The CNSA was founded in 1983 by a core group of 25 institutions, organizations, and individuals interested in creating a network of archives throughout the province. Today there are nearly 100 members representing community archives and museums, university archives, religious archives, governmental archives, and heritage associations. Presently, the CNSA staff consists of an Archives Advisor who f
acilitates educational programs; maintains the CNSA listserv, website, and social media accounts; and travels to member institutions to provide on-site assistance. We also have a MemoryNS Coordinator who helps members input their archival descriptions into the online, collective database, MemoryNS, which is maintained by the CNSA. The Council of Nova Scotia Archives (CNSA) is a professional association for archives and archivists in Nova Scotia. We provide members with a common meeting ground and network for discussion of archival issues, plus we are the provincial liaison with the Canadian Council of Archives. The Council advocates for the proper preservation of archives and the importance of public access to these records through our member institutions. A number of dedicated professional archivists from our member institutions occupy positions on our administrative committees. Through these committees, the CNSA endeavours to promote archival standards, procedures, and practices among its members and those institutions and organizations entrusted with the care of Nova Scotia’s documentary heritage. The CNSA offers a variety of advisory and preservation services. Whether you are setting up a new archives or dealing with a specific archival management issue, our Archives Advisor is available to visit to your archives and offer advice. The CNSA also offers a suite of courses on archival practice and we offer occasional advanced workshops on specific archival topics. We also have an Archival Certificate Program for members that want to develop the knowledge and skills required to work in archives or manage a small archives. Members are also eligible to apply for any of three annual awards for archival excellence, and there is funding support available for archival work through a variety of granting agencies, some of which is exclusive to CNSA members. Various tools are available on our website including sample policy documents and links to other useful websites. While the CNSA does not provide genealogy research services, many of our member archives have genealogical resources among their holdings.
