Departmental Library: The Right Choice for Information

The Library:

The Departmental Library offers a full range of services to employees at headquarters and in the regions. The Library also serves Aboriginal peoples, other government departments, researchers, academics, consultants, students and the general public.

The Collections:

The main focus of the Library's collections is Canada's Aboriginal peoples and the Canadian North. Other subject areas covered include Canadian history, the environment, political science, economic development, management, public administration and information technology.

Here are some highlights of our collections, which include more than 60,000 titles. (85,000 volumes).

• an excellent collection of Canadian Aboriginal and northern magazines, including many that are no longer published;
• 400 current magazine and journal subscriptions;
• a large number of Canadian government documents;
• approximately 2,000 rare books; and
• a microfilm copy of the department's historic files (Records Group or RG 10 files) on Indian Affairs. (The originals are kept at the National Archives of Canada.)

A list of new acquisitions, called Look What's New, is produced regularly and provided to all employees, and to organizations and individuals outside the department on demand.

We welcome and encourage suggestions to help us develop our collections. Make your suggestions in person, in writing or by calling the Research Desk at (819) 997-0811.

Our Database:

You can find what you need by using our database. It describes every item in the Departmental Library. It also lists the collections of a number of other Indian Affairs and Northern Development resource centres and libraries at headquarters and in the regions.

Departmental employees can access the Library's database from their own work areas using their personal computers. To arrange a computer linkup, call Karen Russell-Letourneau, Departmental Library, at (819) 953-6688.

For training on using the database contact the Research Desk at (819) 997-0811.

Borrowing from the Library:

All departmental employees may borrow from the Library. Other clients are welcome to borrow through an interlibrary loan set up through their own office, public or school library.

You can borrow all material from the Library's collections except reference books, rare items, statutes, and some parliamentary publications.

Books can be borrowed for four weeks. Government documents and magazines are loaned for one week.

Loan renewals can be done in person or by phone. You can also ask to be put on a waiting list to reserve an item on order, or on loan to another employee.

For loans, renewals and waiting lists, contact Circulation at (819) 997-0799.

Our Services

Research Desk:

This service is available to employees and external clients.

The Research Desk can provide information about the department, Canadian Aboriginal peoples and the Canadian North, including historical and cultural information, statistics, legislation and regulations. We can advise you on how to carry out in-depth research in the Library's collections. We can make referrals to other parts of the department, and to other libraries.

We regularly produce reading lists and bibliographies of items from the Library's collections on specific topics.

For the Research Desk, call (819) 997-0811.

Commercial Database Searching:

This service is available to departmental employees only.

The Departmental Library subscribes to over 600 commercial databases, offering access to information in a variety of formats, such as case law, electronic publications and references (or citations) to books and articles.

These databases can be used to search several years worth of information. You can also obtain monthly printouts of information on topics you wish to track.

We also have databases on CD-ROM that you may search yourself.

For more information call the Research Desk at (819) 997-0811.

Interlibrary Loans:

This service is available to departmental employees only.

If you cannot find what you need in our collections, we can arrange loans and photocopies from other libraries.

We cannot borrow material from other libraries for regional employees because of the short loan periods and delays in getting items to the regions. However, we will send to regional staff photocopies other libraries are willing to provide, and we will try to locate sources where regional employees may find material in their area.

For interlibrary loans, call (819) 994-1347.

Magazine and Journal Routing:

This service is available only to headquarters employees.

Many of the Library's 400 current magazine and journal subscriptions are available for routing to employees at headquarters.

To obtain a list of the Library's current magazines and journals, contact the Research Desk at (819) 997-0811.

Come Visit Us:

We give regular library tours to show clients how the Library's collections and services can help them in their work and research. In-depth tours are organized for individuals or groups.

Contact the Research Desk at (819) 997-0811.

Of Historical Interest:

This department has a long and varied history. Our predecessor, the British Indian Office, was created in 1755. Since Confederation in 1867, responsibility for Indian Affairs and Northern Affairs has been handled by a number of departments. The Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) was created in 1966.

The Departmental Library is an excellent source of information on the department's history and the evolution of its relations with Canada's Aboriginal peoples and the Canadian North.

Open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Address:

Departmental Library
Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development
14th Floor, Les Terrasses de la Chaudière
10 Wellington Street
Hull, Quebec, K1A 0H4

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