Supplementary corporate information
Vision, mission, raison d’être and operating context
Raison d’être
Under the Library and Archives of Canada Act, the mandate of LAC is:
- 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 LAC.
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 points of service 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
Inspired by its Vision 2030, “Discover. Understand. Connect.”, LAC has set out its goals and priorities for the period 2024–25 to 2026–27. This strategic orientation, put forward in LAC's 2024–25 Departmental Plan, makes users the priority and defines three guiding principles: focusing on access, strengthening capacity and transforming ways of working.
To create virtual services and activities focused on user needs, LAC relies on the Policy on Service and Digital and the Government of Canada Digital Standards. It facilitates access to Canada's documentary heritage through the services it offers to the public, both remotely and in person, in Halifax, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver. It works to continually improve its online presence and digital services to make it easier and faster for Canadians to find the content they are looking for.
A key player in access to information in Canada, LAC has responsibilities with respect to requests submitted under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act which go well beyond those of other federal departments and agencies, because it is the custodian of billions of pages of records that it preserves on their behalf. In response to the 10 recommendations made by the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada, it is implementing its access to information and personal information action plan and continuing the reform of its services to users.
Active in the Government of Canada's reconciliation efforts with First Nations, Inuit and the Métis Nation, LAC will update its Indigenous Heritage Action Plan and ensure that this commitment is reflected in its activities and processes.
LAC also contributes to the federal priority of investing in green infrastructure and technology, and greening its operations, guided by its Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy 2023–27 and the Federal Greening Government Strategy.
Like the federal government, LAC is participating in responding to the calls for action to reduce systemic inequalities and disparities, with a commitment to creating and maintaining an inclusive, diverse, respectful and safe culture and workplace, favorable to professional development.