Of all the national assets, Archives are the most precious: They are the gift of one generation to another and the extent of our care of them marks the extent of our civilization.

— Arthur G. Doughty (Dominion Archivist, 1904-1935)

About Library & Archives Canada

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) was formed in 2004 through the merger of two existing institutions: the National Archives of Canada and the National Library of Canada.

Library and Archives Canada has a mandate to:

• acquire and preserve Canada’s documentary heritage
• facilitate public access to that heritage
• house a permanent repository of publications of the Government of Canada and related records
• manage information and coordinate library services of government institutions
• support the development of the library and archival communities.

The services and resources of LAC are used by a large and diverse group including the general public, librarians, historians, professional writers, students, genealogists, Aboriginal communities, as well as researchers and scholars from virtually every discipline. Its comprehensive collections are an essential resource for the preservation of Canadian history and the development of knowledge in Canada.

Records available at Libraries and Archives Canada include:

• books, by Canadians and about Canada,
• records and publications for federal, provincial, territorial and foreign governments
• records and publications of various individuals and groups that have contributed to Canada's cultural, social, economic and political development
• Aboriginal historical information, ranging from land treaties to maps
• short and full-length films, documentaries
• architectural drawings, plans and maps, from as early as beginning of the 16th century
• photographic images, captured since the 1850s
• video and sound recordings
• works of art, from watercolours to sketches and caricatures
• Canadian sheet music, Canadian music documents and recordings of all formats
• the Canadian Postal Archives
• a collection of medals, seals, posters and coats of arms
• national, provincial and territorial newspapers from across Canada, from dailies to student newspapers, and from Aboriginal magazines to ethnic community newsletters
• periodicals, microfilms, manuscripts and theses; and portraits of individual Canadians, including genealogical and family history documents, such as birth, death, and marriage certificates and census information
• documents from Canada’s diverse socio-ethnic groups, including immigration records, land grants and petitions, music, and film.