Ottawa - Canadian Association for Conservation

Library and Archives Canada’s National Role in Preservation
John Grace, Conservation and Preservation Copying Division
Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa ON
In the summer of 2009, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) launched a new and comprehensive
initiative to modernize its core business activities to better respond to the many challenges facing
knowledge institutions in the 21 st century. The objective of this initiative is to re-orient acquisition,
preservation and resource discovery approaches in response to an increasingly digital, unfamiliar, and
rapidly changing environment.
Recognizing that such a complex environment calls for new approaches to preserve collections, and
that similar institutions are struggling with the same challenges, LAC’s modernization initiative
includes an emphasis on networking and collaboration to achieve common goals. Whether as a
leader, collaborator, or supporter, LAC seeks to help develop a broad and sustainable national capacity
for preserving documentary heritage collections.
It is in this context that, in February of 2010, LAC issued a consultation document which outlined
some of its existing preservation activities at the national level and some areas where national roles
could be developed or coordinated. The document invited stakeholders to comment and provide
feedback.
The presentation will focus on the comments and advice that LAC has received to date on this
National Role initiative, and it will discuss areas for potential collaboration and development in
preservation.