and Access Restrictions

Donation Agreements

All donations result in a transfer of ownership to the Provincial Archives.  In all cases an agreement between the donor and the Archives is signed. This document defines terms which govern the use of the records and the legal transfer of ownership of records to the Provincial Archives, and allows for the effective long-term management of the records.

Access Restrictions

There are a number of factors that should be considered when donating material to the Provincial Archives:

• Do the records still have an operational use for the organization or association?
• Do the records contain material that is of a sensitive or personal nature?
• Do the records contain personal health information about any individual or group of individuals, or other information which is considered personal or private?
• Are the records being donated relatively soon after their creation and relate to current individuals or events?

Restrictions on access should be kept to a minimum or not be imposed at all to allow for research use. However, in some instances, restricted access due to personal information and personal health information may be necessary. 

Where it is practical, donors are encouraged to hold on to their records until they can be fully open and useable by researchers.