This essay attempts to determine how university archives in British Columbia have developed
from their origins as collections of historical documents within university libraries, and whether
they exemplify the larger trend of archival development evident in Canada. An examination of the
history of the National Archives of Canada provides a model of developmental stages and key
elements necessary for a modern archival programme. In addition it exemplifies the Canadian
tradition of “total archives”. Individual case studies explore the evolution of British Columbia’s
three university archives, in the light of this Canadian tradition. Archival programmes located
within the University of British Columbia, the University of Victoria and Simon Fraser University
are examined, in order to determine how they were conceived, advanced and sustained. An
examination of the administrative records of the three university archives including annual reports,
correspondence, policies and committee minutes presents a historical overview of their growth
and development. Following decades of progress, the emerging picture is one of an incomplete
process with each institution having attained a different level of development. The conclusion
compares and contrasts the three institutions and assesses their progress in the broader national
context of Canadian university archives generally. The state of university archives in British
Columbia mirrors that of their national counterparts and the emerging picture is one of an
evolution still incomplete.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/5489 |
| Date | 11 1900 |
| Creators | O’Donnell, Jacqueline P. |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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