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Collection Development Framework
Table of Contents
Introduction
The collection of Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is one of its greatest achievements. It has been built over a period of over 130 years and is the product of the distinguished collecting traditions of the two predecessor institutions, the National Archives of Canada, established in 1872, and the National Library of Canada, established in 1953. In an unprecedented innovation, the official establishment of Library and Archives Canada in May 2004 saw the creation of a new kind of knowledge institution that fully integrates the heritage collections and collecting mandates of these two former national institutions. The LAC collection is part of the spectrum of preserved heritage in Canada that also includes museum collections and built heritage.
Through its enabling legislation, the Library and Archives of Canada Act, LAC has been given a clear and enhanced role, as well as a strategic mandate in relation to the collection materials it holds in trust for Canadians. Building the collection is the critical first step in fulfilling the legislated mandate: to preserve the documentary heritage of Canada for the benefit of present and future generations; to be "a source of enduring knowledge accessible to all, contributing to the cultural, social, and economic advancement of Canada as a free and democratic society;" to "serve as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions;" and to work in cooperation with other institutions in the country involved in the collection and preservation of the national heritage. All of these outcomes are rooted in the collection and the ability to deliver its value back to Canadians.
A framework for collection development is part of building the LAC envisioned in Directions for Change: a new institution that maintains the best of the collecting approaches of the predecessor institutions while adapting its collecting activities to the requirements of its new strategic directions and the digital environment. The framework identifies the long-term principles that will guide the collection development activity, outlines five key collection development areas for the years 2005-2010, and provides an overview of how LAC goes about developing its collection.
This document is the foundation upon which subsequent work will build. In 2005-2006, LAC will prepare detailed work plans for the five priority areas identified below, and begin work on the development of specific collection policies and of an acquisitions strategy in the context of collaborative partnerships with other Canadian heritage institutions.
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