Terms and conditions

On this page

Copyright and permission to reproduce material

Ownership and use of content provided on this site

Library and Archives Canada has produced or compiled materials on this website. The site's purpose is to provide Canadians with information about the programs and services LAC offers.

Content on this site may be subject to the Copyright Act, the Trademark Act or other restrictions. Some of the content on the website is under license from third parties. The reproduction of third party content is also subject to restrictions. The relevant pages often show details about copyright ownership.

For more information, see Restrictions on viewing and copying material.

Using information from this site outside of Canada

When you use this site's content in another country, international agreements may protect copyright.

Example

Expired images with no other restrictions may be in the Public Domain for use in Canada but may not be in the Public Domain for use in other countries.

For more information contact droitdauteur-copyright@bac-lac.gc.ca.

Use of Government of Canada (GC) materials

Non-commercial or cost-recovery reproduction

You may use GC works:

  • if the work is not revised or translated
  • you ensure the reproduction is accurate
  • you provide both the complete title and the author (where available)
  • you state that the reproduction is a copy of the version available on the web [insert URL where the original document is available]

Commercial reproduction

Unless stated otherwise, you need written permission for use of GC works:

  • for commercial redistribution reasons
  • if the work will be revised or translated

To request permission to reproduce Government of Canada materials from this site contact droitdauteur-copyright@bac-lac.gc.ca.

Trademark notice

You may not reproduce the official symbols of the Government of Canada, without prior written authorization. These symbols include:

  • Canada Wordmark
  • Royal Coat of Arms of Canada
  • Canada flag symbol

For more information contact droitdauteur-copyright@bac-lac.gc.ca.

Copyright Services

Copyright Services
Library and Archives Canada
550 de la Cité Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec J8T 0A7
Email: droitdauteur-copyright@bac-lac.gc.ca

Other terms and conditions

Using files located on non-Government of Canada servers

Certain files may load automatically to your browser from a trusted third-party server or content delivery network. These files include:

  • open source libraries
  • images
  • scripts

This helps improve the functionality of Government of Canada websites. Speeding response times makes for a better user experience. Our privacy notice includes specific privacy statements covering these files where applicable.

Linking to non-Government of Canada websites (external links)

We provide external links for the convenience of our website visitors. We're not responsible for the accuracy, maintenance or reliability of the content of outside websites. This includes websites of our social media accounts. The Government of Canada is not responsible for the information found via these links and does not endorse the sites and their content.

We may link to information offered by non-Government of Canada sites. Some of these sites are not subject to the Privacy Act or the Official Languages Act and may not be accessible to persons with disabilities. The information offered may be available only in the language(s) used by the sites in question. Visitors should research the privacy policies of these websites before providing personal information.

Providing content in Canada's official languages

We provide services and communicate with the public based on:

When there is no obligation to provide information in both official languages, content may be available in one official language only. Information provided by organizations not subject to the Official Languages Act is in the language(s) provided. Information provided in a language other than English or French is only for the convenience of our visitors.

Our commitment to accessibility

We're committed to achieving a high standard of accessibility. For more information, please see the:

If you're having difficulty using our website or applications, let us know. We can provide alternatives such as regular print, Braille or other appropriate formats.

Interacting with us on social media

We use social media to communicate and interact with Canadians who use these platforms.

Content and frequency

Another way we interact and share content with Canadians is through Social media. These accounts ease access to information and services. They also provide stakeholders with a chance to interact in an informative and respectful environment.

We understand that the web is a 24/7 medium. Your comments are welcome at any time. You should expect to see new content or replies to comments posted on weekdays during business hours.

Third parties usually manage these platforms and their servers. Social media accounts may be subject to downtime that is out of our control. We don't accept responsibility for platforms that become unresponsive or unavailable.

Please read the notice about historical language in LAC’s collection.

Links to other websites and ads

Our social media accounts may post or show links or ads for websites not controlled by the Government of Canada. We provide these links for the convenience of our users. The Government of Canada is not responsible for information in these links or ads, nor does it endorse the sites or their content.

Comments and interaction

Your comments on social media posts are welcome. We expect that conversations will follow the general rules of respectful civil discourse. You are responsible for all content submitted in your comments. Note that all posted comments are in the public domain. Please keep your submissions relevant and remain civil. We don't tolerate comments that are rude, abusive, or offensive. We won't discriminate against differing viewpoints. However, we will remove comments and block users based on the criteria below.

We'll remove comments and contributions if they:

  • include personal information
  • include protected or classified information belonging to the Government of Canada
  • infringe upon intellectual property or proprietary rights
  • are contrary to the principles of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or the Constitution Act, 1982
  • are racist, hateful, sexist, homophobic or defamatory, or contain or refer to obscenity or pornography
  • are threatening, violent, intimidating or harassing
  • are contrary to any Canadian federal, provincial or territorial laws
  • constitute impersonation, advertising or spam
  • encourage or incite criminal activity
  • are written in a language other than English or French
  • otherwise violate the standards in this policy

Be respectful and make sure that your comments are relevant. If you have any questions about this policy or how it's applied, please contact us.

We try to prevent and remove inappropriate posts. If you're not using social media properly, we'll report you to social media service providers. Avoid posting things that go against:

  • this policy
  • the terms of service
  • use of the third-party social media platform

See the Government of Canada’s Terms and Conditions section for more information.

Following, “liking” and subscribing

LAC’s decision to follow, “like” or subscribe to another social media account does not imply an endorsement of that account, channel, page or site. Neither does sharing (retweeting, reposting or linking to) content from another user.

Copyright information

LAC retains copyright on all material posted on its social media platforms. Please consult our Copyright restrictions section for more information.

Accessibility

Third-party service providers operate social media platforms. They are not bound by Government of Canada standards for web accessibility.

If you have difficulty accessing content on our social media accounts, please contact us. We'll make every attempt to solve the problem or to provide the information in a different format.

Privacy

Social media accounts are not Government of Canada websites. They are the Government of Canada’s presence on third-party service providers.

Official languages

Social media platforms can have many language options. They will provide instructions on how to set preferences. LAC respects the Official Languages Act. We're committed to making information available in both French and English, and of equal quality.

Contact information

Our Web and Social Media teams manage LAC's social media platforms. You can reach them at:

Place de la Cité
550 de la Cité Boulevard
Gatineau, Quebec J8T 0A7
Email: bac.mediassociaux-socialmedia.lac@bac-lac.gc.ca
For more information, see the Contact us section.

Media inquiries

Media representatives can contact us:

  • during regular business hours
  • on an emergency basis outside regular working hours

Telephone: 819-994-4589

Email: BAC.Media.LAC@bac-lac.gc.ca

Thank you for reading this policy. We encourage you to join the conversation and are looking forward to an active exchange of ideas!

Privacy notice

The Government of Canada and Library and Archives Canada (LAC) are committed to providing websites that respect the privacy of visitors. This privacy notice summarizes the privacy practices for LAC's online activities.

All personal information collected by this institution is governed by the Privacy Act. We'll let you know why we're collecting your personal information. We can also show you how to exercise your right of access to that information.

Your privacy and the Internet

Web servers collect certain information about a visit to a website. This includes the visitor’s Internet Protocol (IP) address. IP addresses are unique numbers assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISP) to all devices used to access the Internet. The IP address, on its own, does not identify an individual. In certain circumstances, such as with the co-operation of an ISP for example, it could be used to identify an individual using the site. The Government of Canada considers the IP address to be personal information.

LAC does not automatically gather any specific information from you, unless otherwise noted. LAC would only get this type of information if you supply it to us, for example, by email or by filling in a contact form. In such cases, you'll receive a Personal Information Collection Statement. The statement explains how we handle your personal information.

When an outside organization is providing a service, a third-party web server might record your IP address. Examples of third-party providers outside the Government of Canada include:

  • social media platforms
  • mobile applications

Communicating with the Government of Canada

If you send LAC an email or fill out form online, we use your personal information to respond to your inquiry. We only share your information with other government institutions if your question relates to them. LAC does not use the information to create individual profiles. We don't disclose it to anyone, except those in the federal government who need to provide you with a response. Any disclosure of your personal information falls under the Privacy Act.

Emails and other means of electronic communication are not secure unless otherwise specified. Be careful with your sensitive personal information. We recommended you don't send it to us through non-secure electronic means. Examples of sensitive personal information include your:

  • Social Insurance number
  • date of birth

Third-party social media

Library and Archives Canada’s use of social media serves as an extension of its presence on the Web. Social media account(s) are public and are not hosted on Government of Canada servers. If you're using social media to interact with us, make sure to read:

  • the terms of service and privacy policies of these third-party service providers
  • policies for any applications you use to access them.

LAC uses Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Flickr and LinkedIn.

If your comments violate Canadian law, we'll delete them and let law enforcement authorities know. We'll also delete comments that violate our rules of engagement.

Digital markers (including cookies)

A digital marker is a resource created by your web browser to remember certain pieces of information. The web server references them during the same or later visits to the website. Examples of digital markers are "cookies" or HTML5 web storage.

Some examples of what digital markers do are as follows:

  • They allow a website to recognize a previous visit each time the visitor accesses the site.
  • They track what information you're looking at. This helps website administrators ensure visitors find what they're looking for.

Library and Archives Canada uses digital markers on some portions of its website. During your on-line visit, your browser exchanges data with LAC’s Web server. The digital markers used do not allow LAC to identify individuals.

You can adjust your browser settings to reject digital markers, including cookies. However, it may affect your ability to interact with LAC’s website.

Web analytics

Web analytics is the process of analyzing the behaviour of visitors to a website. It involves the collection, analysis, measurement and reporting of data about Web traffic. It helps us understand how people use our websites so we can optimize them. Information in digital markers can remember your online interactions with our website. We use digital markers in our web analytics.

LAC uses a tool to improve its website. When your computer requests a page on our site, we collect the following information:

  • the originating IP address
  • the date and time of the request
  • the type of browser used
  • the page(s) visited

Protecting the security of Government of Canada websites

LAC uses software programs to monitor network traffic to identify malicious behaviour like:

  • unauthorized attempts to upload or change information
  • attempts at causing damage

This software receives and records IP addresses, date and time of the visit and the pages visited. We don't link these addresses with the identity of individuals visiting our site unless an attempt to damage the site has been detected.

We collect this information pursuant to section 161 of the Financial Administration Act. If we suspect criminal activity, we can share the information with law enforcement authorities.

Inquiring about these practices

For questions or comments, reach out to our Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator at BAC.DAIPRP-ATIPD.LAC@bac-lac.gc.ca.

You can reach them by telephone at: 613-996-5115 or 1-866-578-7777 (toll-free in Canada and the U.S.) or by mail:

Access to Information, Privacy and Personnel Records Division
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington Street
Ottawa, ON K1A 0N4
CANADA

If you are not satisfied with our response to your privacy concern, contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at 1-800-282-1376.