I earned my BA at Huron University College and my MLIS at Western University, so I am particularly excited to present an interview with one of the archivists from Western University Archives and Research Collections Centre.

In fact Western University Archives was the first archives I ever visited. During the third year of my undergraduate studies I was given a tour as part of a course called “The Historian’s Craft.” I’m thankful that I did because it ignited my interest in archives and led to my decision to pursue a Master’s degree.

Now that my intro is out of the way, I think you’ll enjoy this Q&A with Anne Daniel.

1. Can you tell us a bit about the Western University Research and Archives Collections Centre?

Western University’s Archives and Research Collections Centre (ARCC) is a multi-purpose storage facility that is designed to store archival records, low and medium use library materials (from Western Libraries) and semi active and inactive records.

The ARCC is the home of Western University Archives.  The mandate of the Archives is to acquire, preserve and make available records relating to the history of the university, affiliated organizations and the papers of private individuals, organizations and companies.

2. How long have you worked there and how did you become interested in the field?

I have worked at Western University Archives for 14 years.   I obtained my Master of Library and Information Science degree and always intended to work in libraries.  I became involved with archives in my first professional position following graduation and realized that that was where I wanted to focus my career.

3. What are your current duties and projects?

At Western I am responsible for all aspects of archival practice for records within my thematic portfolios.  Each Archivist is responsible for a number of portfolios.  Currently my portfolios are Health and Medicine, Library and Information Management, Cartographic and the Canadian Tire Heritage Collection.

I also coordinate our social media postings, manage our reference email and am co-administrator for our archival management software.  Our workload balance also includes service and academic research.  I recently completed a project looking at the portrayal of archivists in film.  I am currently working on a project involving examining how archivists answer reference questions.  My service involvement includes mentoring students, involvement with numerous committees within Western Libraries and I am a member of the Archives Association of Ontario’s Preservation Committee.

4. Can you share more about one of your favourite items?

I have so many favourite items that it’s difficult to pinpoint one particular item.  We just recently discovered this original letter written by Charles Darwin.  This letter was found within other records in our holdings and was a hidden gem that we did not know that we had.  We have submitted this letter to be published in the Darwin Correspondence Project.  The Darwin Correspondence project gathers information about original Darwin letters held in institutions around the world.  Our letter should be published to the Darwin Correspondence Project website later this year.

5. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about yourself or your work?

I really enjoy working in archives.  I particularly enjoy working in my current position since it involves a lot of variety and many opportunities for growth and professional development.

Thank you, Anne Daniel!

Learn more about the Western University Archives and Research Collections Centre here. If you live in the area, you should definitely take the time to visit.