conference

Dates: 

May 21-23, 2026

Location: 

Coast Canmore Hotel, Canmore, Alberta

Keynote Speaker: 

June Chow

Archivist, Richard Charles Lee Chinese Canadian Archives Special Collections, University of Toronto Libraries

June Chow 周慕慈 is a settler born in Canada of immigrant parents, and was raised and educated in Vancouver. She holds a Master of Archival Studies degree from the School of Information at The University of British Columbia. She is an archivist, archival scholar, and award-winning heritage worker practicing across Chinese Canadian communities and specializing in the histories and contemporary challenges of Chinatown neighbourhoods. 

Conference Theme: 

As archival users sift through records held at our worksites, they may discover that the information they need is missing. In these situations of providing reference, we may feel like we have failed our users. We try to refer the users to other archives hoping another archival institution may have the information. These moments may make us remember the appraisal theories of Helen Samuels or Hans Booms and question whether or not the holdings at our institutions appropriately represent the society our archives are mandated to serve. Then, we may feel overwhelmed by not having the time to address the fact that information which should be in the holdings is not there.

For our 2026 conference, we will address the topic of missing information in the archives. We wish to explore the reasons why records are missing – poor appraisal decisions, the demographics of our profession, lackluster budgets, colonial policies, and genocide impact the records we hold, or do not hold. We will also share how we tackle these obstacles to better serve and represent our archival stakeholders.

Hotel Booking

ASA Conference attendees will receive a preferential rate of $195/night plus taxes and service charges rom May 20-24, 2026. There are some double rooms available in the room block reservation, available on a first come, first serve basis up to Wednesday, April 22, 2026 at 12 noon MT.  The link to book at the conference rate can be found here: ASA Conference 2026 – Archives Society of Alberta – Start your reservation.