L'entrevue a été réalisée en anglais seulement.
Archives and Special Collections: What are the Archives and Special Collections?
Marina Bokovay: ARCS is part of the University of Ottawa Library and we are located on the lower level of Morisset Hall. We acquire, preserve and provide access to archival records, rare books and rare periodicals that support teaching and research. The main collecting focus of our archival collections are the women’s movement in Canada, Canadian women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math as well the Slovak community and the archives of literary figures. All the material that we have here at ARCS is unique, rare and provides a first-hand account of the activities and contributions of their creators.
ARCS: How are the Archives useful to students and researchers?
MB: I think that sometimes people feel a bit intimidated about going to an archive to do research but archives are really so important and can provide such valuable opportunities for students and researchers to understand what has happened in the past. Archives are records that were created organically by an individual or organization to support their activities and then selected for long-term preservation because they provide evidence of historically significant events. Archives tell us the stories of the past and can help us understand cultures and even our own sense of identity. Because the records weren’t created for the purpose of research or study like secondary sources are, they can provide a less biased account of history and can give us an understanding of how their creators really felt and acted.
ARCS: Can you tell me more about the Canadian Archive of Women in STEM project?
MB: The Canadian Archive of Women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is an initiative that was launched a year ago between uOttawa Archives and Special Collections, Library and Archives Canada and INWES-ERI. The goal of the initiative is to raise awareness of the importance of keeping the archives of women in STEM fields, to encourage women in STEM fields to think about their legacy and to donate their records, and to make it easier for researchers to access those archival collections. One of the main components of the project is the online portal that aggregates information about archival collections related to women in STEM from institutions across the country. What that means is that researchers looking to find the stories of Canadian women in STEM can go to the portal and easily find out where they should go to access the collections and also to see what other potential resources are available to them.
ARCS: Why is documenting women’s involvement in STEM fields important?
MB: The history of women scientists and engineers in Canada can be considered to still in its infancy. This could be partially attributed to the invisibility of the stories of women in STEM in archives, which historically collected the records of men and tended to privilege their life and work. Another major obstacle has been women’s inclination to underestimate their own accomplishments, with the result that most did not seek to preserve their papers. With this initiative, we hope to highlight the often overlooked past contributions of women in STEM while also capturing the current lived experiences of women in STEM for the benefit of current and future research. By preserving the records that illustrate women’s involvement in STEM, we can offer critical insights into the past and current status and role of women in STEM, provide a better understanding of the reasons why women chose to pursue careers in STEM and of their own perspectives on the barriers to their advancement and retention and finally, provide girls and women with role models who can inspire them to pursue careers in STEM.
ARCS: How can students or the public at large learn more about the project?
MB: People can go to the Archives and Special Collections website where there is a link to the project’s webpage. There they will be able to learn about the initiative and access the portal. There is also a guide for women interested on donating their records. Students can also contact us by email at arcs@uOttawa or stop by MRT-039.