When: Every Tuesday & Thursday evening between October 13 and 29, from 6:00–8:00 pm (Atlantic)

Where: Online via Zoom & Google Classroom

Instructors: Kim Maguire, a trained conservator and the former Archives Advisor for the Council of Archives New Brunswick, and Sharon Murray, the CNSA’s Archives Advisor

Course Description

The principles of preservation management dictate that an archivist must first assess, then plan, and only then act. This course will instruct participants in the basics of archival preservation including appropriate care and handling of archival material, agents of deterioration, appropriate storage environments and enclosures, and preservation of digital records (new!).

This course is part of the CNSA Archival Certificate Program. Those enrolled in the program will need to complete an assignment at the end of the course to demonstrate their comprehension of the course content.

Learning Method

This course is taught synchronously online across six 2-hour evening sessions. Learning is done through a combination of in-class lectures, personal reading, and exercises both in-class and as homework.

Prerequisites

Introduction to Archives or experience working in an archive.

Instructors

Kim Maguire (she/her) has been working in the GLAM sector since 2013 with most of that time at the Provincial Archives of New Brunswick and the Council of Archives New Brunswick. Her focus has been on archival preservation and conservation including educating small archives and museums on what they can do to protect their collections. Kim lives in Fredericton, New Brunswick, and is an avid reading and cat lover.

Cost

CNSA/CANB/ACPEI member rates:

• $120 for an employee/volunteer from a CNSA/CANB/ACPEI member-organization, or an Individual or Student member
• $100 per person for 2-4 employees/volunteers from a CNSA/CANB/ACPEI member-organization
• $75 per person for 5+ employees/volunteers from a CNSA/CANB/ACPEI member-organization

Non-member rate: $170 per person (or join the CNSA here and unlock the member rates!)

Registration

This course has a minimum enrollment of 10 and a maximum of 20.

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If you are an Individual or Student Member, just indicate which

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Price: $ 0.00 CAD

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The post Introduction to Preservation for Archives, Oct. 2026, EVENINGS appeared first on Council of Nova Scotia Archives.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a central role in strengthening digital archival services and capacity across Nova Scotia. The successful candidate will focus on three main areas:

• MemoryNS Support and Development – serving as primary administrator for the CNSA’s province-wide collective archival database, supporting member institutions, and developing training and learning resources;
• Digital Capacity Assessment and Planning – working with the CNSA’s Born Digital Working Group to assess member digital needs and help shape future CNSA digital services, education, and training; and,
• Digital Preservation Advisory Services – providing guidance to member institutions on digital preservation, born-digital records management, and digital stewardship practices

The position is remote, with a preference for candidates based in Nova Scotia. The CNSA intends to pursue funding to expand the role to full-time in future years.

Candidates should have a degree in Archival, Library, and/or Information Studies (or equivalent), experience in an archival setting, and working knowledge of AtoM, archival descriptive standards, and digital preservation best practices.

Application deadline: June 30, 2026.

Questions about the position and applications should be emailed to the CNSA’s Archives Advisor, Sharon Murray: advisor[at]councilofnsarchives.ca.

The post We’re Hiring: Digital Archives Coordinator appeared first on Council of Nova Scotia Archives.

The Vice President and Secretary are important leadership roles within the CNSA Executive Committee, and we encourage expressions of interest from members who want to help support the archival community in Nova Scotia, especially in this challenging time.

The CNSA Executive Committee consists of seven officers: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and three Members-at-Large. Together, the Executive provides leadership to the organization, supports staff, and oversees CNSA activities, including advocacy, education, preservation services, member engagement, and collaboration across the archival sector.

About the Vice-President role

The Vice-President serves a two-year term and then succeeds to the role of President. This position is well suited to someone interested in helping guide the organization’s strategic direction and preparing for a future leadership role.

Key responsibilities include:

• attending all Executive Committee meetings and the AGM, and acting in place of the President when required;
• participating in major decisions about CNSA activities, programs, policies, procedures, and funding;
• assisting the President with advocacy priorities, sector positioning, and official communications as needed;
• leading Executive recruitment, onboarding, and succession planning in 2027 and 2028;
• preparing the slate of candidates and chairing the election of Executive Committee members at the 2027 and 2028 AGMs; and
• assisting with oversight of permanent staff as a secondary supervisor.

About the Secretary role

The Secretary serves a two-year term, renewable for one additional two-year term. This role is ideal for someone who is organized, attentive to detail, and interested in governance, documentation, and records management.

Key responsibilities include:

• attending all Executive Committee meetings and the AGM;
• assisting with meeting agendas and circulating meeting notices and materials;
• recording and circulating minutes for Executive meetings and the AGM;
• supporting transparency and accountability through accurate governance documentation;
• overseeing governance documents such as bylaws, policies, and the governance manual, including coordinating periodic review; and
• overseeing records management practices, deposits at the Nova Scotia Archives, and approval of records for destruction.

About serving on the Executive Committee

The Executive Committee meets monthly on Zoom, typically on the third Friday morning of the month. The team breaks for the summer in July and August.

All Executive Committee members contribute to the governance and strategic leadership of the CNSA. This includes participating in planning, supporting accountability to members, contributing to recruitment and succession planning, and helping advance the organization’s mandate to promote archives and archival work across Nova Scotia.

Serving on the Executive is an opportunity to:

• contribute to the strength and sustainability of the archival sector in Nova Scotia;
• support professional development, preservation, and access initiatives;
• help shape advocacy and collaboration across the province; and
• work closely with a committed group of colleagues supporting the CNSA’s mission.

Want to learning more or put your name forward?

If you are interested in either the Vice-President or Secretary position, please contact Sharon or Hansel Cook by or before May 8.

We also welcome informal conversations with members who would like to learn more about the roles before putting their names forward. Please don’t hesitate to reach!

The post Call for Nominations: Vice-President and Secretary appeared first on Council of Nova Scotia Archives.

Course Dates: Every Monday afternoon from October 19 to November 23, 1:00–3:00 pm (Atlantic)

Where: Online via Zoom & Google Classroom

Instructor: Sharon Murray, CNSA’s Archives Advisor

Course Description

Providing effective access and reference services are essential to any archives. This course offers practical knowledge and examples of providing access in archives, covering topics such as access policies, reference interviews, digitization best practices, copyright and other reproduction restrictions, social media, professional ethics, dealing with sensitive material in your holdings, security concerns, and collecting statistics on use. Considering outreach as an extension of access, this course also offers strategies for building public awareness of your archives and how best to serve your community.

This course is part of the CNSA Archival Certificate Program. Those enrolled in the program will need to complete an assignment at the end of the course to demonstrate their comprehension of the course content.

Prerequisites

Introduction to Archives or experience working in an archive.

Cost

CNSA/CANB/ACPEI member rates:

• $120 for an employee/volunteer from a CNSA/CANB/ACPEI member-organization, or an Individual or Student member
• $100 per person for 2-4 employees/volunteers from a CNSA/CANB/ACPEI member-organization
• $75 per person for 5+ employees/volunteers from a CNSA/CANB/ACPEI member-organization

Non-member rate: $170 per person (or join the CNSA here to get the member rates!)

Registration

This course has a minimum enrollment of 10 and a maximum of 20.

"*" indicates required fields

CNSA/CANB/ACPEI Member?*

Yes

No

Member Organization*

If you are an Individual or Student Member, just indicate which

Number of registrations*

Please enter a number from 1 to 6.

CNSA/CANB/ACPEI Member Total

Price: $ 0.00 CAD

Number of registrations*

Please enter a number from 1 to 6.

Non-Member Total

Price: $ 0.00 CAD

Attendee's name*

First Last

Email*

Attendee 2*

First name Last name

Email*

Attendee 3*

First name Last name

Email*

Attendee 4*

First name Last name

Email*

Attendee 5*

First name Last name

Email*

Attendee 6*

First name Last name

Email*

Payment Information

Payment Options*

Pay Online

Pay via Cheque or Money Order

Pay via e-Transfer

Billing Contact*

First name Last name

Billing Email*

Billing Address*

Street Address Address Line 2 City AlbertaBritish ColumbiaManitobaNew BrunswickNewfoundland and LabradorNorthwest TerritoriesNova ScotiaNunavutOntarioPrince Edward IslandQuebecSaskatchewanYukon Province Postal Code

Coupon Code

Total

Credit Card*

Pay via Cheque or Money Order*

I agree to mail a cheque or money order for the Total to the Council of Nova Scotia Archives, 6016 University Ave. Halifax NS B3H 1W4

Pay via e-Transfer*

I agree to send an INTERAC e-Transfer for the Total to advisor@councilofnsarchives.ca

Please include a brief description of what the payment is for in the message field of the transaction. Thank you!

Submit

The post Access, Reference, and Outreach, Oct–Nov 2026 appeared first on Council of Nova Scotia Archives.

Course Dates: Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoon from June 15 to June 26, from 1:00–3:00 PM (Atlantic)

Where: Online via Zoom & Google Classroom

Instructor: Sharon Murray, CNSA’s Archives Advisor

Course Description

Introduction to Archives provides an overview of archives and archival practice. By the end of the course, participants should be able to distinguish archival records from other types of records, recognize common risks to preserving archival materials, know what a fonds is an how it’s organized, plus have a basic understanding of the seven core archival functions: acquisition, accessioning, appraisal, arrangement, description, and access & reference.

This course is part of the CNSA Archival Certificate Program. Anyone wishing to enrol in the program will need to complete an assignment at the end of the course to demonstrate their comprehension of the course content.

Learning Method

This course is taught online across four half-day sessions. Learning is done through a combination of lectures, personal reading, and practical exercises.

Prerequisites

An interest in archives!

Cost

CNSA/CANB/ACPEI member rates:

• $120 for an employee/volunteer from a CNSA/CANB/ACPEI member-organization, or an Individual or Student member
• $100 per person for 2-4 employees/volunteers from a CNSA/CANB/ACPEI member-organization
• $75 per person for 5+ employees/volunteers from a CNSA/CANB/ACPEI member-organization

Non-member rate: $170 per person (or join the CNSA here to get the member rate!)

Registration

The post Introduction to Archives, June 2026 appeared first on Council of Nova Scotia Archives.

The NEW Award

We are excited to introduce an award that recognizes archival projects that have creatively worked with community members and/or community organizations. This may include initiatives that have ventured off-site, actively bringing the archives alive in the community. 

Now more than ever, it is important to recognize the positive impact that archives have on the well-being of the people who visit and support you. We can’t wait to hear about your projects that have connected and educated your local communities, while preserving archival holdings and making them accessible!

Help us name the Outreach Award!

We would love your suggestions for a name for the Outreach Award! Is there a person your archive would like to honour for their community service? Someone who has dedicated years to developing archival outreach initiatives in your community? Please, let us know!

Nominations for all four Awards

Please find the links below for all four Award nomination forms, which can be filled and submitted online. The nomination deadline is Monday, May 11, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.

The Awards Ceremony will be held virtually following our 2026 AGM on Tuesday morning, May 26, 2026 – details and registration HERE. We are very much looking forward to celebrating your resourcefulness, volunteers, and creative, community-centred projects!

Information about all the CNSA Awards can be found here, but in brief, the four CNSA Member Awards are:

The post Nominations Open for the 2026 CNSA Member Awards! appeared first on Council of Nova Scotia Archives.

The post CNSA’s 2026 AGM appeared first on Council of Nova Scotia Archives.

As many of you know, the recently tabled 2026-27 Nova Scotia Provincial Budget, Defending Nova Scotia, included significant cuts across the arts, culture, and heritage sectors. While the majority of these reductions – totalling $130 Million – fall within the Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage (CCTH), one program critical to archives in Nova Scotia, falls outside of that department.

The Provincial Archival Development Program (PADP) – a modest but foundational $50,000 funding program administered by the Nova Scotia Archives – falls under the Department of Service Nova Scotia.

Why PADP Matters

We are very grateful that CCTH has maintained the CNSA’s annual operating grant. At the same time, we are deeply concerned by the decision within Service Nova Scotia to eliminate PADP.

PADP is the only funding program in Nova Scotia specifically tailored to the needs of archives.

For an overview of projects funded through this program over the past several years, please see the compiled PADP Adjudication Reports since 2018, prepared by the Chair of PADP Adjudication, CNSA’s Vice President.

PADP’s elimination, combined with the recent discontinuation of the federal Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP), leaves our province’s 100+ archival institutions with very few options for funding archival projects. This is a serious loss for the archival community and for the documentary heritage these institutions preserve on behalf of the public.

How You Can Help

We believe it is important that the provincial government hears from archivists, heritage workers, researchers, and community members – near and far – about the value of archives to communities and the potential impact of PADP’s elimination.

We encourage you to write to the Minister of Service Nova Scotia and/or your MLA to express your concern and request that they restore PADP. To make this easier, we have created a customizable template letter.

1. Download the Template Letter here
2. Personalize it: Add information about your organization and PADP-funded project(s), if applicable. Whether you’re a CNSA member, an archival colleague, or a researcher, your voice brings important perspective on the unique role of archives in Nova Scotia, and the funding programs that help sustain them.
3. Email you letter to:
   • Minister Jill Balser (SNS-Min@novascotia.ca) and Deputy Minister Joanne Munro (Joanne.Munro@novascotia.ca)
   • CC your MLA – find the contact info for your MLA HERE

Please help us show the Government of Nova Scotia that our documentary heritage not ‘discretionary’ – it is essential to communities, institutions, and the collective memory of this province.

The post Call to Action: Help Save PADP appeared first on Council of Nova Scotia Archives.

How You Can Help

If you would like to express your concern about the elimination of this critical funding program for archives in Nova Scotia, we encourage you to write to your MLA and the leadership at Service Nova Scotia:

Honourable Jill Balser, Minister of Service Nova Scotia: SNS-Min@novascotia.ca

Joanne Munro, Deputy Minister of Service Nova Scotia: Joanne.Munro@novascotia.ca

Mailing Address:
Service Nova Scotia
PO Box 10, Stn. Central
Halifax NS B3J 2L7
SNS-Min@novascotia.ca
Joanne.Munro@novascotia.ca

The post The CNSA’s Response to the Elimination of PADP appeared first on Council of Nova Scotia Archives.

While many arts, culture, and heritage organizations are facing cutbacks to their operational funding, we were relieved to learn that CCTH has not reduced the CNSA’s operating grant. We will continue to be here to serve and support you, come what may.

This news comes amid a broader contraction in heritage funding, both provincially and nationally. 

As you know, the Province announced it will be closing 12 Nova Scotia Museum sites, and the Community Museums Assistance Program (CMAP) has been cut by 20%. Since nearly three-quarters of our members are also museums, we know the cuts to the museum sector will significantly impact our membership. 

What’s more, as some of you may have heard, Library and Archives Canada recently announced they have discontinued the Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP). At the federal level, DHCP was the only grant program specifically focused on archival records. Taken together with PADP, these losses and reductions significantly weaken the infrastructure supporting preservation and access to our documentary heritage both provincially and nationally.

We recognize the significance of PADP to our full Institutional members. 

For decades, you have relied on this unique funding program to advance preservation, arrangement and description, and access initiatives in your archives. PADP was also unique in that it was open to many archives that are ineligible for other provincial or federal grants. Its loss may be especially difficult for you; that reality will inform our advocacy efforts.

We also recognize that since eligibility for PADP was a key benefit of full Institutional membership, this change may warrant a review of our membership structure. Any ideas or proposed changes will be brought to members for consultation well before they are tabled for a vote at an AGM.

In the immediate term, we are focused on advocacy and member support.

Over the past year, we have developed a strong working relationship with CCTH and will bring your concerns forward clearly and directly. We will:

• Raise awareness of how recent cuts to museums affect the archival sector.
• Ensure that archives remain eligible for existing and future provincial culture and heritage funding.
• Advocate that core archival functions—such as global preservation assessments and arrangement and description projects—are recognized as eligible activities within existing and future funding programs.
• Compile and share alternative funding opportunities where available.

We invite members to join us on Zoom Friday, March 6, at 10:00 am to discuss the impacts of PADP’s elimination. 

Check your email for the Zoom link or contact Sharon, our Archives Advisor.

Specifically, we’d like to hear from you:

• How can we effectively represent your concerns to government about PADP’s elimination and the sectoral cuts more broadly? What do you want us to tell them?
• Are there recent PADP-funded projects that have demonstrated impact on your community, which we can reference in our advocacy efforts?

Last but certainly not least, to members whose jobs are at risk because of the provincial cuts, please know that the CNSA remains committed to supporting you. If you would like to stay connected to the archival community, please reach out to Sharon.

Sincerely,
Catherine Fancy, CNSA President
On behalf of the CNSA Executive Committee and Sharon Murray, CNSA’s Archives Advisor

The post Elimination of the Provincial Archival Development Program (PADP) appeared first on Council of Nova Scotia Archives.