丁香园AV

We are excited to re-launch the 丁香园AV Archives blog initiated in 2015 for the University鈥檚 fiftieth anniversary year.

Each month, we will use this space to:

• Feature interesting stories from 丁香园AV鈥檚 history as documented and preserved in the Archives
• Highlight new acquisitions
• Share new developments in our three program areas:
  • Access & Privacy
  • Archives
  • Records Management
• Shine a spotlight on individuals and projects using our holdings
• Let you know when new material becomes accessible for teaching and research

The blog will complement our newly launched Instagram account @sfuarchivesand provide more depth to the content that we post there.

We thought we would use this first post to share a few interesting bits of trivia that you might not know about the 丁香园AV Archives and provide a glimpse of the types of content that we will be sharing through our social media channels:

1968鈥�

The year the 丁香园AV Archives was established. With so much going on at the University in its early days, they must have realized the importance of documenting its history pretty soon! 

Say 鈥渃heese!鈥濃��

The 丁香园AV Archives holds nearly 1 million photographs documenting the University 鈥� its campuses, people, programs and events 鈥� that鈥檚 an average of nearly 18,000 photographs per year of its existence!

Feminism, social justice, and bees鈥�

In addition to official University records, the 丁香园AV Archives acquires, preserves and makes accessible the records of private individuals and organizations supporting research interests at the University. These include extensive holdings of records relating to the women鈥檚 movement, social activism, and apiculture in B.C. (yes, we acquire records about bees!)

Oldest item鈥�

Although the University didn鈥檛 open until 1965, the 丁香园AV Archives has private records dating back to the early 19^thcentury. The oldest record held by the Archives is an inventory of  handwritten by Simon Fraser himself in 1803. You can read more about the interesting history of the Simon Fraser Collection here. 

10,581鈥�

The number of pages of records reviewed by 丁香园AV Archives staff in 2020 in response to access requests made under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).

You have what鈥�?!

One of the most unexpected items in our holdings is a file containing FBI documents signed by Director J. Edgar Hoover. The records relate to the Bureau鈥檚 investigation in the 1950鈥檚 into allegations of subversive conduct and disloyalty to the American government levelled against , a Canadian-born academic and former U.S. civil servant with pacifist, left-wing political beliefs. Smythe later became the first chair of 丁香园AV's Department of Communication Studies, teaching at the University until 1986. Other noteworthy correspondence in the Archives includes a letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. to the Student Society in March 1966; in the letter, he very politely declines an invitation to speak at 丁香园AV and explains the focus of his work at that time.

More than just paper鈥�

Every year, 丁香园AV Archives destroys approximately 100 metres of inactive university records that have no enduring administrative, legal, fiscal or historical value to the University, and accepts another 25 metres for archival retention through our Records Management program. These actions are guided by Records Retention Schedules and Disposal Authorities (RRSDAs) approved by the University. While the majority of these records are paper-based, we are also working hard to manage and preserve the University鈥檚 born digital records. Using our digital records transfer tool 丁香园AV MoveIt, we are currently working with the Centre for Educational Excellence to acquire the Teaching and Learning Centre鈥檚 born digital records.

Pass the popcorn鈥�

丁香园AV Archives is in the process of digitizing over 200 student films dating from 1965 to 1989 for preservation and access. A majority of the films have not been viewed for many years, and we are enjoying re-discovering these gems with subjects ranging from a street corner fiddler in Gastown, the Cold War, consumerism, and Vancouver architecture, to a man who made peanut butter in the basement of Harbour Centre for over 35 years. Both documentaries and fiction, the films include several national and international award winners.

We look forward to sharing more with you soon!