Official Language Minority Communities
Library and Archives Canada helps to promote the documentary heritage of official language minority communities (OLMCs).
According to the
Official Languages Act, Library and Archives Canada must promote the full recognition and use of both English and French in Canadian society. Specifically, it must take positive measures to enhance the vitality of the English and French linguistic minority communities in Canada and support and assist their development. For this purpose, it established an internal advisory committee and two networks in 2019:
- the OLMC Archival Network
- the OLMC Library Network
Both networks cover a large part of the country and enable effective consultations with key players in the documentary heritage community. They also foster discussions on needs and programs, both at Library and Archives Canada and in member organizations. Additionally, they facilitate the creation of partnerships for various projects.
Completed or ongoing projects
- Providing support for training, mentoring and collaboration to increase expertise sharing
- Holding regular meetings as well as thematic workshops
- Producing the newsletter Documentary Heritage and Official Language Minority Communities (OLMCs)
- Carrying out research to assist, equip and better inform OLMCs, including
- putting forward the concept of vitality of memory as a conceptual basis
- analysis of provincial and territorial measures governing official languages in libraries in Canada
- Holding a national conference on the role of archives and libraries serving OLMCs, and on the challenges they face (2021)
Visit the OLMC Archival Network website for more information.
Contact Us
bac.closm-olmc.lac@bac-lac.gc.ca