Archives & Records Management (ARM)


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| ARM: Archives & Records Management | C&T: Culture & Technology | CIPS: Critical Information Policy Studies | HCDS: Human Centered Data Science | ISD: Information Systems & Design | KMIM: Knowledge Management & Information Management | LIS: Library & Information Science | UXD: User Experience Design |

ARM Concentration liaison: Prof. Fiorella Foscarini

 

ARM concentration overview |  Requirements | Suggested electives | Careers in Archives & Records Management |

The Archives & Records Management (ARM) concentration explores the multiple perspectives that inform documentary practices over time, and draws on diverse foundational disciplines, including:

  • Management theories for organizational records
  • Archival theory of arrangement and description
  • Appraisal theories and practices for diverse organizations
  • Preservation principles and technology migration management
  • History of records and record keeping

Concentration features

  • Theories and methods for capturing, classifying, managing, appraising, and preserving authentic documents and records in all media; to serve business, economic, legal, memorial, and historical needs of public and private organizations and persons
  • Changing perspectives and social contexts
  • Regimes of privacy and access
  • Intellectual property rights and conflicts
  • The role of archives and archival institutions in human rights, social justice, and memorial contestation

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Concentration requirements

Year 1 required courses:

Year 2 required courses: 

  • None

Electives:

Students are required to complete a total of 8.0 credits for their MI degree.

Students are able to take their Year 1 required courses in Year 2. It is not a must to complete all Year 1 required courses in Year 1. It is, however, recommended that you complete your Year 1 required courses in Year 1 as they provide foundational knowledge. For students thinking about Co-op, you should complete all Year 1 required courses in Year 1.

Students interested in the cross section of information and museum studies may wish to apply for the Combined Degree Program (CDP) to explore areas such as digital cultural heritage, cultural information policy, the intersection of cultural memory institutions (libraries, archives and museums), digital curation, among other interests. The CDP allows students to complete both MI + MMSt degrees in three years.

Quick links to resources:

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Careers in Archives & Records Management

Students looking to engage in hands-on experience, widen their professional network and engage in professional development should connect with our Careers Services. The Faculty of Information offers a variety of work-integrated learning opportunities such as: MI Co-op option, practicum, Toronto Academic Libraries Internship Program (TALint), job shadowing, and ask-an-alum.

We encourage our students to engage widely in various professional circles and broaden your horizons beyond disciplinary boundaries. Our students, alumni and faculty are members of many professional associations. Our strong ties, built over many years, with these institutions keep us all abreast of the latest trends in the industries. Throughout the year, you may find representatives and members of these associations taking active roles in assisting our students by providing relevant industry insights and networking opportunities. Examples of these include:

In this seasoned field, well known roles of archivists and records managers are expanding to reflect our growing digital present and future. The traditional job titles are still prominent, however, industry trends are pointing towards the need for more knowledgeable professionals who can embrace both traditional and new methods. In particular, the need is growing for people who thoroughly understand and know how to handle records as societies continue to advance into the big data era. This affects the creation of new roles and consequently, new job titles.

Who hires our ARM graduates?

Our alumni work in a wide range of organizations and industries, including: financial services, technology, health care, law, government, marketing and communications, non-profit and more.

Sample employers include: Archives of Ontario, Art Gallery of Ontario, Bank of Canada, BMO, CBC, City of Toronto, De Beers Canada, Deloitte, Diamond Schmitt Architects, George Brown College, House of Commons, Mattamy Homes, Ontario Public Service, Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP, SNC Lavalin, St. Michael’s Hospital, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, SunLife, TransCanada, University of Toronto, among others.

Sample roles include:

Archivists
Archival Consultant
City Archivist
Conservator
Digital Information Archivist
Digitization Manager
Government Records Archivist
Media Archivist
Photo Archivist
Privacy Officer
University Archivist
Record Managers
Content Manager
Corporate Records Officer
Data Analyst
Documentation Specialist
Electronic Document Management Coordinator
Government Records Analyst
Information Analyst
Information Resource Specialist
Records Analyst

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