Results from the LAC Service Improvement Survey: Final Report 2024–2025
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is pleased to announce that the results of the public opinion survey, conducted in 2024–2025, are now available.
This survey aimed to better understand the experiences, needs and preferences of the Canadian population regarding LAC services. It was conducted with over 5,000 respondents, both regular users and members of the general public. Thank you to those who participated in the survey!
Some highlights:
- The vast majority of respondents (89%) are satisfied with the quality of their interactions with the staff at LAC.
- The vast majority of respondents (95%) indicated that LAC staff had communicated with them in the official language of their choice.
- 78% of respondents are satisfied with the quality of LAC services.
- 50% of respondents use LAC services at least once a month.
- 87% of respondents accessed LAC services through the website.
Among LAC’s collections, the following topics generate the most interest:
- Genealogy and family history
- The history and territory of Canada
- Canadian newspapers and periodicals
- Military history
Areas for improvement
The survey results provide several avenues to improve LAC services and encourage Canadians to use them more:
- Enrich the collections with new documents on themes such as Canadian history
- Digitize more documents to facilitate access to the collections
- Offer a smoother online experience (powerful search tools, simplified navigation, improved filters)
- Offer more activities, such as informal discussions and expert presentations
Ongoing initiatives
Initiatives are already underway to implement these improvement suggestions:
- Addition of transcripts for approximately 84,000 documents, accessible through the Collection search tool. Among these additions are ship registration files, tracing nearly 150 years of Canadian maritime history and providing valuable information on a wide variety of vessels.
- Launch of a project in collaboration with Internet Archive Canada to digitize 80,000 public domain publications, dating from 1322 to 1920.
- Improvement of the visibility of research guides and the user-friendliness of online tools.
New initiatives also confirm our commitment to enhancing our activities:
- Together at LAC: Hockey Day: This event launched the Heritage Workshop program. Families who participated were able to discover artifacts, take part in story time, and participate in creative workshops. This initiative, carried out in collaboration with the Gatineau Olympiques and the Bibliothèque de Gatineau, aimed to strengthen community ties and increase LAC’s presence in the region.
- Traditions and Techniques workshops: This new series of virtual workshops highlights LAC’s collections and best practices. The first workshop, titled Book Preservation, focused on the process of conserving books and the creative process behind making zines. Participants had the opportunity to interact directly with our team of specialists during a live chat session.
The survey results will, in the coming years, help LAC provide services that meet the needs and preferences of its users as well as the entire Canadian population.
LAC would like to thank those who participated in the survey. Your opinion matters: it helps us continuously improve the accessibility, visibility and quality of our collections and services. Library and Archives Canada remains committed to providing services that meet the expectations of Canadians.