About Us

About Former National Library of Canada

National Library of Canada
Activities and Projects: Semi-Annual Update

Spring 2002 Edition
June 3, 2002

Table of contents

Introduction by the National Librarian

Part I:
Access to knowledge about Canada

A: Access Services

• Service Improvements
• Genealogy and Family History
• Digital Interlibrary Loans
• Canadian Book Exchange Centre

B: The Digital Library of Canada

C: AMICUS

• Serials Control, OPAC, Circulation and Acquisitions in AMICUS
• AMICUS Web

D: Bibliographic Services

• Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules
• Information Management
• Research on the Use of NLC Bibliographic Records by Canadian Libraries
• Dewey Decimal Classification Table for Quebec
• Canadian Heritage Cultural Portal
• Metadata Coordination

E: Government On-line (GOL) at the National Library

• New Book Service for Canadians
• Thesauri and Controlled Vocabulary
• NLC Depository Services Program  -  Collaborative Project
• Wireless Technology Pilot Project

Part II:
National Library in the Community

A: Council on Access to Information for Print-Disabled Canadians

B: Virtual Reference Canada

C: Other Libraries

• Canadian Initiative on Digital Libraries
• Core Library Statistics
• Library Book Rate

D: Council of Federal Libraries

E: International Organizations

• Z39.50 Bath Profile

F: Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproduction

Part III:
Protect and Preserve the National Collection

A: Funding for Preservation

B: Preservation Collection

C: Mass Deacidification

D: Incidents at the National Library

Part IV:
Strengthen and Enrich the National Collection

A: Acquisition of Electronic Publications

B: Sound Recording Initiative

C: Noteworthy Recent Acquisitions

• Bryce's Canadian baseball guide for 1876 with Canadian baseball guide for 1877
• Stephen Leacock
• Lucy Maud Montgomery
• Jacob M. Lowy Collection
• Manuscript Collections
• Canadian Literature Manuscripts
• Canadian Music Manuscripts
• Canadian Children's Literature

D: Aboriginal Initiatives

E: Multicultural Initiatives

F: Canadian Theses

G: Legal Deposit

H: Serials Collection

I: Livres d'artiste

Part V:
Promote National Library Expertise, Collections and Services

A: Reaching Canadian Youth

• Heritage Day
• Internet Resources
• Books and Videos for Children Ages 5 to 12

B: Celebrating Canadian Creativity

• Governor General's Literary Awards - Gala Reading
• The Whirlwind Elsewhere: Mordecai Richler and Our Compromised Times
• Glenn Gould

C: Exploring Canadian Connections

• World Poetry Day
• Evangeline
• Canadian Studies
• 250^th Anniversary of the Halifax Gazette
• Olympic Games

D: Proyecto Adrienne, A Project With Chile And Chilean Authors

E: Promoting The Jacob M. Lowy Collection

• Professor Jack N. Lightstone: Illustrated lecture

F: International Forum on Canadian Children's Literature

G: National Library's 50th Anniversary 1953-2003

Annex:

• Reference to the NLC Report on Plan and Priorities, 2002-03
• Reference to the NLC Performance Report, 2001-2002

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Introduction by the National Librarian

As I am about to write this message, I am informed that, effective April 1, 2002, the National Library of Canada's Web site had already received over 20 million access requests! Last year, between April 2001 and March 2002, this Web site had received a total of 80 million access demands. The Music Division, which used to receive 300-400 visits per year now has more than 40,000 per month. A dramatic growth!

Such developments and many more show that the National Library of Canada is becoming a high-tech establishment, a modern and dynamic cultural institution in touch with Canadians from every origin, thus being similar to the wonderful Canadian library community.

However, together and through innovative partnerships, we can do much more to serve Canadians.

If we keep our librarians' traditional values and match them with technology, and if we benefit from all the opportunities when developing various policies regarding information, knowledge and innovation, we cannot imagine how far we could go!

Roch Carrier
May 2002

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Part I:
ACCESS TO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT CANADA

A: ACCESS SERVICES

Service Improvements

Improved access to the National Library of Canada's rich collections and services for all Canadians is a strategic goal of the National Library, and also dovetails with government-wide initiatives regarding service improvements. The Library is undertaking a number of initiatives to improve access to its collections and services for both on-site and distant users.

For users who cannot readily travel to the NLC, expanded electronic services are increasingly sought after, and this need is being addressed variously through the Digital Library of Canada Task Force, the Virtual Reference Canada project, and an electronic reference chat service. Because of the unique nature of the National Library's collections, many of which are not yet available in digitized formats and will not be for the foreseeable future, providing on-site access remains an essential component of our delivery of services. Given the ease with which people can surf the Internet 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, many research libraries are discovering that the old model of daytime business hours, 5 days a week, is no longer adequately serving the needs and expectations of their clients.

The National Library's current public service hours (8:30-5:00, Monday-Friday) negatively affect the ability of many patrons, as well as other potential patrons, to access the full range of on-site services, including reference and circulation of materials. In recent years, users of the NLC have frequently indicated verbally and through comment forms received both on-site and by personnel who staff the NLC booth at library conferences, "salons du livre", and other events, that extended on-site service hours, including evenings and weekends, are highly desired. During 2002-2003, the Library plans to extend the hours of on-site public services such as registration, reference, and circulation of materials to include Thursday evenings and Saturday afternoons, for a pilot project.

Genealogy and Family History

In order to better serve genealogists and family history researchers, the National Library is partnering with the National Archives in developing a Genealogy and Family History (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/genealogy/index-e.html). The Genealogy and Family History will be developed in stages over a three-year period, with a "virtual" aspect as the flagship of its first stage of development. An initial prototype of a website has been developed and will continue to be refined over the next few months. Eventually, single-portal access to online research tools and large bodies of authoritative content will be offered. The "virtual" Genealogy and Family History will allow geographically dispersed Canadians to access records and services from the National Archives, the National Library and many other sources, including libraries and archives across the country.

Digital Interlibrary Loans

A trial is underway to assess the feasibility of digitizing National Library public domain materials that are requested on interlibrary loan but are too fragile for loan. The resulting electronic copy could then be mounted on the National Library's website and even emailed to the client if the file is not too large. Interlibrary Loan (ILL) staff have worked with other areas of the National Library and have developed the following criteria for selecting materials for inclusion in the trial: in the public domain, 100 pages or less and Canadian or include Canadian content. Since the material to be digitized is often fragile, a book edge scanner is mandatory to carry out the trial; both the ILL and Collection Management Divisions tested different scanners during the year and plans are being made to purchase a scanner.

Canadian Book Exchange Centre

In April 2002 the Canadian Book Exchange Centre (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/cbec-ccel/index-e.html) began offering its monographs via electronic distribution lists. Official publications lists have been available for the last year.

In total six truckloads of material from the Saskatchewan Provincial Library were delivered to the Canadian Book Exchange Centre from July until October 31. This amounted to approximately 120 pallets or 5,400 boxes of material. So much material was donated that alternative storage space was required and Book Exchange staff are still working their way through this sizeable donation from Saskatchewan.

B: THE DIGITAL LIBRARY OF CANADA

This current fiscal year is the second of a three-year program supported by the Department of Canadian Heritage through its Cultural Content Online Program (CCOP). The Digital Library Task Force has been able to add many new digital collections, educational sites and exhibitions as well as provide enhancement to many of its existing sites. These projects are all available through the National Library website at (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca). From September 2001 to date, new projects include:

• Canadian Olympians, a searchable database containing news photographs of Canadian athletes. It currently contains over 10,000 images from the Olympic Games between 1905 and 2002.
  (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/olympians)
• The Indian Affairs Annual Reports database, which provides the full text of the departmental reports for the Indian Affairs portfolio from 1864 to 1990
  (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/indianaffairs)
• Passageways: True Tales of Adventure for Young Explorers and Pathfinders and Passageways: The Exploration of Canada, a children's site and a general audience site respectively, which highlight some of the people and events that shaped the exploration of Canada.
  (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/explorers)
• Canadian Confederation, the story of each province or territory's entry into Confederation is supplemented with the biographies of individuals, both supporters and detractors, who had an impact on Confederation
  (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/confed)
• Canadian Music Periodical Index, a database containing more than 25 000 entries indexed from 475 Canadian music journals, newsletters and magazines from the late nineteenth century to the present day
  (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/cmpi)
• Canadian Private Presses, a showcase of Canada's rich and varied private press movement
  (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/presses)
• Continued development of Page by Page, Read Up on It , Celebrating Women's Achievements, Sheet Music from Canada's Past (Phase III) (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/sheetmusic/), Virtual Gramophone (Phase V) (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/gramophone/index-e.html), Susanna Moodie and Catharine Parr Traill (Phase II) (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/moodie-traill)
• Images Canada, a collaborative project involving a number of cultural institutions, provides a single access point for some 65 000 images from collections on the websites of participating cultural institutions. More partners and more images will be added in the coming year. (www.imagescanada.ca/index-e.html)

C: AMICUS

Serials Control, OPAC, Circulation and Acquisitions in AMICUS

Culminating three years of development the SCOCA project was implemented in May. With the introduction of four new modules, key operations within the Library will be consolidated within AMICUS and use of the Dynix system will be terminated.

• The Acquisitions module enables staff of Acquisitions and Bibliographic Services to select and organize materials in all formats, both printed and electronic, through legal deposit, purchase, gifts, exchanges and other special arrangements.
• The Circulation module enables staff of Circulation to manage requests for borrowing and reserving items within the Library including interlibrary loan and onsite circulation.
• The Serials Control module enables staff of Acquisitions and Bibliographic Services to manage serial issues of the Library; over 200 000 printed and electronic issues for over 37 000 active serial titles are handled annually.
• The OPAC module enables onsite clients of the Reference area to search the AMICUS database via the Web.
• The Client Services module enables staff to manage information about the Library's clients and suppliers.

Research and Information Services (RIS) staff has been working on testing system functionality and preparing training material for the new AMICUS modules implemented on May 6, 2002. RIS is most excited about the OPAC and the new Circulation module, which will integrate ILL and onsite circulation for the first time.

AMICUS Web

Since the inauguration of AMICUS Web as a free service at the Canadian Library Association Conference in June 2001, usage has skyrocketed and is broadening. Not only have libraries increased their volume of searches but over 1600 personal accounts have been set up after a self-registration module was introduced in August.

Usage by individual Canadians using personal accounts is accelerating and will likely overtake that of libraries. In order to respond to the needs of average Canadians, the AMICUS Web Services Group, an operational working group with membership from across the Library, has been analyzing needs of different audiences (disabled, multicultural, aboriginal, youth, seniors) and is proposing a database analysis to uncover the strengths of the AMICUS database. This analysis will enrich our understanding of our own collections and its usage by Canadians.

Next year, with the assistance of members of the Digital Library of Canada Task Force the Web service will undergo a usability review followed by a revamping to remove barriers and to enable more Canadians to use the service more effectively.

D: BIBLIOGRAPHIC SERVICES

Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules

Changes in the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules (AACR) are in preparation, and the National Library of Canada bibliographic standards staff have actively participated, and continue to participate, in the detailed preparatory work necessary for cataloguing rule revision in an international context. In Canada, this work is conducted through the Canadian Committee on Cataloguing, and internationally by the Joint Steering Committee for Revision of AACR (JSC). In November 2001, at the "Association pour les sciences et techniques documentaires" (ASTED) Annual Conference, the new set of Modifications 2001 was launched. The National library of Canada is collaborating with ASTED and the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec (BNQ) in a review of the translation of the AACR Amendments and to prepare the final text of the Règles de catalogage anglo-américaines (RCAA) edition.

Information Management

As a result of a Small Agency Review conducted by the Treasury Board permanent additional funding of $400,000 was received to support restoration of full cataloguing records for federal publications, more resources to acquire and catalogue networked electronic federal publications and increased support for the Council of Federal Libraries.

Research on the Use of NLC Bibliographic Records by Canadian Libraries

In June 2001 the National Library contacted library schools in Canada to ascertain interest in conducting research for the National Library on the use made of its bibliographic records by other Canadian libraries. In the fall, the McGill University Graduate School of Library and Information Studies undertook an introductory study to track the use made of a small random sample of NLC records by Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) and Canadian Association of Large Urban Public Libraries (CALUPL) members, with accompanying questionnaires and selected follow-up interviews. The results of this study should assist the Library in understanding the uses made of its products, and in identifying potential improvements in the products and their distribution. Further research may be undertaken as needed and if resources are available.

Dewey Decimal Classification Table for Quebec

National Library staff began working with staff of the Library of Congress Dewey Office on a revision of the Dewey Decimal Classification geographic area table for Quebec, intended to reflect recent changes including city mergers.

Canadian Heritage Cultural Portal

The National Library has worked with the Department of Canadian Heritage (PCH) on the provision of Dewey-based, quality subject access to the Web portal on Canadian culture that is under development, under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two departments.

Metadata Coordination

In March 2002 the National Library staffed a new position of Metadata Coordinator as a focus for expertise and coordination of various metadata initiatives within the National Library and to fulfill a National Library metadata leadership role within the federal government. The Metadata Coordinator is providing project management support for the provision of subject access to the Department of Canadian Heritage's Web-based Cultural Portal, and the registration of controlled subject vocabularies in use in federal departments' websites.

E: GOVERNMENT ON-LINE (GOL) AT THE NATIONAL LIBRARY

The aim of the federal government's Government On-Line (GOL) initiative is to have all programs and services available electronically to Canadians by 2005. The National Library's Government On-Line Task Force was founded in 2000 to manage the Library's GOL projects and to bring the riches of the Library to all Canadians. Currently, the National Library's GOL Task Force is leading the following projects:

New Books Service for Canadians

The National Library's New Books Service for Canadians (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/newbooks/) was launched on Canada Book Day, April 23^rd. It provides easy and exciting access to new books before they reach the bookstores and library shelves. Publishers use an interactive Web form to submit information about new and forthcoming books to the National Library via the Internet. In addition to submitting information such as title, author, ISBN number, publishers may now also submit cover art graphics, table of contents, sample text, book reviews, etc. The authenticated bibliographic data that NLC creates for each new book is also returned via the Internet to publishers for inclusion in their upcoming publications. The overall aim of the proposed New Books Service is to improve the National Library's services to publishers, booksellers, and Canadian libraries as well as to individual researchers and readers.

Future plans to improve the Service include the development of more sophisticated functionality within the online digital repository, developing links from new books records to the National Library's Public Programs calendar, investigating the development of connections with Canadian libraries and their client services, and building a New Books Alert Service for individual and corporate clients.

Thesauri and Controlled Vocabulary

The NLC launched a Web page on Canadian Thesauri and Controlled Vocabularies (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/government/controlled-vocabularies/index-e.html) last fall. The web page was communicated widely and received a very positive response. Next steps include further development of the page as well as development of a registry system for terminology tools used by the federal government.

NLC Depository Services Program  -  Collaborative Projects

Federal Government Publications Locator Service

This service is being developed through a partnership between the Depository Services Program, Communication Canada and the National Library. The goal of this service is to improve access to information on Canadian Federal Government Publications.

The Federal Publication Locator service will provide access to:

• Bibliographic records of Canadian Federal Government Publications in the National Library of Canada Collection and Catalogue (AMICUS)
• Canadian Library Locations information from the Union Catalogue
• Access to electronic Canadian Federal Government Publications

The service is scheduled to be available this summer.

Persistent Locator Service for government publications

The National Library and the Depository Services Program have conducted a study of the issue of permanence for federal government information on the Internet. In March a detailed report of available solutions and recommendations was completed. Next steps include a review of the recommendations and follow-up, such as development of best practices, guidelines and a communications plan.

Wireless Technology Pilot Project

The GOL Task force has initiated a pilot project related to the use of wireless devices within NLC. It is also exploring the issues and costs associated with providing wireless services. The Task Force will be working closely with various NLC branches.

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Part II:
National Library in the Community

A: Council on Access to Information for Print-Disabled Canadians

In February 2001, the National Librarian, Roch Carrier, announced the establishment of a Council on Access to Information for Print Disabled Canadians. The Council was established to address the implementation of the recommendations from the report of the Task Force on Access to Information for Print Disabled Canadians. Members of the Council were chosen from the library, publishing, consumer groups, alternate-format producers and providers and public sector communities, and Paul Whitney, Chief Librarian of Burnaby Public Library, chairs the Council.

The mandate, membership and work plan of the Council as well as the report of the Task force can be found at (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/accessinfo/index-e.html). Any questions or submissions on the work of the Council should be sent to the Secretariat at email address: accessinfo@bac-lac.gc.ca

The Council has met four times and is making considerable progress in developing programs in response to the Task Force recommendations. A resource-sharing workshop on materials and services for print-disabled Canadians was held at the end of October 2001 and negotiations are well under way regarding the possibility of a pilot project to test a national site license for Recordings for the Blind and Dyslexic (RFB&D). The Council has also addressed the issue of the British Columbia Government's decision to cancel its Audio Books Program.

B: Virtual Reference Canada

Since the last report, the Library has continued development of Virtual Reference Canada (VRC; formerly Collaborative Digital Reference Service Canada, a part of US-based CDRS), a networked reference service for Canadian libraries and information providers. Significant support for VRC has come from both the Department of Canadian Heritage and Communication Canada's Depository Services Program.

Programming of the VRC routing algorithm was completed, an alpha test of the network was begun and beta testing has begun. Design work for the VRC website was completed. Several federal departments have expressed interest in having access to VRC services from their website or portal.

The invitational VRC-sponsored Canadian Virtual Reference Forum brought together 28 librarians from across Canada to discuss Canadian reference services in the virtual environment. Held May 2-4, the Forum presented two well-known guest speakers (Joe Janes and Dave Lankes); provided demonstrations of local (Toronto Public Library), regional (Alberta) and national (VRC) virtual reference services; and gave participants ample time both to discuss particular aspects of virtual reference and to assist the National Library in defining the NLC role in Canadian collaborative reference services. Outcomes of the Forum will be the establishment of an advisory body to foster continued discussion of Canadian reference collaboration, and the establishment of a. online Canadian reference discussion list. NLC was encouraged to lead investigations of networked chat mechanisms and of linked knowledge bases (both centralized and decentralized). Participants praised the NLC for exhibiting leadership in organizing the Forum and endorsed NLC's national-level support for reference networking.

The Research and Information Services Division began a trial of reference software that will enable National Library patrons to chat with a reference librarian and receive web pages and other content in real time through the browser. To support virtual reference initiatives, five new staff members were added to the reference service complement with the financial support of the Library's partners.

Close contact regarding virtual reference developments elsewhere, both within Canada and internationally, has led to increased opportunities for collaboration. VRC participated in initial discussions of forming an Ontario Digital Library. Promotion of VRC continued at conferences and seminars in Canada and the United States. VRC has encouraged academic participation in an invitational virtual reference research forum, of which NLC is a co-sponsor, to be held at Harvard University in August.

The Library was named a member of the newly formed U.S. National Information Standards Organization (NISO) Committee on Networked Reference Services (Committee AZ) (www.niso.org/committees/committee_az.html). The Committee will develop both a communication protocol for networked reference interchange, and metadata element sets both for question and answer data and for institutional and patron data.

C: OTHER LIBRARIES

Canadian Initiative on Digital Libraries

The National Library provides the Secretariat for Canadian Initiative on Digital Libraries (CIDL) ([www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/initiatives/index-e.html]) whose membership has reached 60 libraries and related institutions.

CIDL spearheaded and coordinated the development of a proposal to the Department of Canadian Heritage under its Partnership Program and was successful in getting over $500,000 in funding for a project to digitize local histories from across the country. The project is being led by the University of Calgary with Université Laval and has completed its first year. In Year two, scheduled to begin as soon as funding is announced will include the addition of three additional nodes to perform leadership roles in their respective regions and 17 partners to develop bibliographic support and copyright clearance.

Core Library Statistics

The National Core Library Statistics Program (http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/206/301/lac-bac/cidl-ef/index.html) has collected data for 1994, 1995, 1996 and 1999 for all types of libraries except those situated in elementary and secondary schools. Data has been collected from the National Library of Canada's library association partners who collect statistical information, as well as from provincial and territorial agencies responsible for public libraries, and a direct survey conducted in special and college libraries.

The data for 1999 was compiled into a database and a contract for an analysis of the data for all years was let to Dr. Alvin Schrader. The final draft has been completed and the publication will be available by the summer of 2002. The Library is also investigating possible scenarios for integrating school libraries into the Program.

In early 2001, the National Library commissioned same data mining from existing Statistics Canada surveys. While the results are disappointing, the Library has shared these results with the library community through the website and is anxious to make the case for research that identifies the performance and impact of libraries on various sectors of Canadian society. Partnerships and strategic questions to address gaps will be necessary. The Library has also provided seed money for a Canadian School Library Information Portal (CANSLIP) to be housed on the Canadian Library Association website.

Library Book Rate

In March the Memorandum of Agreement with Canada Post was extended for three years. The study on Library Book Rate contracted by Canadian Heritage is nearing completion. That study looked at the policy basis for the library book rate program and assessed the satisfaction of libraries with the existing program. Canadian Heritage will use the recommendations from this study as they prepare for discussions about the library book rate in preparation for the next round of negotiations with Canada Post in 2004. The National Library will continue to work with Canadian Heritage, the Canadian Library Association and ASTED on this.

D: Council of Federal Libraries (CFL)

The Council of Federal Libraries (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/flcs-scbgf/index-e.html) held a successful one-day seminar on information management in November, attracting almost 200 members of the federal library and records management communities. Three teams of community members have worked to scope and determine next steps for the Council's strategic projects: electronic information tools at the desktop of public servants, metadata, and career development. The Consortium e-Book partnership now provides desktop access to 667 titles for over 100,000 public servants in 44 departments and agencies. The CFL and four departmental libraries have also taken advantage of this platform to deliver e-books in targeted subject areas to their own users while also generously making them available to the users of all of the other participating libraries.

In January, the CFL submitted a paper to the Canadian Centre for Management Development's Action-Research Roundtable on Internal Services on the state of the federal library community. The paper highlighted:

• the need for a study of the model on which federal library services are delivered; the importance of the National Library's centralized role;
• the fact that information is taking its place as a key resource to effective government, along with financial and human resources;
• the importance of the difficult but necessary task of measuring the value of information and knowledge to an organization.

The Council has increased its visibility with central agencies and the rest of the Information Management and Knowledge Management communities through participation in joint projects and discussions on convergence within the communities.

E: INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

Z39.50: Bath Profile

Agreement was recently reached on version 2 of the Bath Profile (www.lac-bac.gc.ca/bath/tp-bath2-e.htm). This new version will contain new specifications for the search and retrieval of authority file records and for the retrieval of holdings information from library catalogues. Three levels of holdings retrieval were defined: Level 1 for locations information only, Level 2 for summary information, and Level 3 for copy information and circulation status. The addition of this new functionality will result in better retrieval of information when it has been implemented in existing Z39.50 systems. It is proposed that the new version of the profile will go to Technical Committee 46 of the International Standards Organization for approval in the Fall.

F: CANADIAN INSTITUTE FOR HISTORICAL MICROREPRODUCTIONS (CIHM)

The Library and the Institute have been developing a new partnership over the past year. Both have common goals and dedication to preservation and to access. A working group has examined issues around the continuing partnership and collaboration in the digital era.

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Part III
PROTECT AND PRESERVE THE NATIONAL COLLECTION

A: FUNDING FOR PRESERVATION

As a result of a review of Small Agencies in the Government, Treasury Board Ministers have approved an increase to the Library's budget for preservation purposes. One million dollars per year has been added to its base budget for preservation beginning in April 2002. The funding is being used to increase the capacity of the Library for conservation treatment and mass deacidification. It will also permit the continuation of a major project to identify and separate out one copy of Canadiana materials for the Preservation Collection as well as to increase the complement of collections management staff. During the fiscal year just ended, pre-1988 materials from the Canadian Literature and Canadian History collections were selected for the Preservation Collection. Special one time funding was also received to replace defective compact shelving as well as to undertake conditions surveys of the collections, an activity last carried out in the Library in the late 1980s. This special funding is also paying for the installation of large scale freezers to permit water damaged materials to be more quickly treated.

B: PRESERVATION COLLECTION

By the end of October 2001, 6000 linear metres of materials or over 600,000 items from the Library's Preservation Collection of Canadiana had been moved from the Library's Headquarters building at 395 Wellington Street to the Gatineau Preservation Centre (GPC) of the National Archives on a temporary basis. This move also involved cleaning, rehousing and construction of protective boxes where appropriate. This move removes these materials from risk of further damage in 395 Wellington.

C: MASS DEACIDIFICATION

At the end of April, the Mass Deacidification Unit ceased operations in the Library. Mass treatment to address acid papers resulted in over 1.1 million items from the Library's collections being treated. The equipment is in the process of being decommissioned and specifications and a Request for Proposals for a commercial service are being prepared.

D: INCIDENTS AT THE NATIONAL LIBRARY

Since October 2001 there have been a number of incidents damaging collection materials which have been the subject of major media interest. More recently, questions have been asked in Parliament about the Library's facilities. The response to a question from a Senator has been included below as an indication of how serious the Library's situation is.

Number of damaged documents, artifacts or other stored items

Incidents in the National Library collections areas between
August 31, 1988 and March 22, 2002

Listed by Incident and Building

Date of Incident	395 Wellington, Ottawa	Jean Edmonds Towers, Ottawa	151 Bentley, Ottawa	Terrasses de la Chaudière, Gatineau	79 Bentley, Ottawa	85 Bentley, Ottawa
1988
1988-08-31	2
1988-08-01		84
1988-11-07		156
19891
1989-12-22		Not available
1989-12-25		No damage
1989-12-27	Not available
19901
1990-04-27	1
1990-05-30	Not available
1990-06-	Not available
1990-06-27	Not available
1990-07-04	555
1990-07-13					Not affected
1990-07-30	Not available
1990-07-31		30
1990-10-15		Not affected
1990-10-23	169
1990-11-06	Not affected
1990-12-12	Not affected
1990-12-12	Not affected
1990-12-12		Not affected
1990-12-24	Not available
1990-12-24			Not affected
19911
1991-01-18	Not available
1991-02-						Not affected
1991-04-10	Not available
1991-06-03	Not available
1991-06-27	1
1991-08-12-16	33
1991-10-	Not available
1991-12-20	Not affected
19921
1992-01-19	1680
1992-01-27-31	15
1992-03-27	3 +
1992-04-22	Not affected
1992-07-16	Not affected
1993
1993-09-21	2,558*
1994
1994-03-16	1,811*
1994-04-13	Not affected
1994-04-15	Not available
1994-04-18	Not affected
1994-05-01		4,084*
1994-05-31	Not affected
1994-07-23			Not affected
1994-11-21			Not affected
1995
1995-01-16		2
1995-03-28	Not affected
1995-04-28	Not available
1995-06-02	37
1995-06-30	28
1995-07-13	Not affected
1995-07-23		180
1995-08-28	145
1996
1996-02-23	Not affected
1996-03-03	644
1996-03-04	21
1996-04-23	Not affected
1996-04-24	Not available
1996-05-30	33
1996-06-21	Not affected
1996-07-23			Not available
1996-07-23	Not affected
1996-07-23		Not affected
1996-07-24		Not affected
1996-08-01			86
1996-08-08	93
1996-08-12	19
1996-08-31			Not available
1996-10-30	Not affected
1996-11-9, or 11	Not available
1997
1997-01-17	2,502
1997-03-03	Not available
1997-05-08	Not affected
1997-09-11	Not affected
1997-10-07	38
1997-11-13	69
1997-11-26			Not available
1998
1998-03-30	317
1998-05-25	104
1998-06-28		40 volumes of bound newspapers + 180 books
1999
1999-01-02	7,825
1999-06-29	64
1999-07-07		1,600
1999-07-26		Not available
2000
2000-02-25	2,643
2000-03-28	100
2000-06-19		396
2000-06-25		37
2000-07-24		Not affected
2000-08-12		Not affected
2001
2001-01-30	Not affected
2001-02-19 and 2001-03-02	42
2001-04-05	96
2001-05-23	31
2001-06-04		440 tapes, 350 vertical file materials
2001-07-17		68
2001-09-25	33 collection items and scanning equipment damaged
2001-12-17	384
2002
2002-03-05	4
2002-03-06	198
TOTAL:	22,295	7,647	86

Number of items permanently lost and date it was lost as well as its value.

There have been no statistics maintained on the number of items lost. It is extremely difficult to place a value on damaged materials. In a few cases, materials could be replaced thus incurring costs to purchase and staff time to catalogue and process materials. In other cases, some compensation was received from the Treasury Board or from Public Works and Government Services Canada to pay for the restoration of materials. A case for mediation for an incident in 1999 for an additional $225,000 is under a mediation process with the owner of the building. Specific compensation has been received as indicated below.

Funding Received in Response to Disasters

Funding	Amount in '000s
To restore and/or replace collection materials damaged in 1993 and 1994	$987
To restore and/or replace collection materials damaged on January 2, 1999	$209
To complete the shelving of 12 empty vaults at the Gatineau Preservation Centre (GPC) of the National Archives  -  the National Library subsequently received temporary use of 4 of these vaults and moved a portion of its Preservation Collection of Canadiana there	$1,900 in 2000-01 and $350 in 2001-02 for purchase and installation of shelving
To take preventive action including the separation for the Preservation Collection and move of part of the Collection to the GPC as well as to restore or replace damaged collection materials.	$2,000

Value

When damage occurs, the materials are evaluated to determine whether it is possible for them to be replaced as it is cheaper than restoration. In the experience of the Library, very limited numbers of materials can be replaced because of age or availability. Replacements mean staff time expenditures from acquisitions, cataloguing and collection management staff.

Given the range of materials damaged and the range of damage to individual items, determining the value of materials is both difficult and subjective. Assigning a conservative notional average value of $150. per item damaged since 1988 would exceed $4.5 million. The impact of using a value of $150. as the benchmark is displayed on the table that follows.

Conservation treatment requirements vary with each incident, the amount of damage and the collection materials that can range from old leather-bound materials to individual stapled issues of a government periodical. An hourly cost of professional conservators plus materials can exceed $50. The look and feel of collection materials, even if restored after water damage, cannot be exactly as they were before the damage occurred.

National Library Damaged Collection Items Since 1988

Year	No. of items damaged	Av. costs per item for treatment or replacement ($150)	Overall costs in '000s
1988	242	$150	$36
1989	-
1990	755	$150	$113
1991	34	$150	$5
1992	1,698	$150	$255
1993	2,558	$150	$384
1994	5,895	$150	$884
1995	392	$150	$59
1996	896	$150	$134
1997	2,609	$150	$391
1998	641	$150	$96
1999	9,489	$150	$1,423
2000	3,176	$150	$476
2001	1,444	$150	$217
2002 to date	199	$150	$30
Totals	30,028		$4,504

What the table does not include:

• Long term damage caused by collection materials being exposed to water / high levels of humidity is extremely difficult to assess. In some instances, there have been outbreaks of mould after such incidents.
• Many materials cannot be replaced, some cannot be restored.
• The impact on a limited staff of seeing excellent collection management work undone by incidents beyond their control. Staff take a lot of pride in their work. One incident can wipe out weeks of project work and collections shifts.
• No access is given to these materials for researchers while they are undergoing treatment (can be a year or more).
• In some cases, both the service and preservation copies of Canadiana are damaged as they are housed together.
• Conservation treatment cannot restore the look and feel of some materials after extensive water damage. Costs reflect minimal treatment to ensure materials get back on shelves as soon as possible.

Collections Affected

Some of the Canadian materials affected include:

• 12 years' issues of Reports on Family Law
• 89 volumes of the annual Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada
• several years of the Canadian Almanac dating from the mid to late 1800s
• pre-1867 foreign Canadiana transferred from the Library of Parliament
• official publications from Statistics Canada
• runs of periodicals no longer available from provincial government publishers such as Saskatchewan's Innovation Place Newsletter
• boxes of newspapers on microfilm

Number of items that have been permanently lost

The National Library has not kept statistics on the number of items that have been permanently lost. Given the volume of damage and the excellent disaster response activity that has prevented further damage, the emphasis has been placed on response and preventive actions.

The present value of the collections inventory of the National Library

The value of individual items in the Library's collections of over 18 million items vary significantly. Given fluctuations in the rare book market, values can change daily. Some items are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, others have a very modest value. Their importance however, cannot be overemphasized as the collection in its entirety represents a cultural legacy of Canadian publications, Canadian knowledge and Canada's stories.

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Part IV:
STRENGTHEN AND ENRICH THE NATIONAL COLLECTION

A: ACQUISITION OF ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS

The National Library's collection of Canadian electronic publications (http://collection.collectionscanada.gc.ca/e-coll-e/index-e.html) has grown to more than 6,000 titles. Since September 2002, more than 1600 new titles have been added to the collection of electronic publications. Over 80% of these materials are publications of the federal government, agreements are in place with some 37 government departments and agencies for deposit. These archived materials represent over 900,000 files and 28,000 serial issues. HTML format material comprise almost half of the publication formats being collected.

The Library has made progress in making changes to the National Library Act and the National Library Book Deposit Regulations, 1995 to address the legal deposit of electronic publications. As with any legislative changes, there are a number of steps including gathering proposals, consulting policy and legal advisors, reviewing the legislative packages of other countries, and preparing a package for consultation with stakeholders.

B: SOUND RECORDING INITIATIVE

The National Library has received funding for the next three years under the Canada Music Fund of Canadian Heritage. This financial support is intended to strengthen the access and preservation of Canadian sound recordings. In 2000-2001, this additional funding permitted the Library to acquire some significant collections, notably the largest extant collection of the noted Quebec singer, La Bolduc, as well as large collections of sound recordings released in the 1960s and 1970s in Quebec and current Canadian jazz. The funding is also permitting the Library to increase its outreach with sound recording companies, to improve awareness of legal deposit and to deal with backlogs in acquisition and cataloguing as well as to purchase preservation supplies and equipment.

C: NOTEWORTHY RECENT ACQUISITIONS

Bryce's Canadian base ball guide for 1876 with Canadian base ball guide for 1877.

The first significant publication on base ball in Canada was acquired in 2002 by the Library. This two-volume set was published in 1876 and 1877. While these two volumes were produced as popular guides, they have survived in excellent condition. They also form the only complete set held in a Canadian library. The cover illustrations and text evoke the charm of a bygone era.

 

Stephen Leacock

In 2002, the National Library acquired a collection of 1300 bibliographically significant books and other materials by Stephen Leacock. This collection includes fine copies in dust jackets of all significant Leacock items, signed and inscribed copies with laid-in autograph materials, reprints and later editions of his works, a number of association copies, magazines, journals and as well as some sound recordings. The collection was acquired from Carl Spadoni, the winner of the Tremaine medal for his work, A bibliography of Stephen Leacock (Toronto, ECW Press, c1998). This collection of works by a major popular Canadian author adds to the National Library's strengths in Canadian literature as an area of emphasis. It also complements the National Library's bibliographically significant collection of works by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

Lucy Maud Montgomery

The National Library received a fourth accession of the Ronald I. Cohen Lucy Maud Montgomery collection as a gift from Mr. Cohen in December 2001. The collection of over 20 items includes interesting variant editions with dust jackets from Australia and Great Britain, as well as Canadian editions. This accession also includes some rare items associated with the 1919 Realart Pictures Corporation (silent) photoplay, Anne of Green Gables, including the sheet music for the title song and a magic lantern advertising slide for this production, an exceedingly rare artifact of which no prints are known.

Jacob M. Lowy Collection

The Lowy Collection (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/lowy-collection/index-e.html) has recently made a number of significant acquisitions including:

• A copy of a Hebrew grammar by Nicolas Clénard (1493 or 4 - 1542) of Flanders which augments the Lowy holdings of works by 16^th century Christian Hebraists. Printed in Paris by Martin Le Jeune in 1564, this rare edition of Tabula in grammaticen Hebraeam (Luah ha-dikduk) is in contemporary vellum covers protected by a later leather casing.
• De Die Natali was dedicated by 3^rd century author Censorinus to his teacher Quintus Caerellius on his birthday: This monograph was of particular importance to historians for its information on ancient chronology and on Roman and other calendars. Printed in Venice by the Aldus press in 1581, this is the third Aldine classic in the Lowy Collection.
• Prières d'un coeur israélite (Imre lev) was printed in Paris by K. Kaufmann in 1880. Once owned by Aline de Rothschild Sassoon, this French prayer book is elegantly bound by Gruel, with the initials AS surrounded by intricate gold tooling. Aline's son, British M.P. Sir Philip Sassoon (1888-1939) placed his ex-libris on the brown silk lining of the prayer book, next to a label bearing the name of his residence, Port Lympne, in Kent.
• Rabbi Judah Rosenberg (1859? - 1935). The National Library has acquired at auction thirteen first and early editions by this important Montreal Rabbi. This brings to seventeen the number of works in the Lowy Collection by Rabbi Rosenberg. Professor Ira Robinson of Concordia University writes that the study of Rabbi Rosenberg's works "provides insight into the pressures and accommodations of his own time that became the groundwork for the re-emergence of Orthodox Judaism in the late twentieth century".
• Hebrew Books from the Harvard College Library, Microfiche edition. Harvard College Library's collection of Hebraica is one of the most comprehensive in the world. The Lowy Collection can now offer access to some of Harvard's riches with the recent acquisition of 4,934 titles in full-text reproduction. Originally printed between the 18^th and early 20^th centuries, these texts were selected by Harvard Curator Charles Berlin for their scarcity and research value to scholars in both religious and secular fields of study.

Manuscript Collections

The National Library has acquired several new and important literary and music manuscript collections and has received further accessions to the collections for writers Jack Hodgins, Fernand Ouellette, and James Houston and composer Paul McIntyre.

Canadian Literature Manuscripts

• Nicole Brossard fonds. This extensive collection consists of the manuscripts, correspondence, notes, and conference papers of renowned Quebec poet, novelist and essayist Nicole Brossard. Twice winner of the Governor General's Award for poetry and with more than twenty books published since 1965, Nicole Brossard has had a major influence on Quebec and Canadian literature.
• Sandra Birdsell fonds. The fonds of acclaimed novelist and short story writer Sandra Birdsell covers the period 1959 to 2001 and is a comprehensive collection containing numerous manuscripts, drafts, and notebooks. The fonds also includes a large amount of correspondence with other writers, among them Jane Urquhart and Alice Munro.
• Jan Zwicky fonds. Jan Zwicky is a Governor General's Award winning poet and poetry editor with Brick Books since 1983. The fonds contains correspondence, drafts, and notes related to her works of poetry and prose as well as material related to work as a poetry editor.
• Don McKay fonds. Twice winner of the Governor General's Award for poetry, Don McKay has also been poetry editor with Brick Books and The Fiddlehead. The fonds consists mainly of working notebooks that contain drafts of poems and research notes and also includes correspondence with publishers.
• Jack Hodgins fonds. The fourth accession of the Jacks Hodgins fonds covers the period of 1958-2001 and includes professional correspondence, teaching materials and manuscripts of novels, short-stories and non-fiction works.
• James Houston fonds. Dealing with the period of 1989-1998, this second accession of the James Houston fonds contains notes, typescripts, drafts, manuscripts and correspondence relating to Houston's works of adult fiction, juvenile fiction and non-fiction. Houston is widely credited with the initial development of Inuit Sculpture and printmaking in Canada.
• John Hulcoop fonds. This fonds documents the work of John Hulcoop : a critic and editor for one of the premier women poets, Phyllis Webb. It contains mainly correspondence and handwritten drafts typescripts for writing for Jane Rule, Phyllis Webb and for Hulcoop's own poetic works.
• Frances Itani fonds. This second installment of the first accession of Frances Itani fonds contains correspondence and the drafts of stories and non-fiction articles created between 1942 and 2000 by this very active writer of prize-winning short stories
• The Cormorant fonds. This extensive fonds consist of editorial files, correspondance, authors' manuscripts, financial and administrative documents, typescripts and annotated galleys, artwork, photographs and publicity material of this small press which was begun by poet Gary Geddes in 1986 and continued by publisher Jan Geddes until its sale in 2000.
• Mary Meigs fonds.  -  Born in Philadelphia in 1997, Meigs taught creative writing at Bryn Mawr College and studied painting at the Art Students'League. She now lives in Montréal. This second accession of Mary Meigs contains works of art for novels by Marie-Claire Blais as well as notebooks and work of arts from Marie-Claire Blais.
• Fernand-Ouellette fonds. Third transfer to the Fernand Ouellette fonds. F. Ouellette is a poet, biographer, essayist, fiction writer, cofounder of the magazine Liberté, commissioner of the Commission royale d'enquête sur l'enseignement des arts, and recipient of several literary awards including the Athanase-David Award and the Governor General's Award in 1970, 1985 and 1987.
• Marguerite Andersen fonds. Born in Germany, Marguerite Andersen lived in France, England, Tunisia, Ethiopia, the U.S. and came to Canada in 1958. Poet, novelist and short story writer, Andersen now lives in Toronto and is very active in the franco-ontarien literary world. The fonds contains correspondence, drafts, and notes related to her works and material related to work with literary associations.

Canadian Music Manuscripts

• Len Hopkins fonds. This collection includes the musical arrangements, compositions, promotional material, photographs and correspondence of saxophonist and orchestra leader Len Hopkins who performed for more than fifty years with dance bands throughout Canada and whose music was broadcast across the country on CBC radio.
• Mary Morrison fonds. Soprano Mary Morrison is an internationally acclaimed singer who has had a long career as a soloist and has performed with various symphony orchestras and choirs. She also taught singing at various Canadian universities and adjudicated at numerous music competitions. The collection includes correspondence, photographs, audiotapes, performance programmes, and honours and awards.
• Michel Longtin fonds. Michel Longtin is a contemporary composer and professor of music from Montreal. The collection consists of the drafts and manuscripts of thirty original musical works, teaching materials, sound recordings, and recordings of interviews.

Canadian Children's Literature

• Henriette Major fonds. Acquisition of Henriette Major's latest manuscript, a novel entitled Opération Sasquatch, correspondence with children and a press kit. It should be noted that H. Major has destroyed all of her other manuscripts. Henriette Major has been writing for more than forty years and is a pioneer of children's literature in Québec. Her bibliography consists of over one hundred books including classics such as L'évangile de papier, an adaptation of the New Testament created in collaboration with Claude Lafortune. Throughout her successful career, she has written in many literary genres including novels, tales, albums and anthologies. Her latest efforts include published compilations of nursery rhymes and folk songs to help children retain their traditional culture. The 100 comptines, Chansons drôles and a collection of poems published by Éditions de l'Hexagone were a huge hit. Henriette Major is the recipient of numerous literary awards, including the Alvine-Belisle Award granted by ASTED as well as the CLA (Canadian Library Association) Award. The Henriette Major Literary Award was created in her honour for a first novel in children's literature.
• Ludmila Zeman fonds. Acquisition of original illustrations of The First Red Maple Leaf. Ludmila Zeman is a highly talented illustrator, puppeteer and animation artist. She studied fine arts at a university in Czechoslovakia. The remarkable Gilgamesh epic, a series about Sindbad, the navigator of One Thousand and One Nights, and a legend entitled The First Red Maple Leaf were published by Tundra Books. The illustrator has received many awards including the Governor General's Award. Her works were selected three times for the Bologna Illustrator's Exhibition. Her books have been translated into French, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil) and Arabic.
• Roger Paré fonds. The next accession includes the acquisition of 203 original illustrations of 17 books, 14 unpublished illustrations, 45 original uncoloured illustrations and 10 sketches. The accession is expected to arrive at the NLC in June 2002. Roger Paré is an illustrator and author of children's books. He has worked for Radio-Canada on programs including La Boîte à surprises, Bobino, Une fenêtre dans ma tête, Le Jardin de Pierrot and la Boîte aux lettres. He published his first book in 1967. He has created exceptional game books such as L'Alphabet, for which he received the Canada Council Children's Literature Prize. His books have been translated into English and German. The National Library of Canada already has 25 colour illustrations in the Roger Paré fonds from the L'Alphabet album.

D: ABORIGINAL INITIATIVES

During the period from October 2001 to March 2002 Meredith Ramsey laid the groundwork for improving National Library services to Aboriginal communities. A mandate and priorities have been delineated for a new external advisory board and names of potential members have been submitted to the National Librarian. As well, an internal working group was established and participated in the National Aboriginal Career Symposium and in National Capital Region Aboriginal recruitment. The process of staffing the Library's position of Aboriginal Resources and Services Specialist is nearly complete.

The project team in the Acquisitions Directorate concentrated on acquiring more publications from Canadian Aboriginal publishers, an area requiring special attention to address gaps in collecting. In collaboration with the Manager, Aboriginal Resources and Services, the project team is developing a mutually respectful strategy to promote the deposit of Canadian Aboriginal publications with the National Library.

E: MULTICULTURAL INITIATIVES

In November 2001, Maryna Nowosielski was temporarily assigned to the newly created position of Coordinator of Multicultural and Multilingual Resources and Services. Since that time she has been moving forward on a number of initiatives to improve multilingual/multicultural services at the National Library. She has been active in establishing contacts and implementing a consultation process with provincial libraries, provincial library associations and librarians in selected public libraries across Canada and in promoting multicultural resources outside of the National Library. An expert in multilingual services has been asked to review the National Library publication A World of Information: Creating Multicultural Collections and Programs in Canadian Libraries and to recommend revisions to this 1994 publication upon consultation with the communities. It is anticipated that the process to staff a permanent Coordinator will soon begin. As well Mijin Kim, an employee of CLA, recently started a one-year assignment at the National Library to assist the Coordinator of Multicultural and Multilingual Resources and Services.

F: Canadian Theses

Work continues on action items defined by the Theses Advisory Committee related to the Library's theses program (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/thesescanada/index-e.html). The Library's legal counsel has vetted proposed changes to the non-exclusive licence to accommodate concerns relating to students' moral rights and publication in electronic formats. She is presently preparing an opinion on two additional points: rights relating to royalties and disclosure of personal information in the Library's bibliographic records for theses. Negotiations for a new contract for microform and electronic publication services and copy distribution are expected to be finalized by late spring, 2002.

G: LEGAL DEPOSIT

Legal deposit (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/legal-deposit/index-e.html) continues to contribute significantly to the growth of the National Library's collections. Since April 1, 2001 the Library has received 30,550 new titles on legal deposit, including both trade (non-government) and federal government publications. In addition, the Library has received 5,460 publications from provincial and municipal governments. While rates of compliance with legal deposit differ according to types of published materials, overall deposit the Library requests every second item to be deposited. The publishers and producers of these materials have to be reminded. The collection continues to be enriched by these books, periodicals, sound recordings, microfiche, CD-ROMs, videos from all parts of the country.

H: SERIALS COLLECTION

The Library's serials collection is made up of about 34,700 active titles and 105,130 inactive titles. Each month about 300 new titles are added to the collection and 16,415 new issues are recorded. The Library claims more than 3,400 missing serial issues each month.

I: LIVRES D'ARTISTE

The Livres d'artiste Advisory Committee was expanded in 2001-2002 to include members from the artistic community, together with representatives of the National Library and the National Gallery. Its mandate was changed to include the administration of a compensation policy to offset the financial impact that the legal deposit of copies has on the revenue of artists. The policy applies to both livres d'artistes per se and limited edition bookwork's where the traditional arts and crafts of bookmaking, such as fine printing, papermaking, hand binding, calligraphy, etc. are used.

Two meetings were held during the year to examine 40 titles received for legal deposit. A compensation of the market value was paid to the artists or publishers according to established criteria. Sixteen additional copies of exceptional works were purchased for use in exhibitions. Among highlights of titles acquired:

Architectures, Montréal, Editions Roselin, 2001.

Poèmes de Denise Desautels. Gravure de Gabriel Belgeonne. Typographie de Jacques Clerc. Conception et réalisation de Jacques Fournier.

Bertrand, Claudine

Ce que les mots ne peuvent dire. Poèmes de Claudine Bertrand, présenté dans une Création de Claire Dufresne. Montréal, Éditions Ming, 2001.

Findley, Timothy

If stones could speak. With wood engravings by Gerard Brender à Brendis. Statford, C. Brender à Brendis.

Peacock. T.L.

The legend of Saint Laura. Kingston, Lock's Press, 2000.

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Part V:
PROMOTE NATIONAL LIBRARY EXPERTISE, COLLECTIONS AND SERVICES

A: REACHING CANADIAN YOUTH

Heritage Day

Monday February 18^th brought 4 teams of high school scholars to the National Library of Canada to compete for books, t-shirts and glory in the first Canadian History Quiz organized by the National Library of Canada, in conjunction with Historica, the Department of Canadian Heritage and the National Archives of Canada. Special guest, the Honourable Mitchell Sharp, opened the day's event with his remarks on Canadian history and its value in our contemporary lives. The quizzes, organized along the lines of Reach for the Top and "Génies en herbe", were a highlight of the day that included also exhibits, demonstrations and tours.

Internet Resources

The National Library of Canada offered three new sites developed especially for young readers and students by the Digital Library of Canada Task Force: Passageways (True Tales of Adventure for Young Explorers); First Among Equals (Prime Ministers of Canada); and Confederation for Kids.

These sites are easily available through a "Kid's Page" icon on the home page. (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/education/008-2000-e.html) Throughout the fall and winter, the National Library sought opportunities to bring the new resources for youth to their attention. Activities included promotion at the "Salons du livre" de Montréal, Rimouski et l'Outaouais, a new kid's page bookmark, animation and events at the headquarters building, advertisements in magazines for teachers and parents, liaison with electronic resource specialists on school boards, and displays at meetings and conferences such as the Ontario Principals Council and the Teachers Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy.

Books and Videos for Children Ages 5 to 12

The National Library of Canada, in collaboration with La Fête, offered a calendar of events during the school breaks in March 2002. The films, "La Forteresse suspendue" and "Tirelire, Combines & Cie", from renowned producer Rock Demers, have won numerous awards on the international scene. The films were complemented by an exhibition of books and posters from the films and interactive Internet activities.

B: CELEBRATING CANADIAN CREATIVITY

Governor General's Literary Awards - Gala Reading

The 10^th annual Gala reading by the recipients of the Governor General's literary awards was an evening of culture and connection. Canada's award-winning authors, illustrators and translators connected with some of Canada's most avid readers in a celebration of Canadian creativity. The Gala reading, on November 15^th, 2001, was organized in partnership with the Canada Council for the Arts and The Gale Group, and Web cast on the National Library's Web site.

The Whirlwind Elsewhere: Mordecai Richler and Our Compromised Times

Following Mordecai Richler's death on July 3, 2001, extravagant tribute was paid by many. He was called the shining star and pivotal figure of his literary generation, abrasive and enthralling. Accolades were spoken and written.

On February 24^th, the National Library of Canada hosted a panel that examined three facets of Richler's life and work. The panel chair, Randall Ware, was joined by Professors Bernard Dov Cooperman (University of Maryland), Linda Morra (University of Ottawa) and Norm Ravvin (Concordia University). The event was co-sponsored by the Canada-Israel Cultural Foundation and the Concordia University Institute for Canadian Jewish Studies, and Web cast via the National Library's Web site.

Glenn Gould

An exhibition of Glenn Gould photographs and copies of archival documents from the Library's Glenn Gould archive was held at the Canadian Embassy and at the Poly Theatre in Beïjing in October and November. Tim Maloney, the Director of the Music Division also hosted an evening of Gould films at the Poly Theatre as part of the 4^th Annual Beijing International Music Festival. He also gave public lectures on Gould.

Canadian Embassy in Beijing: (www.canada.org.cn/beijing/en/home/new2001.htm)

C: EXPLORING CANADIAN CONNECTIONS

World Poetry Day

On the evening of March 21^st, 2002, the National Library of Canada celebrated World Poetry Day with a reading of poems, news and old, from each of the 15 member states of the European Union. The poems were read in their original languages (11 in all) and translations (into either English or French) were provided. The edifying event was organized in cooperation with the European Union, UNESCO, Canada Council for the Arts, the Griffin Trust, and the Department of Canadian Heritage. As an added feature of the marking of World Poetry Day, Scott Griffin announced the short list for the second annual prestigious Griffin Poetry Prizes (international and Canadian).

Evangeline

The National Library of Canada welcomed from the Musée acadien of the Université de Moncton the exhibition L'Odyssée d'Évangéline / Evangeline's Odyssey. The poem Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, was published over 150 years ago. This epic poem of 1400 verses written in hexameter is based on oral tradition, although many Acadians believe it to be true. It tells the story of a young girl, Évangeline Bellefontaine, and her betrothed, Gabriel Lajeunesse, who are cruelly separated during the deportation from Grand-Pré, Nova Scotia, in 1755. This exhibition examined the historical and literary context of the poem through the use of paintings, texts, drawings and costumes and materials of the times. It was on display from November 2001 through the end of March 2002.

Canadian Studies

Tim Maloney, the Director of the Music Division held discussion with representatives of the Canadian Studies programs at Western Sydney University, University of Sydney, and the Australian National University. He has also joined the editorial board of the Australian Canadian Studies journal, and submitting one of his Gould papers to be published in the next issue (Vol. 20, No. 1).

250^th Anniversary of the Halifax Gazette

The inaugural issue of John Bushell's Halifax Gazette, March 23^rd, 1752, is considered to be the first printing in Canada. A vast array of activity took place across the country to inform and engage Canadians in reflecting on their published heritage, on the journalistic tradition, and on the National Library of Canada. Partners in the commemoration of the 250^th anniversary included the Nova Scotia Provincial Library, the Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management, the Canadian Newspaper Association/Association des journaux canadiens, the School of Library and Information Studies at Dalhousie University, the House of Commons and the Senate, the Bibliographic Society of Canada, the University of King's College, the Gale Group, and others. Among the highlights of the celebration was the display of the original paper, the only extant copy, at the National Library of Canada, on loan from the Massachusetts Historical Society. And in Halifax on March 23^rd, 2002, the Dawson Print Shop staged a re-enactment of the pulling of the original sheets. To include Canadians across the country and around the world in the celebration of this publishing milestone, The Engine of Immortality: Canadian Newspapers from 1752 until Today (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/halifaxgazette) was created on the National Library of Canada's Web site.

Olympic Games

A joint project of the National Library of Canada, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Canadian Olympic Association and Canadian Press offers high quality photographs of Canadian Olympians. The Web site features athletes from summer and winter games and is searchable y medal, athlete, games, and sport. The National Library organized a day of films, readings, demonstrations and displays in February during the Salt Lake City games to promote the site. (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/olympians)

D: PROYECTO ADRIENNE, A PROJECT WITH CHILE AND CHILEAN AUTHORS

As reported earlier, the National Library began a project (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/proyecto-adrienne/index-e.html) to compile literary works published in Canada since 1973 by Chilean writers in exile, to obtain copies of these works and to transfer them to the National Library of Chile. By the end of March, the National Library acquired works from twenty-six authors and is expecting to receive works from twenty-one more. NLC is awaiting replies from fifteen additional authors.

To promote this special project a Web page for Proyecto Adrienne has been created on the NLC website which will eventually include a list of all publications received by the National Library. The possibility of reproducing cover art from some of those publications on the website is being investigated.

The project has been announced on the CasaChile.com website. Nicole Caissy, who is coordinator of this project at the National Library, gave a presentation on Proyecto Adrienne at the Symposium on Chilean Literature in Canada, January 6, 2002.

E: PROMOTING THE JACOB M. LOWY COLLECTION

Canadian diversity is reflected in the collections and programs of the NL. The Council of the Jacob M. Lowy Collection continues to meet monthly with the Curator to develop ideas for supporting and promoting the Lowy Collection.

Professor Jack N. Lightstone: Illustrated lecture

The National Library of Canada and The Council of the Jacob M. Lowy Collection co-sponsored an illustrated lecture by Jack N. Lightstone, Provost and Vice-Rector, Research, and Professor of Religion at Concordia University, on November 1, 2001. Entitled "Mishnah's Rhetoric and the Social Formation of the Early Guild of Rabbis", the lecture and illustrations drew on editions of texts housed in the Jacob M. Lowy Collection, and can be accessed as a web cast on the NL website.

F: INTERNATIONAL FORUM ON CANADIAN CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, JUNE 2003

The Fun of Reading: International Forum on Canadian Children's Literature, a major initiative will take place in Ottawa June 26-29, 2003 as part of the National Library's 50^th anniversary. The purpose of the International Forum is to promote Canadian children's literature in its full cultural, linguistic and regional diversity, and strengthen its presence in Canada and abroad.

The Forum will include an international conference on Canadian children's literature, as well as a host of literary and artistic activities for young people in the National Capital Region and across Canada. The conference will bring together, for the first time, writers, illustrators, storytellers, translators, publishers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, Canadian literature specialists from Canada and abroad, literacy groups, policy-makers and the media whose efforts support Canadian literature for young people in both official languages. As of May 1st, 2002, Charlotte Teeple, former Executive Director of the Canadian Children's Book Centre in Toronto, is the new Coordinator for the International Forum on Canadian Children's Literature.

The National Library of Canada is also proud to work in partnership with the Canadian Children's Museum, part of the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the National Gallery of Canada, the National Film Board, the Canadian Museum of Nature, the National Arts Centre, the Ottawa Public Library and the National Archives to promote a variety of public activities for children and youth as part of the Forum.

More details are available on the The Fun of Reading: International Forum on Canadian Children's Literature's Web site at (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/forum/index-e.html).

G: National Library's 50th Anniversary 1953-2003

The National Library of Canada recently hired Elizabeth Morton as coordinator of the activities related to the National Library's 50^th anniversary. Ms Morton began working as a communications officer at the National Library in the position of coordinator on March 21, as part of a two-year secondment from the Canadian Library Association under the Interchange Canada program. The 50^th anniversary in 2003 will give the National Library an opportunity to showcase the contributions not only of the National Library as an information and cultural resources for Canadians - both now and in the future - but also of libraries across Canada. The centrepiece of the year-long celebrations will be the International Forum on Canadian Children's Literature.

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ANNEX

More details on NLC Business Lines and Strategic Outcomes can be found in the NLC Report on Plans and Priorities, 2002-03 at the following URL:

(www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/est-pre/20022003/NLC-BNC/NLC0203rpp01_e.asp)

Readers interested in the NLC Performance Report, 2001-2002, will find it at the following URL:

(www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/rma/dpr/01-02/NLC/nlc0102dpr_e.asp)