looking at the past, planning for the future: the archives of ontario’s private sector engagement framework

the archives of ontario’s (ao) private acquisition strategy was created in 2014 to help shape the ao’s approach to its private acquisitions and to provide a framework  for the ao to begin examining its holdings and identifying areas where the province’s documentary heritage was lacking.

working with the private acquisition strategy afforded the ao the opportunity to start addressing some fundamental questions related to its responsibility in documenting the history of ontario and ontarians in all their diversity.

as a result, the ao has begun to re-examine its approach to private acquisitions and to shift its thinking away from solely acquisition to encompass also a broader concept of engagement. whereas the ao’s previous approach to record creators was passive, relying (for the most part) on donors to take the initiative, through its private sector engagement framework the ao is transitioning toward a model that is pro-active, anticipatory, and strategic.

this presentation will examine the ao’s acquisitions mandate and its approach to private records creators over time. it will look at recent interactions with two very different communities, both intended to initiate discussions around the preservation and dissemination of documentary heritage.