Here are some things to consider when thinking about offering your records to Oak Bay Archives:

Transfer of Ownership

• Donors are required to transfer physical ownership of records to the District of oak Bay (Archives). This also applies to the original/master copies of electronic records.
• We do not normally accept copy loans (where the original is retained by the donor).
• The transfer of ownership ensures that the District of Oak Bay owns the records, is responsible for their custody, and can preserve and make the records accessible for current and future generations.
• To ensure their preservation, security and authenticity, once records are donated to the Archives, they may not be removed from the custody of the Archives. If original records are still required for operational purposes, they are not ready for donation to the Archives.

Transfer of Copyright

• The intellectual rights of records creators are protected under Canadian Copyright law.
• Copyright cannot be transferred, but owners are encouraged to waive their moral rights (i.e. the exercise of copyright) to the District of Oak Bay (administered by the Archivist) for the purposes of providing: access to the records; copies of records to researchers; and permission to reproduce copies.
• The waiving of copyright ensures that the records can be used by researchers for many different purposes without the Archivist needing to refer every researcher back to the donor.

Placing restrictions on records

• Oak Bay Archives promotes open access to the records it holds. However, sometimes restrictions are necessary. The Archivist will work with donors to determine appropriate restrictions.
• Records are restricted for specific limited reasons and for a specific period of time, and are opened for research when that time expires. Procedures for permitting exceptional access before the expiration date will also be established.
• Excessive conditions or duration of restrictions will not normally be accepted by the Archives. If the records are not intended for eventual public access, subject to Canadian and provincial legislation and via the usual policies and procedures of the Archives, they are not ready for donation to the Archives.

Adapted from https://www.gov.mb.ca/chc/archives/donate/consider.html

another good example: https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2018/01/so-you-want-to-donate-your-documentary-collection-to-an-archives/

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Donations: an archivist’s questions

Some information to put together before approaching an archivist about a potential donation. Please do get in touch at any time in your deliberation if you need further information or advice about any of these things, especially physical formats or ownership/rights issues.

* What is in the collection, and how much is there? e.g. 4 banker's boxes of family diaries, letters, photographs and business records from the family of Joe and Lois Bloggs, who ran the Avenue Luncheonette on Oak Bay Avenue in the 1940s and 1950s and lived at 234 Hampshire Rd (fictional).

* What are the main subjects of the collection: people, organizations, places, events

* How old is the collection, from what dates? e.g. 1910-1930s

* Is it published or original material, or a mix? Examples of published material: printed books, newspaper and magazine cuttings, postcards. Original material: most photographs, hand written letters, diaries, households accounts. Does it include objects?

* What is the history of the collection? Who created the materials, and how did they arrange, store, and use them?

* What is the creator’s and/or collection’s relationship to Oak Bay? What does this material tell us about Oak Bay’s history? This might be the history of one person, family, house/property, business, or organization. There needs to be some connection to Oak Bay, but all the material in the collection does not need to be directly related to Oak Bay.

* Is the collection yours to donate? Do you own the physical material and the copyright and other rights in this material? Are there any rights or ethical issues to consider?

* Are you still using the materials in the collection? have they ever been published?

* What is the physical condition of the materials, where have they been stored?

* What formats are the materials in? e.g. loose papers, bound manuscript ledgers, loose photographs, bound photograph albums, electronic records stored on floppy discs or flash drives, wax cylinders, framed photos, folded or rolled large-format maps, plans or drawings, works of art on paper.

* Are there any restrictions on access to the materials? (privacy, confidentiality etc)

* Are there any student records, financial records, medical records, or legal case files relating to third parties in the collection?

* Are there any other copies of the materials (e.g. duplicate original photo prints)? If so, where/with whom?

* Are there any other potential owners, donors or archive repositories interested in the materials?

Contact:

Email: archives@oakbay.ca

Tel: 250-598-3290

Post & in person: Oak Bay Archives, Municipal Hall

2167 Oak Bay Avenue, Victoria, British Columbia V8R 1G2

Archivist: Anna Sander, BA, MPhil, MScEcon