About Us

Library and Archives Canada - Fact Sheets

[PDF 187 KB] Download Freeware

Electronic Collection

Preserving Canada's Digital Heritage

The Library and Archives Canada (LAC) Electronic Collection consists of a growing body of Canadian published material on the Internet and websites of Canadian origin or interest. It includes over 30,000 titles published online by private and government publishers. All are considered part of LAC's permanent collection of Canadian publications.

LAC collects online publications and websites in original formats (e.g., HTML and PDF). In many cases, specific software such as Acrobat Reader or RealAudio is needed to access the content of these files. A description of each item is entered into the AMICUS database where it can be searched via the Web in the same manner as the printed publications, or retrieved in its entirety from the Electronic Collection.

A small percentage of titles in the Electronic Collection were identified by their original producers as having "restricted access."

These are accessible only for research purposes at designated workstations in LAC's main reference room in Ottawa.

Archiving Internet publications and websites in the Electronic Collection ensures the long-term accessibility of these resources, guarantees the integrity and authenticity of their online content over time, and provides a complete and permanent record of Canada's published heritage.

All use of publications in the LAC collection is subject to copyright laws. To learn more about LAC's Electronic Collection, visit www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/electroniccollection/003008-200-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).