Little is known about the university archive at UFV, but Kendra Long, a recent addition to UFV’s library team, spoke with ***The Cascade* about her position and the current projects she is working on.
Long began working at UFV in September 2024. She revealed that she moved to Canada specifically for this job, saying it was an ideal opportunity for her.
“[It’s] a smaller school that is really enthusiastic about its students and supporting them.”
Long did not always want to be a librarian and has worked various jobs in the past: she originally wanted to be a diplomat before majoring in film. However, due to a lack of job stability, she changed her career.
Long recalled that it was her mother, a public librarian of 40 years, who encouraged her to become one. In 2019, she graduated with a Masters of Library and Information Science (MS) at Simmons University in Boston.
After graduating, she wanted to become a film archivist, but soon changed her mind as this particular field was exceedingly specialized and not much work was available.
Long explained that her role as a university archivist is fairly new at UFV.
“I’m the first university archivist the school has had … it’s a position a lot of people have pushed for, for a very long time. And I’m really appreciative that they were able to make the case that the position needs to exist.”
She went on to explain some of the duties that come with her new role.
“My job is to collect the history of the school to the best of my ability.”
Long mentioned what constitutes items that can be archived.
“The phrase we use in archives a lot is records of enduring value. It’s the stuff that 10, 15, 40 years down the line people will still want to refer back to, that is of significant use to researchers, and to anybody with a passing interest in history.”
She also said that the archive is still a work in progress and pointed out that an important part of creating an archive is their collections policy. This determines what they archive, outlines their priorities and takes into account what is important to the students, faculty, and staff at the university.
Long explained that there is more to her work than archiving.
“I feel like a big part of my job is being an ambassador for the concept of archives.”
Right now, UFV has both a digital and physical archive collection, including a specific collection for photos. All physical collections are housed in the Heritage Collection, in room G244, on the second floor of the Abbotsford university library. Anyone wishing to visit the archive must book an appointment.
Long said that photos are one of the most common items she archives. She is currently working on a digital photo archive for the university, collecting as many items as she can to show the history of the campus. Long believes that some of the most important photos in the archive collection are the ones from the last 50 years.
“You get to see all the specific courses and also degrees that the school has offered; the school has changed so much since the 70s.”
Long said that students tend to think of only their experiences at UFV and forget that the campus can dramatically change. Her goal is to retain as much of those experiences as she can through archiving. She mentioned that the student newspapers are a great way to show what students were thinking and feeling when they were attending university. She hopes to preserve as many of these types of experiences as possible.
One of the challenges she has experienced is being an outsider. Long explained that she came from a different country and with different life experiences. However, she also believes these are an asset for archiving because she comes to the work with fresh eyes and perspectives.
Long added that what she finds most rewarding about her job is helping people find what they need.
“I want more student involvement. We do the LIBT [library] program. We do tours with the students. I would really love to continue to grow that relationship. I think it’s a great way for library tech students to see what libraries are.”
Long spoke of her long-term goals for the archive.
“I want as much stuff to get in front of as many eyeballs as possible.”
Rachel is working towards a BA with a concentration in English and Theatre. She has been employed at The Cascade since Fall 2021 as a Staff Writer and a Jr. News Editor. Currently, she is the sectional News Editor and enjoys meeting and interviewing people as well as taking long walks in nature. Rachel also likes to stay up to date on the latest trends and informs students through her fashion column entitled Campus Fashion.
