Library and Archives Canada

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 (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]

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.

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]


Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).

  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. ^ Cite error: The named reference Collection was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  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. ^ "Report on Plans and Priorities 2013–14". LAC. December 19, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  8. ^ "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 "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.

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