Using Archeion - Letter of Understanding for Archives

As detailed in the Archeion FAQ, Archeion is a hosted Access to Memory (AtoM) service (the “Service”) provided by the Archives Association of Ontario (“AAO”) to active institutional members of the AAO. As per the AAO constitution (1.1g), AAO institutional members must meet the Institutional Guidelines for Archives from the Canadian Council of Archives.

By using the Archives Association of Ontario’s Archeion service, the Archeion Coordinator (“Archeion Coordinator”), the AAO, and any AAO institutional member who has a repository profile in Archeion (“Archeion Institutional Members”) agree to the following terms:

The AAO will:

  1. actively maintain an annual hosting Service Level Agreement with an AtoM hosting company to deliver the Service
  2. provide digital object storage via Archeion, as negotiated in the annual hosting Service Level Agreement with the AAO’s AtoM hosting company. This storage shall not exceed 1 gigabyte (1GB) per Archeion Institutional Member, unless the Archeion Institutional Member pays annually for increased storage capacity
  3. occasionally use Archeion Institutional Members’ public descriptions and digital objects to promote the institution in public AAO communication channels
  4. send annual membership renewal notifications to the Archeion Institutional Member
  5. provide support for Archeion Institutional Members in using the Service through the Archeion Coordinator
  6. not be held responsible for any content posted or transmitted through the Service by Archeion Institutional Members
  7. comply with the AAO’s Code of Conduct

The Archeion Coordinator will:

  1. provide Archeion Institutional Members with access to the Service via editor account User IDs and passwords. No direct access to server hardware, operating system, database management system or other system resources shall be provided.
  2. provide Archeion Institutional Members with Service training and documentation through asynchronous methods. In person training is available upon request
  3. occasionally use Archeion Institutional Members’ public descriptions, digital objects, and other data within the Service to promote the institution in public AAO communication channels and in Service training and documentation
  4. provide Archeion Institutional Members with support for batch csv ingest of archival description data, providing csv files are prepared according to Archeion guidelines and AtoM requirements for batch ingest
  5. manage and create Service policies and procedures
  6. review submissions from Archeion Institutional Members against Archeion’s policies and guidelines
  7. maintain the consistency of the authority files and taxonomies on the Archeion site
  8. modify data that does not comply with Archeion’s policies and guidelines
  9. transfer Service data to Archives Canada, Canada’s national archives discovery portal as opportunities arise
  10. answer all questions related to the Service in a timely and professional manner. If the issue cannot be resolved via email, the Member will have the option to contact the Archeion Coordinator during designated service hours
  11. provide regular communications and updates about the Service, including software updates and noteworthy news via email, Off The Record, and the AAOlist
  12. send occasional emails to Archeion Institutional Members regarding system maintenance and best practices
  13. maintain statistics and tracking for the Service
  14. liaise with the AAO’s AtoM hosting company
  15. not be held responsible for any content posted or transmitted through the Service by Archeion Institutional Members
  16. comply with the AAO’s Code of Conduct

Archeion Institutional Members will:

  1. provide the name and contact information of at least 1 person from the Institution as contact for the Archeion Coordinator
  2. use reasonable efforts to protect User IDs and passwords of Service accounts
  3. submit timely requests to the Archeion Coordinator to disable or enable User IDs in the event of staff changes
  4. be completely responsible for the creation, updates, and deletions of their own Archeion Institutional Member data in the Service
  5. make best efforts to clear any rights (copyright, privacy) prior to adding data (archival descriptions, digital objects) into the Service for public access
  6. make best efforts to follow Service guidelines and policies, including the Archeion authority record policy, web accessibility guidelines, and best practices for inclusive description metadata
  7. make best efforts to refer to Service platform documentation, currently AtoM documentation
  8. make best efforts to follow professional standards, including the Rules for Archival Description and emerging description best practices as defined by archives professional associations and communities
  9. agree that the AAO will not be held responsible for any content posted or transmitted through the Service
  10. agree that the AAO will not be held responsible for damages, costs, or losses of data in the Service including, but not limited to, hardware breakdown, software upgrades, or network outages
  11. grant the AAO and Archeion Coordinator occasional reuse of public data deposited into the Service for promotion on AAO communication channels and in Service training and documentation
  12. grant the AAO and the Archeion Coordinator the ability to transfer Service data to Archives Canada, Canada’s national archives discovery portal
  13. submit any technical or administrative questions related to the Service to the Archeion Coordinator.
  14. agree that the Archeion Coordinator and authorized AAO staff, such as a hosting company support person, may access the Service as required to diagnose and resolve technical issues
  15. agree to receive occasional emails from the AAO and Archeion Coordinator regarding system maintenance and best practices information
  16. agree that the use of Service is at their sole risk and AAO is not responsible for any alleged or actual damages caused by or attributed to the use of the Service
  17. agree not to engage in any activity to modify or edit another Archeion Institutional Members’ data
  18. agree not to knowingly post or transmit through the Service any materials or data that may knowingly damage the Service
  19. make best efforts to actively renew their AAO Institutional Membership in support of the Service
  20. make best efforts to notify the Archeion Coordinator if AAO Institutional Membership is discontinued so that the Archeion Coordinator may make a note on their public institutional profile in the Service
  21. comply with the AAO’s Code of Conduct

With the exception of the provisions concerning liability, the provisions of this Service Agreement are not legally binding on either party.

Term, Renewal and Termination

These terms will remain for the duration of Archeion Institutional Members’ inclusion in the Service.

The Archeion Coordinator will review these terms annually.

Using Archeion - Letter of Understanding for Archives was approved at the AAO's August 24, 2023 Board Meeting.

Page last updated: 2023.09.07