About the Collection

Collection Development Framework

Collecting Principles

The framework guiding the collection development activity of LAC will evolve over time in response to changes in LAC's collecting emphases and priorities and in response to the evolution of the collaborative national network of heritage collections and heritage institutions. Within the overall approach to collection development, however, certain general principles are to remain constant and are to apply across the collection.

Authority
Development of the LAC collection is based on the broad collecting mandate established by the Library and Archives of Canada Act-to acquire the documentary heritage of Canada-and on the more specific powers outlined in the legislation and its accompanying Legal Deposit of Publications Regulations.

Objective
LAC acquires and preserves in perpetuity publications and records of enduring interest to the history and culture of Canada. LAC strives to be aware of the society that it documents, and to build over time a collection that reveals the rich and varied history and heritage of Canada and its peoples. LAC endeavours to collect widely and in depth in its areas of traditional strength. LAC is also committed to the development of a vibrant collection that evolves in new areas-a collection that reflects changes in how documentary heritage materials are created and shared, and changes in the interests, needs, and priorities of Canadians.

LAC strives to develop:

• a comprehensive collection of published Canadiana that documents the published heritage of Canada and materials published elsewhere of interest to Canada, and that supports the creation of a comprehensive national bibliography to make that heritage known and accessible;
• comprehensive records holdings sufficient to document the functions and activities of the Government of Canada (GoC); and
• a representative collection of records of heritage value that document the historical development and diversity of Canadian society.

One Collection
LAC develops its collection in an integrated manner and according to overall institutional priorities, rather than local subject- or media-based ones. There is one collection with component parts, rather than multiple sub-collections that only nominally form one LAC collection.

LAC builds its collection in a planned and coordinated manner, according to established selection and appraisal criteria. Collecting emphases are identified and reflected in operational planning.

A Representative Collection
As a national institution, LAC has the responsibility to develop a truly national collection that is representative of the full geographic, intellectual and cultural diversity of Canada, past and present. Regular enhancements to the collection are required to ensure the collection is representative and balanced in coverage, that it reflects the evolving history and heritage of Canada and changes in cultural perceptions and significance over time. This goal is achieved through periodic shifts in collecting emphases, based on formal assessments of the state of the collection as a whole and on consultation with user groups and partners.

However, in the development of a representative collection, LAC recognizes that in some cases materials of national heritage value are more effectively acquired, made available, used, and preserved by others in either a local or a regional setting. LAC works with partners to ensure that these materials are acknowledged and maintained as part of the documentary heritage of Canada.

Collection Development in the Context of Mandate
Collecting decisions are made in the context of the preservation and accessibility mandates of LAC. Acquisition is balanced with the institution's commitment to process, describe, preserve, make accessible, and make known the material being collected.

Documentary Heritage Materials and Medium
Material deemed to be of heritage value is considered for acquisition regardless of its medium. It is not a primary objective to document the development of a medium (such as the photograph, the map, or film), although this may be the indirect result of collection development activity.

Documentary Heritage Materials in Digital Form
LAC recognizes that its collection development activities require the ability to work effectively in the digital realm. LAC works actively with creators of documentary heritage materials to ensure the digital heritage is collected. LAC develops guidelines and standards to direct or assist creators in the transfer of digital materials to LAC.

National Documentary Heritage Collection
LAC recognizes that its collection is one part of a larger national collection of published and unpublished documentary heritage, and that its development is undertaken in partnership with other heritage institutions, in particular, Canada's libraries and archives.

LAC plays a leading role in the development of the national strategies that enable this distribution of collecting, service delivery, and preservation activity across the multiple institutions that safeguard the Canadian documentary heritage.

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