ALT Graphic of an old ledger with a blue square and an orange rectangle below. The text states: Working with the Public! As the general public is largely unfamiliar with archives, never miss an opportunity to educate your community and share your excitement about what they can discover in your holdings.

ALT Graphic of an orange background with dark orange hexagons. The text reads: Supporting the general public in their discovery of archives helps archives become a policy priority. There are many ways to encourage interest in archives in your area!

ALT Graphic of an orange background with dark orange hexagons. The text reads: Involve Teachers and Students! Connect with local teachers of history, social studies, and other relevant disciplines about the benefits of introducing primary sources to students: archives can engage students and help them to connect with history and also teach critical thinking and media literacy skills. Create pre-selected, curriculum-appropriate educational packages based on materials in your holdings. Make sure that they are ready to use, available digitally and could be used to build lesson plans. Offer tours of the archives for local classes or go into schools to have an annual “archives show and tell.”

ALT Graphic of an orange background with dark orange hexagons. The text has two sections. The first reads: Involve Your Community! Organize workshops and walking tours and advertise them via a community calendar and social media Attend and display your materials at heritage festivals Sponsor a lecture by a researcher who has used your collection Build a social media following by posting digitized items from your holdings on a regular basis. The second text area reads: Involve your friends! Next time you visit an archives, arrange to bring a friend or two. Help them find information about their ancestors, their hometown—their areas of interest. They'll thank you for opening a new world of information to them.

ALT Graphic of cassette tapes stacked next to each other with a blue square and an orange rectangle below. The text states: Working with the Media! The media works to inform. Communicating with a broad range and large number of Canadians, the media has the power to influence both the public and policymakers. There are a number of ways for you to make contact with the media. Three of the most effective methods are letters to the editor, op-ed columns, and press releases.

ALT Graphic of an orange background with dark orange hexagons. The text reads: Write an Op-ed! An Op-Ed column is an opinion piece written by someone who is not part of the publication's personnel. Unlike letters to the editor, an op-ed is meant to provide an expert opinion on a presented topic. Any professional title you can use that suggests authority will lend weight to your arguments. ● Choose one specific topic to write about. ● Stick with the facts. Information is the commodity an editor is after. ● Edit and proofread. Pay attention to grammar and spelling. ● Be aware that submission guidelines vary between publications. Contact the publisher first if you’re unsure.

ALT Graphic of an orange background with dark orange hexagons. The text reads: Write a letter to the editor! Writing a letter to the editor is an easy way to get your message published. ● If you’re writing a response to an article/editorial, be quick to send it in. If you’re not writing a response, keep your letter current by linking your ideas to recent topics and events. ● No more than 300 words. A succinct letter is less likely to be edited. ● You want your letter to resonate. Remind readers how archives affect their lives, their families, and their community's culture. Let them know what actions they can take to help.

ALT Graphic of an orange background with dark orange hexagons. The text reads: Write a press release! A press release is written to alert the media to a story and convince them it's newsworthy. ● Ensure the story will interest an audience. ● With the exception of quotes from sources, a press release should be written entirely in the third person. ● Keep most paragraphs to between three and five concise sentences. The release itself should be between half a page and two pages. ● Follow the format. Your press release needs to look like a press release or it won't be picked up. ● Grab their attention with a good headline that summarizes the content of the release in 6-8 words. ● The beginning of the press release is what's most likely to be read. So, organize your information like an inverted pyramid: most important information at the start, less important details towards the end.