Library and Archives Canada facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada building in Ottawa
Type	National library and national archives
Established	May 21, 2004; 21 years ago (2004-05-21)
Location	395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Collection
Items collected	Aboriginal 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
Size	22 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
Criteria for collection	Canadiana, 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
Legal deposit	Yes
Other information
Budget	CDN$98,346,695 (2013–14)
Director	Leslie Weir
Staff	853 FTE (2021–22)

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is Canada's main library and archives. It is a federal organization that collects, keeps, and shares Canada's important documents and stories. It is one of the largest libraries in the world. LAC reports to the Canadian Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

LAC started as two separate places: the Dominion Archives in 1872 and the National Library of Canada in 1953. The Dominion Archives later became the Public Archives of Canada in 1912, and then the National Archives of Canada in 1987. In 2004, these two important places joined together to form Library and Archives Canada.

History of Canada's National Memory

Early Beginnings

The Public Archives of Canada building in 1923. It was located at 330 Sussex Drive from 1906 to 1967.

The Dominion Archives began in 1872. It was part of the Department of Agriculture. Its job was to find and copy documents about Canadian history. In 1912, it became its own organization called the Public Archives of Canada. It then started managing government documents of all kinds. In 1987, it was renamed the National Archives of Canada.

The National Library of Canada was created in 1953. This happened thanks to people like Freda Farrell Waldon, who was the first president of the Canadian Library Association.

Joining Forces in the 21st Century

In 2004, the National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada combined. This created Library and Archives Canada (LAC). This merger was led by Roch Carrier, the former National Librarian, and Ian E. Wilson, the National Archivist.

LAC was officially formed on April 22, 2004, under a new law called the Library and Archives of Canada Act. This law brought together all the collections, services, and staff from both older institutions. Ian Wilson became the first Librarian and Archivist of Canada in July 2004.

Modernizing for the Future

After it was formed, LAC looked at how it could improve. It wanted to become a new kind of knowledge center. It also aimed to be a truly national place that works with others to protect Canada's history. LAC wanted to be a learning place and help manage government information.

LAC's modernization plan focuses on moving from physical items to digital ones. This means making more things available online. It also means finding new ways to keep digital information safe for a long time.

LAC has faced challenges, including funding changes. These changes have sometimes affected its services and what it can collect.

Changes and Public Concerns

In 2012, LAC faced budget cuts. This led to fewer staff members. A new code of conduct for employees was also introduced. This code limited how employees could talk about LAC's work in public.

These changes caused some concern among groups like the Canadian Association of University Teachers. They launched a campaign called "Save Library & Archives Canada." Other groups also worried that the changes might harm LAC's ability to do its job. For example, the service that allowed libraries to borrow books from each other was stopped.

After the head of LAC resigned in 2013, many groups spoke up. They wanted the next leader to have certain qualities. They hoped the new leader would help LAC deal with digital information and make Canada's history more accessible. The Heritage Minister at the time said that digitizing records would be a top goal. He also wanted the new leader to look at bringing back some programs that had been cut.

Working with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

During the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, LAC was asked to provide records. These records were about the residential schools. At first, LAC had trouble providing all the records quickly. An Ontario court ordered them to do so. LAC did provide the records, but many were not in easy-to-search digital formats.

The Commission's final report asked LAC to do several things. It asked LAC to fully support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It also asked LAC to make residential school records easy for the public to find. Finally, it asked LAC to put more effort into teaching people about residential schools.

LAC has started to address these requests. It has hired Indigenous archivists and is building relationships with Indigenous communities. It is also helping with digitization efforts. LAC also keeps online copies of websites related to the Commission. This is done with other organizations like the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.

Where LAC Keeps Canada's Treasures

Southwestern side

Southern side

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

The main building for LAC is at 395 Wellington Street in downtown Ottawa. This is where people can visit to see the collection in person. This building opened in 1967. However, with more focus on online access, in-person services have changed. For example, you now need an appointment to get help. LAC also has offices in Gatineau, Quebec. It has other storage and preservation buildings across Canada for government records.

The Preservation Centre in Gatineau is very important. It is about 10 kilometers from the Ottawa headquarters. This building was designed to keep Canada's valuable collections safe for a very long time. It cost CDN$107 million to build and opened in 1997. It has 48 special vaults with controlled climates. It also has advanced laboratories for preserving items. In 2000, it was named one of the top 500 buildings built in Canada in the last 1,000 years.

Gatineau Preservation Centre

Nitrate Film Preservation Facility

Library and Archives Canada has several buildings in the National Capital Region

LAC also has a special Nitrate Film Preservation Facility. It is located in Shirleys Bay, outside Ottawa. This facility stores Canada's collection of cellulose nitrate film. This collection includes 5,575 film reels from as far back as 1912. Some of the first Canadian movies are here. Nitrate film is very sensitive and needs exact temperatures to be preserved. This modern building opened in 2011. It has an eco-friendly roof that helps with insulation and saves energy.

LAC also planned to move more physical items to a new storage building in Gatineau. This new facility will store the national newspaper collection and records from Second World War veterans. It will have tall metal shelves and a special environment to protect Canada's published heritage. In 2019, LAC announced plans for another new facility next to the existing one in Gatineau, set to open in 2022.

LAC's collection can also be accessed online through its website. LAC shares information through its blog, podcasts, Twitter and Facebook pages, Flickr for images, and YouTube for videos.

Canada's Amazing Collection

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

Library and Archives Canada holds a huge collection of items. These items tell the story of Canada. Here are some examples:

A photo album of icebergs from the Library and Archives of Canada's collection.

• Over 250 kilometers of Canadian government and private records. These include written stories from many people and groups who helped shape Canada.
• 22 million books and other publications. Many of these are collected through a "legal deposit" system. This means publishers must send copies of their works to LAC.
• 24 million photos, including prints, negatives, slides, and digital pictures.
• Over 3 million architectural drawings, plans, and maps.
• More than 90,000 films, including short films, full movies, documentaries, and silent films.
• Over 550,000 hours of audio and video recordings.
• Over 425,000 pieces of art. This includes paintings, drawings, caricatures, medals, and posters.
• About 550,000 musical items. This is the world's largest collection of Canadian sheet music. It also includes recordings on many different formats.
• The Canadian Postal Archives.
• National newspapers from all over Canada. This includes daily papers, student papers, Indigenous magazines, and newsletters from different communities.

Some special items in the collection are:

• The official paper for Canada's Constitution Act, 1982. It has marks from raindrops when Queen Elizabeth II signed it in 1982.
• A copy of the Constitution Act, 1867. This paper has changes made by Canada's first Prime Minister of Canada, Sir John A. Macdonald.
• De antiquitate Judaica: De bello Judaico. This is the oldest book in the collection. It was written by a historian named Flavius Josephus in the 1st century and printed in 1470.
• The chair used by the famous pianist Glenn Gould when he played and recorded music.

Digitizing History

LAC also has more than a petabyte of digital content. A petabyte is a huge amount of data! Some of this content is available online. This includes books, Canadian theses, and census information. This adds up to about 5,000 terabytes of digital information.

However, many items have not yet been digitized. They are only available in physical form. As of 2013, only about 1% of the entire collection had been digitized. This included about 25 million popular and fragile items.

How LAC Works

LAC reports to the Parliament through the Minister of Canadian Heritage. LAC's main goals are:

• To keep Canada's historical documents safe for people now and in the future.
• To be a source of knowledge that everyone can use. This helps Canada grow as a free and democratic country.
• To help different groups in Canada work together to find, keep, and share knowledge.
• To act as the memory of the Government of Canada and its organizations.

LAC is expected to keep good records. This helps ensure that everything is clear and accountable.

Leadership at LAC

The Librarian and Archivist of Canada is the head of LAC. This person has a high-level position, similar to a deputy minister in the government.

On May 27, 2019, Leslie Weir was appointed Librarian and Archivist of Canada. She is the first woman to hold this important role. Her term has been extended to help with major building projects.

Before 2004, the head of Canada's national archives had different titles. From 1872 to 1987, they were called the Dominion Archivist. From 1987 to 2004, they were called the National Archivist.

See also

• Books in Canada
• List of archives in Canada
• Bibliothèque nationale de France