New Archives Program Launched

August 2, 2019

Seventeen sisters and three translators from 11 countries on five continents came to the Centre for a workshop on archival materials. This is the first time the workshop has been offered. They learned about the different types of archives ( written, sound, architectural, artistic, etc.) and the ways archivists handle them in order to write history. They also learned about the purpose of archives, ways of preserving them, and various means of transmitting them to future generations. The program was designed for archivists who had no professional training but who are in charge of or just starting an archive in their congregation. It was also for persons who just have an interest in archives.

Participants spoke four languages: English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. Each language group had a translator who spoke into a microphone while the participants tuned into a specific channel on their headphones.

During the five days, the presenters shared historical background information as well as archival records from original documents. Participants had several opportunities for break-out groups to try their hand in interpreting the original documents in their historical and contemporary contexts. These groups were divided according to the sisters' languages.

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