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Legal Deposit and the Internet

As wonderful as the Internet can be in providing us with up-to-date information on practically any topic, there is no guarantee that the information you found a moment ago will be there tomorrow. Recognizing that a vast amount of Canadian documentary heritage is lost to us every day in this way, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is making efforts to archive it for future use.

While LAC continues to collect and safeguard conventionally produced Canadian published heritage through Legal Deposit, it is also gathering and archiving valuable Internet publications. On January 1, 2007, the Legal Deposit legislation was broadened to include online publications. These changes were necessary because of the influence of the Internet on publishing.

The legislation applies to a wide variety of people and organizations who publish online. A "publisher" is anyone who makes online publications available in Canada, and who is authorized to either reproduce or control the content of a publication. Many forms of information (e.g., textual, audio, video, geomatic) and how it is delivered are included in the legislation.

LAC systems allow online publishers to submit their publications through several channels: an upload platform, email, FTP, or regular mail via CD-ROM and other storage devices. However, clients are advised to keep current of further system developments that will make it easier to deposit, manage and preserve Canadian online resources well into the future.

To learn more about Legal Deposit, visit www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/legal-deposit/index-e.html, or for guidelines on how to submit online publications, refer to www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/electroniccollection/003008-1000-e.html.

For more information, contact Legal Deposit Internet Unit at epe@lac-bac.gc.ca or call 819-997-9565 or 1-866-578-7777 (toll free in Canada and the United States).