Governance and Recordkeeping, May 2025

This resource guide highlights Indigenous language and culture audiovisual recordings found in archives across Canada, including LAC and provincial and territorial archives. Compiled by a team of seven Indigenous archivists, the guide aims to improve access to and awareness of Indigenous languages and cultures.

A year ago, LAC partnered with Internet Archive Canada on an ambitious project to digitize up to 80,000 out-of-copyright publications from 1322 to 1920. This initiative aims to preserve Canada’s documentary heritage and make it freely accessible. The process involves skilled imaging technicians using the specialized Scribe digitizing workstation at LAC's Collections Storage Facility. The Scribe, developed by Internet Archive engineers, uses overhead cameras and a large glass plate to scan books while minimizing stress on the binding.

LAC is pleased to announce that the Procedures for the Transfer of Physical and Analog Government records and the Procedures for the Transfer of Digital Government Records are now available on Canada.ca They outline the requirements for preparing digital archival records onto physical storage media to transfer to LAC, and the requirements for preparing physical and analog archival government records for transfer to LAC.

LAC has launched its first Creator in Residence, inviting innovative individuals from various fields to develop projects inspired by LAC's published and archival collections. The inaugural resident is Eric Chan, professionally known as eepmon, a digital and generative artist, coder, and creative entrepreneur. Eepmon, a 2023 LAC Scholar Award recipient, is celebrated for his blend of art and technology and is also a passionate advocate for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

The Government of Canada requires an AI strategy to ensure its adoption aligns with government values, ethics, and objectives. The strategy should prioritize AI applications that benefit public servants and Canadians, be developed efficiently through collaboration with internal and external partners, and ensure responsible, safe, and secure use, mitigating potential risks and harms to people and the environment.

Catherine Maynard, Information Commissioner of Canada, will push for legislative changes to the Access to Information Act, aiming to update it to reflect today’s realities and make it one of the best freedom-of-information laws globally. She will also advocate for a modernized and efficient access system, addressing outdated technologies and processes that delay responses to requests. Additionally, she will promote a cultural shift within government institutions, urging them to be “open by default” and prioritize transparency.

As in previous years, the team at Blakes observes Data Privacy Week by providing a summary of key privacy developments in Canada for 2024 and discussing the potential impact of a busy electoral year on Canadian privacy law in 2025.

The Alberta government has introduced Bill 46, the Protection of Privacy and Access to Information Statutes Amendment Act, which proposes minor administrative amendments to the Protection of Privacy Act (PoPA) and Access to Information Act (ATIA). The changes aim to provide clarity and streamline the laws. One key amendment clarifies that the disclosure of non-personal data and data derived from personal information must comply with PoPA and is exempt from access to information requests under ATIA.

Summit participants engaged in panel discussions, roundtables, and lightning talks covering key topics such as education, training, funding, storage, benchmarking, and emerging technologies. The event emphasized the importance of collaboration, resource sharing, and long-term stewardship to address growing challenges in digital preservation.

There are several possible scenarios when implementing an electronic archiving system, depending on the roles of the involved parties—such as the Legal Authority (entity, organization, community, etc.) that owns the deposited data, the Archiving Authority, or a third-party archiving provider, known as the Third-Party Archiving Authority. The key is to clearly define who holds governance over the project. This includes identifying the entity responsible for seeking certification and ultimately accountable for the electronic archiving service, whether it is the Archiving Authority itself or an external Third-Party Archiving Authority.

The National Archives Directorate organized an exhibition coinciding with the launch of a training session for ministry officials on document and archive management in the context of digital transformation. The exhibition focused on the nuclear explosions carried out by colonial France on February 13, 1960, on Algerian soil. For his part, the Director General of the National Archives, Mohamed Bounaama, emphasized that the primary goal of this event is to establish the importance of corporate culture, starting with documentation. He stated that archives are now legally recognized as a national treasure.

The National Library of Australia's new exhibition, Fit to Print: Defining Moments from the Fairfax Photo Archive, opened February 27, 2025, in Canberra. It features 150 photographs from Australia's newspaper history, capturing moments like parades, gold panning, cruises, and campfires in locations such as Gerringong, Conargo, Sydney Harbour, and Bondi Beach. The photos were selected from a vast collection of 18,000 glass plate negatives, dating from 1890 to 1948, and curated by photojournalist Mike Bowers, who also hosts Talking Pictures on ABC TV.

On March 11, 2025, the National Archives of India (NAI) celebrated its 135th Foundation Day with several key events. A highlight of the celebration was an exhibition showcasing India's rich architectural heritage, featuring rare documents, personal papers of notable figures, and UNESCO records. The event also marked the launch of the Gyan Bharatam Mission, an initiative to expand access to India’s vast knowledge repository, building on the success of NAI's digitization efforts.

Officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) have started destroying classified documents at their headquarters in Washington, D.C. Typically, when federal agencies dissolve or restructure, records are transferred to successor agencies or the National Archives in compliance with the Federal Records Act). However, there are concerns about the legality of destroying records before their retention period ends, which is usually at least three years. This could jeopardize ongoing Freedom of Information Act requests and future investigations.

The Qatar National Archives Strategy 2025–2030, launched under the theme “Memory of the Future,” emphasizes digital transformation and the development of a comprehensive environment for the digital preservation and management of records. This initiative aligns with global best practices, aiming to ensure the efficient availability of records and their use in supporting development and sustainability. Strategic expert Saba Al Fadala highlighted that the strategy is based on a thorough analysis of national needs and international best practices in archival preservation and management.

Historical early meteorological observations from Ireland in the archives of the Royal Irish Academy

Preserving and Using the Documentary Heritage of International Associations

Pratiques des archives visuelles : intermédialité, décolonialité et création (French only)

The Colour Fantastic Revisited: Across Global Histories, Theories, Aesthetics, and Archives

Community Archives and Heritage Group

Association of Canadian Archivists—Annual Conference 2025

Film-Related Materials in Archives: from Acquisition to Access

Blockchain Technology Symposium 2025

DCMI 2025, the 23rd International Conference on Dublin Core and Metadata Applications

The UK Government has introduced the AI Playbook, an updated version of the Generative AI Framework for HMG, to guide government departments and public sector organizations in using a wide range of AI technologies safely, effectively, and responsibly. Published alongside the AI Opportunities Action Plan in January 2025, the Playbook outlines a roadmap for maximizing AI’s potential to drive growth and deliver benefits across the UK.

This guidance provides an overview of audience development for archive services, covering the following key areas: the principles and purpose of audience development, its importance for archives, how to plan and implement an audience development process, insights from previous audience development efforts, and whether archives should focus on outreach or aim for deeper audience engagement.

This document is intended for housing offices (OH) which, in accordance with the Archives Act and the Policy on the Management of Inactive Documents of Public Organizations, must assume various responsibilities regarding the management of documents produced as part of their missions and mandates. One of these responsibilities is to develop and submit a retention schedule for approval by Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ). The main purpose of this document is to guide OH through the various steps of developing and submitting their retention schedule and to present the tools available to assist them in this process.

Portico has signed an agreement with Clarivate to preserve books available on Ebook Central for academic libraries. This ensures the long-term preservation of this large collection, with Portico also set to receive new books added to Ebook Central in the future. Since 2009, Portico has preserved over 2.4 million books from 420 publishers and platforms, adding about 200,000 new titles annually. Portico, part of the ITHAKA non-profit, supports academic communities by preserving scholarly records and advancing research.

This Reference Model provides a comprehensive framework for understanding and increasing awareness of archival concepts essential for long-term digital information preservation and access. It aids non-archival organizations in participating effectively in the preservation process and offers terminology and concepts for comparing existing and future archival systems, strategies, and techniques. The model supports discussions on how data models and preserved information may evolve over time and can be expanded to cover the preservation of non-digital information.

Intelligent Document Processing is emerging as a solution to unlock insights from documents, enabling actionable decisions. The concept of Agentic AI, which is gaining attention, offers more autonomy than traditional automation. Unlike rule-based systems, Agentic AI can assess inputs, evaluate data sources, and determine the best actions to achieve goals. In document processing, this means AI can not only extract data but also evaluate documents for compliance with company policies, flag discrepancies, and make decisions without human intervention.

PARADISEC (Pacific and Regional Archive for Digital Sources in Endangered Cultures) is a digital archive containing thousands of hours of audio, primarily from musicological and linguistic fieldwork, representing about 1,360 languages, with a focus on Pacific languages and Papua New Guinea. Initiated in 2003 as a collaboration between the University of Melbourne, University of Sydney, and Australian National University, the project aims to preserve and study language diversity. PARADISEC serves as a tool for exploring and understanding linguistic diversity, much like a humanities telescope.

Iraq has launched the Cinémathèque Iraq project, a national initiative focused on digitizing, restoring, and preserving Iraqi film archives. The project aims to protect the country's cinematic heritage by restoring over 100 Iraqi films. Under the supervision of the Iraqi Visual Memory Committee and in collaboration with the French Embassy, the initiative includes training local experts in film archiving and building specialized infrastructure for film storage and restoration using advanced digitization techniques. The project aims to revive Iraq's film industry and ensure its cinematic history is accessible to future generations.

This research highlights the limitations of current image descriptions for people with visual impairments, noting that they often lack context and detail. It emphasizes the need for customizable, context-aware solutions tailored to individual needs based on factors like the type of impairment, age, and interests. The project offers insights and suggestions for making images in books more accessible, interactive, and personalized for visually impaired individuals.

The eArchiving Initiative was the keynote presentation at the National School of Archival Sciences of Peru's celebration of the Day of the Peruvian Archivist. Carlota Bustelo and Miguel Umaluff of the eArchiving Initiative highlighted how the European Union's eArchiving Initiative supports digital preservation of archives. They discussed the challenges and importance of digital preservation, especially for a paperless public administration, in addition to explaining the philosophy of the initiative and its efforts to create interoperable, reusable, and lasting digital archives. The event emphasized the initiative's commitment to building a global community for digital archival preservation.

The Cleveland Public Library is digitizing a vast collection of news from after the Second World War through to the late 1980s, acquired in 2023 from John Carroll University. The archive contains 250,000 news stories on various media formats like 16 mm film, videotape, audio reels, and phono-discs. This collection covers a wide range of events from the mid-1950s to 1990. Once digitized, the archive will be accessible to library visitors, with some content requiring on-site visits due to third-party rights restrictions.

The study proposes a framework to address the fragmentation and poor accessibility of documents related to the life and heritage of overseas Chinese. Many researchers are unaware of the existence of relevant materials. To solve this, the study suggests using end-to-end processing of cached data—descriptions of digitized or physical sources—created by researchers. Cached data, including catalogue structures, keywords, and database indexes, can be leveraged to simplify access. By using AI, human resources and existing digital data algorithms (such as for images or documents), descriptions of sources can be unified, making them more accessible through tags and cloud storage.

The report outlines the process for the disposal of Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) records, which must be authorized by the Chief Archivist according to the Public Records Act 2005. It provides an appraisal of information and records created and managed at MFAT that are not covered by existing General Disposal Authorities. The report includes disposal recommendations and an evaluation of these records, which will be submitted to the Chief Archivist for approval. Additionally, a disposal schedule is provided, identifying specific types of MFAT records and the recommended retention period before their destruction or transfer to Archives New Zealand.

This case study examines how the Center for Southwest Research and Special Collections (CSWR) applied an Ethics of Care approach to Indigenous sound recordings in its archival collections. When requests were made for duplicating cultural songs, oral histories, and interviews, CSWR staff sought guidance from local tribal nations. Tribal Historic Preservation Offices and cultural experts reviewed the materials before fulfilling the requests. These reviews sparked conversations that educated CSWR staff about the recordings' cultural significance. The case study emphasizes the importance of applying cultural protocols and respecting Indigenous provenance, especially when cultural recordings require attention that may not have been addressed when the collection was originally acquired.

The challenge now is not only safeguarding digital data but also maintaining access across a vast array of digital formats, from old software and hardware to modern tools. The primary challenges include funding, cybersecurity, and knowledge loss. Open-source communities play a crucial role by providing executable knowledge and documentation to preserve digital formats. This presentation highlights successes in using open-source software for digital preservation and introduces the Future Nostalgia project, aimed at preserving data from old formats like floppy disks. The project seeks to connect digital preservation and open-source communities to enhance the preservation of our digital history.

With over 15 years of experience in data engineering, the author of Hands-On Big Data Engineering: From Architecture to Deployment highlights the importance of strong data pipelines in AI projects. This article discusses insights from the book, emphasizing that data engineering is crucial in the AI-driven era. AI is transforming industries, but its success is heavily reliant on data. A 2024 study found that 78% of companies struggle with deploying generative AI at scale, primarily due to weak data strategies. Big Data and AI are interconnected, with three critical factors for AI success: volume (scale), variety (handling structured and unstructured data), and velocity (real-time insights).

The fourth session, titled “The Archivist Facing Dematerialization: What Position and Role?,” focused on the role of African archivists in various ongoing initiatives of archival dematerialization across the continent. Ms. Basma Makhlouf Shabou helps audiences understand the differences between digitization, dematerialization, and digital transformation or transition. Archival dematerialization aims to improve access to information and can contribute to the enhancement of heritage.

In celebration of International Women's Day, Uganda's Femme Forte has launched Africa's first virtual museum dedicated to showcasing the stories of African women. The museum features interactive exhibitions, oral histories, and personal stories of African women who have influenced the continent’s history through activism, scholarship, and leadership, aiming to preserve their history and celebrate their contributions.

In the first episode of the new season of the podcast, Matthew da Mota, senior research associate and program manager for the Global AI Risks Initiative at the Centre for International Governance Innovation discusses his opinion piece “Libraries and Research Institutions Will Need Strong AI Governance,” and explored advice on AI usage and ethics for students and librarians.

Ian Milligan discusses the concept of a “digital dark age in his book Averting the Digital Dark Age. He explores the challenges of preserving digital information, highlighting that while the Internet is a great platform for sharing thoughts and memories, there is no guarantee that this content will be accessible in the future. The discussion offers insights into the current state of digitally based information and the risks of losing it over time.

This volume expands the discussion on digital technologies, new media, platforms, and information by addressing fundamental societal and structural issues from three perspectives: people, practices, and politics. Featuring an international collection of case studies, the book explores privacy challenges in the digital sphere, covering topics such as emerging regulatory programs, surveillance capitalism, and the influence of big tech companies.

This overview covers key aspects of library administration and organization, including governance structures, administrative roles, strategic planning, and policy development. It also discusses collection development and management strategies, such as selection criteria, acquisitions, assessment, deselection, and the use of digital resources. Information services and user engagement strategies are explored, focusing on reference services, information literacy, reader advisory, outreach, and community partnerships.

This practical how-to manual addresses the challenges libraries face in building and managing streaming video collections. While streaming video has been part of library offerings for some time, the rapid growth of platforms and titles has made acquisitions more complex and budget allocations larger. Users now expect video content to be available online and on demand, and streaming is increasingly integrated into coursework. Michael Fernandez and Amauri Serrano provide guidance on managing streaming video throughout its lifecycle, offering practical advice for libraries of all sizes and budgets.

What is the role of collections in the preservation of archives (printed and sound) and the safeguarding of musical objects in the current moment, where digitization and information sharing play a crucial role? What are the main challenges posed by the nature of digitized objects and their functions in a social context where expectations of heritage preservation are so sensitive? The involved spaces (Europe and Latin America) allow for an answer through the observation of collection practices, recording, and preservation implemented by different institutions in France, Germany, Spain, and Latin America, thereby providing a clearer understanding of how these practices interact with one another in the era of digitization.

Focused on the practice of genealogy, this pocket-sized dictionary is easy to carry everywhere and perfect for reading on the way to the archive centres—or while you’re there as well—to help you get the most out of your research. It will save you precious time and help you rediscover libraries, archive rooms, and the importance of non-digitized collections. Before stepping into a the reading room or browsing the archival websites, you’ll know how to navigate and search effectively.