"National Significance": The Evolution and Development of Acquisition Strategies in the Manuscript Division, National Archives of Canada
Abstract
Questions relating to acquisition of private records and "national significance" have been a constant preoccupation in the area of multicultural archives and, more generally, in the area of social and cultural archives. This article describes the evolution of the various attempts to provide answers to these questions in the Manuscript Division of the National Archives of Canada. It looks at some of the pressures to produce generally acceptable solutions from both within and outside the National Archives. In the absence of appropriate solutions, emphasis may shift to process and procedures. The author wrote this article as a participant in these efforts and, also, as an interested observer.
Authors of manuscripts accepted for publication retain copyright in their work. They are required to sign the Agreement on Authors' Rights and Responsibilities that permits Archivaria to publish and disseminate the work in print and electronically. In the same agreement, authors are required to confirm that "the material submitted for publication in Archivaria, both in its paper and electronic versions, including reproductions of other works (e.g. photographs, maps, etc.) does not infringe upon any existing copyright." Authors of manuscripts accepted for publication retain copyright in their work and are able to publish their articles in institutional repositories or elsewhere as long as the piece is posted after its original appearance on archivaria.ca. Any reproduction within one year following the date of this agreement requires the permission of the General Editor.
