Library and Archives Canada

(Redirected from National Library of Canada)

Library and Archives Canada (LAC; French: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada.[10] The national archive and library is the 16th largest library in the world. The LAC reports to the Parliament of Canada through the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada building in Ottawa
Map
Location395 Wellington Street,
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada[note 2]
TypeNational library and
national archives
EstablishedMay 21, 2004; 20 years ago (2004-05-21)[note 1]
Collection
Items collectedAboriginal magazines; albums and scrapbooks; architectural drawings; art; artifacts; Canadian children's literature; Canadian comic books; Canadian newspapers; Canadian periodicals; electronic publications; electronic records; English-language pulp literature; ethnic community newsletters; ephemera; fiction and non-fiction; films; globes; government publications; government records; government websites; Hebraica and Judaica; Indian residential school records; journals and diaries; livres d’artistes; manuscripts; maps; microfilms; photographs; poetry; portraits; rare books; sheet music; sketchbooks; sound recordings; stamps; textual archives; theses and dissertations; trade catalogues; videos[1]
Size22 million books and publications (periodicals, newspapers, microfilms, literary texts, and government publications); 250 km of government and private textual records; 3 million architectural drawings, maps, and plans; 30 million photos; 350,000 hours of film; 425,000 works of art (including paintings, drawings, watercolours, posters, prints, medals, and caricatures); 547,000 musical items; over 1 billion MB of digital content[2][3]
Criteria for collectionCanadiana, documents published in Canada and materials published elsewhere of interest to Canada; records documenting the functions and activities of the Government of Canada; records of heritage value that document the historical development and diversity of Canadian society[4]
Legal depositYes[5]
Other information
BudgetCDN$98,346,695 (2013–14)[6][7]
DirectorLeslie Weir[8]
Employees853 FTE (2021–22)[9]
Websitebac-lac.gc.ca
Agency overview
Minister responsible
Parent agencyCanadian Heritage
Key document
  • Library and Archives of Canada Act[10][11]

LAC traces its origins to the Dominion Archives, formed in 1872, and the National Library of Canada, formed in 1953. The former was later renamed as the Public Archives of Canada in 1912, and the National Archives of Canada in 1987. In 2004, the National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada were merged to form Library and Archives Canada.[12]

History

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Predecessors

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The Public Archives of Canada building in 1923, prior to its 1925 expansion. The institution was housed at 330 Sussex Drive from 1906 to 1967.

The Dominion Archives was founded in 1872 as a division within the Department of Agriculture tasked with acquiring and transcribing documents related to Canadian history. In 1912, the division was transformed into an autonomous organization, Public Archives of Canada, with the new responsibility of managing government documents on all types of media.[13] The organization would be renamed in 1987 as the National Archives of Canada.[13]

With the efforts of people like Freda Farrell Waldon, the first president of the Canadian Library Association,[14][15] the National Library of Canada was founded in 1953.[13]

21st century

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In 2004, under the initiative of former National Librarian Roch Carrier and National Archivist Ian E. Wilson, the functions of the National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada were combined to form Library and Archives Canada.[13][16][17][18] LAC was established per the Library and Archives of Canada Act (Bill C-8), proclaimed on April 22, 2004, with a subsequent Order-in-Council on May 21, which formally united the collections, services, and personnel of the National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada.[19] Wilson assumed the position as the first Librarian and Archivist of Canada in July that year.

Modernization

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In June 2004, LAC issued a discussion paper titled Creating a New Kind of Knowledge Institution;[20] after consultation in June 2006, it issued LAC Directions for Change, a document setting out five key directions to define the new institution, including being a new kind of knowledge institution; becoming a truly national institution, a collaborative institution that works to stregnthen Canada's documentary heritage; a learning destsination; and an institution in government information management.[21]

LAC's modernization policy provides for transformation from an institution focused on the acquisition and preservation of analogue (non-digital) materials to one that excels in digital access and digital preservation.[22] A Documentary Heritage Management Framework developed in 2009 seeks the right balance between resources dedicated to analogue and digital materials and is based on:

  • three main business pillars: acquisition, preservation and resource discovery (resource discovery includes description, discovery, access and services to the public)
  • four guiding principles for fulfilling its documentary heritage mandate, i.e. significance, sufficiency, sustainability and society (broad social context)
  • four key roles, i.e. foundation building (relationship building), collaboration, program (integrated collection management processes) and transfer (formal agreements with third parties to fulfill its legislated mandate).

Eight pilot research projects were initiated to validate the framework, including projects on military documentary heritage, aboriginal documentary heritage, and stewardship of newspapers in a digital age.[23][24][25] In March 2010 LAC issued its final report on Canadian Digital Information Strategy stakeholder consultations initiated in accordance with its mandate to facilitate co-operation among Canadian knowledge communities.[26] In the same month it issued Shaping Our Continuing Memory Collectively: A Representative Documentary Heritage, a document which outlines how it plans to achieve its modernization objectives.[27]

Despite LAC's stated objectives of continuing to fulfill its mandate by adapting to changes in the information environment and collaboration with others, the actual experience since 2004 has been a reduction in both services and collaboration.[22][23][28] Federal funding cuts since 2004 have also impacted on LAC services and acquisitions.[29][30][28][31][32] A detailed timeline of relevant developments and the decline in LAC services since 2004 has been compiled by the Ex Libris Association.[33]

Budget cuts

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Following the announcement in the 2012 federal budget of a CDN$9.6 million funding cut over the three years commencing in 2012–13,[34] more than 400 LAC employees received notices which indicated their jobs may be affected and the department announced a 20% reduction of its workforce of about 1,100 over the following three years.[35][36][37][38] The "harsh" wording of a 23-page code of conduct for employees effective January 2013, which "spells out values, potential conflicts of interest and expected behaviours", has been criticized by the Association of Canadian Archivists and the Canadian Association of University Teachers among others. The code describes personal activities including teaching and speaking at or attending conferences as "high risk" activities "with regard to conflict of interest, conflict of duties and duty of loyalty" and participation in such activities is subject to strict conditions. In a section on duty of loyalty, it also cautions employees about expressing personal opinions in social media forums. Only authorized LAC spokespersons may issue statements or make public comments about LAC's mandate and activities, which includes controversial changes related to modernization and budget cuts.[39][40][41][42]

Changes introduced under the management of Ian E. Wilson and Daniel J. Caron have been the subject of controversy and public criticism.[28][43] Caron asserted that radical change is needed to cope with the influx and demand for digital material and they are subject to federal budget constraints.[42][44]

Several individuals and organizations voiced concerns about these changes. In 2011, the Canadian Association of University Teachers launched the Save Library & Archives Canada campaign.[45] On May 2, 2012, the Canadian Library Association expressed concern about budget cuts to libraries, both in federal departments and at LAC.[37][38] In August 2012, the Bibliographical Society of Canada wrote to every Member of Parliament urging them to ensure budget cuts do not compromise LAC's legislated mandate. In a follow-up letter to Heritage Minister James Moore in November 2012, the Society singled out the termination of interlibrary loans as a particularly harmful decision.[46] Bibliophile blogger Nigel Beale characterizes LAC as "Canada's national disgrace" in his blog Literary Tourist.[47] Academic Ian Milligan describes LAC's "rhetoric of modernization" as a "smokescreen" for cutting services in light of the insignificance of and limited accessibility to LAC's online collections on the ActiveHistory.ca website.[48] Historian Valerie Knowles outlines the impact of government cutbacks at LAC and federal government libraries in her article "Closing doors on Canada's history" on the iPolitics website.[49]

On May 31, 2012, the Association of Canadian Archivists announced its withdrawal from forums of LAC's Pan-Canadian Documentary Heritage Network, stating that it does not believe the network can meet the needs and interests of archives across Canada previously met by the National Archival Development Program abruptly terminated by LAC following the 2012 federal funding cut.[31][32][50]

Following Caron's resignation in May 2013, a stakeholder coalition issued a joint statement on the qualities of a successful Librarian and Archivist of Canada for official consideration in what they consider a "matter of great national significance":[43][51]

A broad coalition of Canadian stakeholder organizations has developed the following list of qualities we believe the Librarian and Archivist of Canada should have in order to be successful in this critical position of public trust and responsibility. We believe it is essential that the person appointed to this position at this time possess the necessary qualities to meet the tremendous challenges of dealing with the complex issues of the digital environment in an era of limited financial and human resources and the demands of providing increased public access to the irreplaceable treasures of Canadian documentary heritage.

In June 2013 the Heritage Minister said speeding up the digitization of records will be a priority for the new Librarian and Archivist of Canada. Moore also said he will ask the person appointed to revisit the termination of the National Archival Development Program.[31][32]

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

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During the Canadian Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Library and Archives Canada initially failed to produce records requested by the commission in a timely and comprehensive manner and was ordered by an Ontario Superior Court judge to do so.[52] Ultimately, LAC did provide the records, but many were not in digitized and searchable formats as required by the commission.[53]

The Calls to Action of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission explicitly referenced Library and Archives Canada as follows:

We call upon Library and Archives Canada to: fully adopt and implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the United Nations Joinet-Orentlicher principles, as related to Aboriginal peoples' inalienable right to know the truth about what happened and why, with regard to human rights violations committed against them in the residential schools; ensure that its record holding related to residential schools are accessible to the public; [and] commit more resources to its public education materials and programming on residential schools.[54][55]

Library and Archives Canada has begun to address these concerns by dedicating funding to hire Indigenous archivists, build relationships with Indigenous communities, and support digitization efforts.[56] However, Indigenous-led organizations have drawn attention to the fact that Indigenous communities have been conducting this type of work for decades.[57]

LAC also holds and provides access to archival copies of the websites of organizations related to the TRC, in collaboration with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation,[58] the University of Winnipeg Library, and University of Manitoba Libraries.[59]

Facilities

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Southwestern façade
Southern façade
Exterior of the Library and Archives Canada building at 395 Wellington Street

The building at 395 Wellington Street in downtown Ottawa is the main physical location where the public may access the collection in person. The building was officially opened on June 20, 1967.[60][61] With the de-emphasis on physical visits, in-person services have been curtailed—for example, since April 2012, reference services are by appointment only—and the role of this building is decreasing.[62][63][35] There are also administrative offices in Gatineau, Quebec, and preservation and storage facilities throughout Canada for federal government records.[60][64][65][66]

The Preservation Centre in the city centre of Gatineau, about 10 kilometres away from the Ottawa headquarters, was designed to provide a safe environment for the long-term storage and preservation of Canada's valuable collections. It was built at a cost of CDN$107 million, and the official opening took place on June 4, 1997. It is a unique building containing 48 climate-controlled preservation vaults and state-of-the-art preservation laboratories.[65][67][68][69] In 2000, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada named it one of the top 500 buildings constructed in Canada during the last millennium.[70]

Gatineau Preservation Centre
Nitrate Film Preservation Facility
Library and Archives Canada maintains several facilities throughout the National Capital Region

A Nitrate Film Preservation Facility on the Communications Research Centre campus in Shirleys Bay, on the outskirts of Ottawa, houses Canada's cellulose nitrate film collection.[71] The collection contains 5,575 film reels dating back to 1912, including some of the first Canadian motion pictures and photographic negatives.[64][72] The film material is highly sensitive and requires precise temperatures for its preservation. The state-of-the-art facility, which was officially opened on June 21, 2011,[73] is an eco-designed building featuring an environmentally friendly roof that provides better insulation and minimizes energy expenditures.[74]

A planned key activity for 2013–14 was to rehouse analogue (non-digital) information resources in a new state-of-the-art high-density storage facility in Gatineau, where the national newspaper collection and records of Second World War veterans will be stored.[7][75] The facility will feature a high bay metal shelving system with a suitable environment to better protect Canada's published heritage.[76][77][78] In January 2019, Library and Archives Canada announced that negotiations for a new facility to be built next to the existing one in Gatineau were starting, with an opening date in 2022.[79]

LAC's online collection is accessible via its website and LAC provides ongoing information online via its blog, podcasts, the Twitter and Facebook social networking services, the Flickr image-sharing site, and the YouTube video-sharing site. RSS feeds provide links to new content on the LAC website and news about LAC services and resources.[80][81][82] A new modernized website is being developed and is scheduled for completion in 2013, with both new and old websites accessible during the transition period.[83]

Collection

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Storage units for the institution's microfilm collection at the Library and Archives Canada building.

The Library and Archives of Canada's holdings include:[2]

 
A photo album of icebergs from the Library and Archives of Canada's collection.
  • 250 linear kilometres of Canadian Government and representative private textual records
    • textual archives for various individuals and groups who have contributed to the cultural, social, economic and political development of Canada
  • 22 million books and publications acquired largely through legal deposit
  • 24 million photographic images (including prints, negatives, slides, and digital photos)
  • over 3 million architectural drawings, plans, and maps
  • over 90,000 films (including short and full-length films, documentaries, and silent films)
  • over 550,000 hours of audio and video recordings
  • over 425,000 works of art (including watercolours, oil paintings, sketches, caricatures and miniatures, as well as medals, seals, posters and coats of arms)
  • about 550,000 musical items (including the largest collection of Canadian sheet music in the world; documentation related to music in Canada; and recordings on disks and records of all formats, including piano rolls, reels and spools, and 8-track tapes)
  • the Canadian Postal Archives;
  • national newspapers from across Canada, including daily newspapers, student newspapers, Indigenous magazines, and ethnic community newsletters.

Notable items in the collection include:[64]

Digitization

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LAC also houses more than a petabyte of digital content.[2][91] Some of this content is available online, primarily books, Canadian theses, and census material—equating to around 5 thousand terabytes of information in electronic format.[80][92] Many items have not been digitized and are only available in physical form.[60] As of May 2013, only about 1% of the collection had been digitized, representing "about 25 million of the more popular and most fragile items."[93][29][30]

Operations

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Since its inception, LAC has reported to Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage.[94] LAC's stated mandate is:[10][8][95]

  • to preserve the documentary heritage of Canada for the benefit of present and future generations;
  • to be a source of enduring knowledge accessible to all, contributing to the cultural, social and economic advancement of Canada as a free and democratic society;
  • to facilitate in Canada co-operation among communities involved in the acquisition, preservation and diffusion of knowledge;
  • to serve as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions.

LAC is expected to maintain "effective recordkeeping practices that ensure transparency and accountability".[96]

Management

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The Librarian and Archivist of Canada has the same seniority level as a deputy minister of a federal department.[8]

On May 27, 2019, Leslie Weir was appointed Librarian and Archivist of Canada for a four-year term commencing August 30, 2019.[97] Weir is the first woman to hold this role.[98] Her term has been extended another four years to provide continuity through some major building projects.[99]

The head of Canada's national archives was known as the Dominion Archivist from 1872 to 1987 and the National Archivist from 1987 to 2004.[100]

Librarians and Archivists of Canada
Name Period in office Note
Librarian and Archivist of Canada
Leslie Weir 2019–incumbent first woman to hold this role[98]
Guy Berthiaume[101] 2014–19
Daniel J. Caron[44][102] 2009–13
Ian E. Wilson[103][104] 2004–09 Wilson held the position of National Archivist from 1999, and transitioned from there into the role of the Librarian and Archivist of Canada with the establishment of the LAC.
National Librarian of Canada
Roch Carrier[105] 1999–2004
Marianne Scott[105] 1984–99
Guy Sylvestre[106] 1968–83
William Kaye Lamb[107] 1953–68
National/Dominion Archivist
Ian E. Wilson[104][108] 1999–2004 National Archivist until the role was merged with that of the National Librarian of Canada following the establishment of the LAC. Wilson would continue as the Librarian and Archivist of Canada until 2009.
Jean-Pierre Wallot[100] 1985–97 Dominion Archivist until position was renamed National Archivist in 1987.
Wilfred I. Smith[109][110] 1970–84 Dominion Archivist
William Kaye Lamb[109] 1948–68 Dominion Archivist
Gustave Lanctot[111] 1937–48 Dominion Archivist
James F. Kenney[112] 1935-37 Acting Dominion Archivist
Sir Arthur George Doughty[113] 1904–35 Dominion Archivist. A statue of Doughty is located on the north side of the LAC building in Ottawa.[113]
Douglas Brymner[114] 1872–1902 Dominion Archivist

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ Library and Archives Canada was formed in May 2004, as a result of a merger between National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada. The former National Archives traces its origins to the Dominion Archives established in 1872, while the former National Library was established in 1953.
  2. ^ The main building is situated on Wellington Street. The institution operates several other facilities throughout the National Capital Region.

References

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  1. ^ "Discover the Collection: Canada's Continuing Memory – Browse by Product Type". LAC. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c "LAC at a glance – About Us". LAC. Retrieved May 29, 2013. The LAC collection... 20 million books, periodicals, newspapers, microfilms, literary texts and government publications; 167,000 linear metres of government and private textual records; 3 million architectural drawings, maps and plans; 24 million photographs; 350,000 hours of film; 425,000 pieces of art, including paintings, drawings, watercolours, posters, prints, medals and caricatures; 547,000 musical items; more than a billion megabytes of digital content
  3. ^ "Infographic," Library and Archives Canada (November 9, 2016)
  4. ^ "Digital Collection Development Policy". LAC. February 1, 2006. Retrieved June 2, 2013. Refer section on Selection and Acquisition Criteria applicable to both digital and other media.
  5. ^ "Legal Deposit". LAC. Archived from the original on May 30, 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  6. ^ "2013–14 Estimates" (PDF). Treasury Board Secretariat. p. II–201. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Report on Plans and Priorities 2013–14". LAC. December 19, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  8. ^ a b c "Organization Profile – Library and Archives of Canada". Governor in Council Appointments. Government of Canada. June 5, 2014. Retrieved July 1, 2014.
  9. ^ "2021-22 Departmental Results Report". LAC. August 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
  10. ^ a b c "Justice Laws Website: An Act to establish the Library and Archives of Canada, to amend the Copyright Act and to amend certain Acts in consequence". Government of Canada. Archived from the original on March 29, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  11. ^ "House Government Bill – C-8, Royal Assent (37-3)". Parliament of Canada. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  12. ^ "libraries.org: Library and Archives Canada". librarytechnology.org. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  13. ^ a b c d "Bibliothèque et Archives Canada (BAC)". Archives Canada–France. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved May 5, 2024. In 1872, the Canadian government created an Archives Division within the Department of Agriculture; its mandate was to acquire and transcribe documents related to Canadian history. In 1912, parliamentary legislation transformed this division into an autonomous organization, the Public Archives of Canada, and confirmed its responsibility to manage government documents. The mandate of the new institution focused on the acquisition of documents on all types of media, putting into practice the innovative concept of 'total archives.' Further legislation in 1987 clarified and reinforced the role and responsibilities of the Public Archives of Canada, which was then renamed the National Archives of Canada. In October 2002, in order to improve access to Canada's documentary heritage, the government announced the creation of a new institution, Library and Archives Canada, which united the National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada (founded in 1953).
  14. ^ "Waldon, Freda Farrell". Hamilton Public Library. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  15. ^ "History of LH&A: Freda Farrell Waldon | HPL". Hpl.ca. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  16. ^ Wilson, Ian E. (1982). "'A Noble Dream': The Origins of the Public Archives of Canada". Archivaria (15). ACA: 16–35. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  17. ^ "Speech – Posthumous Tribute to Jean-Pierre Wallot". Government of Canada. March 26, 2012. Retrieved May 30, 2013. Following his appointment in the spring of 1985, he was given the task of reviewing the Public Archives Act of 1912, which led to the federal institution's first name change. The institution that had been known as the Public Archives of Canada since 1872 was renamed the National Archives of Canada.
  18. ^ Snyder, Lorraine. [2006 February 7] 2015 June 5. "Library and Archives Canada." The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Canada.
  19. ^ "House Government Bill C-8 (37-3)". Parliament of Canada. Retrieved May 26, 2013. Last Stage Completed: Royal Assent (2004-04-22). Coming Into Force: Her Excellency the Governor General in Council hereby fixes May 21, 2004 as the day on which that Act comes into force, other than sections 21, 53 and 54, which came into force on assent.
  20. ^ "Creating a New Kind of Knowledge Institution" (PDF). LAC. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  21. ^ "LAC Directions for Change" (PDF). LAC. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  22. ^ a b "Modernization". LAC. Archived from the original on June 11, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  23. ^ a b "Library and Archives Canada". Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. 2009. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013. Under the guidance of the new Deputy Head, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has identified new strategic directions for the organization and implemented a change management agenda. More broadly, LAC continues to adapt to technological changes in dealing with its mandate to preserve and make available the documentary heritage of Canada. LAC has commenced a modernization initiative and has also established a "Documentary Heritage Management Framework" to meet the challenges of collecting and preserving information in an environment that is transitioning from analogue production to digital production.
  24. ^ "Documentary Heritage Management Framework". LAC. Archived from the original on March 28, 2010. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  25. ^ Levene, Mark (2010). "Documentary Heritage Development Framework" (PDF). LAC. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 3, 2014. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  26. ^ "Canadian Digital Information Strategy (CDIS): Final Report of consultations with stakeholder communities 2005 to 2008" (PDF). LAC. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 22, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  27. ^ "Shaping Our Continuing Memory Collectively: A Representative Documentary Heritage" (PDF). LAC. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  28. ^ a b c "Stephen Harper should appoint a pro to head Canada's library and archives: Editorial". Toronto Star. May 21, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013. Caron oversaw $10 million in budget cuts in recent years, laying off dozens of staff, eliminating grants to independent archives across the country and, most controversially, ending an interlibrary loan program that massively expanded the reach of the government collections.
  29. ^ a b Hall, Joseph (March 10, 2013). "Historical letters not wanted at Library and Archives Canada, critics say". Toronto Star. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  30. ^ a b Cobb, Chris (May 3, 2013). "Record breaking". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on May 30, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.
  31. ^ a b c "Heritage minister looks at restoring local archives program". CBC. June 10, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  32. ^ a b c Cobb, Chris (June 10, 2013). "Heritage Minister James Moore wants axed Library and Archives Canada NADP program restored". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on June 19, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2013.
  33. ^ "Ex Libris Association Timeline on Library and Archives Canada Service Decline". Ex Libris Association. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  34. ^ "National museums, Canada Council spared cuts". CBC News. March 29, 2012. Retrieved May 26, 2013. The federal government's 2012 budget outlined cuts of $9.6 million over three years to Library and Archives Canada
  35. ^ a b Curry, Bill (May 1, 2012). "Visiting Library and Archives in Ottawa? Not without an appointment". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved May 31, 2013. A spokesman for Library and Archives Canada confirmed to The Globe and Mail that the current workforce of 1,065 will be reduced to 850 people over the next three years, as a result of the 2012 federal budget cuts.
  36. ^ "Federal libraries, archives shutting down". CBC News. May 2, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2013. The federal government is eliminating a series of libraries and archives throughout different departments as part of the latest budget cuts. Library and Archives Canada alone has received or will still receive more than 400 affected notices and the department announced 20 per cent of its workforce would be let go.
  37. ^ a b Fontaine, Alana (May 2, 2012). "CLA dismayed by impact of budget cuts on federal libraries" (Press release). CLA. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  38. ^ a b Kirkup, Kristy (May 2, 2012). "Librarians fighting mad over federal cuts". Ottawa Sun. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  39. ^ Munro, Margaret (March 15, 2013). "Federal librarians fear being 'muzzled' under new code of conduct that stresses 'duty of loyalty' to the government". National Post. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  40. ^ Fodden, Simon (March 19, 2013). "The Loyalty Policy at Library and Archives Canada". Slaw. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  41. ^ Munro, Margaret (March 20, 2013). "Federal librarians face new 'behaviour regulation' code". The Regina Leader-Post. Archived from the original on June 29, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  42. ^ a b Cobb, Chris (May 12, 2013). "Library and Archives boss chastised by heritage minister for taxpayer-funded Spanish lessons". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013. The code says employees may accept speaking invitations as long as they don't speak about LAC's mandate and activities. Caron has countered criticism by saying he has to work within the budget imposed by the federal government and his focus must be less on collecting artifacts and books and more on preserving Canada's digital record.
  43. ^ a b Karstens-Smith, Gemma (May 24, 2013). "Librarians give heritage minister wishlist for top job". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013. 'The community has great concerns about the direction of Library and Archives Canada, and has had for a few years now.' ... Those concerns include where cuts are being made and how modernization is occurring, Marrelli said.
  44. ^ a b Cobb, Chris (May 16, 2013). "Librarian community calls on minister to appoint professional librarian to replace Caron as head of LAC". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2013. Hervé Déry, assistant deputy minister of policy and collaboration at LAC, will temporarily replace Caron, who had been critical of the archivist and librarian community for resisting the necessary push to collecting digital born material and digitizing more popular items at LAC.
  45. ^ "Save Library & Archives Canada". CAUT. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  46. ^ "President's Letters about Library and Archives Canada". Bibliographical Society of Canada. Archived from the original on September 7, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  47. ^ Beale, Nigel (March 18, 2012). "Library and Archives, Canada's National disgrace (Part 1 of 3)". Literary Tourist. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  48. ^ Milligan, Ian (May 22, 2012). "The Smokescreen of 'Modernization' at Library and Archives Canada". ActiveHistory.ca. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  49. ^ Knowles, Valerie (August 10, 2012). "Closing doors on Canada's history". iPolitics. Archived from the original on June 19, 2013. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  50. ^ "Letter from the Association of Canadian Archivists to the Director General of LAC" (PDF). ACA. May 31, 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2013. Retrieved May 26, 2013.
  51. ^ "Joint Statement on Qualities of a Successful Librarian and Archivist of Canada" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on September 7, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
  52. ^ "Federal budget cuts to the Library & Archives of Canada stall Truth and Reconciliation Commission | The Nation: Cree News". The Nation: Cree News. September 23, 2013. Archived from the original on March 1, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  53. ^ Rennie, Steve (April 22, 2014). "Truth and Reconciliation Commission gets access to thousands more documents". The Toronto Star. ISSN 0319-0781. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  54. ^ "94 ways to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance reconciliation". CBC News. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  55. ^ "Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action" (PDF). 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 15, 2015. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  56. ^ "Archivists look to 'decolonize' Canada's memory banks". CTVNews. February 19, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  57. ^ "Indigitization Commentary on LAC Initiatives [Thread]". Twitter. February 27, 2018. Retrieved February 28, 2018.
  58. ^ "University of Manitoba - National Research Centre for Truth and Reconciliation". umanitoba.ca. Archived from the original on October 3, 2015.
  59. ^ Canada, Library and Archives. "Library and Archives Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission Web Archive - Library and Archives Canada". Retrieved March 1, 2018.
  60. ^ a b c "Visit Us". LAC. Retrieved June 3, 2013. Much of Library and Archives Canada's collection has not been digitized and is only available in physical form. To use this material, you will have to visit one of our locations.
  61. ^ "A Behind-the-Scenes Look at LAC: Services for the Public Available in Ottawa". LAC. November 15, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  62. ^ "LAC begins implementation of new approach to service delivery". LAC. Archived from the original on May 29, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013. Our website now gets close to half a million visits per month. In contrast, LAC's in-person service hub located at 395 Wellington Street, receives about 2,000 visits per month. These two service points are also trending in opposite directions, with online consultations increasing rapidly, and in-person visits declining slowly but steadily.
  63. ^ "Reference by Appointment". LAC. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  64. ^ a b c "Library and Archives Canada – By the numbers". Ottawa Citizen. May 3, 2013. Archived from the original on May 27, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  65. ^ a b "A Behind-the-Scenes Look at LAC: The Gatineau Preservation Centre". LAC. January 19, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  66. ^ "Government Records Accessible Outside Ottawa". LAC. Archived from the original on May 29, 2013. Retrieved June 4, 2013.
  67. ^ "1997 December Report of the Auditor General of Canada". Office of the Auditor General of Canada. Retrieved June 3, 2013. As part of a composite project to respond to the needs of the National Archives of Canada, including the need to arrest the deterioration of records in existing storage facilities, a new conservation and laboratory building was constructed in the city centre of Gatineau, Quebec, at a total project cost of $107 million.
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Further reading

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  • Council of Federal Libraries (Canada): Readers' Services Committee. Basic Readers' Services = Principaux services offerts aux lecteurs. Ottawa, Ont.: National Library of Canada, cop. 1980, t.p. 1979. N.B.: The English and French texts are printed tête-bêche one to the other. ISBN 0-662-50668-5
  • Delvaux, Alex, and Yves Marcoux. Public Archives Library = Bibliothèque des Archives publiques. In "General Guide Series: 1983". [Ottawa]: Public Archives Canada, 1983. Text, printed tête-bêche, in English and in French. ISBN 0-662-52580-9
  • Kallmann, Helmut. "The Music Division of the National Library: the First Five Years", The Canada Music Book, vol. 10, [no. 1] (Spring/Summer 1975), p. 95-100. N.B.: Also printed as a fold. offprint.
  • Library and Archives Canada. Legal Deposit at the [then named] National Library of Canada = Le Dépôt légal à la Bibliothèque nationale du Canada. Ottawa: National Library of Canada, 1982. N.B.: Text, printed tête-bêche, in English and in French. ISBN 0-662-52131-5
  • Library and Archives Canada. Music Collection [of the] National Library of Canada['s] Music Division = Collection de musique [de la] Division de la musique, Bibliothèque nationale du Canada. Ottawa: National Library of Canada, 1989. N.B.: Texts in English and in French, printed tête-bêche. ISBN 0-662-57231-9
  • Library and Archives Canada. National Film, Television, and Sound Archives = Archives nationales du film, de la television et de l'enregistrement sonore, in General Guide Series. Ottawa: Public Archives Canada, 1983. 45 p. (English) + 47 p. (French), ill. with b&w photos. N.B.: The English and French texts are printed tête-bêche one to the other. ISBN 0-662-52650-3
  • Library and Archives Canada: Sound Archives Section. Sound Archives, Guide to Procedures = Les Archives sonores, guide méthodologique. 3rd ed. ... rev. ... and updated, [in] collaboration between ... Michel Bourbonnais et al.; Josephine Langham ... responsible for the revision of the text in the English-language version. Ottawa: Public Archives Canada, 1979. N.B.: Texts in English and in French, printed tête-bêche one to the other. ISBN 0-662-50363-5
  • Public Archives. 2019. Archives : Mirror of Canada Past. Toronto: University of Toronto
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