What is an Access Policy? Your Access Policy should be written as one of your repository’s founding documents, since providing access is the fundamental reason all archives exist – archives preserve records and materials so they can be accessible to people now and into the future. An Access Policy clearly articulates the archives’ commitment to provide fair and equal access to all users of your archive; your responsibility to protect private or potentially harmful information; rules, laws, and restrictions that govern access services; and what guidelines researchers must follow in order to gain access to your archives. Why it is…

It is no surprise that discussions surrounding preservation in archives are fraught with stress and hand-wringing, given the climate change concerns that Nova Scotia archives and museums have been facing this year. Few have escaped the effects of on-going temperature fluctuations and moisture, despite the building’s age or construction. A preservation policy lends some security to ever-changing weather patterns and implements strategic measures to protect holdings.  There are two sample policies provided below and this blog post will lead you through their various sections. Please use the templates as a guide and adapt them in any way to suit the…

What is it? The CNSA was one of the first in Eastern Canada to introduce a Cooperative Acquisition Strategy and make it publicly available. The strategy encourages transparency with donations and ensures that they make their way to the most appropriate home in the province. In doing so, our documentary heritage is preserved at local, regional, and provincial levels. This strategy is often referred to in Acquisition Policies within Nova Scotia. How does the Strategy help CNSA Members? The Cooperative Acquisition Strategy prevents competition and collection overlaps between institutions. At the same time, it empowers you, the archivist, to decline records…