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 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 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.

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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

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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

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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 3 Innisfil 7 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

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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 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

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 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

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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