The Repository Roundtable (the Roundtable) is a group that formed in 2010 and includes individuals and organizations (First Nations, repositories, universities, and consultants) involved in the management and treatment of cultural heritage. The Roundtable is a supportive community for the many groups involved with this work. It provides an opportunity for the groups charged with caring for cultural materials to come together in discussion and sharing.
Since 2010 the Roundtable, has held several meetings (one in 2016, several in 2017, and one in 2024). Additionally, between and since 2022 to 2024 Evan Hardy with Tsleil-Waututh Nation has been holding semi regular, informal virtual meetings, and in 2024 a Roundtable meeting and summary report was produced (Rathbone 2024). The 2024 Repository Roundtable meeting involved First Nations and repositories, and its main goal was to identify why repositories are important, how repositories are or are not meeting the needs of those using them, and how the repository roundtable can support.
The UBC Research Cluster and the Repository Roundtable are separate entities but many of the goals overlap. Additionally, some of the action items that were identified during the 2024 Repository Roundtable meeting, directly fed into the objectives laid out in the UBC Research Cluster grant application.