Lakehead University’s Archivist is happy with the progress the school’s Archives have made in recent years.
Sara Janes tells us the archives have gotten more support and staff over the past two years, allowing them to make it easier for the community to use many of their items that weren’t correctly recorded in their system.
“And we’ve been able to create new descriptions, new indexes, so people can actually do research and learn from the history stored there,” she explains.
Janes notes they want to make sure their records are available not only to the Lakehead University community, but members of the wider community and around the world as well.
The Archivist adds they’re also working on storing the archives digitally, including more Finnish-language records, some of which they also hope to have translated within the year.
“[That will mean] massively increasing access to these documents that really cover really important stuff in the labour movement–political organizations, labour organizations, and cultural organizations in the city’s past.”
She notes they’ll also be asking for input from the community as they prepare to upgrade their facilities and services over the next few years.
The Archives officials adds they want people to know their collections are open to the public, and that you can also help them grow their collection.
“Most of the records that we have, have been obtained by people donating records of themselves, their families, organizations that they’ve been involved in. And as we go forward, we do want to acquire more collections that represent Thunder Bay’s real diversity.”
