Supplementary corporate information 2021-2022

Raison d’être, mandate and role: who we are and what we do

Raison d’être

Under the Library and Archives of Canada Act, the mandate of Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is as follows:

  • to preserve the documentary heritage of Canada for the benefit of present and future generations;
  • to serve as a source of enduring knowledge accessible to all, contributing to the cultural, social and economic advancement of Canada as a free and democratic society;
  • to facilitate in Canada co-operation among the communities involved in the acquisition, preservation and diffusion of knowledge; and
  • to serve as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions.

The Minister of Canadian Heritage is responsible for Library and Archives Canada.

Mandate and role

LAC’s mandate to manage Canada’s documentary heritage rests on three pillars:

1. Acquiring and processing documentary heritage

LAC is responsible for acquiring documentary heritage of historical value and that shows developments in various areas of activity within Canadian society over the years. The LAC collection contains documents created and published in Canada and abroad that is of interest to Canadians and stored in various formats. To add to its collection, LAC pursues the mandate assigned to it under the Act as well as various mechanisms that include donations and acquisitions.

2. Preserving documentary heritage

LAC is responsible for preserving its collection to ensure that it stands the test of time and remains accessible to future generations. This responsibility rests on the expertise of its employees who specialize in preservation, on its processes of migration and digitization of content, and on the quality of LAC’s infrastructure.

3. Providing access to Canada’s documentary heritage

LAC’s responsibilities regarding access to documentary heritage consist of facilitating searches and consultation of its vast collection. LAC provides access to its documentary resources by:

  • providing the public with digital content and online services;
  • providing on-site services at 395 Wellington Street in Ottawa and at its service points in Halifax, Winnipeg and Vancouver; and
  • contributing to exhibitions that enable the public to discover LAC collections in communities, museums and cultural sites across Canada.

Operating context

Information on the operating context is available on LAC’s website.

In 2021–22, LAC’s Departmental Plan focused on two strategic priorities: optimizing its digital capacity, and transforming its in-person and online services. These two priorities have guided the organization’s activities and the achievement of its results. They are also central to a transition focused on digital technology, the public’s needs, and the flexibility of LAC’s interactions with its partners and users.

A new vision, along with a road map, was developed in 2021–22, to guide the institution’s decision-making efforts in the coming years and to foster a collaborative organizational culture.

To better meet the demands of the digital environment, LAC is working to deploy its Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) to government departments, publishers and creators of cultural content. After having been the subject of several pilot projects over the past few years, the DAMS is now operational. It will support the acquisition, assessment, description, integration, preservation and retrieval of digital collections held at LAC as well as secure access to the collections.

LAC also facilitates access to Canada’s documentary heritage through its reference, genealogy, orientation and copying services, both remotely and in person, at its four service points across Canada (Halifax, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver). In addition, LAC is constantly improving its online presence, and it offers rich and varied public programming to help Canadians discover the country’s documentary heritage.

LAC is a key player in access to information in Canada. Its responsibilities for requests under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act go well beyond those of other federal departments and agencies. LAC is the custodian of billions of pages of records that it preserves on behalf of over 200 federal entities. In particular, its teams provide documents to support the settlement of litigation involving the government. In 2021–22, LAC supported the government’s response to the Canadian Armed Forces–National Defence Sexual Misconduct Class Action (Heyder Beattie) and the Federal Indian Day School Class Action.

LAC also continues to support the government’s efforts toward reconciliation with Indigenous communities and peoples. To preserve Indigenous languages and increase access to Indigenous content in the collections in its care, LAC is continuing its Listen, Hear Our Voices and We Are Here: Sharing Stories initiatives.

The institution contributes to the federal priority of investing in green infrastructure and technology. Its Preservation Storage Facility in Gatineau, which is nearing completion, will be the first federal facility built to the requirements of the Greening Government Strategy. It will be carbon neutral, as will Ādisōke, the new joint facility with Ottawa Public Library. These green buildings will be environmental models and showcases for the design of future sustainable infrastructure across the country.

Like the federal government, LAC has heard the calls for action to address systemic inequalities and disparities, particularly within core institutions, that contribute to the marginalization, intentional or not, of many Canadians. LAC believes that it is essential to create and maintain a respectful, inclusive and diverse work environment and culture to support the professional development of its employees.