L is for Library! Libraries differ from archives in several ways. Ex. libraries handle published material, archival records are unique; libraries organize items by subject, archives by form and function. #ArchivesAtoZ #ArchivesAwarenessWeek

M is for Metadata, data about data! Metadata is information about records, such as title, date, and description. For digital archives, metadata can include file name, format, and size. These details are important for cataloguing. #ArchivesAtoZ #ArchivesAwarenessWeek

N is for Newsletters! Organizations use them to share valuable information across their networks. In addition to the historical newsletters in our physical collections, we also collect digital newsletters. Here is one from 2002 at Providence! #ArchivesAtoZ #ArchivesAwarenessWeek

O is for Outreach! In addition to appraisal, collection, description, preservation and providing access to records of enduring value, outreach and marketing are important aspects of an archivist’s responsibilities. #ArchivesAtoZ #ArchivesAwarenessWeek

P is for Provenance! This is information about the origins and custody of analogue and digital records. All actions taken, such as maintaining the original order of records or migrating file formats, are recorded as provenance information. #ArchivesAtoZ #ArchivesAwarenessWeek

Q is for Questions! Do you have questions about print/digital archives? Would you like to donate records to our archives, but don’t know how? Would you like to know more about our rich history? Don’t hesitate to ask at [email protected] #ArchivesAtoZ #ArchivesAwarenessWeek

R is for Records Management! Managing records has become important in the digital age as we deal with large amounts of information. Here is the records lifecycle which illustrates how a record is managed at each stage of its life. #ArchivesAtoZ #ArchivesAwarenessWeek

S is for Storage! Storage looks different for physical and digital archives. However, one thing is the same with both collections, storage space is limited! This is why we need archivists to appraise and manage our collections. #ArchivesAtoZ #ArchivesAwarenessWeek

T is for Technological Obsolescence! This is when software and hardware become outdated. For example, some types of physical media are no longer regularly used, so their contents are preserved by migrating to other formats. #ArchivesAtoZ #ArchivesAwarenessWeek

U is for Unique! Many ask what makes a record “archival” or what gives it enduring value. One of the criteria is that it must be unique (not mass-produced). This kind of information is determined during the archival appraisal process. #ArchivesAtoZ #ArchivesAwarenessWeek

V is for VHS tapes and other Video recordings! Along with paper and photographic materials, archives also collect digital and analogue AV recordings. These can be impactful in bringing history to life! Example: ow.ly/avJT50NNURY #ArchivesAtoZ #ArchivesAwarenessWeek

W is for web archiving! Web content changes and disappears at an alarming rate. Digital archivists preserve websites to ensure digital cultural memory is available for the future. Here is a 2014 design concept from the past Providence website! #ArchivesAtoZ #ArchivesAwarenessWeek

X is for eXtensible Markup Language! XML is a standard markup language to help share information over the internet by defining a set of rules for encoding documents in a format that is human- and machine-readable. #ArchivesAtoZ #ArchivesAwarenessWeek

Y is for Yearly! Every organization or department has its own way of cleaning up records. One suggestion is to set up a yearly record clean-up day! Tasks can include transferring records to an archive, shredding paper, organizing email, or destroying digital files. #ArchivesAtoZ

Z is for Zero! Zilch! We have NO archives word of the day on this our last day of the #ArchivesAtoZ campaign, but we would like to share a word of thanks to you for following along all month! We hope it has stoked your Zest and Zeal for archives. 😁 #ArchivesAwarenessWeek

Help Preserve Our Shared History! Call for Archival Material. smhlibrary.blog/2023/06/09/hel…

Honouring St. Michael’s Hospital Nurses on Remembrance Day smhlibrary.blog/2023/11/10/hon…

From the Archives: Celebrating International Women's Day smhlibrary.blog/2024/03/07/fro…

For Archives Awareness Week we spoke to Roxanne Wildenstein, an archivist working to preserve the history of Unity Health Toronto and bring it into the digital age. bit.ly/3VNvcGu

Happy Archives Awareness Week! smhlibrary.blog/2024/04/05/hap…