Provincial Archives of Alberta
Encyclopedia
The Provincial Archives of Alberta is the official archives of the Canadian Province of Alberta
. It preserves and makes available for research both private and government records of all media related to Alberta. The Provincial Archives of Alberta also serves as the permanent archival repository of the Government of Alberta.
The organization is situated in the Ministry of Culture and Community Spirit and is headed by Provincial Archivist Leslie Latta-Guthrie.
The Sandra Thomson Reading Room has the following major sources:
The Provincial Archives of Alberta promotes Alberta’s history and in this way makes the Archives relevant to future users through:
The origin of the Provincial Archives dates back to 1906 when Katharine Hughes served as the first Provincial Archivist within the Provincial Library. Through the years the holdings continued to grow.
In 1962, the Government of Alberta established a Museums Branch under the Department of the Provincial Secretary for the establishment of a Provincial Archives and a Provincial Museum. The Branch began to accept archival records from government and private sources in 1963. In 1965 work began on a new Provincial Museum and Archives building
in the Glenora district of Edmonton. Work finished and the building officially opened in 1967.
As the years went by the Provincial Archives of Alberta outgrew its space and began to warehouse collections, and the need for a larger building became apparent. The Provincial Archives officially opened the doors to its new location at 8555 Roper Road NW in Edmonton on October 5, 2003. The custom 11000 m2 building is situated on a six hectare (14.8 acre) site in southeast Edmonton.
Funding for the construction of the new building was made possible through grants from the Alberta Centennial Legacies Grant Program
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. It preserves and makes available for research both private and government records of all media related to Alberta. The Provincial Archives of Alberta also serves as the permanent archival repository of the Government of Alberta.
The organization is situated in the Ministry of Culture and Community Spirit and is headed by Provincial Archivist Leslie Latta-Guthrie.
Collection
The collection includes: of government textual records of private textual records- 65,406 mapsMAPSMaps is the plural of map, a visual representation of an area.As an acronym, MAPS may refer to:* Mail Abuse Prevention System, an organisation that provides anti-spam support...
- 27,636 architectural drawings
- 2,186,269 Photographs
- 41,137 hours of sound recordings
- 68,334 hours of film and video materials
- 12,847 volumes of library holdings
Reference services
Public interaction with the Provincial Archives of Alberta is primarily through the Sandra Thomson Reading Room which is open to the public five days a week and staffed full-time by professional archivists. The archivists are available to give advice on the primary sources that may respond to researchers’ inquiries.The Sandra Thomson Reading Room has the following major sources:
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 Portion of the map British Dominions by William Doyle |
The Provincial Archives of Alberta promotes Alberta’s history and in this way makes the Archives relevant to future users through:
- Special events and exhibits which highlight the holdings;
- school programs with curriculum ties;
- teacher resource packages with curriculum ties;
- website – holdings online and to promote services; and
- various communication strategies that build awareness of the resources available in the Provincial Archives holdings.
History
In 1962, the Government of Alberta established a Museums Branch under the Department of the Provincial Secretary for the establishment of a Provincial Archives and a Provincial Museum. The Branch began to accept archival records from government and private sources in 1963. In 1965 work began on a new Provincial Museum and Archives building
Royal Alberta Museum
The Royal Alberta Museum is located in Edmonton, Alberta and was named the Provincial Museum of Alberta until 24 May 2005 when Queen Elizabeth II visited, bestowing royal patronage. It has a natural history exhibit, a wildlife exhibit, an entomology exhibit, a Native Culture exhibit, as well as...
in the Glenora district of Edmonton. Work finished and the building officially opened in 1967.
As the years went by the Provincial Archives of Alberta outgrew its space and began to warehouse collections, and the need for a larger building became apparent. The Provincial Archives officially opened the doors to its new location at 8555 Roper Road NW in Edmonton on October 5, 2003. The custom 11000 m2 building is situated on a six hectare (14.8 acre) site in southeast Edmonton.
Funding for the construction of the new building was made possible through grants from the Alberta Centennial Legacies Grant Program