How To Start An Archive

How to start an archive

The purpose of the Society of American Archivists – Archivists of Religious Collections Section, Models and Resources Committee (MRC) is to provide information to section members on all aspects of archival work relating to the administration of religious collections.

Join us for a presentation on the considerations of starting an archive.

Presenter: Ellen Scheinberg, Heritage Professionals, Toronto, Ontario.

Dr. Ellen Scheinberg is president of Heritage Professionals, a consulting firm specializing in archival, museum, and information management services. Her clients have included government entities, educational & health institutions, corporations, non-profits, clubs, private donors, and archives and libraries. The projects the firm is engaged in are fairly eclectic, ranging from setting up new archives to creating exhibitions, digitization strategies, and client space assessments.

Ellen started her career as an archivist at the National Archives of Canada, working there from 1990 to 2000. She went on to serve as Director of the Ontario Jewish Archives for nine years, later taking on the role of Senior Manager in charge of outreach, digitization, and exhibitions at the Archives of Ontario before launching her consulting firm in 2012.

She has published widely in various areas: archival studies, women’s history, labor history, Jewish studies, and immigration history. She recently co-edited the book The Ward: The Life and Loss of Toronto’s First Immigrant Neighbourhood (2015) and contributed several articles to The Ward Uncovered: The Archaeology of Everyday Life (2018). The former was the winner of the Heritage Toronto Book Award, and both works were finalists for the Toronto Book Award and the Ontario Speakers’ Award.