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December 7, 2017

Peristence Pays Off: My Finding Aid is linked to from Library and Archives Canada

Followers of Olive Tree Genealogy blog may recall that I have written several posts, beginning in August 2013, about the mis-labelled Heir and Devisee Commission Papers available on Canadiana.org

Example from HD 1144 Christian Bradt
While searching for my ancestors I discovered that of the 21 digitized microfilms, 10 are incorrectly identified as to volume numbers and content contained. To assist other genealogists and researchers, I am began methodically going through the images to identify what each film contained.

Thus I created a Finding Aid with correctly identified contents of each microfilm and published it on my website. I wrote to Canadiana.org many times over the course of 3 years offering the Finding Aid to them but when I finally got an answer my offer was refused.

This year I was able to speak directly to Mr. Guy Berthiaume the Librarian and Archivist of Canada, on the Dec. 4 Twitter chat: Ask the Librarian and Archivist of Canada your questions, 11:30AM-1PM (EST). AskTheLAC

My question was in four parts since Twitter only allows 480 character tweets. I explained what my Finding Aid was, and my last tweet had my question for Mr. Berthiaume:

"My Q is:Will you look at my Finding Aid for those 10 incorrect films & speak to me about correcting the online content descriptions?" 

He did. Then Library and Archives Canada contacted me, and today I am pleased to announce that a link to my Finding Aid for the Heir and Devisee Commission films H-1133 to H-1153 is linked to on Library and Archives Canada.

Huge thanks goes to Mr. Berthiaume for taking time to look into these issues! Now researchers will have updated and correct information on the content of each of these digitized films.

6 comments:

Celia Lewis said...

Superb! Glad to hear this news. Kudos to you and to LAC as well [finally].

Jackie Corrigan said...

Well done Lorine!

T said...

If only it could have been done 3 years ago. Three years wasted for people trying to find anything on those pages. Another case of "But that's how we've always done it."?

Anna Matthews said...

I remembered that you contacted them but not that they had refused to use your funding aid. Unbelievable! Good for you for keeping at them, congrats.

paperquilter said...

I admire and appreciate your persistence! Not only that you provide such helpful information for others, but that you stuck with the efforts to get the finding aid available. Thanks, too, to M. Berthiaume.

Teresa said...

Great job! So glad you were able to get Mr. Berthiaume's attention. And a testament to your work that LAC acted on it after your Twitter exchange!