Last Revised: September 22, 2025
Group Co-Chairs:
Dr. Jamila J. Ghaddar, Assistant Professor, Archival & Information Studies Dept., University of Amsterdam; and Founding Director, Archives & Digital Media Lab
Krystal Payne, PhD Student, University of Manitoba
Contact: kpayne@archiveslab.
The Archives and Records Management Training and Advocacy Group (ARMTAG) was established under the auspices of the Middle East Librarians Association (MELA) at the Association’s annual members meeting in Montreal, Quebec in 2023 when Dr. Jamila J. Ghaddar was tasked with developing the group.
Group Charter
The Archives and Records Management Training and Advocacy Group is concerned with archiving and records management for both historical and contemporary archives, collections, and records across all media, in both analogue and digital formats, with a focus on material in the Arabic language. Our goal is to increase the capacity of information professionals to archive and manage records, historical documents, and collections through training, education, networking, advocacy, partnership building, standards development, technological innovation, and research. We take up this work with a recognition of the global power dynamics and geopolitical realities that shape how archives, collections, and records are handled and, therefore, are committed to principles of anti-oppression, equity, decolonization, and antiracism in all our work.