Volunteer

Our volunteers have a variety of different backgrounds, experiences, and skills and help bolster The ArQuives strength

From 1973 to 2004, The ArQuives was an entirely volunteer-run community organization. Since 2004, The ArQuives has grown the number of staff on our team and at the same time, the number of volunteers and volunteer hours has also increased. In 2019, we had 120 volunteers working on a variety of committees. Even with staff, we are still a volunteer-focused organization. While COVID has hampered our ability to have staff and volunteers on-site, we are working to bring both back safely.

The ArQuives is broken down into Committees:

Collections and Public Service Committee
Communications Committee
Community Engagement Committee
Diversity and Inclusion Committee
Facilities Committee
Fundraising Committee
Gala Committee

Learn more about the different volunteer opportunities in these committees below:

Volunteers posing at the ArQuives office

Communications Committee

The Communications Committee is responsible for the organizations website, newsletter, social media, and annual report. The committee looks for volunteers who are interested in creating content about the collection, including articles and social media posts.

Community Engagement Committee

The Community Engagement Committee is responsible for events, tours, and presentations to the public. They also assist in conducting research for various projects. The committee looks for outgoing volunteers who are interested in creating and conducting programming, giving tours, and helping to connect the community with the collection.

Diversity and Inclusion Committee

The Diversity and Inclusion Committee is responsible for guiding The ArQuivrs in staff and volunteer training, assisting in creating inclusive and equitable policies and procedures, implementing recommendations from the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Plan and the Collection Development Plan, and communicating these initiatives with the LGBTQ2+ community. The committee welcomes members who are committed to making The ArQuives a safe and accessible space for the public, volunteers, and staff.

Facilities Committee

Members of the Facilities Committee are responsible for managing the interior and exterior maintenance of The ArQuives heritage home at 34 Isabella. Some examples of tasks include painting and upkeep of gallery walls, garden work, snow shovelling, and assisting with lifting large donations.

Fundraising Committee

Members of the Fundraising Committee are responsible for assisting in raising funds for day to day operations and special projects. Some examples of tasks include creating direct mail, writing grants and requests for foundations, and research into potential donors and sponsorships.

Gala Committee

The Gala is The ArQuives major annual fundraiser. The Gala Committee is responsible for its creation, planning, and execution. In order to join the Gala Committee it is preferred if volunteers have event planning and/or fundraising experience.

Collections and Public Service Committee

The Collections and Public Service Committee is responsible for the library, archival, and artifact collections. This includes cataloguing library books and artifacts and the arrangement and description of archival material. They also assist in providing public service in our Reading Room.

The volunteer positions currently available are:

Archival Mentor: We are looking for people who have experience as an archivist who are willing to mentor new volunteers in archival practice.
Social Media: We are looking for folks to help run our social media, including creating content, scheduling, and running campaigns.
Facilities Committee: Working on facilities includes supporting the ongoing maintenance of our heritage home at 34 Isabella (such as yardwork, basic repairs, snow shoveling).
Fundraisers: Fundraisers look for opportunities to increase monetary resources for The ArQuives in order to continue the basic functioning of other committees as well as expand The ArQuives services.
Tour Guides (Community Engagement): Outgoing people interested in leading guided tours.
Researcher (Community Engagement): Conduct research to support/contribute to the creation and development of content for tours and other programming.

Volunteer Application Form

Thank you for your interest in volunteering at The ArQuives. If you are interested in volunteering, please submit an application online and your name will be added to the waitlist. We will contact you if we are able to find a position for you.

Fill out the Volunteer Application Form

Become a Member

There are three ways to become a member of The ArQuives! By making a financial donation, donating your records, or volunteering!