Identity area
Identifier
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
- Delta Archives & Edgar Dunning Reading Room
- Delta Heritage Society
- Delta Archives
Other form(s) of name
Type
- Community
- Municipal
- Regional
Contact area
Type
Address
Street address
Locality
Region
Country name
Postal code
Telephone
Fax
Note
Type
Address
Street address
Locality
Region
Country name
Postal code
Telephone
Fax
Note
Description area
History
The Delta Archives and Edgar Dunning Reading Room is located within the Douglas J. Husband Discovery Centre. The Delta Heritage Society is a non-profit organization that maintains ownership of the collection with the operation of the Delta Archives being administered by the City of Delta.
The Delta Historical and Museum Society acquired the 1912 Delta Municipal Hall in Ladner for a museum in 1969. The Archives joined the Delta Historical & Museum Society in 1979, after which it became officially known as the Delta Museum & Archives Society. In December 2010, the archives holdings were moved to a new purpose built facility ‘The Delta Archives and Edgar Dunning Reading Room’ located at 4450 Clarence Taylor Crescent next door to the Delta Municipal Hall.
Geographical and cultural context
Mandates/Sources of authority
The mandate of the Delta Museum and Archives is to collect within the geographic boundaries of the District Municipality of Delta, which includes the urban areas of Ladner, Tsawwassen and North Delta.
Our Mission:
The Delta Museum and Archives Society is a vibrant organization that celebrates cultural and natural heritage, and encourages awareness and education through preservation, research, exhibitions, outreach and collaboration.
Our Vision:
We envision a community where people are inspired by Delta's diverse cultural and natural heritage and work together to build a future full of possibility. Engage - Preserve - Inform
Administrative structure
Records management and collecting policies
The holdings of the archives consists of both municipal and community records. At the opening of the new Delta Archives and Edgar Dunning Reading room in January 2011, the archives became the official repository for the Corporation of Delta, now known as the City of Delta. The archives acquires municipal records created, received and accumulated during the course of practical civic activity by Council, and any department, office, committee, board, commission or agency of the City of Delta.
Those records identified as having archival value through the City’s records management program are transferred to the Archives once they become inactive and later made accessible.
Delta Archives may collect non-archival material such as publications, research files, periodicals, brochures and pamphlets if they have significant informational or historical value and if they are not within the acquisition mandate of another civic institution.
Buildings
Holdings
Total volume of primary material is 130 linear metres, including 100 metres textual records, over 20,000 photographs, over 1,000 maps and over 200 oral history interviews; inclusive dates 1850 to 2019, predominant dates 1895 to 1990. The reference room has extensive subject files, obituaries, a non-circulating library that focuses on local history, and a collection of local newspapers on microfilm 1902 to 1998.
Finding aids, guides and publications
: The Delta Archives Website http://www.delta.ca/discover-delta/archives provides information about the holdings and archives services. It includes a searchable database http://www.delta.ca/discover-delta/archives/archives-collection-search with fonds, series and item level descriptions.
The Reference Room contains Subject Heading Indexes for Subject and names files relating to organizations, residents, contemporary and historical reports and local issues in Delta from past to present.
The website also includes a searchable database of the Museum artifact collections which can be found at http://www.delta.ca/discover-delta/museum/museum-collection-search
Access area
Opening times
Opening Times: Monday to Friday 9 AM to 5:30 PM
Closed all Statutory Holidays
Access conditions and requirements
Accessibility
The Delta Archives & Edgar Dunning Reading Room is a wheelchair accessible facility.
Services area
Research services
Reproduction services
Original archival records will be scanned by Archives' staff unless the condition prevents handling.
Public areas
Research & Reference Services
Access to Archival Collections
Control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
November 4. 2020