The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) congratulates Scholars Portal Digital Preservation Librarian Grant Hurley on receiving the 2021 the Archives Association of Ontario (AAO) Alexander Fraser Award and the Masters of Information Student Council, MISC Outstanding Instructor Award. These awards recognise Grant’s sustained and valuable contribution to the field of digital preservation.
Grant was awarded the Alexander Fraser Award for 2021 by the Archives Association of Ontario at their May 14 Annual General Meeting. This award recognizes individuals who have contributed in a significant way to the advancement of the archival community in Ontario. Grant was commended for “his dedicated service to the archival community in Ontario and his tireless efforts in sharing his knowledge and passion for digital preservation” through his work with various AAO committees, the Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA), Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) and OCUL Scholars Portal. He was also recognized for his particular dedication to developing professional capacity around digital preservation, through teaching, outreach and publication in Canada and internationally.
Grant was also recently awarded the 2021 MISC Outstanding Instructor Award by the Masters of Information Student Council (MISC) for the design and delivery of the course INF2103: Digital Archives Workflows at the University of Toronto Faculty of Information. This course introduces students to methods, tools and workflows used for digital preservation and access. As one anonymous student stated, “I hope many future MI students get to be part of this class, not just for the important digital skills it offers, but for Grant’s wonderful enthusiasm and knowledge of digital preservation.
In his role at Scholars Portal, Grant oversees the preservation of shared licensed content through the Scholars Portal Trustworthy Digital Repository and provides training and support for OCUL members as service lead for Permafrost, Scholars Portal’s hosted digital preservation service.