Finding sources for PEI history became a little easier today with the launch of a new Web site providing access to more than 1000 archival collections held by six institutions in the province. Archives PEI is a partnership between the Public Archives and Records Office of the Department of Community and Cultural Affairs and the Archives Council of Prince Edward Island.
“It is my pleasure to congratulate the Archives Council and the Public Archives and Records Office on the completion of this extensive initiative,” said Elmer MacFadyen, Minister of Community and Cultural Affairs. “This Web site will provide increased accessibility to the archives of Prince Edward Island for researchers, students and the general public.”
Archives PEI (www.library.pe.ca/acpei ) is a searchable database including more than 1,100 descriptions of archival collections held by archival institutions in Prince Edward Island. Archives PEI is part of the national archival information database, Archives Canada, which includes descriptions of archival records held in more than 800 archival institutions in Canada.
“We are really proud of the range of resources we have available in our institutions and this tool will allow people to do preliminary research from their home, work or classroom with the click of a mouse,“ said Jill MacMicken-Wilson, ACPEI Secretary-Treasurer and Systems Archivist. “As we continue to build this resource, users will encounter exciting new documentation they might not have otherwise discovered. This is truly the beginning of a new era in historical research.”
The Archives Council of Prince Edward Island was established in 1987 and currently has 12 institutional members. To date, six member institutions have contributed descriptions of their collections to Archives PEI. While this database does not include digitized copies of records, it does provide details of the collection including title, the date of the material, extent, information about the creator of the records and its scope and content. In many cases file listings are also available.
Members who have contributed to the database include the Public Archives and Records Office, le Centre de Recherches acadiennes de l’Ile-du-Prince-Edouard/Musee Acadien, MacNaught History Centre and Archives, Garden of the Gulf Museum, Medical Society of PEI, and the Alberton Museum.
The database has been in development since 1998 by the Archives Council of Prince Edward Island with funding assistance through the Canadian Council of Archives. The Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, through the Public Archives and Records Office, and the Department of Education have provided technical assistance.
Today’s launch coincides with the Canadian Council of Archives’ summer board and staff meeting and planning session.