Library and Archives Canada

Library and Archives Canada
Name	Library and Archives Canada
Established	2004
Location	395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario
Coordinates	45°25′15″N 75°42′40″W
Collection size	Over 20 million books, 250 linear kilometres of government and private textual records, 3 million architectural drawings, maps and plans, 30 million photographs, and vast holdings of film, sound recordings, and electronic records.
Director	Leslie Weir (Librarian and Archivist of Canada)
Website	https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/

Library and Archives Canada. It is the federal institution tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing access to the documentary heritage of Canada. Created in 2004 through the merger of the National Library of Canada and the National Archives of Canada, it serves as the collective memory of the nation. Its vast holdings support research, foster national identity, and ensure government accountability.

History

The institution's origins trace back to the founding of the Dominion Archives in 1872, under the leadership of Douglas Brymner. The National Library of Canada was established later by an Act of Parliament in 1953, with William Kaye Lamb serving as both the first National Librarian and Dominion Archivist. For decades, the two entities operated separately, with the archives moving to its current Wellington Street building in 1967. The formal merger into a single organization was effected by the Library and Archives of Canada Act in 2004, under the guidance of Ian E. Wilson, the first Librarian and Archivist of Canada. This consolidation aimed to create a more cohesive and modern approach to managing both published and archival materials in the digital age.

Mandate and functions

Its core mandate is defined by the Library and Archives of Canada Act, which charges it with preserving the documentary heritage of Canada for the benefit of present and future generations. Key functions include serving as the permanent repository of publications of the Government of Canada and federal records of historical value. It also has a legal deposit requirement for Canadian publishers, ensuring comprehensive acquisition of the nation's published output. Furthermore, it plays a role in documenting the lives and achievements of Canadians and collaborates with other memory institutions like Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec and The British Library.

Collections

The collections are immense and diverse, spanning from the 16th century to the present day. Archival treasures include the Proclamation of the Constitution Act, 1982 and the papers of seminal figures such as Sir John A. Macdonald, Lester B. Pearson, and Margaret Atwood. The library collection encompasses a near-complete set of Canadiana, including rare books like The Jesuit Relations. Notable specialized holdings include the Peter Winkworth Collection of Canadiana, the Yousuf Karsh portrait archive, and extensive military records from the First World War and Second World War. The institution also maintains vast collections of cartographic materials, philatelic records, and architectural plans of national significance.

Services and access

It provides services to the public, researchers, and government departments primarily through its main building in Ottawa and its state-of-the-art preservation facility in Gatineau, Quebec. Public access is facilitated via in-person consultation rooms, a comprehensive online catalogue, and digitization initiatives such as the Heritage project. Key resources for genealogical research include the Canadian Census records and databases like Ancestry.ca. The institution also runs exhibitions, public programming, and loans materials for display at venues like the Canadian Museum of History.

Governance and organization

The institution is headed by the Librarian and Archivist of Canada, a deputy minister-level position appointed by the Governor in Council. The current Librarian and Archivist is Leslie Weir. It operates under the portfolio of Canadian Heritage and is governed by the provisions of the Library and Archives of Canada Act and the Privacy Act. Internal organization includes directorates dedicated to archival processing, library and published heritage, digital preservation, and public services. An external advisory council provides strategic advice on policies and priorities.

Challenges and initiatives

Major contemporary challenges include the monumental task of digital preservation and managing the exponential growth of electronic records from federal entities like Statistics Canada. Initiatives such as the Digital Preservation Strategy aim to ensure long-term accessibility to born-digital content. Other priorities involve improving Indigenous representation within the collections through projects like the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation archival partnership, enhancing metadata for discoverability, and increasing the digitization of analogue holdings to broaden remote access for all Canadians.

Category:National libraries Category:National archives Category:Organizations based in Ottawa Category:2004 establishments in Canada