award Nomination Form.

  • The judges will be selected by the Awards Committee Chair and will be announced before the Award deadline.
  • The decision of the judges is final.
  • Applications and supporting documentation become the property of the CNSA, with the exception of published books and audio-visual presentations, which will be returned to the nominees after judging.
  • The award winner will be announced during the annual general meeting of the Council of Nova Scotia Archives or at the CNSA Annual Conference.