Alexandra Mills

Education

Master of Library and Information Studies, McGill University
Master of Arts, Art History, Concordia University
Bachelor of Fine Arts, Art History and Studio Art, Concordia University

Awards

W. Kaye Lamb Prize, Association of Canadian Archivists (2021) 

Research Interests

• Primary source and archival literacy
  
• Transparency in archival processes
  
• Participatory archiving and community collaborations
  

Publications

Mills, A., Rochat, D., & High, S. (2020). Telling stories from Montreal’s NegroCommunity Centre fonds: The archives as community-engaged classroom. Archivaria,89, 34-69.

Mills, A. & Rochat, D. (2018). Activating community archives: The Negro CommunityCentre/Charles H. Este Cultural Centre fonds. Quebec Heritage News 12(1), 9-10.

Mills, A. (2015). User impact on selection, digitization, and the development ofdigital special collections. New Review of Academic Librarianship, 21(2),160–169. doi :dx.doi.org/10.1080/13614533.2015.1042117

Conference papers

Mills, A. (2024, April). Sharing the power to decide? How Canadian universities acquire private archives. Paper presented at the Concordia University Library's 22nd Annual Research Forum, Montreal, Quebec.

Mills, A. (2022, June). Appraisal, acquisition, and the construction of memory: Opening-up collection development. Paper Paper presented at the Association of Canadian Archivists Annual Conference.

 

Mills, A. (2021, June). Community participation in the archive: It’s not just about better description. Paper presented at the Association of Canadian Archivists Annual Conference.

 

Mills, A. (2019, August). Toward collaborative acquisition practices at Concordia University Library's Special Collections. Paper presented at the Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, Archives2019:Transformative!, Austin, Texas.

 

Mills, A. (2019, June). Rethinking acquisition: Transforming collection development practices and philosophies. Paper presented at the Association of Canadian Archivists Annual Conference: Archival Origins, Toronto,Ontario.

 

Mills, A. (2019, March). Creating new users: Bringing archives to the undergraduate classroom. Paper presented at the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) McGill Student Chapter Colloquium: Archival Outreach and Hidden Collections, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec.

 

Mills, A. (2019, February). Assessing the Library's digital special collections. Paper presented at the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) McGill Student Chapter Symposium, McGill University, Montreal,Quebec.

 

Mills, A. (2018, December). Evidence of community in the archive of the Negro Community Centre. Paper presented at the Conference on Community Education and Development: Perspectives on English-Speaking Blacks and Other Minorities,Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.

 

Mills, A. (2018, September). Evidence of community in the archive of the Negro Community Centre. Paper presented at the Black Canada and Trans-Atlantic Initiatives Conference, Black Community Resource Centre, Montreal, Canada.

 

Mills, A. (2018, June). Starting from scratch: Assessing the Library’s digital special collections. Paper presented at the Association of Canadian Archivists 43rd Annual Conference, Edmonton, Alberta.

 

High, S., Mills, A., & Rochat D. (2018, June). Reanimating the Archive:Sharing Stories From the Negro Community Centre/Charles H. Este Cultural Centre Fonds. Paper presented at the Collection Thinking Conference, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec.

 

Beaudry,G. & Mills, A. (2018, May). Collecting Special Collections and Reaching out to the Community: Recent Initiatives at Concordia University Library.Paper presented at the Nerve Centre Colloquium: Kick-Starting ROAAr and More Towards the Future, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec.

 

Mills,A. (2018, April). Making Connections: Bringing Archives to Undergraduates.Paper presented at the Concordia University Library’s 16th Annual Research Forum, Montreal, Quebec.

 

Mills,A. (2017, July). Connecting to users outside the archive: Archivists in the classroom and community. Poster presented at the Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, Archives 2017: Alike/Different, Portland, Oregon.

 

Mills,A. (2017, April). Teaching with archives: Primary sources in the classroom and community. Paper presented at the annual conference ofthe Archives Association of Ontario, Toronto, Ontario.

 

Mills,A. (2017, April). Archiving the Negro Community Centre fonds. Presentation at the public event and panel discussion Showcasing Montreal’s Negro Community Centre, Montreal, Quebec.

Service to the Community

Secretary, Board of Directors, Association of Canadian Archivists, 2023-present

Board liaison, Membership Committee, Association of Canadian Archivists, 2023-present

Member, Governance Committee, Association of Canadian Archivists, 2022-present

Member, Professional Development Committee, Association of Canadian Archivists, 2017-2021