Climate Records and Information Special Interest Section (CRISIS)

Did you know that the preservation of cultural heritage, a longstanding objective of the archival profession, may also be crucial to the preservation of natural heritage? As climate change and the state of the environment are of increasing concern to scientists and environmentalists around the world, archivists should take note of the potential that their institutions' holdings have for illuminating how our environment has changed over time, as well as what records they should acquire to ensure that vital environmental records are kept for future generations.

Following a session on climate change at the recent Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) conference in Kingston, Ontario, we are proposing the establishment of a new special interest section within the ACA, to be called the Climate Records and Information Special Interest Section, or CRISIS.

Since there is currently no active section for this special interest area, we have drafted the petition (copied below), which includes our objective and goals, to the ACA Board of Directors to recognize the formation of a special interest section for archivists interested in records relating to climate and the environment.

Under ACA By-laws, to be considered by the Board for recognition as a special interest section, there must be at least seven ACA members or more who have indicated that they share an interest in the area. Please let us know if you would like to add your name to the petition that we are planning to submit to the Board. There is a Board meeting this Thursday, July 12, so if there is sufficient response by Wednesday, we will submit the petition then. However, there is no deadline for joining CRISIS; ACA members who do not indicate their interest this week are most definitely welcome to join at any point.

Please feel free to forward this to any other archivists or related professionals who you think might also be interested in this venture.

We look forward hearing from you and to any comments, suggestions or questions that you might have with regards to the establishment of CRISIS.

Best regards,

Leah Sander, Library and Archives Canada
Martin Comeau, City of Winnipeg Archives
Charlotte Woodley, Region of Waterloo Archives

PETITION FOR RECOGNITION

Climate Records and Information Special Interest Section

July 2007

Objective:
To provide a forum for discussion for ACA members who are responsible for or have an interest in climate or environmental records.

Goals:
To establish goals relating to climate or environmental archives and the planning of projects of interest to committee members.
To focus attention on growth and development of archives holding climate or environmental records.
To organize an annual meeting and encourage the development of ACA conference sessions which address environmental issues from an archival perspective.
To establish relationships with organizations and entities outside the archival community in order to raise awareness of archival relevance to environmental issues, and provide a basis for partnering.

ACA Members supporting the formation of this Special Interest Section:
Name: Institution: