The Yorkton Branch of the Sask-atchewan Genealogy Society wishes you a very happy new year! If you have been tossing around the idea of working on your family tree, make 2015 the year you begin! Truly, there is no time like the present to begin working on the mechanics of your family tree, listing relatives, births, deaths, and marriages. But it is also crucial to record family stories while more senior members of your family are there to relate special memories and answer questions. Also, if you have any old family photos but are unsure who is who, sit down with family and record this important information.
The first week of February, February 1 – 7, 2015, is designated as Archives Week. Make yourself acquainted with the Saskatchewan Council for Archives and Archivists. Visit their great website at www.scaa.sk.ca; it is very informative, and very easy to navigate and explore. Their home page states that “The Saskatchewan Council for Archives and Archivists (SCAA) represents the Saskatchewan archival community in the Canadian archival system, and is responsible for developing a cooperative and successful archival network in Saskatchewan, encouraging the establishment of new archives in Saskatchewan, promoting and developing standard archival policies and practices, and promoting public understanding and use of archives and historical resources in Saskatchewan. The Council offers workshops and other educational programs and an Archival Advisory Service providing advice and assistance to archives; and maintains the Saskatchewan Archival Information Network, a network of information about archival holdings in Saskatchewan, including virtual exhibits, descriptions of archival collections, and a photo database.”
They offer professional development with educational opportunities. The site also states that “The SCAA’s education program is an important part of our mandate. Workshops topics have included copyright, arrangement and description of archival holdings, digitization for archives, managing audio-visual records, he preservation of historic photographs, the preservation of optical and magnetic med (modern information carriers), and public awareness of archives. An introduction to archives workshop is offered annually.”
This year’s Archives Week is “the 10th annual Archives Week event showcasing the role that archives and archivists play in preserving and making available Saskatchewan’s documentary heritage. Activities in communities across the province include celebrity reading events, film nights, open houses, exhibits and more.”
Also, a workshop is tentatively set for spring 2015 in Esterhazy. The workshop is suitable for a beginner or a refresher course for the more experienced archivist, and would include topics such as what are archives, fundamental principles of archives, arrangement and description, and preservation and the digital world. Interested persons are welcome to participate. For more information on this upcoming workshop, please contact Cameron Hart at [email protected]
Please visit the site, and make plans at attend he workshop in the spring. This information will give an added dimension to your genealogy research. Every family has a story; discover yours with the Yorkton Branch of the Saskatchewan Genealogy Society. The next regular meeting will be on Tuesday, January 13, 2015 at the Yorkton Public Library. Everyone is welcome.
