Library and Archives Canada 2024–25 Departmental Plan

Description

• LAC acquires documentary heritage of historical value and preserves it for current and future generations, as mandated in the Library and Archives of Canada Act.
• Its collections are made up of documentary heritage preserved in a variety of media and formats.
• LAC advises the Government of Canada (GC) and its institutions on the management of information and ensures that records of historical value are transferred to its collections.
• Through legal deposit, all materials submitted by Canadian publishers become part of its collections.
• Other records of national significance are acquired to document Canadian society, including sampling of Internet content.
• LAC uses state-of-the-art techniques and infrastructure to restore the collections and provide optimal conditions for long-term preservation. LAC also builds its capacity and expertise to ensure the availability of digital records.

Quality of life impacts

This key responsibility contributes to the “society” domain of the Quality of Life Framework for Canada, in particular to a “sense of pride/belonging to Canada” and to “positive perceptions of diversity” as a result of acquiring documentary heritage of historical value to document Canadian society. It also contributes to the domain of “good governance,” including “confidence in institutions,” by transferring archival GC records to its collection, and to “Indigenous self-determination” by acquiring historical records relating to Indigenous peoples.

Results and targets

The following tables show, for each departmental result related to Acquiring and preserving documentary heritage, the indicators, the results from the three most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2024–25.

The financial, human resources and performance information for LAC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

In its role as Canada’s memory, LAC acquires, describes, preserves and values collective national heritage, which is a source of discovery, of identity and social understanding, of sharing and of transmission to present and future generations.

Acquiring and preserving collections that are representative of Canada

For more than 150 years, LAC has made sure to acquire, describe and preserve publications, archives, works of art and data so that national collections reflect the diverse voices of Canadian society in the past and present. In a joint effort with publishers, donors and federal departments and agencies, LAC will rely on strategic approaches to facilitate the transfer of publications and archival materials, both analog and digital, that are representative of Canada. These approaches integrate the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility, principles that the organizational strategy currently under development seeks to integrate into every area of the institution's activities.

In keeping with its private archives acquisition orientation, LAC will proactively seek analog and digital documents concerning people or groups that have been marginalized in Canadian society in the past and that are underrepresented in its collections, such as women in the military.

To foster the acquisition of GC archival records and to ensure that they are more quickly accessible to the Canadian population, LAC will continue to analyze and update its processes and its services to federal institutions.

In terms of published heritage, it will build on its new acquisition strategy, which will explore opportunities to better leverage the Legal Deposit of Publications Regulations and rely digital acquisition services. This new strategy will guide outreach and collaboration with publishers from underrepresented groups (e.g. Indigenous peoples, multicultural communities, Francophone culture, women, sexual diversity and gender expression and regional diversity).

As part of its preservation activities, LAC will advance the development of its collection storage framework. This framework will inform the Real Property Portfolio Strategy by contributing to the planning of space requirements and to the management of analog collections to ensure their sustainability and integrity. In addition, LAC plans to create a processing plan to assess the status of the various Indigenous treaties in its collections to determine the required conservation work.

Acquiring and making documentary heritage discoverable in a timely manner

New services will be provided to Canadian publishers, such as the submission of digital publications via the Digital Asset Management System and the new option to import metadata provided by publishers. These improvements to the legal deposit program will allow users to discover the transferred publications faster.

LAC will continue to deploy descriptive metadata that will represent Indigenous peoples and contexts in an accurate and respectful manner. While respecting the cataloguing standards that ensure consistency and discoverability, LAC will continue to review the descriptions of its collections in consultation with the Indigenous Advisory Circle and to update the vocabulary used so that it is respectful, culturally appropriate and historically accurate. The new content, like the millions of pages related to the federal Indian Day School system, will be described based on these principles to foster trust with Indigenous peoples and help users easily find what they are looking for.

LAC will also undertake a review of its modern treaty negotiation principles and conduct a discussion on the sovereignty and the political and legal implications of Indigenous data. This work will support reconciliation efforts and foster broader discussions about data sovereignty in general.

Supporting and raising awareness among communities and partners

LAC will seek to proactively develop new relationships to expand its network of potential partners and engage with new communities. It will also continue to support the development of a national network of print collections by participating in North: The Canadian Shared Print Network and the National Indigenous Knowledge and Language Alliance.

Promoting the disposition program will continue to help federal departments and agencies manage their records effectively throughout their life cycle. LAC will ensure that they are aware of the tools at their disposal, including the Operational Metadata Standard. It will also provide them with revised procedures to further assist them in the timely and effective preparation and transfer of their archival material to LAC.

LAC will continue to represent Canada on international standards committees. It will develop an annual engagement strategy to foster engagement and collaboration with Canadian publishing and music associations, universities, and library organizations.

Leslie Weir was elected President-elect (2023–25) and President (2025–27) of the International Federation of Library Associations and Libraries (IFLA). This entry into office will allow LAC to continue to convey the Canadian values of tolerance, diversity and inclusion within this international community.

Key risks

In terms of the results related to its primary responsibility, if LAC fails to find additional storage space solutions and to carry out the necessary work to maintain its aging facilities, there is a risk that LAC will not be able to acquire more material, that existing collections will not be preserved according to standards and that they may deteriorate or be lost.

To mitigate this risk, LAC will build on the collection storage framework in accordance with preservation standards (currently under development) and its Real Property Portfolio Strategy. This Strategy will guide the planning of space requirements and the necessary renovations of aging special purpose buildings. Finally, the ongoing re-evaluation initiatives of government records are also helping to mitigate these risks.

Related government priorities

Program inventory

Acquiring and preserving documentary heritage is supported by the following programs:

• Program 1: Acquisition and processing of government records
• Program 2: Acquisition and processing of published heritage
• Program 3: Acquisition and processing of private archives
• Program 4: Preservation

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to LAC’s program inventory is available on GC Infobase.

Summary of changes made to reporting framework since last year

No changes were made to the departmental results framework.

Description

• LAC provides access to its collections while respecting legal, policy and contractual obligations.
• Using cutting-edge technologies, LAC enables Canadians to access and consult its collections and enrich their knowledge of Canada’s documentary heritage.
• LAC makes digital content available through its website and social media to improve access to its collections.
• LAC provides online services and in-person services at its four points of service. It uses innovative strategies such as crowdsourcing (Co-Lab) and the Digi-Lab to complement the digital content of its collections.
• LAC also promotes Canadian heritage by creating exhibitions that enable the public to discover its collections in cultural sites throughout Canada.
• Through the Documentary Heritage Communities Program, LAC supports memory organizations by increasing their capacity to preserve and make their collections accessible.

Quality of life impacts

This key responsibility contributes to the “society” domain of the Quality of Life Framework for Canada, in particular to a “satisfaction with time use” by way of the services offered by LAC and the way collections are rendered accessible, and to a “sense of pride/belonging to Canada” and to “positive perceptions of diversity” through all the activities mentioned the description of the key responsibility.

This key responsibility also contributes to the “good governance” domain, in particular to “confidence in institutions,” to “Indigenous self-determination,” and to “resolution of serious legal problems,” by giving access to collections and access to information and privacy.

Results and targets

The following tables show, for each departmental result related to Providing access to documentary heritage, the indicators, the results from the three most recently reported fiscal years, the targets and target dates approved in 2024–25.

The financial, human resources and performance information for the LAC’s program inventory is available on GC InfoBase.

Plans to achieve results

In 2024–25 and beyond, LAC will improve its services, both online and in-person, across the country. It will work to provide more user-friendly and enhanced access to its collections and will seek to reach new audiences.

Canadians increasingly access their documentary heritage

Placing user needs at the centre of its concerns, LAC will continue to refine the way results are displayed in the Collection Search tool, an integrated search interface, to promote a more intuitive content-finding experience. It will also continue to integrate existing databases, such as public opinion research reports, theses and the Virtual Gramophone. New tools and research aids based on topics relevant to users (both beginners and experts) will also be published on the website.

To increase access to collections by making them available online, LAC will build on its digitization strategy. The strategy aims to coordinate and focus efforts to digitize analog resources of national importance, including government records, books, journals, periodicals, newspapers, etc. In 2024–25, LAC plans to digitize over six million pages, notably in support of responding to ATIP requests and the project to digitize records related to the federal Indian Day School system, as part of the Horizontal initiative: Implementing the Federal Framework to Address the Legacy of Residential Schools.

LAC reaffirms its commitment to reconciliation and will continue to update its Indigenous Heritage Action Plan in collaboration with the Indigenous Advisory Circle. These joint efforts will guide work to foster discovery, understanding and dialogue around records concerning First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation. Collection materials are rich mediums for sharing the realities and stories of these peoples, facilitating the search for genealogical information, supporting communities in rediscovering their cultures and languages, and serving as a source of information in litigation, claims, agreements, investigations and commissions. Moreover, with over 455,000 images scanned during phase 2, We Are Here: Sharing Stories initiative surpassed its goal. In 2024–25, digitization will continue with the addition of 50,000 new images.

LAC will also continue to develop its new public service models and work to integrate online and in-person services to ensure seamless service delivery for users in preparation for the opening of Ādisōke, its future point of service in Ottawa.

Contributing to a free and democratic society by providing access to records

In 2024–25, LAC will continue to implement the ATIP Action Plan undertaken in 2023. It will continue its efforts to reduce the backlog of outstanding requests and decrease the number of complaints received by the Information Commissioner. It will also continue to make progress in meeting its legal obligations to respond to new requests in a timely manner. New software solutions will be implemented to reduce processing time, and previously released sets of archival records will be released to spare Canadians from having to request them. LAC will also introduce new policies and procedures to transform its working methods, including reducing the number of consultations with other federal departments and agencies.

To provide the public with better access to ATIP requests, LAC will continue to support GC approaches to declassifying records, increase its block review activities to proactively open more than 2 million pages of records so that an ATIP request for them is no longer required and will aim to digitize more than 1.5 million images.

In addition, LAC plans to implement, by the end of fiscal year 2024–25, an integrated plan for the scanning operations taking place at its Winnipeg point of service. This plan will improve LAC’s reprography service and thereby the organization’s ability to respond more quickly and effectively to user requests.

Ensuring Canadians are more aware of their documentary heritage

In 2024–25, public programming activities aimed at raising awareness and visibility of valuable national collections will focus on planning the inaugural exhibition of Ādisōke, scheduled for 2026. LAC will also develop a master interpretive plan that will guide it in implementing pilot programs and engagement activities for targeted audiences and demographic groups, such as families and teachers.

A partnerships strategy will be finalized to foster sustainable and diversified collaborative relationships towards a common goal: access to collections. For example, LAC will work on topics such as artificial intelligence with academic partners or on genealogy services with companies working in that field.

LAC will continue to support local and regional communities in their efforts to share their documentary heritage through its contribution programs, such as the Documentary Heritage Communities Program and Listen, Hear Our Voices.

Finally, LAC will continue to implement its Action Plan to support Crown judicial issues. The objectives of this plan are to make other government departments and agencies aware of LAC’s mandate and to work with central agencies to engage LAC in a timely manner in litigation involving the collections.

Key risks

With respect to the intended outcomes related to its second responsibility, if LAC does not efficiently improve and maintain its services and digital systems, it may not be able to give access to its collections.

To mitigate this risk, LAC is following best practices in tool design to continuously improve the user experience by drawing on the feedback of its users. LAC is also continuing to develop research support and collections access services, notably for First Nations, Inuit and the Métis Nation. Finally, the continued implementation of the ATIP Action Plan will improve its access to government records services.

Related government priorities

Program inventory

Providing access to documentary heritage is supported by the following programs:

• Program 5: Public services
• Program 6: Access to information and privacy
• Program 7: Outreach and support to communities

Supporting information on planned expenditures, human resources, and results related to LAC’s program inventory is available on GC Infobase.

Summary of changes made to reporting framework since last year

No changes were made to the departmental results framework.

Description

Internal services are the services that are provided within a department so that it can meet its corporate obligations and deliver its programs. There are 10 categories of internal services:

• management and oversight services
• communications services
• legal services
• human resources management and security services
• financial management services
• information management services
• information technology services
• real property management services
• materiel management services
• acquisition management services

Plans to achieve results

Internal Services will support programs in delivering on their mandates and corporate priorities for the next three fiscal years. They will continue to work to maintain and improve systems and infrastructure; to ensure LAC’s workforce develops its expertise, including in the areas of digital technologies, digital library science and digital archival science; and to implement a hybrid, modern, inclusive, respectful and safe workplace.

Delivering quality digital services

Information technology, data management and digital activities support the achievement of LAC’s strategic direction towards improving work methods and services. LAC will continue to improve its systems by progressively integrating new products and services into its cloud environment.

The implementation of the data strategy and action plan up to 2026 aims to better use data to inform decision-making. In this vein, LAC will develop training on data literacy to update or deepen the knowledge of its staff. The development of a common understanding and language will help increase the ability of all employees to draw useful information from data to guide service transformation and improvement.

Continuing to integrate equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility into our principles and practices

LAC will continue to work on developing and implementing its departmental strategy on EDIA. In addition, LAC will continue its efforts to establish its Centre of Excellence, which will promote the integration of EDIA practices and principles into the management of its services and collections.

LAC will also continue to develop its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan in people management to foster a welcoming and inclusive work environment for its staff. It will incorporate, among other things, recommendations to follow up on the results of the study of its employment systems.

As part of its ongoing reconciliation efforts, LAC will continue to raise awareness of the issues facing Indigenous peoples and their First Nations, Inuit and Métis Nation colleagues through learning opportunities.

Continuing to support the government in achieving its sustainable development goals

LAC plans to finalize the optimization of some of the Preservation Centre’s vaults in March 2024. In addition to providing better storage conditions, these renovations will allow LAC to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 and 80% by 2050.

Consistent with its new Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy 2023–27, LAC will ensure that its procurement and materiel management framework will henceforth incorporate sustainable development considerations by March 31, 2025. LAC will also continue to renew its car fleet with zero-emission vehicles.

Continuing to optimize LAC’s real property portfolio

Like the government, LAC is taking a holistic and progressive approach in which real property is considered a strategic and innovation platform to implement its programs for citizens. To this end, LAC’s Real Property Portfolio Strategy is essential. It guides LAC in its responsibility to manage its special-purpose buildings and in its responsibility to plan space needs to ensure its ability to acquire, preserve and provide access to an ever-increasing documentary heritage. In 2024–25, LAC will undertake major renovation projects in two aging buildings: at its Winnipeg point of service to support LAC’s ATIP efforts, and at its Renfrew Collection Storage Centre.

Related government priorities

Table 8: Actual spending summary for core responsibilities and internal services ($ dollars)

The following table shows information on spending for each of LAC’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Amounts for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on spending to date.

Table 9: Budgetary planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services (dollars)

The following table shows information on spending for each of LAC’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the upcoming three fiscal years.

Estimates by vote

Information on LAC’s organizational appropriations is available in the 2024–25 Main Estimates.

Table 10: Future-oriented condensed statement of operations for the year ending March 31, 2025 (dollars)

Table 11: Actual human resources for core responsibilities and internal services

The following table shows a summary of human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for LAC’s core responsibilities and for its internal services for the previous three fiscal years. Human resources for the current fiscal year are forecasted based on year to date.

Table 12: Human resources planning summary for core responsibilities and internal services

The following table shows information on human resources, in full-time equivalents (FTEs), for each of LAC’s core responsibilities and for its internal services planned for 2024–25 and future years.