City of Edmonton Archives Donations
- Why donate to the CEA?
- What kind of material is the CEA looking for?
- What happens to the material that I donate?
- What is the nature of my donation?
- Do archivists keep everything?
- Who should I talk to if I'm interested in donating to the CEA?
- 1. Why donate to the CEA?
Donating your personal or corporate records to the CEA is a way to preserve records of enduring value. Corporations may also be interested in preserving evidence for accountability within their organization.
Preserving material ensures that researchers today and in the future will be able to study and convey the history of a family or organization. The material will always be available for the donor and for the public to view.
Archivists at the CEA ensure that records are kept in environmentally controlled conditions according to regulated archival standards of preservation and conservation.
The CEA also provides reference services so that the material can be understood in the context of other historic resources.
- 2. What kind of material is the CEA looking for?
The CEA is interested in records that represent all aspects of society in Edmonton so that researchers in the future will have a more complete picture of what life was like in the past. We accept donations from individuals, organizations, and corporations.
We are particularly interested in records representing the following people groups in the Edmonton area: First Nations, immigrants, and children.
- 3. What happens to the material that I donate?
When CEA staff accepts a donation they issue a letter of acknowledgement of the contribution to the donor. The archivist then rehouses the material in archival folders, shelves the items sequentially, and prepares a report describing the material for researchers.
- 4. What is the nature of my donation?
Donations to the CEA are considered gifts which may be eligible for tax credit. If applicable, copyright is transferred to the CEA by the owner.
Accruals (adding supplemental items) to a previous donation may be arranged.
Personal records may also be willed to the CEA.
- 5. Do archivists keep everything?
While there are times where all the materials that are received by the CEA are saved, archivists do not usually keep everything that is donated to them. After material is donated, the archivists at the CEA complete an appraisal of the material, reviewing the material to determine what must be kept and what can be discarded. We take into consideration the interests and activities of a person or organization; the legal requirements to keep records; the historical development of a person or organization; the condition of the material; and whether the information or documents are duplicated somewhere else. Taking all this into consideration, the result in most cases is that some material is discarded.
- 6. Who should I talk to if I'm interested in donating to the CEA?
Please contact the CEA reference archivist at 780-496-8711.
Transforming Edmonton
Twitter
Facebook
YouTube
RSS
