Melissa J. Nelson Email & Phone Number

Toronto, On, Ca

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Increase access to archival skills and knowledge by delivering workshops, tours, and lectures to universities, cultural organizations, and the general public • Cultivate relationships with racialized communities to repair past harms, build trust, and support their efforts to document and preserve their stories.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Provide leadership on ethical stewardship of archival materials related to Black lives• Remediate record descriptions with outdated, offensive, and valorizing language to make descriptions more accurate, respectful, and community-centered • Apply analytical and problem solving skills to effectively acquire, appraise, arranged, rehoused, and described government and private records • Cultivate relationships with Black Ontarians to break down barriers and build trust• Promote… Show more • Provide leadership on ethical stewardship of archival materials related to Black lives• Remediate record descriptions with outdated, offensive, and valorizing language to make descriptions more accurate, respectful, and community-centered • Apply analytical and problem solving skills to effectively acquire, appraise, arranged, rehoused, and described government and private records • Cultivate relationships with Black Ontarians to break down barriers and build trust• Promote the Archives of Ontario by delivering workshops, tours, and lectures to universities, cultural organizations, and the general public Show less

Canada

The Black Memory Collective is a community for Black archivists, memory workers, and researchers in Canada. As a community based collective, we create spaces for knowledge sharing, changemaking, collaboration, and community building.Our mission is to ignite positive futures through collectively preserving, remembering, and imagining otherwise. We call attention to the systemic erasure of Black memory and the need for structural change in traditional archival institutions. We understand… Show more The Black Memory Collective is a community for Black archivists, memory workers, and researchers in Canada. As a community based collective, we create spaces for knowledge sharing, changemaking, collaboration, and community building.Our mission is to ignite positive futures through collectively preserving, remembering, and imagining otherwise. We call attention to the systemic erasure of Black memory and the need for structural change in traditional archival institutions. We understand the power of Black archives for community activism, collective healing, and Black consciousness. Show less

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

This consulting practice serves archives, libraries, universities, archival associations, and other cultural institutions.My practice utilizes creativity and critical thinking to forge a more liberatory archival future. My approach centres anti-oppressive frameworks and an ethics of care.My services including community engagement, policy review, and training with a focus on EDI. Melissa consults, speaks, and delivers workshops for organizations whose leaders are committed to… Show more This consulting practice serves archives, libraries, universities, archival associations, and other cultural institutions.My practice utilizes creativity and critical thinking to forge a more liberatory archival future. My approach centres anti-oppressive frameworks and an ethics of care.My services including community engagement, policy review, and training with a focus on EDI. Melissa consults, speaks, and delivers workshops for organizations whose leaders are committed to addressing past practices.I work with notable clients such as the Library and Archives Canada, ARMA International, Association of Canadian Archivists, University of Toronto, among others. Show less

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

• Spearheaded the development of a study entitled, "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at McGill School of Information Studies," to understand and address the experiences of marginalized students, faculty, lecturers, and staff at the department• Prepared interview questions, recruitment statements, and a consent form for eligible study participants• Developed an “Application for Ethics Approval for Research Involving Human Participants,” and submitted this application to the Research Ethics… Show more • Spearheaded the development of a study entitled, "Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at McGill School of Information Studies," to understand and address the experiences of marginalized students, faculty, lecturers, and staff at the department• Prepared interview questions, recruitment statements, and a consent form for eligible study participants• Developed an “Application for Ethics Approval for Research Involving Human Participants,” and submitted this application to the Research Ethics Board• Conducted research to identify approaches and strategies for fostering diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging that will serve as benchmarks for the department to shift institutional culture • Scheduled and led monthly meetings with faculty supervisors in order to present the project progress Show less

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Digitized 1.2 m of textual records from a collection of Convocation files, which document major decisions made by the Law Society's Board of Directors• Uploaded and classified records in a Microsoft SharePoint library to make the records accessible internally to other departments • Conducted historical and archival research to locate and contextualize changes to required oaths that were sworn or affirmed to practice law in Ontario• Produced a timeline on the evolution of required… Show more • Digitized 1.2 m of textual records from a collection of Convocation files, which document major decisions made by the Law Society's Board of Directors• Uploaded and classified records in a Microsoft SharePoint library to make the records accessible internally to other departments • Conducted historical and archival research to locate and contextualize changes to required oaths that were sworn or affirmed to practice law in Ontario• Produced a timeline on the evolution of required oaths to practice law in Ontario to provide an educational aid to researchers Show less

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Examined the Toronto Downtown Jazz Society fonds to prepare a report of recommendations on the appraisal and arrangement of the fonds • Physically arranged and rehoused 4.7 m of textual records, 11 posters, 17 DVDs, 43 Betamax video cassettes, 11 U-matic video cassettes, 24 VHS video cassettes, and 2 analog audio recordings according to the series outlined in the report • Delegated the task of rehousing 1000 print photographs, negatives, and 35mm slides to student assistants•… Show more • Examined the Toronto Downtown Jazz Society fonds to prepare a report of recommendations on the appraisal and arrangement of the fonds • Physically arranged and rehoused 4.7 m of textual records, 11 posters, 17 DVDs, 43 Betamax video cassettes, 11 U-matic video cassettes, 24 VHS video cassettes, and 2 analog audio recordings according to the series outlined in the report • Delegated the task of rehousing 1000 print photographs, negatives, and 35mm slides to student assistants• Created RAD-compliant fonds-, series-, and file-level draft descriptions in AtoM• Participated in weekly meetings to present project progress to the team• Attended class instruction to understand how archival materials can be used in an educational environment Show less

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Appraised, arranged, and described 1.54 m of textual records, 8 print photographs, and 1 set of architectural tools from the Rev. Mark Young Stark fonds• Prepared a RAD-compliant finding aid which was made publicly available on the archive website• Conducted historical and archival research to create feature exhibits "The Life of Rev. Mark Young Stark" and "The Confession of The Presbyterian Church in Canada" which provides background information for processed archival materials •… Show more • Appraised, arranged, and described 1.54 m of textual records, 8 print photographs, and 1 set of architectural tools from the Rev. Mark Young Stark fonds• Prepared a RAD-compliant finding aid which was made publicly available on the archive website• Conducted historical and archival research to create feature exhibits "The Life of Rev. Mark Young Stark" and "The Confession of The Presbyterian Church in Canada" which provides background information for processed archival materials • Scanned over 1200 print photographs and 35mm slides, saving according to present preservation and access standards• Catalogued images in DB/Textworks to support file search and retrieval Show less

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

• Developed the George Brown College Archives Collection on the Internet Archive to provide access to recently digitized college newsletters, student newspapers, and annual reports• Produced an internal guide to assist future contributors to the collection with creating sub-collections, file uploading and entering metadata

Master Of Information Studies (Mist)

Activities and Societies: Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) McGill University Student Chapter - Treasurer, Association.

Bachelor Of Arts (Hons), History & Sociology