Table of Contents Notice of the Twenty Sixth Annual General Meeting Minutes of the Twenty Fifth Annual General Meeting

Transcription

1 Annual Report

2 Table of Contents Notice of the Twenty Sixth Annual General Meeting 3 Minutes of the Twenty Fifth Annual General Meeting 4 President s Report 2015 / Council s Annual Report 2015 / Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 30 June Agenda Item Notice of Motion No.1 29 Agenda Item Notice of Motion No.2 32 Agenda Item Notice of Motion No.3 35 Proposed Annual Membership Subscriptions from 1 January Returning Officer's Report and Declaration of Results for Council Election Branch and Special Interest Group Convenor Reports 39

3 Notice of the Twenty Sixth Annual General Meeting Australian Society of Archivists Inc. Marsden Room, Hotel Parkroyal, Parramatta Tuesday, 18 October 2016, 3.30pm AGENDA 1. Present 2. Apologies 3. Confirmation of Minutes of the Twenty Fifth Annual General Meeting held at the Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart, Tuesday, 18 August President s Report 5. Council s Report 6. Treasurer s Report 7. Auditor s Report 8. Appointment of Auditor for 2016 / Election of Officers and Councillors / Returning Officer s Report 10. Appointment of ad hoc committees 11. Special Business and Notices of Motion 11.1 Notice of Motion No 1 Membership 11.2 Notice of Motion No 2 Professional Recognition 11.3 Notice of Motion No 3 Sundry Changes 12. Annual Membership Subscriptions 13. Presentation of Awards 14. General Business 15. Date and Place of the Twenty-Sixth Annual General Meeting Guy Tranter ASA Secretary 26 September

4 Minutes of the Twenty Fifth Annual General Meeting MINUTES (Draft) Grand Ballroom, Hotel Grand Chancellor, Hobart Tuesday, 18 August 2015 The Annual General Meeting commenced at 2.30pm. 1. Present Karen Anderson, Katie Bird, David Bloomfield, Fiona Burn, Maria Carvalho, Sue Coppin, Delene Cuddihy, Peter Crush, Adrian Cunningham, Joanne Evans, Fraser Faithfull, Peter Francis, Kathryn Frankland, Pauline Garland, Gionni Di Gravio, Cassie Findlay, Gerard Foley, Evangeline Galettis, Laura Harris, Sheena Hesse, Glenn Howroyd, Chris Hurley, Liz Irving, Mike Jones, Pauline Joseph, Jessica Kilpatrick, Rachel Kuchel, Vivienne Larking, Nicola Laurent, Richard Lehane, Tony Leviston, Susan Long, Julia Mant, Sigrid McCausland, Colleen McEwen, Angela McGing, Nicki Ottavi, Jenny Pearce, Kylie Percival, Michael Piggott, Alexander Pouw-Bray, David Roberts, Catherine Robinson, Tim Robinson, Gregory Rolan, Judith Seeff, Maggie Shapley, Robert Sharman, Susan Sondalini, Steve Stefanopoulos, Christopher Stueven, Shirley Sullivan, Ian Sutherland, Rodney Teakle, Craig Tibbitts, Guy Tranter, Louise Trott, Susie van der Sluys, Marilynne Vietnieks, Lynda Weller, John Waterhouse, Danielle Wickman, Elisabeth Wilson, Kirsten Wright, Stephen Yorke. 2. Apologies Lee Amoroso. Carol Anderson, Karin Anderson, Baiba Berzins, Karin Brennan, Ursula Brimble, Jill Caldwell, Samantha Cooper, Rhonda Cotsell, Kathryn Dan, Jenni Davidson, Patricia Downs, Robyn Eastley, Kim Eberhard, Katherine Gallen, Barbara Hoffman, Klaus Inveen, Anne Kelly, Michele Keogh, Rowena Loo, Rosemary Mammino, Lennie McCall, Lorien Milligan, Satoko Mita, Michael Moran, Sally Newton, Margaret Paterson, John Phelan, Jon Readhead, Barbie Ryan, Mary Ryan, Fiona Russell, Spiros Sarris, Joanna Sassoon, Clive Smith, Bronwen Stinson, Marie Steer, Rachel Uren, Geraldine Woodhatch, Barbara Van Bronswijk. 2.1 Proxies The following proxy votes were received by the due date of 15 August 2015: Lorien Milligan (+ proxy/ Tatiana Antsoupova) For Membership Subscriptions only. Klaus Inveen (+ proxy/chair). For both. Karin Brennan (+proxy/tim Robinson). For both. Michelle Keogh (+ proxy/chair). For both. Patricia Downs (+ proxy/chair). For both. Clive Smith (+proxy/chair). For both. 3. Confirmation of Minutes of the previous meeting: Confirmation of the Minutes of the 24 th ASA AGM Motion: Moved: Seconded: Carried That the minutes of the 24 th ASA AGM held on 30 September 2014 be accepted as a true and accurate record. Louise Trott Peter Crush 4

5 3.1 Matters Arising General Business UNISIG Motion of Notice. Anne Picot noted she would like to bring to the attention of members the lack of opportunity for SIGs to report to ASA membership on matters arising at SIG annual general meetings. It was suggested that ASA AGM is the appropriate forum for these reports which would provide some accountability for SIGs. The President thanked Anne for highlighting this point of view. 4. President s Report As published on pp of the Annual Report The President also noted she would provide members with a brief overview of a proposed Repositioning Strategy for the ASA currently under consideration by Council at the conclusion of the AGM. Motion: Moved: Seconded: Carried That the President s Report be accepted. Steve Stefanopoulos Janet Howse Adelaide Parr provided an update to the meeting on the current ASA Accreditation process, which is a joint accreditation with ALIA/RIMPA. This initiative will raise the profile of the profession as well as streamline the process for institutions. All ASA courses will have their current accreditation extended to assist with aligning schedule. Discussion followed: Colleen McEwen queried the omission of the Archivist s Mission Statement from Archives & Manuscripts. ACTION: Louise Trott will ensure the Archivist s Mission Statement is returned to Archives & Manuscripts. Chris Hurley asked for clarification on the net profit, with the query being held over until the Treasurer s Report. 5. Council s Report As published on pp of the Annual Report , the members acknowledged the outgoing Councillors with acclamation. Motion: Moved: Seconded: Carried That the Council s Report be accepted. Anne Picot Mark Brogan Following the initial vote of approval, the President moved that the Council Report should be amended to report the actual profit of $99, 411. Motion: Moved: Seconded: Carried That the Amendment to the Council Report be accepted. Anne Picot Mark Brogan 5

6 6. Treasurer s Report The Treasurer noted that a profit of $ was made. The Treasurer noted that there had been an accounting error made in the previous year s financial accounts which recorded an incorrect profit for the 2013 Canberra Conference. That Conference had actually made a profit of $53, That accounting arrangement was corrected for this Financial Statement. Ian apologised for the error. The Treasurer noted that there had been increases in income, and that consulting has increased, reflecting investment in the ASA s marketing strategy for example. He noted the ASA pays three honorariums; Membership Officer, IT, and Website design. There are two paid contracts, Finance and Admin Assistant. There is also payment to the Editor of Archives & Manuscripts, which is covered in the arrangement with Taylor & Francis. He noted that the introduction of website has made payment of dues easier and helps in terms of conference planning (PCO role). Motion: Moved: Seconded: Carried That the Treasurer s Report be accepted. Peter Crush Anne Picot Discussion followed: Anne Picot queried what are the ASA is doing with the surplus. The Treasurer noted we are in a crossroads situation, and that to maintain an office would still be difficult. The ASA only spends the profit from the previous year, which ensures we manage the accounts responsibly. The repositioning strategy and training package are investments, which will benefit members. It is important to retain monies in reserve, and use the money to augment member services and initiatives which extend the impact of the ASA, rather than setting up an office. The President added the low-cost approach to running the Society has worked and now the Society is a position to fund key projects, and return benefits to members and support the profession. Mark Brogan queried the costs of the Taylor & Francis contract, the proposed A&M retrodigitisation project, and CPD training using Moodle. The President noted Moodle contract is $200 per month to keep live and was in fact the cheaper offer, although not the first preference for the ASA. Louise Trott responded she had been in contact with Informit regarding the retro-digitisation and she is seeking a quote to take to Council meeting in September The Treasurer noted the T&F contract had delivered a profit this financial year to the ASA. Maggie Shapley queried why T&F were not going to retrospective digitisation as it was initially in the contract the ASA signed in Louise Trott responded that the ASA had negotiated to be released from that clause in 2015, as T& F were not interested in back catalogue. She noted that copyright remains an issue for the success of the project. Colleen McEwen noted the T&F Contract expires in 2017 and queried what mechanisms the ASA would put in place to renew the contract, The President noted the renewal was on the radar and she would seek to certainly review the advantages in continuing and look to explore the current payment arrangements for institutional members. 6

7 Chris Hurley queried whether the ASA has a budget as part of governance planning. The President noted the budget is generated as an internal planning document. The Secretary noted the budget was incorporated into Council meeting papers and available on request but not published to the ASA website. Anne Picot queried whether the digitised issues of A&M would be a member benefit at no cost. Louise Trott noted she would canvass options in a paper to Council. Janet Howse raised the issue of membership and part-time workers. The Treasurer and President noted this was part of the marketing review. The current membership structure is convoluted and Council wants a good outcome that is clear to members. This was not a quick solution but likely part of a five-year plan. 7. Annual Membership Subscriptions As published on page 25 of the Annual Report Notice of motion: That the rates of membership subscription remain at the levels set 1 January 2014 as follows: Membership Class Subscription (Inc. GST) Professional Members Professional Membership $ Professional Membership Concessional Fee - gross annual income $ (including superannuation contributions paid by employers) for the financial year is less than $35,000 Professional Membership (Retired) $ Associate Members Regular $ Associate Membership Concession (Retired, Student, Unemployed) $75.00 Special Student Rate (students paying this rate will have to access $50.00 Archives and Manuscripts through their educational institution) Overseas $ Institutional Members Category A (Government institutions, business corporations, $ universities, etc.) Category B (schools, religious and non-profit organisations) $ Motion: Moved: Seconded: Carried That the rates of membership subscription be adopted as per the motion, from 1 January Ian Sutherland Adrian Cunningham 8. Auditor s Report Ian Sutherland drew the attention of members to the Independent Audit Report by Sothertons Adelaide Partnership, published on pp of the Annual Report Motion: Moved: Seconded: Carried That the Auditor s Report be accepted. Ian Sutherland Sigrid McCausland 7

8 9. Appointment of Auditor for 2015/ 2016 Ian Sutherland reported that Sothertons Chartered Accountants Adelaide, of 42 Hurtle Square, Adelaide, SA, were appointed auditor for the past four financial years. Ian recommended that the ASA appoint the same company to be auditor for the year Motion: That Jim McKenzie of Sothertons Chartered Accountants Adelaide be appointed auditor for Moved: Ian Sutherland Seconded: Mark Brogan Carried 10. Election of Officers and Councillors / Returning Officer s Report The Returning Officer for the 2015 AGM was David Roberts. The Returning Officer s Report, dated 3 August 2015, is published on page 26 of the Annual Report Motion: Moved: Seconded: Carried That the Returning Officer s Report be adopted. David Roberts Kylie Percival Kylie welcomed the newly elected President and Councillors: Vice-President: Treasurer: Secretary: Councillor: Councillor: Councillor: Continuing on Council: Tony Leviston Mark Brogan Guy Tranter Julia Mant Louise Trott Jenny Pearce President: Kylie Percival, Councillor: Gionni Di Gravio Councillor: David Bloomfield The President Kylie Percival thanked the outgoing Councillors for their service, that is: Ian Sutherland Adelaide Parr 11. Appointment of ad hoc committees Nil. 12. Special Business and Notices of Motion Notice of Motion 1 on deletion of the word postal from the Rules of the Society. Statement in support: Currently the Rules specify that an election for members of Council must be by postal ballot. Similarly, a ballot on a question under Rule 25 (called where the Council or a group of professional members believe that the general meeting at which the question was decided was unrepresentative of the Society) must be a postal ballot. The Rules do not restrict other aspects of the election process the call for nominations and submission of nominations and CVs/policy statements to paper and postal processes. For the 2015 Council election, these steps were undertaken by . The Rules also provide for plebiscites, with no requirement that they be conducted by post. 8

9 The purpose of this proposed alteration to the Rules is to enable Council elections and other ballots to be conducted online, or even in other ways, as an alternative to postal ballots. We may anticipate that, if this alteration is approved, online ballots will be the norm for the Society, as being more efficient, convenient and speedy. There are a number of providers who offer online election services for professional bodies like the Society, as well as for other types of organisations. The word postal appears in the rules only as part of the phrase postal ballot. Deleting postal will make the rules relating to ballots technology neutral. By-Law 2 governs elections to Council in detail, with the prescribed process being based on a postal ballot. If this alteration to the Rules is approved, By-Law 2 will need to be amended to allow for online ballots, or other forms if necessary. Only a small number of members would be unable to participate in an online ballot or plebiscite. At the time of drafting this statement, there were two professional/honorary members (and three associate members, who can vote in certain plebiscites) without an address in our membership records. Members in this situation must still be able to participate in the Society s ballots. Under the proposed alteration, a ballot could be conducted online but with members without addresses participating by post. Guy Tranter queried whether the ASA Rules need to say anything about integrity of online ballots. David Roberts noted there would be changes to the ASA By-Laws as the recommended in the Notice of Motion to Council to handle some specifics. Motion: That the Rules of the Society be altered by deleting postal wherever it occurs. Moved: Seconded: Carried David Roberts Rodney Teakle 13. Presentation of Awards President s Awards Kylie Percival announced the following President s Awards: Rachel Naughton For her long standing support of the Victorian Branch Committee Pauline Garland For her continued management of the ASA mailbox Rowena Loo For her dedicated leadership and supremely capable coordination of the Mander Jones Awards Greg Cope For his continued support managing ASA publications in storage Jane Ratcliffe For her continued secretarial support of the SA Branch Committee Robert Sharman Award The winner of the Robert Sharman Award is Laura Harris. 9

10 ASA Foundation Members 13. General Business No items. 34 current members of the ASA are Foundation Members from To recognise the foundation members we created some lapel pins. Foundation members in attendance were: Ian Sutherland, Peter Crush, Janet Howse, Chris Hurley, Ian Pearce, Michael Piggott, Hilary Rowell, Bob Sharman, Elizabeth Wilson. 14. Date and Place of the Twenty-Fifth Annual General Meeting ASA Council proposes Tuesday 18 October 2016, Parramatta, Sydney Meeting closed: Kylie Percival closed the meeting at 3.40, after thanking all present for their commitment to, and support of, the Society. Minutes prepared by Julia Mant 10

11 President s Report 2015 / 2016 This past year has been our biggest year yet since I became President 4 years ago. We have had a daunting program of diverse activities but we have delivered most of them. Our membership figures passed the 900 members threshold; our finances have never been stronger; our core accreditation activity resumed after a lengthy hiatus; and we have grappled with the key changes required to best position ourselves for a strong future. The latter has resulted in Council proposing some key changes to our membership and professional recognition for consideration at the 2016 AGM. Whatever happens with these motions, we must continue to re-examine how we can promote our vital professional skills to the wider community and proactively engage outside the profession at every opportunity. Once again the Society s achievements are the result of an impressive team effort. Thank you to my unstinting Council colleagues (especially Julia as incoming President). Thanks also to Anke Brandt (Administrative Officer), Angela McGing (Membership Officer), Danielle Yan (Finance Officer), Richard Lehane (System Administrator), Barbara Hoffman (Web Content Manager), Sebastian Gurciullo (Archives and Manuscripts Journal Editor), and the many other members who assist with the work of the Society. The following brief overview of the activities undertaken in is structured in accordance with the Society s five goals: Represent the interests of the archival and recordkeeping profession, and promote the value of archives and records in society: Activities for included: Repositioning strategy presentation circulated to members and presentations held in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. Expertise, Leadership, Innovation and Connecting Information, Records and Archives taglines developed as part of the repositioning strategy adopted for online media use. Membership Workshop held in September Successive FOI applications submitted to access key documents related to the aborted merger of State Records SA and the State Library of SA. Further submission to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Tony Leviston and Julia Mant represented the ASA at CAARA meetings. Gionni Di Gravio and Tony Leviston represented the ASA at the respective Canberra and Adelaide GLAM Digital Access cross-sector forum meetings. Kathryn Dan represented the ASA on the Blue Shield Australia Committee. Tatiana Antsoupova represented the ASA on the Australian Libraries Copyright Council. Frank Upward and Sigrid McCausland both recognised with Fellow of the ASA awards. Karin Brennan represented the ASA at PARBICA Cassie Findlay represented the ASA at ICA and SPA 2015, and Julianne Barlow also attended with the assistance of an ASA bursary. Lise Summers prepared copyright amendment submission. Kylie Percival and Craig Tibbitts represented the ASA at the NAA hosted Information Management Professional Bodies working group on 7 September Tony Leviston represented the ASA at the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA) Roundtable on 7 September Provide and facilitate education and training for archivists and recordkeepers Activities for included: Continuation of Keeping Archives online CPD course development project by Cassie Findlay with 6 modules finalised and launched in October Successful ASA Conference in Hobart August 2015 led by Councillor and Convenor David Bloomfield with a profit of $50,

12 Planning of ASA Conference in Parramatta October 2016 led by Councillors and Co- Convenors Julia Mant and Jenny Pearce. Future conferences confirmed Melbourne 2017, Perth 2018 (possible joint conference event), Adelaide 2019 (possible joint ARANZ conference). Awarded Aurora Foundation Scholarships to Lee Amoroso for 2016 and Kirsten Wright for The Loris Williams Scholarship was awarded to two joint winners under the guidance of panel members Julia Mant, Kirsten Thorpe and Lyndon Ormond-Parker (both winners received conference registration, ASA membership and mentoring). The Sharman Award was awarded for the ASA Conference Offered subsidised Advocacy and Communication for Archivists workshops for members in Hobart, Sydney and Adelaide. The Margaret Jennings Awards were offered and awarded across our accredited courses. Supported a range of special Branch and SIG events throughout the year including Schools SIG Professional Development Days. Establish and maintain archival and recordkeeping standards Activities for have included: Professional Membership Subcommittee has continued to review professional membership applications. Membership increased to over 900 members. Angela McGing provided a report and recommendations from workshop titled Developing a Membership Strategy. Subcommittee members (Angela McGing, Annabel Lloyd and Colleen McEwen) have been active in contributing to the Membership Workshop in September 2015 and the subsequent work to develop an ASA membership repositioning strategy. Council proposed a new professional recognition scheme which will be presented to the AGM 2016 for consideration by members. Joint ASA/ALIA/RIMPA accreditation completed or underway for programs at Monash University (accreditation confirmed); Charles Sturt University (report finalised); Curtin University (report finalised); University of South Australia (visit scheduled for October 2016), RMIT (visit scheduled for November 2016). Kylie Percival developed an Archives and Recordkeeping Professional Capabilities Framework to articulate a multifaceted representation of our professional requirements. Cassie Findlay represented the ASA on Standards Australia IT21 Records Management Committee and more recently ASA has offered this representation opportunity to other member with Cassie s relocation overseas. Kylie Percival represented the ASA at ARANZ Symposium in Wellington, NZ on August Inform and communicate within and beyond the profession Activities for have included: Gionni Di Gravio established the ASA YouTube channel and put up videos with ASA Foundation members. Pilot project to upload Archives and Manuscripts on the ASA website found inconsistent file format and other technical issues. Monthly issue of e-bulletin Archive Matters for members. Taylor & Francis has continued to publish the ASA peer reviewed journal Archives and Manuscripts in accordance with the existing contract; 1 volume of 3 issues per annum, delivered online and in print, received by members and subscribers; with one article per issue Free Access. Taylor & Francis contract review meeting held in July 2016 and a working party of ASA members has been convened to make recommendations to Council regarding the future options for Archives and Manuscripts. Archivist s Mission statement added to the website. Report submitted on retro-digitisation of Archives and Manuscripts project. 12

13 Archives and Manuscripts accepted for indexing in the Emerging Sources Citation Index. ASA membership brochure revised and reprinted. Further 200 reprint of Keeping Archives III due to continued demand. Accepted Expression of Interest from Enterprise Knowledge for a new edition of the Records Retention and Disposal Schedule for Non-Government Schools. Govern and manage the organisation well Activities for have included: Mark Brogan issued Financial Resilience and Sustainability of the ASA report to raise issues around the longer term financial planning for the Society. Tim Robinson drafted the ASA Privacy Policy which was approved by Council. Councillor induction session held for new Council members and financial management training for all Council members. Rodney Teakle, Public Officer recommended changes to ASA By-laws to align with AGM approved Rule change in relation to ballots (approved by Council). Mark Brogan implemented prepaid stored value card trial as a precursor to a wider rollout to Branches and SIGs to act as a cash float for approved expenses. Issue of Guidelines on Corporate Use of Debit and Prepaid Stored Value Cards. Constitutional review report from Associations Forum on the ASA Rules. Mark Brogan developed an Excel conference workbook to support a project management approach to conference budgeting and planning. Four-year conference sponsorship agreement signed with Ancestry. Purchased Association Online Membership Platform and auto-renewal module. Colleen McEwen, Honorary Archivist oversaw transfer of ASA records to Noel Butlin Archives Centre. New teleconferencing platform implemented. Volunteers 2016 Again, the Society is indebted to the many volunteers who have supported our work on so many fronts. On behalf of Council, I extend our warm thank you to you all: Lee Amoroso, Tatiana Antsoupova, Peter Arfanis, Steve Bailey, Laura Baldwin, Julianne Barlow, Rebecca Bateman, John Beaverstock, Wendie Biggs, Katie Bird, David Bloomfield, Esmae Boutros, Karin Brennan, Mark Brogan, Fiona Burn, Michelle Campbell, Maria Carvalho, Liz Chalmers, Cathy Clem, Anne-Marie Condé, Andrew Cook, Brigid Cooper, Samantha Cooper, Gregory Cope, Sue Coppin, Kate Cumming, Adrian Cunningham, Peter Crush, Paul Dalgliesh, Kathryn Dan, Lee Davy, Gionni Di Gravio, Fraser Faithfull, Cassie Findlay, Karen Finch, Andrew Flinn, Gerard Foley, Donald Force, Pru Francis, Freida French, Pauline Garland, Gina Grey, Michelle Goodman, Emeline Haight, Catherine Hall, Michaela Hart, Sheena Hesse, Hannah Hibbert, Cathy Hobbs, Barbara Hoffman, Rose Holley, Chris Holmes, Andrew Horder, Christine Ianna, Helen Jackson, Katherine Jarvie, Barbara Johnson, Mike Jones, Pauline Joseph, Shadrack Katuu, Bruce Kay, Fiona Kilby, Rachel Kuchel, Sue Laidlaw, Vivienne Larkin, Nicola Laurent, Richard Lehane, Tony Leviston, Annabel Lloyd, Rowena Loo, Shannon Lovelady, James Lowry, Margaret Macdonald, Peta Madalena, Lorien Mader, Julia Mant, Jessica Marantelli, Margaret Mason-Cox, Sigrid McCausland, Colleen McEwen, Angela McGing, Andrea McKinnon-Matthews, Anne McLean, Laura Millar, Peter Miller, Susan Mills, Vipasha Mukherjee, Rachel Naughton, Stephanie Neille, Lyndon Ormond-Parker, Chris Otto, Adelaide Parr, Margaret Paterson, Jenny Pearce, Janette Pelosi, Robin Perry, Jane Ratcliff, Jon Readhead, Margaret Reid, Kate Riseley, David Roberts, Catherine Robinson, Tim Robinson, Brigitte Rockett, Hilary Rowell, Suzanne Ryan, Nathan Sentance, Maggie Shapley, Danna Slessor-Cobb, Sue Sondalini, Pixie Stardust, Steve Stefanopoulos, Denise Stephenson, Christopher Stueven, Lise Summers, Ian Sutherland, Rodney Teakle, Kirsten Thorpe, Craig Tibbits, Guy Tranter, Danielle Trewartha, Louise Trott, Sandra Turner, Susie Van der Sluys, Annelie de Villers, John Waterhouse, Jill Waters, Lynda Weller, Keith White, Andrew Wilson, Elisabeth Wilson, Kirsten Wright, Christine Yeats. Kylie Percival ASA President 4 October

14 Council s Annual Report 2015 / 2016 Council Members from 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016 Kylie Percival President from 23 August 2012, re-elected 30 September 2014 Tony Leviston Vice-President from 18 August 2015 Guy Tranter Secretary from 18 August 2015 Mark Brogan Treasurer from 18 August 2015 David Bloomfield Councillor from 30 September 2014 Gionni Di Gravio Councillor from 30 September 2014 Julia Mant Secretary from 15 October 2013, re-elected as Councillor, 18 August 2015 Jenny Pearce Councillor from 30 September 2014 Louise Trott Councillor from 15 October 2013, re-elected 18 August 2015 Adelaide Parr Vice President from 15 October 2013, term completed 18 August 2015 Ian Sutherland Treasurer from 18 February 2012, re-elected 15 October 2013, term completed 18 August 2015 Steve Stefanopoulos Councillor from 23 August 2012, re-elected 30 September 2014, resigned effective 18 August 2015 Attendance of Councillors at business meetings The number of ASA Council business meetings and the number of meetings attended by each of the Councillors of the entity, during the financial year 1 July 2015 to 30 June 2016 are as follows: Name Possible Attended Kylie Percival 10 9 Tony Leviston 9 9 Guy Tranter 9 9 Mark Brogan 9 6 David Bloomfield 10 7 Gionni di Gravio 10 7 Julia Mant 10 7 Jenny Pearce Louise Trott 10 8 Adelaide Parr 1 1 Ian Sutherland 1 1 Steve Stefanopoulos 1 1 Principal activities of the Society The principal activities of the Society during 2015/2016 were to lead and support the development and promotion of the archival profession in Australia and provide an authoritative voice on matters of archival concern. There were no significant changes in the nature of the principal activities of the entity during the year. Net financial situation For the financial year 2015/2016, the Society made a net profit of $86,

15 Dividends The entity is a non-profit organisation and is prevented by its constitution and legislation from paying dividends. Events subsequent to reporting date The Council is not aware of any other item, transaction or event of a material and unusual nature likely, in the opinion of the directors of the entity, to affect significantly the operations of the entity, the results of those operations or the state of affairs of the entity, in future financial years. Likely developments The Council members do not anticipate any other particular development in the operations of the entity, which will affect the result in subsequent years. Indemnification and insurance of officers The entity has provided for or paid premiums during the year for Council members and officers liability and legal expenses insurance contracts. Kylie Percival ASA President Tony Leviston ASA Vice-President 15

16 Annual Report and Financial Statements for the year ending 30 June 2016 Financial Report for the Twenty Sixth Annual General Meeting 2016 Australian Society of Archivists Inc. The financial year 2015/16 was a successful one for the Society. The Balance sheet describes a growth in net assets of $86, 632 representing a profit for the year 2015/16 of $86,632, slightly less than the previous year ($99,411), but overall a good result. Cash in hand at 30 June rose from $500, 736 in 2015 to $567,162 in Expenditure was up from $144,418 in FYR 2014/15 to $168, 969 FYR 2015/16. Growth in expenditure is mainly attributable to the full year contracting cost of administrative support, increases in the number of honoraria and investment in new products and services such as elearning. The table below describes financial performance year on year Performance has been consistent over the period. Summary Statement of Income/Expenditure $ $ $ $ Total income 255, , , ,122 Total expenses 168, , ,311 87,832 Profit/Loss for the year 86,632 99, ,186 91,290 Mark Brogan ASA Treasurer 26 September

17 The Balance Sheet is to be read in conjunction with the notes to the financial statements set out on pages 20 to 23 17

18 The Income Statement is to be read in conjunction with the notes to the financial statements set out on pages 20 to 23 18

19 The Statement of Cash Flows is to be read in conjunction with the notes to the financial statements set out on pages 20 to 23 19

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28 Agenda Item Notice of Motion No.1 Proposal to simplify membership classes Notice of Motion I move that: 1) the following changes be made to the Rules with effect from 1 January 2017:. Part 2 Rule Changes Proposed change 2 Change professional member interpretation to includes individual members recognised by the Society under Rule 4A. The term also includes members who were admitted as professional members or conferred as honorary members (membership categories which no longer exist).. 4(1) Change to There shall be two classes of membership of the Society, individual and corporate. 4(2) Delete whole section relating to professional membership 4(3) Renumber as sub-rule 4(2). Change Associate to Individual Amend sub-rule (i) by removing: membership as set out in paragraph (a) of subrule (2) and replace with recognition by the Society Add a new sub-rule: (ii) persons working as professionals and practitioners of archives and recordkeeping 4(4) Delete sub-rule relating to conferring honorary membership. 4(5) Renumber as sub-rule 4(3) Change institutional to corporate Delete recognised archival institutions and such other 5(1) Add individual after All and before member in the first line Add a new sub-rule: (iv) to vote at any meeting of the Society or in any ballot or plebiscite conducted by the Council 5(2) Delete sub-rule restricting voting to professional members 5(3) Renumber as sub-rule 5(2). 5(4) Renumber as sub-rule 5(3). In sub-rule (a) add individual between fifteen and members In sub-rule (d) change Associate to individual, change representative to delegate, and change institutional to corporate. 5(5) Renumber as sub-rule 5(4). Change institutional to corporate 5(6) Renumber as sub-rule 5(5). 5(7) Renumber as sub-rule 5(6). Change personal to individual 6(1) Delete personal in first line. Delete Every person admitted to the membership of the Society shall Change sub-rule (i) to remove in writing in a form prescribed by the Council to in the manner prescribed Delete sub-rule (ii) which is covered by Rule 5 Delete sub-rules (iii) and (iv) Renumber sub-rule (v) as (ii) and change from lodge the completed application with the Society together with the appropriate fees or subscription fixed under sub-rule 5(6) to pay the appropriate fees or subscription fixed under sub-rule 5(5) Add a new sub-rule: (iii) nominate a delegate (Corporate members only). 6(4) Delete Institutions, organisations or other bodies qualifying 28

29 Part 2 Rule Changes Proposed change 11(1) Change professional to individual 26(1) Change professional to individual 30(1) Change professional to individual Other rule changes Proposed change References to institutional Change to corporate member. member 2) the following transitional arrangements apply to existing members of the Society, and to all new and renewing members applying between the adoption of the rule changes and the introduction of the rule changes: Existing membership class Professional Associate Honorary Institutional New membership class Individual Individual Individual (retaining honorary member status as a legacy membership class) Corporate Mover: Kylie Percival Seconder: Julia Mant 29

30 Statement in support ASA Council has a strategy to grow membership of the Society, to ensure the Society is able to succeed and flourish for the next forty years. A new, simplified model of membership is proposed effective from 1 January 2017 that: Removes categorisation of individuals into classes for membership purposes Ensures membership is open and relevant to a broad range of individuals that work in archives and recordkeeping, as well as individuals and corporate bodies in allied professions or that support the Society s objectives Enables more members to actively participate in the Society through broader voting rights Simplifies membership applications and processing. Key changes Key features of the new model are: 1) Reduces membership classes from four to two, individual and corporate. 2) Separates membership from professional recognition. See separate Notice of Motion relating to how members will be professionally recognised. Proposed Membership class Individual (replaces Professional, Associate, Honorary) Proposed Professional Recognition Categories Accredited Member Accredited Professional Recognised Professional Corporate NA 3) Gives all individual members rights to vote at meetings and in Council elections. Delegates of Corporate members are not considered to be individual members. 4) Confirms removal of Council s right to confer honorary membership (previously agreed). What is not changing? 1) Only professional members (Accredited Professional, Recognised Professional, Honorary member) are eligible: a. to bind Council to a decision of a plebiscite, in the case of a majority vote (Rules 5 and 8) b. to be appointed to the Advisory Committee on Ethical Standards (Rule 7) c. to stand for election as, and fill the positions of, Council Officers or Councillors (Rule 10) d. to be appointed as the journal editor (Rule 8) e. to request Council to convene a special general meeting (Rule 16) f. to decide the time and place of an adjourned general meeting if a quorum not present (Rule 18) g. to request Council to hold a ballot of professional members to refer a decision of a general meeting (Rule 25) h. to vote on expulsion of a member (Rule 25). 2) Membership discounts will still be offered to students, retirees, etc. 30

31 Agenda Item Notice of Motion No.2 Proposal for professional recognition scheme Notice of Motion I move that 1) the following new section be added to the Rules with effect from 1 January 2017: Professional Recognition 4A (1) The Society recognises individual members who have university qualifications (or equivalent) working in archives and recordkeeping roles. (2) Individual members can apply for recognition as (i) an ASA Accredited Member (post-nominals ASAAM) who is an individual member holding a university qualification in a course accredited by the ASA (or equivalent) (ii) an ASA Recognised Professional (post-nominals ASARP) who is an individual member holding a university qualification (or equivalent), and a minimum of two (2) years of work experience at a professional level in archives and/or recordkeeping (iii) an ASA Accredited Professional (post-nominals ASAAP) who is an individual member holding a university qualification in a course accredited by ASA (or equivalent), and a minimum of five (5) years of work experience at a professional level in archives and/or recordkeeping. 2) the following transition arrangements apply to existing professional members of the Society, and to all new or renewing professional members applying between the adoption of the rule changes and the introduction of the rule changes: Existing members Professional (approved under Rule 4(2) prior to 31 December 2016) Honorary (conferred under Rule 4(4) Professional recognition ASA Accredited Professional (ASAAP) ASA Accredited Professional (ASAAP) Mover: Kylie Percival Seconder: Julia Mant 31

32 Statement in support A scheme of professional recognition, separated from membership, is proposed through the addition of a new rule to be effective from 1 January Currently the Society recognises professionals through a single membership class under Rule 4(2). Professional membership is open to any person: Who is or has been an archivist employed in a recognised archives institution AND Is a holder of a degree from a recognised university and has been employed for two years OR Is a holder of a qualification in archives administration accredited by the ASA and has been employed for one year. Under the current rules the following people would not be eligible for professional membership: A qualified and experienced records manager, who may be undertaking appraisal work determining what records get created and captured in the first place A qualified person working in a non custodial archives, or developing systems which assist people to locate records held in other organisations A qualified person carrying out research or teaching recordkeeping. These people are however considered an archivist under Rule 2 of the Society. The rule requiring a qualification in archives administration accredited by the ASA is also no longer applicable as the Society has broadened its accreditation program to review and accredit courses in archives and recordkeeping, as well as courses in library or information management with substantial archives or recordkeeping components. However, the proposed scheme strengthens the value placed on undertaking university courses accredited by the ASA. The proposed professional recognition scheme therefore aims to provide pathways for people entering and developing themselves within the profession. Graduates of courses which are accredited by the ASA at the time of their graduation can get recognised for having undertaken their studies (at the moment they remain Associate members until they have worked one year full time in a recognised archives institution) Graduates of accredited courses (and other university courses) who work at a professional level in archives and / or recordkeeping can be recognised as professionals after two years of work experience, regardless of the nature of the institution they work for People who have five years of work experience at a professional level in archives and / or recordkeeping and are graduates of an accredited course are recognised as having achieved a further milestone in their professional development. The rule also provides for Council to recognise as equivalent individual member s qualifications which are or were accredited by professional associations in other jurisdictions, as well as qualifications obtained within the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector that are considered equivalent to university qualifications under the Australian Qualifications Framework. 32

33 Key changes Key features of the new model are: 1) Separates membership from professional recognition. Professional recognition is optional for individual members once they have joined the Society. 2) Distinguishes between individual members who have obtained qualifications in courses accredited by the ASA, from members who have qualifications in other disciplines. 3) Introduces post-nominals which can be used by members to indicate their professional recognition status. What is not changing? 1) The concept of professional member is retained for existing members admitted as professional members prior to the change in rules, and new members who are recognised by the Society in professional categories. 2) Only professional members (Accredited Professional, Recognised Professional and Honorary member) are eligible: a. to bind Council to a decision of a plebiscite, in the case of a majority vote (Rules 5 and 8) b. to be appointed to the Advisory Committee on Ethical Standards (Rule 7) c. to stand for election as, and fill the positions of, Council Officers or Councillors (Rule 10) d. to be appointed as the journal editor (Rule 8) e. to request Council to convene a special general meeting (Rule 16) f. to decide the time and place of an adjourned general meeting if a quorum not present (Rule 18) g. to request Council to hold a ballot of professional members to refer a decision of a general meeting (Rule 25) h. to vote on expulsion of a member (Rule 25). 33

34 Agenda Item Notice of Motion No.3 Sundry Changes Notice of Motion I move that the following changes be made:. Rule Proposed change 2 Add recordkeeping between following and tasks to clarify that the list of tasks is broader than traditional archivist work 2 Delete period of tenure as it is not used in the rules 7(1)(a) Add when necessary after Council shall appoint an Advisory Committee to clarify that such a committee should be appointed when required and not be a standing committee 8(5) Delete sub-rule 8(5) and replace with two sub-rules: (5) The Council may appoint members of the Society to manage or carry out all or part of the Society s business under such direction as the Council may think fit, and, if any appointment is in the form of employment, may fix the terms and conditions (including remuneration) of such employment as it may think fit, provided that the remuneration does not detrimentally impact upon the financial sustainability of the Society. The availability of such positions shall be notified to the full membership of the Society. (6) Only a professional member of the Society may be appointed to edit the Society s journal. 9(3) Delete sub-rule, as it relates to Council from 2012 to 2013 and is therefore redundant Renumber sub-rule 9(4) as 9(3) 10(2) Delete Treasurer, or Secretary/Treasurer and replace with or Treasurer since there is no longer such a position 14(6) Delete but of those co-opted members a majority shall be professional members of the Society 28(2) Add contractors after Officers 29(6) Add or debit after credit to enable the Council to make by-laws regarding debit cards 30(2) Delete sub-rule as this is no longer relevant, as the first auditor has been appointed Renumber sub-rule 30(3) as 30(2) Renumber sub-rule 30(4) as 30(3) Other rule changes Proposed change References to bulletin Change to newsletter References to chairman Change to chair Mover: Tony Leviston Seconder: Julia Mant 34

35 Statement in support The proposed rule changes are intended to modernise the rules and remove anomalies. Modernisation of the rules is achieved by: Clarifying that the tasks listed under the interpretation of archivist includes broader recordkeeping tasks than might be considered traditional archival work. This builds on the previous rule changes which attempt to address the changing nature of the profession and recognises that archival work can be performed by people who may not call themselves an archivist Acknowledging that all members may have skills and capabilities of benefit to the Society, not just professional members, when Council is seeking to co-opt Committee members Recognising the Society engages contractors and uses debit cards in its operation. Changing chairman to gender-neutral language. Anomalies corrected in the rules is achieved by: Removing references to the Bulletin. Removing words in the interpretation section which are not used in the rules. Removing unnecessarily specific sub-rules, such as specifying that Council may appoint members to edit other publications when there is a rule that Council may appoint members to carry out all or part of the Society s business. Removing references to appointing the first auditor. Removing references to the position of Secretary / Treasurer which no longer exists. Providing that Council shall appoint an Advisory Committee on Ethical Standards when necessary, instead of requiring one to be established as a standing committee. 35

36 Proposed Annual Membership Subscriptions from 1 January 2017 Agenda item 12: Where Agenda Item 11.1 Proposal to simplify membership classes is successfully passed, a revised schedule of membership fees is proposed as below. Where the proposal to simplify membership classes is defeated, the current 2016 member fees will be maintained for 2017, with no vote by members required. Proposed Annual Membership Subscriptions from 1 January 2017 Membership Class Individual Members Subscription (Inc. GST) Standard $ Standard (Retired/Concessional). Gross annual income (including superannuation contributions paid by employers) for the financial year is less than $37,000. $ Student (including digital access Archives and Manuscripts) $75.00 Associate member transitional rate (Offer available to existing Associate members as at 31 December Rate will apply for the year 1/1/ /12/2017.) $ Corporate Members Category A (Government institutions, business corporations, universities, etc.). Includes one named delegate and three subscribers (all four receive member discounts) Category B (schools, religious and non-profit organisations). Includes one named delegate and one subscriber (both receive member discounts) $ $ Dr Mark Brogan ASA Treasurer 26 September

37 Returning Officer's Report and Declaration of Results for Council Election 2016 On 7 June 2016, in accordance with By-Law No. 2, Section 3, I called for nominations for the following positions on Council: President Councillor (3 positions) Only one nomination was received for the office of President: Julia Mant. Consequently, in accordance with By-Law No. 2, Section 5, Julia was deemed elected as President. Only two nominations were received for the Councillor positions: Gionni Di Gravio and Nicola Laurent. Consequently, in accordance with By-Law No. 2, Section 6, Gionni and Nicola were deemed elected as Councillors. I advised members who would otherwise have been entitled to vote of this outcome on 14 July The outcome leaves one Councillor position unfilled through lack of nominations. By-Law No. 2, Section 16 provides options for filling a vacancy in this situation at the Society's annual general meeting: 16. Where a Council position is not filled through lack of nominations and that fact is reported to an annual general meeting in accordance with Section 7 of this By-Law, the meeting shall either: - (a) resolve to call for nominations from the meeting and fill the position by vote of the members present eligible to vote (members eligible for nomination may lodge a written consent to nomination if they are not present at the meeting); or (b) direct that nominations for the position be called again and a new election held as if it were a casual vacancy; or (c) direct the Council to co-opt an eligible member to fill a vacant nonofficial position and/or coopt a councillor if the vacant position is that of an officer. Rule 10 governs casual vacancies. Section 3 of Rule 10 provides that: (3) In the event of a casual vacancy in the position of a Councillor, the Council may appoint a professional member of the Society to fill the position until the next elections for Council David Roberts ASA Returning Officer September

38 Branch and Special Interest Group Convenor Reports Australian Capital Territory Branch 39 New South Wales Branch 41 Queensland Branch 43 South Australian Branch 44 Tasmanian Branch 46 Victorian Branch 48 Western Australian Branch 50 Collections of Faith Traditions Special Interest Group 52 Business Labour Corporate Archives Special Interest Group 54 National School Archives Special Interest Group 55 New South Wales School Archives Special Interest Group 56 Queensland School Archives Special Interest Group 59 South Australian School Archives Special Interest Group 61 Victorian School Archives Special Interest Group 62 Western Australian School Archives Special Interest Group 63 University Archives Special Interest Group 64 Indigenous Issues Special Interest Group 65 Reference, Access and Public Programs Special Interest Group 67 Government Special Interest Group 68 38

39 Australian Capital Territory Branch Convenor s Annual Report Committee , elected at the AGM held on 30 July 2015 Convenor: Secretary/Treasurer: Committee member: Committee member: Committee member: Report Branch Membership Craig Tibbitts Lynda Weller Lee Davy Rose Holley Lorien Mader Membership of the ACT Branch increased slightly during the year and currently stands at National Conference Several members of the ACT Branch Committee attended the ASA national conference in Hobart August 2015 and participated in various events and meetings, including a meeting of branch convenors and committees as well as the national Annual General Meeting. The Branch Convenor also presented at the Reference, Access and Public Programs Special Interest Group seminar. Committee Meetings Branch committee meetings were held on: 9 October April June 2016 Branch Activities 4 November Queanbeyan Museum: on 4 November we visited the Queanbeyan Museum and enjoyed a tour led by John McGlynn, President of the Queanbeyan and District Historical Museum Society, and his wife Kerrie. The Museum holds a fascinating collection of artefacts and records relating to the town s history, including the First World War, the post office, the hospital and other local businesses. It is great to know the collections are being very well preserved and made accessible to the public. Thanks to John, Kerrie and ASA committee member Lee Davy for organising and hosting the event. 27 November Canberra Croquet Club: on 27 November we met again for our Christmas gettogether in the beautiful surroundings of the Canberra Croquet Club (est. 1928). Our luck held out with the weather that evening, and, for some, it held out on the green as well. A few of us who had attended in Christmas 2013 were back again, and quickly picked up where we had left off, while others, new to the game, also did remarkably well. Considering the mixture of competitiveness, a sip or two of wine, and all being armed with large mallets, I am happy to report that the evening was pleasant and incident free. Many thanks to club secretary and ASA member Rodney Teakle for organising and hosting. 39

40 16 February Canberra Fire Brigade Museum: on 16 February members of the ACT Branch visited the Forrest Fire Station/Canberra Fire Brigade Museum, an event hosted by the Fire Brigade Historical Society. Visitors were given a tour of the heritage-listed Forrest Fire Station built in the 1930s with Brigade Historical Society volunteer Phil Donoghue, and were shown through the restored collection of fire appliances. Every decade of fire engine used in the ACT is represented in the museum s collection. Penny Grist then gave a tour of the historical society s archive room a fine collection of papers and publications including the 'Occurrence Books', which detail the daily lives of ACT fire-fighters from the 1920s to the 1960s. Overall it was a fascinating collection of machines, equipment and an archive that members found very interesting. As with most smaller museums and archives, volunteers are heavily relied upon and at the conclusion the ACT Branch Convenor thanked them for their service towards preserving this part of Canberra s history. 5 May Academy Library UNSW Canberra (ADFA): ASA President Kylie Percival visited the branch to discuss the society s recent paper regarding membership and the future of the society. 9 May National Archives of Australia, Parkes ACT: presentation by Michael Boyle on the NAA s new repository National Archives Preservation Facility (NAPF) to be completed and opened in early July National Archives of Australia, Parkes ACT: on 21 July ACT Branch members attended a presentation at the National Archives of Australia given by two of their staff members, Cheryl Jackson and Pru McKay. These two experienced conservators provided a very interesting and entertaining talk on their recent trip to Havana, Cuba. The purpose of their trip was to train archivists on the latest techniques for conserving and preserving centuries-old documents affected by iron gall ink deterioration. They also brought with them much needed equipment and supplies that were greatly appreciated by their Cuban colleagues. Other Activities 15 February ACT Government Records and Information Management Community of Practice: the Branch Convenor attended a meeting of records managers from across the ACT Public Service to share information and talk about shared opportunities and concerns. At this event, hosted by the Territory Records Office, the Convenor spoke about the ASA and the benefits of membership. 7 December Chief Minister s Inaugural Governance Lecture: the Branch Convenor represented the ASA and the ACT Branch at this lecture by Dr Allan Hawke on Governing the City State: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. Craig Tibbitts Convenor Australian Capital Territory Branch 2 August

41 New South Wales Branch Convenor s Report Committee , elected at the AGM held on 16 September 2015 Convenor: Secretary: Treasurer: Newsletter Editor: Committee Members: Fiona Burn Richard Lehane Christine Yeats Barbara Hoffman Barbara Hoffman, Pauline Garland, Laura Harris, Guy Tranter, Louise Trott, Robin Perry, Vipasha Mukherjee Report Convenor s position: Fiona Burn resigned as Convenor (and from the Branch committee) for personal reasons in January We would like to thank Fiona for her time in this role. In her place, the Branch at the February meeting elected Guy Tranter and Vipasha Mukherjee as Co-Convenors. The reason for this dual role was that Vipasha was keen to serve in the role, however by By-Law 1.6 the Branch Convenor is required to be a Professional Member of the ASA. Uniting the two people in one role was felt to serve this requirement! Newsletters: Distributed electronically October 2015, November 2015, February 2016, March 2016, April 2016, June 2016, July 2016 and August Full reports of events listed below are included in newsletters. The Secretary also sent s to members as required with reminders and announcements of other events. Committee Meetings: Held in September 2015, January 2016, May 2016 and August 2016 mainly to plan speakers and site visits for Branch meetings. Branch Meetings and Activities: 16 September 2015: Chris Winter spoke about the GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums) Innovation Study. Annual General Meeting. 21 October 2015: Site visit to Macleay Museum, University of Sydney, hosted by Jan Brazier, Curator of History Collections. Jan spoke about the collections held at the Museum, focusing particularly on the current special exhibition Written in Stone. 23 October 2015: A User s Guide to Arranging and Describing Archives, a full-day workshop developed for the ASA by Barbara Reed and presented David Roberts. The workshop was attended by seventeen archivists and related professionals. 25 November 2015: Branch end-of-year party and site visit held at the crypt at St James Church, King Street. 17 February 2016: Lars Rutz, Manager of Collection Access and Description at the State Library of New South Wales, spoke about his experiences relating to the Stasi surveillance methods and tactics undertaken by the East German authorities. Business meeting. 41

42 10 March 2016: Sydney Annual Church Service for Archivists, held in the crypt of St Mary's Cathedral, College Street. 16 March 2016: Didier Moutia, Product Manager (Clinicals) at InterSystems Australia, spoke about ehealth Records. Business meeting. 12 April 2016: President s Workshop by Kylie Percival, held at the Sydney Mechanics School of Arts. Kylie spoke about the discussion paper prepared by Tony Leviston and herself. 18 May 2016: Meet the Students event, held at the University of Sydney. Speakers on the night were Pauline Garland, Kate Riesley, Robin Perry, Sigrid McCausland, Tim Robinson, Tim Petterson, Kerry Gordon, Sabrina Elias, Chris Hurley, Angela McGing and Louise Trott. 20 May 2016: Advocacy and Communication for Archivists workshop run by David McCubbin and Annie McCubbin from Coup at Sydney Mechanics School of Arts. 15 June 2016: Site visit to Caroline Simpson Library and Research Collection, hosted by Dr Matthew Stephens, Research Librarian. Business meeting. 20 July 2016: Timothy Godfrey spoke about his experience as a records manager with the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan. Business meeting. 17 August 2016: Site visit to History House, hosted by Christine Yeats. Attendance: Numbers have averaged around 20 people. Advocacy: SBW Foundation In response to the Foundation s letter advising the Branch that the new premises have been arranged for the Performing Arts Collection and in lieu of payment for Christine Yeats professional assistance, the Foundation would donate to the ASA 2016 Annual Conference, Guy Tranter sent a letter of thanks to the Foundation and offered the Branch s assistance in sourcing ongoing professional advice. Other Items: Louise Trott represented the ASA at meetings of the Mitchell Library Consultative Committee and of the History Council of NSW throughout the year. Our sincere thanks to all Committee members who have helped in various ways over the year, to those who have hosted site visits, and to Tim Robinson and the University of Sydney Archives for providing the Branch with a meeting venue for most months. Guy Tranter and Vipasha Mukherjee Co-Convenors New South Wales Branch August

43 Queensland Branch Convenor s Report Committee , elected at the AGM held on 17 September 2015 Convenor: Secretary: Committee: Gregory F. Cope Annabel Lloyd Denise Stephenson, Christine Ianna Report - Branch Meetings and visits for the financial year 2015/2016: 22 July 2015 A branch meeting was held at the Queensland State Archives with an attendance of over 20 members and visitors. The Queensland State Archives provided a Presentation of Project Chrysalis by Karen Horsfall and arranged the viewing of an archival treasure the 1890 Central Queensland Territorial Separation Petition. This document is over 70ft /21.33m long and it was very special to view the original. In addition, two QSA conservators were on site and spoke about the history and the conservation of the item. 5 November 2015 A branch meeting was held at the Royal Historical Society of Queensland at the Commissariat Store building, Museum and Library in Brisbane. The manager, Helen Brackin conducted an excellent tour for members which included the inside and outside of the building, and gave an enlightening discussion on the exhibits that are located on the three floors of the building which includes many unique artefacts and objects which go back to the humble convict beginnings of the settlement at Moreton Bay. Ruth Kerr who is the Honorary Secretary gave our group a tour of the Welsby Library which has a history predating Queensland s John Oxley library. The Welsby Library has a valuable collection of items that are of interest to those researching Queensland's history. 9 December 2015 The branch held its annual Christmas function at the most aptly named Bar in Brisbane The Archives Bar at West End. Members continue to enjoy the ambiance of this venue and resist the urge to arrange and describe the archival material on display. 15 May 2016 A branch meeting was held at the Brisbane City Council Archives, Moorooka with a good attendance including some new members. Annabel Lloyd arranged for a tour of the Archives at the end of the meeting which revealed the rich collection of material the archives hold relating to the city of Brisbane. 16 June 2016 Event: Meet the new State Archivist Mike Summerell at Queensland State Archives was well attend with many members attending an ASA initiated event held on the afternoon of Thursday 16 June It was a casual function with the opportunity for members to speak with Mike Summerell about many issues. Thank-you to volunteers and supporters during the Financial Year 2015/2016: Annabel Lloyd The secretary has provided continuous support to all ASA members and the branch during the year. Christine Ianna A member who has provided excellent conservation and disaster preparedness advice free to many members and organisations all in her own time. Queensland School SIG - Denise Stephenson and Wendy Biggs who have performed outstanding work giving support, advice and assisted with the provision of a high level of professional training to school archivists across Queensland. Gregory F. Cope Convenor Queensland Branch Monday 8 August

44 South Australian Branch Convenor s Report Committee , elected at the AGM held on 21 July 2015 Convenor: Secretary: Treasurer: Newsletter Editor: Committee Members: Lee Amoroso Jane Ratcliff Andrew Cook Peter Crush Sue Coppin, Andrea McKinnon-Matthews, Kylie Percival, Rachel Kuchel, Sue Ryan, Danna Slessor-Cobb; Pixie Stardust, Susie van der Sluys Report Meetings Committee meetings were held on 01 September, 27 October, 01 December, 19 January, 15 March, 10 May, 05 July. The Branch membership was invited to attend all the meetings. The Committee is very thankful for the generosity shown by the University of Adelaide Archives for providing both the venue and refreshments for meetings. Advocacy An interest in the Reform of State Records has occupied the Branch for most of this year. SA Branch members attended Stakeholder Workshops in December This was followed by a letter from our National President outlining issues for consideration. Newsletters Peter Crush picked up the Newsletter editorial reins from Andrew Cook and took the opportunity to begin a New Series on the basis of issuing one per quarter. The first of the new series was issued in August 2015 followed soon after by the October issue as the first conforming to the intended program of July, October, January and April. At the time of this report five issues of the New Series have been published, all of which are accessible on the ASA website. when readers log on to the Members Centre. A big thank you to those who have contributed to the SA Branch Newsletter. Events October On Thursday October 1 a group of South Australian members attended a tour of the Mary Mackillop Exhibition Centre and The Acacias property at Loreto College. A report appears in the January 2016 issue of our Newsletter. November In an effort to beat the Christmas rush, the Branch held its annual Christmas lunch on Sunday 29 November at Athelney House, St Peter s College. The Branch gives thanks to Andrea McKinnon- Matthews, Archivist at St Peter s College for hosting this annual event in such beautiful and historic surrounds. 44

45 February On 24 th February a number of South Australian archives, records and library professionals attended the ASA Advocacy and Communication Workshop. This event was reported in the April 2016 issue of our Newsletter. March Following on from the success of last year, an annual event bringing together new students and archivists was held on the 09 th March. April This year saw the inaugural meeting of the Recordkeeping Readers Group where an article is recommended for discussion amongst members. On that occasion the article relating to the logic of archival authenticity prompted a lively discussion. July The second meeting of the Recordkeeping Readers Group was held. This time the article related to unresolved recordkeeping issues raised by inquiries into the welfare of children. Special thanks The Committee would like to place on record our appreciation to Ian Sutherland for representing the ASA (SA Branch) on the National Archives Consultative Forum and on the State Records Council. Thanks also to Peter Crush for kindly agreeing to oversee the process of electing the new Committee at tonight s Annual General Meeting. Lee Amoroso Convenor South Australian Branch 14 September

46 Tasmanian Branch Convenor s Report Committee , elected at the AGM held on 29 July 2015 Convenor: Secretary: Treasurer: Newsletter Editor: Committee: David Bloomfield Margaret Mason-Cox Bruce Kay Vacant Pru Francis, Emeline Haight, Jill Waters and Elisabeth Wilson Report The past year has been a very significant one for the Tasmanian Branch. The year began with our AGM and tour of the Catholic Archives and Heritage Collection held at the Wallis Centre in North Hobart. Our host and Branch member Dr Pru Francis gave us an excellent tour. The Archives contain a rich collection of written and pictorial material, as well as memorabilia and artefacts, held in trust for the Archdiocese of Hobart. The wide-ranging collection spans a century and a half of life in the Catholic Church community in Tasmania. Undoubtedly the most important event for the Branch this year was hosting the National Conference at the Hobart Grand Chancellor Hotel from August 18 to 21. The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery proved an excellent venue for the welcome reception. What followed were two very full days of engaging speakers and thought provoking forums, begun excellently by our keynote speakers Geoffrey Yeo from the University College London and Prof Hamish Maxwell-Stuart from the University of Tasmania. Highlights of the post conference events included tours of the Rare Books Collection at the University of Tasmania and a visit to an outdoor exhibition at MONA. There is not sufficient space in this brief report to adequately cover all aspects of the conference, but it would be remiss of me not to mention the devoted and unswerving support the entire Branch gave in making this Conference such an unparalleled success. Thank you one and all! After having a well earnt break from Branch activities, our spring event was a talk presented by Carl Gavan at the Friends School. Carl s talk was entitled Livin in the 70s : the Stoke bequest and its Copyright Implications. Carl s paper was on the subject of this significant donation of live audio recordings of Hobart bands from the 1960 s to the 1990 s to the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office and how the Office can make these publically available. We marked Christmas with drinks and nibbles at the home of Bill and Lee Taylor, a previous popular Christmas venue from the dizzying heights of Dynnyrne opened with much promise but it seemed events were conspiring against us as various suggested activities met with unforeseen obstacles. We finally kicked off the new year with a visit to the Tasmanian Parliamentary Library. The library provides information and research services for Members of the Tasmanian Parliament. It was established in 1852, and we were privileged to have a guided tour. Afterwards drinks were enjoyed at the nearby Customs House Hotel. 46

47 Our next event soon followed and was a tour of the Rosny repository of the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. At this well attended event we were hosted by Jo Huxley and the TMAG team at Rosny with a tour of this truly eclectic and invaluable collection. A few members then enjoyed dinner afterwards and the opportunity to network at the Lime and Lemongrass restaurant in Bellerive. As my two-year term on the ASA Council comes to an end one recent development I find particularly satisfying and I would like to indulge by including in this report. That is the recent launch of the ASA s Keeping Archives elearning series. This is a suite of six online, self-directed courses inspired by the Society's flagship textbook Keeping Archives. These courses are designed to provide a solid introduction to archives and recordkeeping knowledge. With an average duration of approximately 90 minutes, each course includes exclusive video content featuring leading practitioners, interactive quiz elements and a custom certificate delivered on completion. I find this particularly exciting as this provides a great opportunity for professional development to all Branch members no matter where in the State we live. As I am stepping aside as Branch Convenor at this year s AGM, I would particularly like to thank our past and present hardworking Branch Office Bearers. They currently are Margaret Mason-Cox (Secretary), Bruce Kay (Treasurer), Pru Francis, Elisabeth Wilson, Emeline Haight and Jill Waters (members). They have all proven more than willing to ensure our Branch events are a great success. David Bloomfield Convenor Tasmanian Branch 16 July

48 Victorian Branch Convenor s Report Committee , elected at the AGM held on 22 July 2015 Convenor: Secretary: Treasurer: Committee Members: Adelaide Parr Chris Holmes Rachel Naughton Andrew Horder, Fraser Faithfull, Michaela Hart, Mike Jones, Chris Stueven, Nicola Laurent Report This has been another bumper year for the Victorian Branch, and, incidentally, my last as Convenor. I m proud to be handing over a Branch that s grown stronger and more involved in the past five years of my convenorship. This year, the Branch expanded its horizons, moving beyond the city limits to undertake visits at a variety of different locations. Over the course of the year, archives featured in our monthly branch newsletter have then hosted visits, including the Deakin University Archives, the Melbourne Museum Archives and the Supreme Court of Victoria. We even ventured to Geelong one weekend for a visit to the amazing new Geelong Library, and a chance to tour the Heritage Centre. There was a large amount of envy from those present as the facilities are incredible and such a valuable resource for the Geelong and wider community. In another first this year, in February, we held our first COFTSIG event, an ecumenical service at the chapel of the Melbourne campus of the Australian Catholic University. This chance for archivists to meet together at the start of the new year and consider their work as the vocation it truly can be for many was a very welcome opportunity for the attendees. Following this we held two workshops for small archives one featuring Maggie Shapley and the possibilities of AtoM, and then a more hands on session with Rachel Naughton on preservation of fabric. As always, we ve provided support for the wider community. Apart from the usual queries from those interested in joining the profession, working with archivists or finding out what a real archivist does, this year also saw Chris Holmes and myself undertaking a voyage to one of the most interesting parts of Victoria French Island where we gave a workshop on archival methods and how to set up a small archive. It was a fascinating look at the very practical problems faced by rural and isolated groups who want to preserve their history. We are always fortunate to have two active information management courses taught here in Melbourne at Monash and RMIT and again this year I had the pleasure of speaking to their students about why the ASA and professional associations more generally matter, and what our day to day working life is like. As always, there were a vast array of questions about where the profession is going, and what our challenges are, which brought up some interesting discussion. 48

49 Again this year, the GLAMR group held a variety of events, including an article discussion evening, meetups and picnics to support the newcomers to the profession as well as an active social media presence. I know that this group has provided a great opportunity for new professionals to get together and I ve been proud to promote it. For the more established members of the profession, the Hamer Awards were held again this year (following a hiatus last year) and I was pleased to sit on the judging panel. The awards are a fantastic showcase for Victorian public agencies undertaking work to make archives accessible, and this year s brief to showcase innovation was well met by all the winners. This has, therefore, been an active year for the Branch, and I look forward to seeing what 2016/2017 brings. Adelaide Parr Convenor Victorian Branch 5 October

50 Western Australian Branch Convenor s Report Committee , elected at the AGM held on 22 July 2015 Convenor: Secretary & Contributor to Publications: Treasurer: Program Coordinator: Committee: Gerard Foley Brigitte Rockett Vacant (there is no Treasurer in the WA Branch) Margaret Paterson Sue Sondalini, Jon Readhead, Pauline Joseph (Curtin University) and Mark Brogan (Edith Cowan University) were also elected as WA Branch Committee members representing the Archives Education sphere. Report Committee Meetings Since the last Annual General Meeting, WA Branch Committee Meetings have been held virtually via . Organising branch activities and events has comprised much the committee s deliberations. Following on from last year s ASA submission to the Department of Culture and the Arts about its Strategic Directions Framework , the WA Branch Committee has discussed ways of supporting the SRO. ASA WA Branch Events 2015/ specific ASA WA Branch events were held in 2015/2016. Depending on the topic, these events were also thrown open to attendees from other related groups, such as RIMPA and Museums Australia. 22 July 2016 Professor Charles Jeurgens from Leiden University in the Netherlands was the guest speaker at the Branch AGM, speaking on the topic: 'Networks of paper: Dutch VOC (United East India Company) and colonial archives from a global perspective'. Offering a fascinating encounter with colonial archives, Members of Museums Australia (WA) also attended his talk. 26 November 2016 Dr Lise Summers, a Senior Archivist at the State Records Office of WA spoke about the installation of the AtoM public access system in the SRO in August She described the modifications to enable Australian and International descriptive standards and the Series system and also spoke about working with the project s technology consultants, Gaia Resources. 14 April 2016 Damien Webb, Community Liaison Officer (Indigenous Engagement), State Library of Western Australia, spoke about the Storylines Project and the creation of an online archive for the State Library s digitized heritage collections relating to WA Aboriginal history. The 2016 ASA AGM is scheduled for Tuesday 26 July This will be followed by a talk by Professor Simon Lewis, Professor of Forensic and Analytical Chemistry and Director of Teaching and Learning in the Department of Chemistry at Curtin University. The topic for his talk is: Contacts that leave traces: investigations into the contamination of paper surfaces from handling. In 2015/2016 ASA WA Branch Members have also been invited to other events such as RIMPA WA s Christmas event, the Geoffrey Bolton Lecture at the Government House Ballroom, which in 2015 featured Kim Williams AM, the SRO s Margaret Medcalf Award presentation, the Information Professionals in WA Group Photo launch, RIMPA WA events and several State Records Office of WA Lunchtime Seminars. 50

51 ASA WA Branch Representatives State Records Advisory Committee (SRAC) Rita Edwards represent the ASA WA Branch on the State Records Advisory Committee. This body advises the State Records Commission about State records that should be State archives, the retention periods for those State records that are not to be State archives, and associated matters. It reviews Retention and Disposal Schedules (the retention and disposal component of the Recordkeeping Plan) and Ad Hoc Disposal Authorities submitted by government organizations. The Committee may also review General Disposal Authorities and Sector Disposal Authorities produced by the State Records Office. Rita Edwards reports that between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2016 the State Records Advisory Committee was responsible for the endorsement of: 9 Agency Retention & Disposal Authorities; Department of Commerce; Main Roads; Perth Transport Authority; Department of Education; Office of the Appeals Convenor; Small Business Development Corp; Department of Local Government & Communities; Landgate; and Western Power. Most notable of the above were the R&Ds for Main Roads; Perth Transport Authority; Department of Local Government & Communities; and Landgate for sheer size and complexity, whilst Education; Small Business Development; and Western Power were amendments to existing R&Ds. 1 General Disposal Authority for Local Government Records (GDALGR) this is a fully revised edition released in June now published on the SRO website. Margaret Paterson was Rita Edwards deputy on SRAC, but resigned her position last year. Maria Carvalho was nominated by the ASA WA Branch as Margaret s replacement as deputy in May National Archives of Australia Perth Consultative Forum Pauline Joseph represents the ASA WA Branch on the NAA Perth Consultative Forum. Meetings were held in October 2015, and March and July Issues covered at these meetings include the relocation of audio-visual and other low temperature stored records from Perth to Sydney, the status of relocation of national security records from Perth to NAA Sydney office, Work for the Dole, Project Albany intern project, NAA digitisation projects and NAA public events. Other notable issues ASA National Conference in Perth in 2018 An approach from ASA National Council, sounding out the WA Branch regarding a future ASA Conference, was discussed by the Branch Committee and at the WA Branch AGM. The WA Branch has responded favourably to the proposal, and has asked that the message that the ASA WA Branch is very positive about hosting an ASA Conference in Perth in 2018, be passed on to National Council. The local branch understands the impact of a National Conference on the local Branch so will need to gain assistance from National Council to stage the event in Gerard Foley Convenor WA Branch 25 July

52 Collections of Faith Traditions Special Interest Group Convenor s Report Committee , elected at the AGM held on 18 August 2015 Convenor: Suzanne Ryan (Sisters of St Joseph, Adelaide) Secretary: Vacant Treasurer: Vacant Newsletter Co-Editors: Suzanne Ryan, Sheena Hesse (Uniting Church, Perth) Committee Members: Pauline Garland (Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney), Rachel Kuchel (Lutheran Church, Adelaide), Sue Laidlaw (Anglican Diocese, Brisbane and Sisters of Mercy, Brisbane). Report Newsletters: Newsletters are produced twice each year. In the past 12 months 3 issues of the Blessed Collections newsletter have been produced and distributed by to all members: Issue #26 in October 2015; Issue #27 in March 2016; and Issue #28 in August Several missing issues from previous years have been located and posted and we now have newsletters No 3, 2000 through to the present available on the ASA website. Unfortunately, we are still missing the first two issues, Nos 1 & 2, which would have been published c & Numbering of back issues has also been corrected. Report on Executive and / or Committee Meetings: Following the AGM in August 2015 the newly elected committee met briefly to discuss ideas for the year ahead. Since then all communication has been by . Report on Branch and SIG meetings, activities, workshops, tours and events conducted throughout the year: As part of the 2015 ASA conference in Hobart, CoFTSIG held a site visit at the Hobart Archdiocesan Centre on Tuesday 18 August. The visit began with an inspiring presentation by Dr Stephen Hackett MSC titled God of our past, our present, and our future... a diocesan archive in service of a living Church, and was followed by a display of some of the rare and beautiful items held in the Tasmanian archdiocesan archives. Two significant events marked the start of the 2016 year with Church and Dedication Services for archives being held recently in both Melbourne and Sydney. In Sydney, the Annual Service was held in the Crypt of St Mary s Cathedral on 10 March 2016 with Mgr Tony Doherty, former dean of St Mary s Cathedral as Celebrant and guest speaker. On 12 February 2016, members of CoFTSIG and the Victorian Branch came together in the St Mary of the Cross Chapel at the Australian Catholic University to dedicate the coming year to Archival collections and those that work in them. The service was officiated by members of the Anglican and Catholic Faiths, Fr s Stuart Soley and Max Vodola, and assisted by branch members. 52

53 Following the Melbourne service members again joined forces to participate in two half-day workshops. The first was facilitated by Maggie Shapley from the ANU archives who introduced attendees to the wonders of the Access to Memory (AtoM) software and its core capabilities. The second workshop, facilitated by Rachel Naughton, who is also Museum Manager and Archivist for the Catholic Archdiocese in Melbourne, was a practical session in textile conservation on a shoestring budget. A wonderful day was had by all and we thank all those involved, in particular Angela Henricksen from Archival Survival for their generous sponsorship. We also acknowledge and thank the ASA who kindly sponsored the catering for refreshments following the Sydney service. Although there are no state-based CoFTSIG branches many members are active in either the School SIG and/or the local ASA and are able to attend workshops and events organised by these groups. Our newsletter also plays an important part in our communication and sharing as is evident from the number of articles submitted by members and the many positive responses that follow publication of each new issue. Suzanne Ryan (Convenor) Convenor Collections of Faith Traditions Special Interest Group 10 August

54 Business Labour Corporate Archives Special Interest Group Convenor s Report Committee , elected at the AGM held on 18 August 2015 Convenor: Secretary: Treasurer: Newsletter Editor: Committee: Michelle Goodman Vacant Vacant Michelle Goodman Peter Crush, Karen Finch, Maggie Shapley, Vivienne Larkin Report Interest in rejuvenating the BLCA SIG was expressed in early 2015, and Michelle Goodman took on the role of convenor. A productive AGM was held during the ASA Conference in Hobart in August There was lively discussion among those present regarding the ongoing remit of the SIG. Several Members kindly agreed to join the SIG Committee. In early 2016, BLCA SIG Member Peter Crush researched and prepared some comprehensive and useful documents regarding the history, as well as the suggested name and ongoing remit, of the SIG. The convenor responded regarding these documents, which were then circulated to Committee Members for comment and feedback. There was a plan by the convenor to prepare a survey for circulation among general ASA Members regarding their thoughts on the remit of the BLCA SIG. Also planned were Archives Live posts, and the development of a quarterly BLCA SIG newsletter. Unfortunately, due to subsequent unforeseen work and personal commitments, the convenor was unable to progress these matters further. For these reasons, also, the convenor will be advising BLCA SIG Committee and Members of an intention to stand down as convenor of the SIG at the 2016 AGM. Expressions of interest to take over the role will be requested. It is hoped there will be interest in role of convenor at the 2016 BLCA SIG AGM, so the important role the SIG can play in the sector may be discussed and developed further. Michelle Goodman Convenor Business, Labour and Corporate Archives Special Interest Group 10 September

55 National School Archives Special Interest Group Convenor s Report Committee , elected at the AGM held on 18 August 2015 Convenor: Jenny Pearce Secretary: Cathy Hobbs Treasurer: Vacant Newsletter Editor: Vacant Committee: Vacant Report 2015 National AGM: This was held during the Hobart Conference on Tuesday 18 August 2015 at The Hutchins School, Hobart. Twenty-five School Archivists were present. David Roberts was the Presiding Officer and as a result of the elections held, Jenny Pearce was elected as Convenor and Cathy Hobbs as Secretary. Discussion centred around the need for the Independent Schools Retention Schedule to be updated and a small working party was formed to look into this. The matter was taken up by the ASA Council and an Expression of Interest was drafted. Currently Mark Brogan (ASA Treasurer), Steve Stefanopoulos and myself are discussing the terms of a proposal put forward by an eminently qualified Archivist to complete this long awaited update. States will be asked for their input and progress should be made shortly. Archives Live regularly features articles from State SIG PD Days and the breadth of PD offered by the State branches has again been varied and well attended. While many SIG members are Institutional Members of the ASA it is hoped that over time those who can will become Professional Members of the ASA, as there appears to be more requests amongst employers for applicants to be eligible for professional membership. As National Convenor, my job has been mainly to link new members to their State SIG or to answer enquiries either by or phone, e.g. on how to employ an archivist, job descriptions or setting up an Archives, all activities which reinforce the slow but growing understanding that Schools need to take this matter seriously. There is a growing awareness also that we need to be Forging Links with other departments in the School, especially with the continuing growth in born digital records and Archivists in Schools need to be forward thinking about how best to help their institution in this space. The National Convenor s job is really made easier by the work done at the State level by the local Convenors and their committees. Thank you to all those volunteers who have helped to raise the profile of School Archivists and provided much needed networking and Professional Development throughout the year. Jenny Pearce Convenor National School Archives Special Interest Group 8 August

56 New South Wales School Archives Special Interest Group Convenor s Report Committee , elected at the AGM held on 23 March 2016 Convenor: Kate Riseley Secretary: Jenny Pearce (2015), Susan Mills (2016) Report Since the SIG s last annual report of 2015, the NSW School Archives Special Interest Group has met three times for Professional Development Days and once for Christmas drinks. There is a small fee on top of costs for our PD Days to go towards the running costs of the ASA. This year we made a surplus of $3175 from the PD Days. Thank you to Danielle Yan for processing registration and accounts. There are 140 members in the NSW School Archives SIG. This year on average there were 28 people attending each PD Day. Thank you very much to Angela McGing and Anke Brandt for managing memberships and lists and answering website registration enquiries from our members. PD DAY TERM , BARKER COLEGE: School Museums On 10 September, 2015, 28 SIG School Archivist members met at Barker College for a Professional Development day on the topic of school museums. The first speaker was Peter Mahony, Manager of Learning Technologies at the Powerhouse Museum. Peter inspired us with big picture ideas based around creating museums that are audience based, not collection based with an influence of SETM/STEAM. The second speaker was Andrew Rankine, Director of Atypica Creative Communication. Andrew spoke to us about how to construct a brief and gave examples of work done at other museums, such as creating a timeline. He also provided practical advice about what does and doesn t work in museum signage. The third speakers were Fiona Tennant an Adam Godijn from International Conservation Services who spoke about the collection environment and mould. Our group were surprisingly interested to learn about mould and amongst other things, we learnt that sunlight and bleach do not kill mould, only shrinks and whitens mould respectively. After lunch the General Meeting was held then followed by a tour of Barker Archives and Museum. Thank you to all those who attended and made the day enjoyable, and thank you to our hosts at Barker College, Morwenna Pearce and Sarah O Neil, and presenters. CHRISTMAS DRINKS, TERM Instead of a Professional Development day, 15 archivists gathered at The Hero of Waterloo pub, built in 1843, for Christmas drinks after work. It was a very relaxed evening where we were able to relax and chat casually without a time frame. The owners of the venue gave us a tour of the cellar and tunnel which was used for rum smuggling and an involuntary recruitment of sailors. It was a great evening! 56

57 PD DAY TERM , THE HILLS GRAMMAR: Open forum on digital records management what is the School Archivist s responsibility? For this Professional Development Day the NSW SIG School Archivists visited the Hills Grammar School on 23 March Instead of usual guest speakers, we had an open forum workshop to determine what the responsibility of digital records management is for the school archivist. This has been a topic that keeps coming up as most school archivists are not provided access to the digital records created by users at our schools. As archivists, we know what has to be done to preserve digital records, however it has been difficult to for us to implement that into users work processes. 41 people attended, representing 33 schools. Of that, only one school had a digital records management system in place. There were two ICT representatives from both the Hills Grammar and The Kings School who were able to provide the records management perspective from an ICT department. For the first session, we heard from speakers David Roberts, archivist from Newington, and Jenny Pearce and Michael Eggenhuizen, archivist and Director of ICT Department at Kings respectively. David spoke about the role of the school archivist in regards to digital records management, and Jenny and Michael spoke about the direction Kings School is taking with digital records. In Session 2 we were split into separate smaller groups to discuss what (if any) digital records management processes are currently in place at our schools. We then listed hurdles that need to be overcome that would allow the archivist to obtain digital records from the creators; and brainstormed for possible solutions. In Session 3 Jenny Pearce facilitated the feedback and round up where as a group we noted common themes across all schools. Morwenna Pearce transcribed the discussions and created a document listing the hurdles faced by school archivists and possible solutions. This list was distributed to our group the next day. Feedback received since then indicates that many archivists have taken up the momentum and approached their school executives and relevant people to instigate discussions into involving the archivist with the digital records management processes. Thank you to the speakers on the day David Roberts, Jenny Pearce, and Michael Eggenhuizen. Thank you to Morwenna Pearce for transcribing the discussion; and a huge thank you to Marilyn Vietnicks at the Hills Grammar School for being a thoughtful and accommodating host. PD DAY TERM , BLUE MOUNTAINS GRAMMAR: School Archivist Teach Meet Sixteen people attended the Term 2 PD Day at Blue Mountains Grammar on 6 June. This was a wonderful number that allowed for some great discussion especially because this was a day for exchanging ideas. In the first session, Alison Doran from Trinity Grammar School, showed us how to create short, interesting videos to teach Prep students about the history of their school. It was fun to watch and surprising to learn just how easy it was to create a two-minute clip with just a handful of photographs and information. Evangaline Galettis from St Catherine s School (Waverly) then explained how she created and maintained her school art collection register, including the detective work she pursued in order to track down missing pieces. Prue Heath from SCEGGS Darlinghurst, told us of her simple labelling system for non-current business records that has saved a lot of time and hassle. In the second session Debby Cramer from PLC, took us through the process of restoring framed honour boards; then Marguerite Gillezeau from Redlands, spoke of building a student register from scratch and also planning a relocation and downsize and all that entails such as batch scanning. It was a wonderful, relaxed day, where we all came away learning a lot more about our job to make life easier. Thank you to our host, Marlene Plummer, for providing a relaxed and cosy venue and making us welcome. Thank you to everyone for attending, particularly those who came up the night before, those who ventured through terrible weather, and those who had the unfortunate luck to be stranded on public transport. 57

58 NSW SCHOOL ARCHIVISTS PRESENT AT MITIE CONFERENCE JULY 2016 In line with the ASA Conference theme of Forging Links, three members of the NSW School SIG, supported by some colleagues, recently spoke at the Managers of Information Technology in Education (MITIE) Term 2 meeting on forging links in schools between Archives and IT. In this world of ever increasing born digital records it is important that Schools recognise that the skills of the Archivist and those of IT should work together to provide robust and enduring record keeping for educational institutions. David Roberts (Newington College) introduced the subject of archives and recordkeeping, emphasising how the digital records of today are the digital archives of tomorrow, and highlighted some of the key issues and strategies in the long-term management and use of digital records. Margaret Miller (Moriah College) spoke about the complementary knowledge and areas of expertise that archivists and those working in IT could collaboratively bring to the table to ensure the long-term accessibility and cost effective and management of digital archives. The mix of business analysis and project management skills together with experience in records classification, records appraisal and applying the correct record retention timeframes, managing the IT infrastructure, security and access, migrating digital records and planning for the implementation of new software that meets all business requirements are all essential elements to the overall success of any digital archiving project. Jenny Pearce (The King s School) looked at how we communicate and demonstrated how sometimes our jargon can impede an efficient working relationship when in fact both Archives and IT are concerned about the effectiveness of the record keeping systems. Thank you to Bridget Minatel (Sydney Grammar School) for the photos. Convenor's comments Over the past twelve months our group has focused a lot on obtaining and managing digital records and the problems associated with it. Advocacy for the archivist s role is a large part of the solution and we have been working towards lifting our profiles within our own schools. Our PD Days have been reflecting this shift. Kate Riseley Convenor New South Wales School Archives Special Interest Group 18 August

59 Queensland School Archives Special Interest Group Convenor s Report Committee Convenor: Secretary: Treasurer/Newsletter Editor: Committee: Report Denise Stephenson Wendy Biggs Vacant Cathy Clem, Helen Jackson Since the last ASA Conference our group has had 6 planned events: On the 22 October 2015 our group met St Joseph's College, 285 Gregory Terrace, Brisbane for a full day of PD. The group had its meeting in the School Museum where the School Archivist, Bianca Anderson gave us time to explore the museum, then talked about the displays, how often they were changed and the main users of the museum at different times in the school year. She then talked about photographs and the new software for photographs being introduced by the St Joseph s community and demonstrated the Terrace Image Library. This led to a group discussion and sharing of information about how we deal with the dilemma of the ever increasing number of photographs and the preservation of digital images. After morning tea Jim Cohen from Avantix (Previously Scan Conversion Services) talked about the process of scanning valuable documents; equipment used and discussed the ongoing project with Brisbane Grammar School, and the value of accessibility. Jo Forsythe, from Queensland Museums Education Loans discussed the Museum s discovery kits and how they can support archive displays classroom teachers. Our Core Business included reports from Hobart - ASA Conference and a report from the MAEdQ meeting What do teachers want from museum spaces? held at St Lawrence s College. We also discussed 2016 meeting dates, times, venues and suggested topics. Individuals shared ideas on how they created various kits from their archives to use with their teachers. Our Annual Christmas Bash was held on Tuesday 15 December. It was a High Tea held at The Willows Tearoom in Brisbane. Our first meeting of 2016 was planned as a sunset meeting; the first of its kind as some of our group found it difficult to get time off work as any of them only work for a couple of days a week. We had arranged for Natasha Lewis Honeyman from izi.travel Brisbane to be our guest speaker and the venue was All Hallows in the centre of Brisbane for convenience of centrality and parking. The izi.travel platform is perfect for digital storytelling, whether through an exhibition indoors or an external tour. The purpose of izi.travel is for the tours to be available for a public audience and to help museums and archives build visitation. The talk was to focus on an overview of the platform and how historical narratives or archives can be shared using this platform. One example of the work of izitravel is the audio tour of Ann Frank s House made for young people before they visit the museum: Unfortunately due to low numbers this talk had to be postponed and we are hoping that Natasha can speak at our next meeting which will be held later this term. Our second meeting of 2016 was also a full day of PD which was held at Redeemer Lutheran College, Rochdale on Tuesday 10 May. Our guest speakers were Cathy Clem and Mary Weaver from All Hallows School, Jenny Davis from Brisbane Girls Grammar and Heather Harcourt from Moreton Bay College and the topic was The Proactive School Archivist. The day began with a tour of the school archives which was them followed by Jenny Davis explaining her History in a Suitcase initiative which she had mentioned at the meeting at St Joseph s when sharing the discussion on Kits. This is an electronic suitcase using PowerPoint which was explained in detail. After Morning Tea Cathy Clem talked about the Collection Schedule that she has made for her school which was followed, with the help of Mary Weaver, by a practical workshop on the topic looking at the school retention schedule, the school diary and the staff responsible for collection of items required. After lunch Heather Harcourt talked about the use of social media to market the school archives which was followed by a Core Business meeting and open question/sharing time. 59

60 Our most recent full day event in September was a personal Behind the Seams tour of the Miss Fisher s Murder Mysteries garment collection with the Queensland textile expert Michael Marendy, which was on display at Old Government House. It included lots of background information not just the fashion of the 1920 s but tips on the conservation of a variety of textiles. Our AGM took place over the lunchtime and this was followed by a tour of the State Library of Queensland Conservation Lab with Paper/Exhibitions Conservator Jennifer Loubser with discussions on how and what the lab is working on and its relevancy to our objectives for archiving. On Monday 5 September, Steve Stefanopoulos, Heritage Collection and Records Manager at Loreto Mandeville Hall, Toorak, Victoria was in Queensland as a speaker at the Educate Plus International Conference on the Gold Coast. We invited him to Brisbane Boys College the day before the Conference to speak to the group on. The repositioning of the ASA The development of the new online Keeping Archives elearning modules and the opportunity to demonstrate one of the modules to everyone in attendance Outline how the ASA is going to develop a new Retention and Disposal Schedule for Non- Government Schools Run through how to navigate Archives Live Although President Kylie Percival was coming to Queensland to speak to the ASA Qld branch on the prepositioning the date organised unfortunately fell during the school holidays when many of our SIG group were away, so the small number who could make the meeting with Steve really appreciated his input and it was a lively discussion on all topics covered. Our next meeting is scheduled for the end of October at The Southport School on the Gold Coast. The agenda is yet to be finalised. I would like to acknowledge the members of the committee (Cathy Clem All Hallows, Brisbane) Wendy Biggs -St Aidan s Anglican Girls School, Helen Jackson- Brisbane Boys College and St Rita s) who work behind the scenes chasing up speakers, taking notes and generally assist me throughout the year to make our meetings a success. We hold regular informal meetings to plan the upcoming SIG events. I would also like to thank the School Archivists of St Joseph s (Bianca Anderson), Redeemer (Robyn Stiller) and Brisbane Boys College (Helen Jackson) who have hosted our meetings in the past year. Because our group comes from not just Brisbane schools but also the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and a few even further north, our most successful meetings are those that are full day events. The disappointing numbers for both the Sunset meeting and the afternoon meeting with Steve Stefanopoulos seem to confirm this. This is also why there are just a few of us who regularly attend the ASA Branch Meetings which are always held in Brisbane. We have had a few new members in who have taken out ASA membership but whilst this continues to be something that we encourage, a large percentage of our group who are volunteers working just a couple of days each week in schools that do not allocate a great deal of money to the school archives, are not and therefore this is an ongoing concern. Having said that, a number of our group are excited by the ASA initiative of the online training using Keeping Archives and I am hopeful that this will be a success. The general feeling amongst our SIG is that for an isolated school archivist, working alone and in areas that dictate that they can only attend a few, if any meetings that seem to take place in the State capitals, online training can only be a good thing. This is one reason why we try for at least once a year to get out of the city and encourage a school in other areas to host a meeting. We have looked with interest at some of the interesting topics other SIG groups in other States have covered and maybe in future we should look to find a way to video some of the speakers so we can share at our meeting the great initiatives that some of our school archivists are involved in. I apologise for not including the minutes for the AGM but the SIG member who took the minutes is still overseas Denise Stephenson Convenor Queensland School Archives Special Interest Group 5 October

61 South Australian School Archives Special Interest Group Convenor s Report Committee , elected at the AGM held on 3 March 2015 Convenor: Secretary: Treasurer: Newsletter Editor: Meeting Coordinator: Committee: Samantha Cooper (Pulteney Grammar School) Andrea McKinnon-Matthews (St Peter s College) Vacant Vacant Danielle Trewartha (Loreto College), Margaret Macdonald (Seymour College) Report The committee met twice throughout the year to plan future directions and meetings for the group. We have made great strides in developing a professional networking structure, and have worked towards offering some more specific workshops. Traditionally we have held 2 meetings a year but plans were put in place to increase this number for 2016/2017. The Term meeting was held at St Peter s Girls School, Stonyfell. We were warmly welcomed by Anne Daniell and her volunteers, where our brief meeting was followed by an open session Archiving on a Shoestring. Anne led the session and was followed by a more detailed presentation by Danielle Trewartha, archivist at Loreto College and coordinator at Marion Heritage Research Centre. A round table discussion followed concerning ways we have all overcome the difficulties with obtaining materials, display cabinets and housing on a very limited budget. For Term we met at Annesley Junior School, hosted by Annesley College Old Scholars. A brief meeting was followed by a presentation by Andrea McKinnon-Matthews on Archives Live and the ASA website. The aim was to ensure all members were up to speed with this important communication and information tool. Glenys Edwards of Annesley then introduced us to their archives, begun in Eronwy Edwards then told us about the need to future proof the collection after the closure of Annesley College and outlined the measures necessary to ensure the continuation of the collection. I would like to thank the committee for their hard work this year. Unfortunately we have fare-welled long time member Margaret MacDonald who retired at the end of Many thanks to Margaret for her hard work at so many levels. Samantha Cooper Convenor South Australian School Archives Special Interest Group 20 June

62 Victorian School Archives Special Interest Group Convenor s Report Committee , elected at the AGM held on 22 May 2015 Convenor: Brigid Cooper Secretary: Catherine Hall Membership: Chris Otto Reports / Photography: Julianne Barlow, Esmae Boutros, Sandra Turner, Keith White Network Meeting Coordinators: John Waterhouse Report It is with great pleasure that I report on the progress of the Victorian School Archives SIG's tenth year since its re-formation as an active SIG. As a group we have been privileged to visit four schools in the last year. In Term we were hosted by Robyn Leach at the Williamstown Campus of Westbourne Grammar School. 24 attendees enjoyed the discussion around digital photographs and Robyn's presentation on dealing with a multicampus school. Term saw Catherine Hall and Xavier College hosting in Kew. Somehow she managed to squeeze in 50 attendees who all joined in on the topic of records discovery for legal purposes, such as Royal Commissions. 32 members attended our Term Network Meeting, hosted by Natalie Elliott at Toorak College in Mt Eliza. The topic of digitisation was very popular and created much discussion. In Term we explored the topic of storytelling in archives with Judith Gibson at Caulfield Grammar School. 36 people attended and especially enjoyed seeing Judith's WWI exhibition which illustrated the use of personal stories. Each Network Meeting invitation is sent out by for around 113 schools and 22 individuals. Of these, we are pleased to say, 98 are members of the Australian Society of Archivists. Since May 2015 we have welcomed 10 new members to our group. We continue to be the most numerous, active and engaged sector in the archival community. I hope we can continue to harness this energy for the next 10 years! Thanks to all who have served on the committee in the past year. Meeting once a term, they are a dedicated group of people who share a belief that we are all able to look after our archival collections better if we continue to learn and maintain connections with our colleagues. In particular, I would like to thank John Waterhouse, who, since 2012, has worked hard as Network Meeting Coordinator ensuring all events are professional, welcoming and worthwhile. Keith White has just recently stepped down from the committee and we thank him for his valuable contribution, both to our committee and to the school archives community. Our tenth year is a perfect time to review our group's rules and refine the framework for the future of our SIG. The committee would like to thank all members for their support and encouragement. We would love you to join us on the committee some time! Brigid Cooper Convenor Victorian School Archives Special Interest Group 24 May

63 Western Australian School Archives Special Interest Group Convenor s Report Committee , elected at the AGM held on 29 October 2015 Convenor: Secretary: Treasurer: Committee Members: ASA Liaison Officer: Website Officer/ Newsletter Publications Officer: Peta Madalena Stephanie Neille John Beaverstock Shannon Lovelady, Jessica Marantelli, Liz Chalmers, Michelle Campbell, Barbara Johnson Margaret Paterson Freida French Report The final meeting for 2015 was hosted by Shannon Lovelady, Presbyterian Ladies College who had just seen out a year of Centenary Celebrations. Hospitality was extended for a relaxed pre- Xmas get together. The new year began with an event at the Freshwater Bay Museum, directed by Jan Overman, opening a popular exhibit School Days. A series of School Archivists assisted the curator by loaning objects, stories and film. For mutual Museum/Archive publicity I assisted a local newspaper producing an article and spoke at the opening. The 1 st School SIG meeting for 2016 was held at St Mary s Anglican Girls School on 7 April Presentations were: Stephanie Neille revealed to the group her journey planning and relocating their collection to a new purpose designed Archive premise suitable for among other things, running programs and hosting events. Lynn Mannolini, one of 3 Finalists for WA Education Awards for Staff member of the Year presented to the group about a free application that she populated with data so that students may interact with the collection. Our 2 nd meeting was held at RWAHS Museum in Nedlands on 19 July. The venue was appreciated due to association between members of both organisations. Thanks to Lynn O Hara, Sally-Anne Hasluck and the committee for their congeniality. John Readhead, RPYC Archivist gave an overview of a recent fundraising display he undertook which included liaison with 2 other collections institutions and an exhibition company. Our presenter was Katrina Chisholm, RAIA M.ICOMOS, an Architect and heritage consultant, involved in the assessment of cultural heritage significance, conservation planning for buildings and monuments. She inspired with her love of primary architectural documents. The topic was understanding and interpreting significance in architectural records. A workshop on Caring for Wood and Metal objects was held on 11 September with presenter Vanessa Wiggin. Vanessa shared information about her work at all levels and we gained a greater knowledge of the processes of assessment and precise slow steps taken to conserve. Feedback was that it was relaxed, enjoyable, thorough and stimulating. The venue provided by St Mary s Anglican Girls School was professional and comfortable. Thank you to all the members for their support and encouragement in my first year in the role as convenor. Peta Madalena Convenor Western Australian School Archives Special Interest Group 14 September