The information technology revolution over the past three decades has provided Canadians with tools that are transforming the way they interact with one another, carry out their day-to-day activities, secure goods and services, and learn about themselves and the world they live in. The de facto means by which these activities are being carried out is rapidly becoming electronic and the de facto means by which the information associated with these activities is being recorded is becoming digital. Canadian society has migrated to a digital world and on an increasing scale digital information is becoming the raw material that is fueling the Canadian experience.

The digital asset, like any other valuable asset, needs to be managed strategically. While individual organizations are developing their own strategic plans for the management of digital information, these would benefit considerably from a strategy established at the national level. In line with its mandate to preserve the country's documentary heritage and to support those involved in preserving it and making it available, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) has assumed a lead role in establishing the groundwork for the development of a national strategy. In undertaking this role, LAC recognizes that a collaborative approach involving key Canadian organizations responsible for the management of digital information is required. It also recognizes that it is important to have a clear understanding of the digital information landscape, both in Canada and abroad, as well as the issues and potential opportunities that need to be addressed through such a strategy.

Based on this recognition, a study was commissioned by LAC to map the digital information landscape across the country and to identify key issues that should be addressed by a national strategy. The findings of the study will support the development of a national strategy for the management of digital information, and set out the steps that will be followed to secure the participation of key organizations across the country. The findings will also be used to support a planned national summit on digital information that will be held in March 2006.

2. Objectives

The major objective of the study was to identify and describe key organizations that were:

Involved in the management of digital information (planning, organizing, controlling the resources required for the creation/capture, organization, description, access/retrieval/use, and preservation of digital information);
Involved in building the components of the infrastructure (i.e. the combination of policies, standards and practices, systems and technologies, and people) required to manage digital information;
Involved in providing a service role (e.g. funding) or other kinds of support to digital information initiatives; and/or,
Expected to play a role in or contribute to the development of a national digital information strategy.

The criteria that were used to determine if an organization was 'key' were as follows:

The degree of cultural/knowledge relevance of either the digital information being managed by the organization, or the component of the infrastructure supporting the management of digital information, or the nature and significance of the services or role supported by the organization.
The perceived long-term value of the digital information being managed.
The scope and potential impact of the initiative or organization.
The extent to which the initiative or organization fell within the scope of the role of the LAC.

3. Methodology

The information was gathered from existing surveys and inventories, internet searches, and contacts with relevant organizations and experts in the field. Considerable reliance was placed on the personal knowledge of the two consultants commissioned to undertake the study. Their combined knowledge of records management, librarianship, archives, and government information management coupled with the research undertaken in support of the study shaped the scope and depth of the final result. The survey was not intended to be a comprehensive or authoritative source of information on all digital information initiatives and organizations across the country. Rather, the aim was to provide a general description of the digital landscape in Canada and identify the information required to support decisions on the objectives and scope of a National Summit on Digital Information in Canada. As a result, no external validation of the information gathered was conducted.

4. Findings

The survey identified key initiatives and organizations involved in the management of digital information. These were used to provide general descriptions of the various sectors, which have been organized and described according to the categories listed below (content providers, service providers, infrastructure, leadership):

4.1 Content Providers: initiatives/organizations responsible for the management of digital content, in particular, its creation, collection, access, and preservation. These were the primary focus of the survey.

The Government Sector
- Data in application systems
- Office documents and records
- Government publishing and communications
- Government libraries
- Government archives
Private Industry
- Databases
- Office documents and records
- Private archives
Museum Content
Learning Objects
Academic Journals
Monographs
Newspapers
Magazines
Music
Statistical, Scientific and Research Data
Geographic Information
Images
Films/Moving Images
Multi-media and New Media
Websites
Personal Digital Collections

4.2 Service Providers: initiatives/organizations that offered a service related to digital content, but did not own the rights to manage or distribute content.

Aggregators
Portals
Digital Hosting
Digitization
Digital Rights Management
Licensing
Metadata Services
Preservation
Search and Retrieval
Harvesting
Registries

4.3 Infrastructure: initiatives/organizations that focused on the development of all or selected components of the infrastructure (laws and policies, standards and practices, education and training and human development, and technological infrastructure) that enabled the management of digital content.

Laws and Policies
Standards and Practices
Education, Training and Human Development
Technology Infrastructure

4.4 Leadership: initiatives/organizations that were involved in providing funding, coordination, and strategic planning or development planning for digital content and/or services and/or infrastructure.

Funding Role
Coordinating Role
Strategic Planning

5. Trends and Issues

The survey identified a number of major trends and issues in the creation, access, and preservation of digital information in Canada as well as the design, development and implementation/maintenance of the infrastructure required to enable these activities. The trends and issues were organized under the following headings:

5.1 Digital Information Activities

Digital information, in its many forms, has become a major and important asset to Canada and Canadians and its significance is growing dramatically.
The stewardship of digital information produced in Canada is disparate and uncoordinated, the sharing of experiences is rare, and expertise in digital information is scattered.

5.1.1 Creation of and Access to Digital Content

The volume, diversity and complexity of digital information continues to grow exponentially.
The technologies, standards and practices that will better ensure the ongoing accessibility and integrity of digital information have yet to be introduced.

5.1.2 Preservation of Digital Content

No specific digital content type is being preserved in a comprehensive way.
There is a growing sense of urgency with respect to the preservation of digital information.
Regardless of the sector, no organization is in a position to claim that it has solved the digital preservation problem.
Issues from preserving digital records in complex unstructured office environments to dealing with related legal issues have yet to be addressed.

5.2 Digital Information Infrastructure

5.2.1 Laws and policies

Laws and policies are beginning to catch up to the requirements of the digital environment.
The attributes of authenticity for digital information objects subject to a given law or policy have yet to be established and most organizations have not implemented effective preservation strategies for digital information objects that need to be retained legally for the long term.

5.2.2 Standards and best practices

Some Canadian organizations have published standards or best practices for the management of sector specific content.
The level of application of standards and practices varies across Canada.
Metadata interoperability across sectors is rare.
As organizations move towards greater information sharing and collaboration, there will be an increased need to develop enterprise-wide, cross-sector, interoperable metadata, architectures, and standards.

5.2.3 Human resource capacity

Increasingly the management of digital information requires an inter-disciplinary approach that draws on the strengths of disciplines such as records management, library science, data management, etc.
Human resource capacity, especially in the area of digital preservation is lacking and there is a general lack of training and awareness.

5.2.4 Leadership and governance

Inter-jurisdictional partnerships are growing, through pan-Canadian, international initiatives, and cross-sector initiatives such as InterPARES.
In many organizations, the roles and responsibilities for the management of digital information (especially the collection and preservation of digital content) have yet to be defined and accountability is unclear, poorly assigned or non-existent.
Many inter-disciplinary and enterprise-wide initiatives suffer from a lack of leadership and an absence of effective governance and management frameworks.

6. Conclusions and Next Steps

The most pressing issue facing Canadian organizations with respect to the management of digital information is their ability to preserve the authenticity, accessibility, and understandability of their digital assets over time. While the study accepts that there are challenges surrounding the creation of and access to digital information, it found that these challenges are generally being addressed. On the other hand, the challenges of ensuring the ongoing availability and integrity of the growing body of digital information have yet to be addressed in any significant manner.

All organizations, regardless of the sector with which they are affiliated, are facing these challenges, suggesting the need for cross-sector, multi-disciplinary approaches. As well, the issues are national in scope and a national strategy, involving all concerned groups and organizations may be warranted. However, in establishing such a strategy, a mechanism will be required to ensure the collaboration and commitment of all relevant organizations and stakeholders.

As such, it is proposed that the appropriate mechanism for developing a national strategy be in the form of a national summit. Proposed steps for planning and organizing the summit as well as suggestions for possible topics to be addressed at the summit are described in the report. The summit and the collaboration and inter-disciplinary work that are expected as a result will set the course for the development of a national digital information strategy that is comprehensive, inclusive and dedicated to enabling the on-going availability of Canada's documentary heritage in digital form.

1. Introduction

On an increasing scale digital information is becoming the raw material that is fueling the Canadian experience. It has become central to nearly everything Canadians do in their day-to-day lives, from communicating with one another as well as with others around the world, to engaging in commercial or government transactions, to learning from a documentary heritage that is increasingly electronic in form. In a wide range of contexts, information in digital form is being created/captured, organized, described, accessed/retrieved/used, and preserved. Increasingly it is being recognized as a valued asset that, similar to any asset, needs to be managed strategically.

A national digital information strategy has been envisioned to help Canada maximize the value of its digital information assets and ensure that such assets are created, protected and preserved through time. Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is well positioned to assume a leadership role in facilitating the development of such a strategy. The agency has the legislated mandate, "to preserve for future generations the documentary heritage... (and) to provide professional, technical and financial support to those involved in the preservation and promotion of the documentary heritage and in providing access to it" (Section 8(1).i).

LAC recognizes that if such a strategy is to be effective, then a collaborative approach including the key organizations involved in the management of digital information is required. As well, it would be important to have a clear understanding of the digital information landscape, both in Canada and abroad, as well as the issues and potential opportunities that could be addressed through such a strategy.

In carrying out this leadership role, Library and Archives Canada has launched an initiative with the following steps.

Review digital information strategies of other countries.
Undertake a 'mapping' of digital information initiatives and organizations across Canada (the focus of this project).
Organize a small initial working meeting of a few potential partners who could contribute to shaping and scoping the development of a National Digital Information Strategy.
Prepare a discussion paper on the scope and objectives of a national digital information strategy.
Hold an invitational summit.
Develop a digital information strategy and action plan in collaboration with partners.
Seek/contribute resources to achieve this work.

With the completion of the review of digital information strategies in other countries, attention has turned to the 'mapping' of digital information initiatives and organizations in Canada. This report presents the results of a survey that was undertaken to map the digital information landscape across the country.

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Canadian Digital Information Strategy

Mapping the Current Situation in Canada

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

1. Background