Archives and Digital Collections

Program Code: SAC.LIADC.CA

Program Control Number: 44668

The certificate curriculum in Archives and Digital Collections is designed to successfully prepare students for employment at the entry level in archives, digital collections, and special library settings. Course content covers fundamental principles, terminology, organization, procedures, industry standards, and best practices for preparing and managing both unique physical and digital collections. Entry-level positions are available in this field as archival assistants, digital collections technicians, digitization technicians, and digital asset management assistants. To receive a Certificate in Archives and Digital Collections, a grade of "C" or better is required for each major course.

Learning Outcome(s):

1. Employ best practices and skills for handling, organizing, preserving, and providing access to both physical and digital collections, to perform tasks in various entry-level jobs in archives, digital collections, and special library settings.
2. Apply basic image, text, and digital media processing skills, preparing students for digitization technician roles.
3. Prepare for employment in diverse settings that manage digital collections by applying knowledge of metadata standards and descriptive practices to improve the discoverability, usability, and accessibility of digital collections.
4. Apply learned skills and techniques for arrangement and description of archival collections, including the development of processing plans, creation of finding aids, and application of descriptive standards such as DACS, EAD and RDA, to prepare for employment in archival assistant positions.
5. Gain exposure to and practice with various technologies, tools, and systems utilized in professional archives, digital collections, and special library settings to manage and maintain unique physical and digital collections, such as ABBY Fine Reader, Adobe Bridge, ArchivesSpace, Omeka, Preservica, or Photoshop.