To: Committee of the Whole
Agenda Section: Performance Management Division: CAO, Clerk's and Communications Department: Archives
Item Number: CCW - 18-135
Meeting Date: April 24, 2018
Subject: Archives operations in March 2018
Recommendation That Item CCW 18-135, dated April 24, 2018 regarding Archives operations in March 2018, be received.
Executive Summary
This Item is provided to inform committee members of the operations and activities of the Simcoe County Archives.
In March 2018, Simcoe County Archives staff provided assistance to 61 in-person researchers and answered 123 reference requests from distant researchers. The Archives website had 3,106 page views.
In March 2018, the Simcoe County Archives’ collections grew by 15.14 linear metres.
The backlog of inaccessible and unprocessed records now comprises 44.20% of total collections and could take 16-19 years to process4 by 1 staff member working full-time.
April 24, 2018 Committee of the Whole - CCW 18-135 Page 2
Background / Analysis / Options
1) Inquiries & Requests
Telephone / Mail / E-Mail / Fax 123
Research Visits 61
Imaging Services Projects: MF Digitization by reels 15
Imaging Services Projects: Microfilming by reels 5
Imaging Services Projects: Orders 2
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140
1.1. Web Views
Web Site Page Views 3106
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500
2) Backlog Status
2.1. Collections Growth – March 2018
Total collections: 2,656 linear metres Monthly growth: 15.14 linear metres Total Backlog: 1,174 linear metres Backlog as % total collections: 44.20 % Time to process backlog (1 FTE): 16-19 years
Percentage of Total Collections: Processed and Unprocessed Material
1174, 44% Unprocessed backlog (linear m.) 1481.86, 56% Processed material (linear m.)
Form issued: April 2016 April 24, 2018 Committee of the Whole - CCW 18-135 Page 3
2.2. Collections Growth Background
Each year, the Archives has 17 scheduled transfers from lower-tier municipalities and the City of Barrie and five scheduled transfers from 18 County of Simcoe divisions and departments. (Scheduled transfers only occur when records are available for transfer.)
The Archives also accepts donations from a wide variety of other sources, including individuals, businesses, Women’s Institutes, community organizations, and other cultural institutions.
2.3. Records Processing4
Staff
Two staff positions devote substantial time to records processing:
Archival Technician Assistant Archivist
Both positions are also responsible for various other duties, including, but not limited to: reference services provision; research; outreach; digital preservation; database design, configuration and maintenance; and other duties as assigned. As a result of these duties, neither position devotes the majority of their time to records processing.
Average Processing Times
Processing times can be hard to ascertain as they vary greatly with the nature, organization, condition, and extent of a collection. The required level of description (item, file, series, or collection) may also affect processing times. Many collections contain a mix of material requiring different processing approaches.
Processing times can vary from 15 hours per linear metre for well-organized material requiring little arrangement or preservation work to 120 hours per linear metre for material requiring item-level description.
In most cases, processing times will fall in between these two extremes.
Estimated Backlog Reduction Times
Assumptions:
o Processing time: 25-30 hours per linear metre o Hours per year (1 person): 1,820 hours (not accounting for vacation) o One processing staff member: 100% of their time
To process the existing backlog would take 16.13 to 19.35 years. This time does not take into account concurrent collections growth, which will add to the backlog. Furthermore, operational needs are such at that no staff member can devote 100% of their time to processing.
Form issued: April 2016 April 24, 2018 Committee of the Whole - CCW 18-135 Page 4
3) Collections Development Highlights
3.1. Donations1
Number of Donations: 13 Extent of Donations (physical): 2.8 linear metres Extent of Donations (digital): 0.008 GB
Selected Donations:
Photographs and Art:
2 photographs of George William Burton, former Reeve of Innisfil, ca. 1972, and 11 photographs of oil paintings of landscapes and barns by George William Burton
Publications:
Forged in the Flames: Commemorating 150 Years of Service by the Barrie Fire Department, 1844-1944, a book by Douglas Skelding, 1994 Sibbald Family History by Nancy (Sibbald) Anderson, 1999 48 scrapbooks of news clippings highlighting people, anniversaries, weddings, special events, etc. in the Coldwater and Medonte Township areas, compiled by Olive Wylie, ca. 1950-1991 Coldwater Journal newspapers, 1977-1991 Penetang Review #3, a poetry zine created and edited by Kevin Halligan
Organizational Records:
Barrie Historical Association administrative records, ca. 2013-2014 Barrie Art Club administrative records, ca. 1949-1995
3.2. Transfers2
Number of Transfers: 3 Extent of Transfers: 12.34 linear metres
Selected Transfers:
County of Simcoe Clerk’s Department 32 boxes, including: o C01 – By-laws, 1987-2009 o C04 – Council/Board minutes, 2009-2015 o C06 – Council Committee reports, 2009-2017 o C09 – Motions and resolutions, 2009-2017 o C11 – Staff reports, 2015-2017 o L02 – Claims against the Municipality, 2015 o L03 – Claims by the Municipality, 2009 o L19 – Trademarks, patents & copyright, 2016
Form issued: April 2016 April 24, 2018 Committee of the Whole - CCW 18-135 Page 5
County of Simcoe Corporate Communications Department 8 boxes, including: o M01 – Advertising, 2009-2013, 2015-2016 o M02 – Ceremonies and events, 2007-2016 o M06 – News releases, 2009-2012, 2015-2016 o M07 – Publications – 2007-2016 o M08 – Speeches and presentations, 2015-2016
County of Simcoe Finance Department 1 box, including: o F10 – Financial statements – Consolidated financial statements, 2006- 2015
3.3. Acquisitions3
Number of acquisitions: 2 Extent of acquisitions (physical): 0 Extent of acquisitions (digital): 0.827 GB
Selected Acquisitions:
2 oral history interviews were produced by Archives staff: Joanna McEwan, artist, published historian, and first woman to be elected to Oro Township council (1976), discusses growing up in Oro Township. Doreen Horton, long-time resident of Barrie, local historian and researcher, discusses growing up in Allandale and Barrie.
3.4. Purchases
Number of purchases: 0
3.5. Records Processing4
Number of fonds/collections/items processed: 6 Extent of records processed: 0.10 linear metres
Selected Processing:
Photographs: 1 group photograph of the Thornton Old Boys Club, 1933 1 group photograph of the Holly United Church Ladies’ Aid, 1928
3.6. Microfilm Activity
Reels of microfilm created: 5 Reels of microfilm digitized: 15 (106.1 GB)
Selected Microfilming:
Tay Township Council minutes, 1998-1999
Form issued: April 2016 April 24, 2018 Committee of the Whole - CCW 18-135 Page 6
Tiny Township assessment rolls, 1995
Argyle Women’s Institute Tweedsmuir history scrapbook Collingwood Bulletin newspapers, 1920
Selected Microfilm Digitization:
Nottawasaga Township assessment rolls, 1959-1965 Rama Township by-laws, 1966-1993 Rama Township Council minutes, 1875-1881, 1975-1993
4) Research Highlights
4.1. Researcher Demographics
Researchers by Place of Origin
Simcoe County 34 Simcoe County - Detail
Barrie 16 Springwater 12 Toronto 3 Innisfil 7 Orillia 2 Adjala-Tosorontio 5 Muskoka District 2 Essa 4
York Region 1 Oro-Medonte 3
Peterborough 1 Tiny 1
Parry Sound District 1 Ramara 1
Halton Region 1 Pentanguishene 1
0 10 20 30 40 0 5 10 15 Number of Visitors Number of Visitors
Researchers by Subject of Research Interest5
Property Research 18 Local History 15 Genealogy 9 Institutional/Organizational History 4 Schools History 2 Native History 1 Forests 1 Churches History 1 Military History 1 Industry/Business History 1 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 Number of Researchers
Form issued: April 2016 April 24, 2018 Committee of the Whole - CCW 18-135 Page 7
Assistance to Municipalities and County Departments Municipalities County Departments
Simcoe County 6 Simcoe County Museum 2 Severn 4 Ramara 3 Communications 2 Clearview 3 Tiny 2 Tourism 1 Tay 2 Penetanguishene 2 Clerk's 1 Bracebridge 1
0 2 4 6 8 0 1 1 2 2 3 Number of Requests Number of Requests
Assistance to Other Organizations Other Organizations
SUMAC 4
New Tecumseth Public Library 1
Correctional Service of Canada Museum 1
Clearview Public Library 1
Bruce County Museum & Archives 1
Barrie Public Library 1
Ainley Group 1
0 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 Number of Requests
4.2. Selected Research Projects
Environmental site assessment Local athlete research GIS project History of buildings, properties, and organizations
4.3. Archival Resources Accessed – Researchers accessed the following:
Municipal Records
Barrie Tay Nottawasaga Tecumseth Oro Tiny Penetanguishene Tosorontio
Form issued: April 2016 April 24, 2018 Committee of the Whole - CCW 18-135 Page 8
Severn Simcoe County
Newspaper Collections
Alliston Creemore Barrie
Other Records
Barrie Central Collegiate material Maps & atlases collection Cemetery transcriptions Norbert Moran scrapbooks Censuses / genealogical records Online resources: Ancestry & OnLand Directories and gazetteers Oro-Medonte Horticultural Society Fire insurance plans Photographs collection Gary French collection Probate index Land records Women’s Institute records Library collection Mary F. Wase collection
5) Outreach
5.1. In-person
Tours were given to: o Georgian College Museum Studies students
Presentations were given to: o St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church (Barrie) Men’s Breakfast Fellowship o Records Management Support Group
5.2. Online
The Archives featured one blog post celebrating International Women’s Day about a missionary teacher from Barrie who wrote a series of letters home from China in the 1920s: https://www.simcoe.ca/Archives/Pages/IWD_Christina_Frances_MacDougall.aspx
6) Staff Training & Development
Archives staff participated in the following training and development activities:
Webinar introduction to Preservica (digital preservation software) Microsoft OneNote Microsoft Excel level 2 Crown WAV-60 (work assist vehicle) train-the-trainer course
7) Notes
1 - “Donations” A donation is a charitable gift or benefaction, where legal ownership is ceded to the Simcoe County Archives, including subsisting copyright where agreed. A charitable receipt for income tax purposes is provided to the donor where appropriate. Date ranges are approximate and reflect start and
Form issued: April 2016 April 24, 2018 Committee of the Whole - CCW 18-135 Page 9
end dates, not completeness. Future archival processing will determine actual date ranges and contents of donations.
2 “Transfers” A transfer is a transfer of custody, where ownership remains with the depositor. This occurs mainly with municipal records and records of Simcoe County’s Women’s Institutes. Date ranges are approximate and reflect start and end dates, not completeness. Future archival processing will determine actual date ranges and contents of transfers.
3 “Acquisitions” An acquisition usually implies a purchase (at auction or otherwise), but may also include salvage. Date ranges are approximate and reflect start and end dates, not completeness. Future archival processing will determine actual date ranges and contents of acquisitions.
4 “Processing” Records are said to be “processed” if they have gone through each step of the appraisal, arrangement & description, and accessioning procedures, and have been placed in the general collection for the use of researchers. Processing may also include background research, the re-location and/or physical maintenance of the records, as well as the modification of descriptive finding aids, such as describing the records at another level.
5 “Subject of Research Interest” Researchers may have several, often overlapping, interests, which is reflected above. In some cases, it is difficult to determine the interests of the researcher.
Financial and Resource Implications
There are no financial implications associated with this Item.
Relationship to Corporate Strategic Plan
No relationship to corporate strategies.
Reference Documents
There are no reference documents.
Attachments
There are no attachments.
Prepared By Matthew Fells, County Archivist
Approvals Date John Daly, County Clerk April 10, 2018 Trevor Wilcox, General Manager, Corporate Performance April 16, 2018 Mark Aitken, Chief Administrative Officer April 16, 2018
Form issued: April 2016