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Library and Archives Canada

Library and Archives Canada 2016–2019 Acquisition Strategy

March 28, 2016

On March 23, 2016, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) held a meeting of its Stakeholders Forum.

Among the agenda items was a presentation on “Documenting Canadian Society – Library and Archives Canada 2016–19 Acquisition Strategy.”

Executive summary

The 2016–19 Acquisition Strategy of Library and Archives Canada (LAC) describes how the institution intends to focus its evaluation and acquisition efforts over the coming three years in the areas of published heritage, Canadian government records, and the acquisition of private archives, so as to document the evolution of contemporary Canadian society.

The Acquisition Strategy was developed taking into account our obligations under the Library and Archives of Canada Act, the principles identified in the 2016 review of the Evaluation and Acquisition Policy Framework, an in-depth analysis of the current state of LAC’s collections and national and international issues that characterize Canada today. The work was carried out through a series of internal discussions and consultations with our partners in the Canadian archives and libraries network, as well as with members of our Acquisitions Advisory Committee.

Acquisitions will be selected holistically to allow documentation of developments in the various areas of activity throughout the country. Selections will also be based on strategic choices resulting from our analyses: Aboriginal peoples, regional diversity in Canada, cultural diversity, Francophone culture, minorities, and gender issues.

The primary purpose of acquisition is to document whatever constitutes the Canadian experience, regardless of the storage format. LAC also constantly gauges the challenges the digital revolution poses as well as the potential the latter represents in terms of accessibility.

Other items discussed at the Forum included:

  • Copyright update
  • Library and Archives Canada (LAC) update
  • LAC Acquisitions – Policy framework and Strategy 2016-2019
  • LAC – Evaluation and Acquisition Policy Framework
  • Moving forward with the Canadian National Heritage Digitization Strategy
  • Building a Canadian National Heritage Digitization Strategy

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