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The Archives Project ARCHIVES
The Archives Project
A R C H I V E S
A Better Planet means different things to different people. This is what it means to us.
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The BetterPlanet Project
The world faces highly complex and urgent challenges: pandemics and
disease, environmental sustainability, a safe and abundant food and
water supply, and social development. The need for change is imperative:
new ideas, social innovation, and transformational thinking on a global
scale. These challenges demand the kinds of expertise and leadership
embodied by the University of Guelph’s BetterPlanet Project.
The BetterPlanet Project focuses on the University’s strengths in food, the
environment, animal and human health, and the economic and cultural
well-being of our communities. It is a vision to accelerate U of G research,
teaching and learning in areas where the University has the potential to
make transformative change; a $200-million fundraising campaign that
will provide human assets, tools and resources; and a strategy to blend
education, research and citizenship to nurture innovation and develop
committed leaders. It is a call-to-action for concerned citizens everywhere
to work together to find solutions for a healthy, equitable, and sustainable
world.
As we embark upon The BetterPlanet Project, we cannot afford to
overlook the dire prediction of George Santayana: those who cannot
remember the past are condemned to repeat it. The Archives Project reminds us of the important role that our past must play in setting our
course for the future.
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The University of Guelph Library’s Archival and Special Collections
The value of a University Library’s Archival and Special Collections
can best be measured by how closely its collections align with the
teaching, learning and research imperatives of the institution and with its
contribution to the national and international archival networks.
Our primary source materials relate to most of the University’s key
academic disciplines. Regional and Campus History Collections include
the historical records of the Ontario Veterinary College, the Ontario
Agricultural College, the Macdonald Institute and local families and
businesses; we house the largest Canadian theatre collection in Canada;
we offer one of the finest agricultural and rural life archives in North
America – with rare books and other materials dating back to the 1500s;
our Scottish Collection is the largest in the world outside of the UK and
includes original diaries, letters, photographs, scrapbooks, genealogies
and original charters dating back to the 1300’s; the Culinary Collection,
which provides a rich social history of Canada, is among the largest in
North America; and the Landscape Architecture Collections include the
papers of Lois Lister, The Stanley Thompson Society, H.B. Dunnington
Grubb, and George Tanaka to name a few.
Archival and Special Collections is used extensively by our students,
faculty and researchers to uncover the past and to provide a context for
understanding the economic, political, environmental and social realities
that drive change and influence the future. The collections—both archival
papers and our rare book and special collections—are a vitally important
teaching aid that holds a key to our history while shedding light on our
future.
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The Archives Project
In order to continue to meet the research and educational needs of our
campus, it is vital that we expand and improve the facilities which house
these rare and invaluable artifacts. The goal of The Archives Project is
to create and nurture meaningful partnerships that will help us to achieve
these initiatives.
The vision for the expanded space includes a dedicated floor of the
McLaughlin Library that unites all the resources, equipment, study space,
and personnel which faculty members and students need for primary
research. A central access point will open onto an active Reading Room,
creating an inspiring atmosphere that will spark curiosity and exploration.
State-of-the-art environmental controls will ensure that unique heritage
materials are secure while still accessible for research, teaching, and
learning. Plans include:
• Enhanced consultation and learning spaces
• Public space for displaying resources, hosting lectures and events, and
facilitating new partnerships
• New Exhibition Room to better display and showcase our collections
• Expanded storage to continue to meet the community’s learning and
research needs
Preserving, maintaining and studying Canada’s rich history requires
teamwork, collaboration and meticulous attention to detail. Together, we
can make a difference.
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Food
With over 13,000 volumes and
dating back to the 17th Century,
the Culinary Collection has
proven to be a valuable resource
to our students and faculty with
an interest in Canada’s culinary
trends both regionally and on a
national level. They are also a
valuable historical and sociological
resource for understanding food
habits, nutritional ideas, medical
remedies, social customs, and
scientific and technological
progress. The growing
consideration for sustainable food
production and cooking locally
produced goods has also made
this area of the Archives popular
with the general population.
Carrie HerzogPh.D. Candidate
(Services Management)
School of Hospitality and
Tourism Management
College of Management
and Economics
Professor Herzog has used the collection
for both personal and teaching purposes. As
the Edna Staebler Research Fellow (2004)
Carrie conducted a major research project
on Staebler’s contribution to Waterloo County
foodways; as an instructor, she uses the
collection in her “Cultural Aspects of Food”
course which exposes students to the incredible
cultural significance of cookbooks; as a foodie,
Carrie frequents the collection to find fun and
interesting recipes to share and enjoy with
friends and family.
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Environment
In order to change our current
environment for the better
we must first get to the roots.
Guelph’s extensive Centre for
Canadian Landscape Architecture
archival resources can help us to
understand the interrelationship
between people and the
environment in our urban and rural
areas. Our holdings also provide
insight into how the profession
of landscape architecture has
developed ideas about planning,
designing and managing this
complex relationship. Our
Apiculture collection includes
early beekeeping journals and the
natural history and management
of bees; we have a number of
rare items from the Entomological
Society of Ontario and our
collections include Husbandry,
Vegetation and Tillage.
Ed ButtsWriter, Editor, Canadian
Historian. Works
include: Line of Fire,
The Desperate ones;
Running With Dillinger;
Henry Hudson: New
World Voyager
Ed Butts, a local historian and award-winning
author, used the University of Guelph Archives
exclusively in his research for a book he is
writing on the history of Sheridan Nurseries and
the company’s founders, Howard and Lorrie
Dunington-Grubb. In his research, Ed was
thrilled to discover a journal dating back to the
1920’s that even the Dunington-Grubb family
did not know existed. For Ed, the most ordinary
looking document can be of great importance
and the physical presence of these documents
can bring us closer to the people who owned
them. With the help of the Archives, Ed was
able to bring history to life.
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Health
The symbiotic relationship among
the health of humans, animals
and the environment is well
established. In addition to housing
a large selection of veterinary and
medical journals, the Archives’
Veterinary Science Division
maintains a substantial collection
of monographs, reference material
and government documents
dealing with veterinary and
comparative medicine. Some
pieces of particular interest include
the Index catalogue of the Library
of the Surgeon-General’s Office,
US Army, 1880- 1961, which is
an excellent bibliographic source
for early medical and veterinary
publications, and all publications of
the World Health Organization.
Lisa CoxBA History – Trent
University
MA in History –
University of Guelph
PhD in History (in
progress) – University of
Guelph
Lisa`s doctoral dissertation explores the
transformative effect of disease on the larger
livestock industry of North America. To
conduct her eighty year comparative study of
bovine tuberculosis in Ontario and New York
State, Lisa accessed the University Archives`
vast rural collection including the Farmer`s
Advocate, various manuals and journals. A
better understanding of the challenges of
eradicating diseases and its public health and
environmental implications will help to inform
future generations.
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Community
While the Archives is a community
in its own right, it also maintains
and preserves collections of
communities that are at the core
of the academic pursuits of many
of our faculty, researchers and
students. The Archives holds
the largest collection devoted
to Canadian theatre and Shaw
related materials in Canada; our
Canadian culinary collection
is unrivalled and is a valuable
resource for studies in early
social and cultural traditions; our
Scottish Collections is extensive
and includes thousands of rare
books, manuscripts, atlases,
travel guides, diaries, letters,
papers of immigrant families,
newspapers and magazines,
pamphlets and burgh records; and
our culinary heritage, city planning
and development of leisure
spaces are kept alive through
our comprehensive landscape
architecture collection.
Alexandra(Alex) LiebichHistory and Political
Science – University of
Guelph
MA in Political Science –
Queen’s University
The Archives’ Scottish Studies Collection is
world-class and attracts visiting students and
faculty each year from Edinburgh and Glasgow
to study our impressive diversity of materials.
Little wonder that when Alex found herself
writing a six thousand word essay on the history
of tourism in the Scottish Hebrides, St. Kilda
and the Isle of Skye, she was soon exploring
the collection’s ancient guide books, tourist and
travel accounts, maps, travelogues and journals.
She returned with a new sense of adventure
and a solid A for her efforts.
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Teaching and Learning
The Archives have long been a
valued center for teaching and
learning. Many faculty members
hold classes directly in the
Archives in order to provide
students with the opportunity
to engage directly with primary
resource materials such as
Scottish charters, chapbooks,
field notes, stage sets, journals,
diaries and hand-written notes
from research experiments. In
addition to students and faculty
from the University of Guelph, the
Archives attracts researchers from
around the world. The Lucy Maud
Montgomery collection has gained
considerable interest in recent
years attracting visiting academics
from the other side of the planet.
Local historians value our rural
history and landscape architecture
collections which paint a rich
portrait of the development of the
city of Guelph and its environs.
Dorothy HadfieldProfessor of English
Dorothy’s real introduction to the University’s
Archives was in 1990 when she was writing
her MA thesis on Shaw under the supervision
of Professor Leonard Conolly. This experience
introduced Dorothy to the depth and richness
of the collection and inspired her to change
her stream of study. Dorothy is now a professor
of English at University of Guelph and, in the
spirit of community, is now changing the lives
of her own students by embedding the archival
collection into her class curriculum.
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Sam SnobelenMA Student in Theatre Studies
– University of Guelph
After graduating from the University of Guelph with a BA in Theatre Studies,
Sam went on to pursue a Master’s. Sam believes there is no substitution for
the ability to examine the original materials. Studying theatre through the use
and examination of original photographs, newspaper clippings, set designs,
costume designs, swatches and production notes makes you feel so close to
the performance you can almost feel the rise of the opening curtain.
Dani McCallisterBA Studio Art/Minor in Art History
– University of Guelph
MA in Photographic Preservation and Collection
Management – Ryerson University
After graduating from University of Guelph, Dani worked in the Archives as
part of her training in Ryerson’s Master’s program. Helping to restore and
catalogue some of the over 250,000 photographs and the large collection of
original glass negatives gave Dani another way to be creative; through the
archives she developed a relationship with visual culture.
The demand for the services of the Archival and Special Collections has
increased significantly each year. In order to continue to meet the growing
research and learning needs of our students, faculty, researchers and
community as we move toward a better future, we must address the reality
that the Archives has outgrown its physical space.
Please take a few moments to familiarize yourself with the collections
described in this folder and consider how you can help us to meet these
goals.
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Architect’s rendering of the Archival and Special Collections Reading Room
Architect’s rendering of the Archival and Special Collections Exhibit Room
What does the Archives Project mean to you?We believe that investing in preserving our history will help to shape our
future. After all, many of the greatest discoveries and advancements of
our time were informed by the historical records, field notes, experiments,
journal entries and other historical documents of those that came before
them.
The Archives Project will raise $9 million to create improved facilities that
will allow students, faculty, staff, researchers and the community to explore
and engage with primary resource materials that will spark curiosity and
discover a new generation of leaders. It will also house state-of-the-art
climate controls that will ensure the safe and secure storage of these
priceless artifacts.
This initiative will not only serve to advance this cohort of students,
scholars and researchers – it has been designed to benefit generations of
tomorrow’s learners. We can be rightfully proud of the real contribution we
are making to the lives of our teachers, students and researchers as well
as to the evolution of the University of Guelph – an institution committed to
improving life on this planet.
Today, tomorrow’s history is being written. Seldom are we provided with
the opportunity to help craft that story. Today you can help to determine
how future generations will judge our contribution to our changing world.
A R C H I V E S
Jennifer Lorette
Senior Development Manager,
Library and College of Arts
University of Guelph
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
519-824-4120 x52455
Kathryn Harvey
Head, Archival and Special
Collections
University of Guelph Library
50 Stone Road East
Guelph, ON N1G 2W1
519-824-4120, ext. 52089