November/December 2002 Vol. 34, no. 6

Message from the Managing Editor

On October 2, the Minister of Canadian Heritage announced the creation of the Library and Archives of Canada, a new agency that brings together the National Library of Canada and the National Archives of Canada. The goals are greater accessibility for all Canadians to their history and culture and the encouragement of research, discovery and sharing of knowledge. As stated by the Honourable Sheila Copps, the Library and Archives of Canada will strengthen the visibility, relevance and accessibility of the two founding institutions, the National Archives and the National Library.

Since its creation in 1953, the Library has worked in close collaboration with the Public Archives, as it was then called. In fact, the first National Librarian, Dr. W. Kaye Lamb, was at the same time the Dominion Archivist. History shows us the ineffable affinity between the two institutions and the two professions; the present exhorts us to re-examine that affinity through the prism of the client.

Canadians’ appetite for their heritage and their culture is growing, and with the creation of the Library and Archives of Canada Canadians will have, in a single organization, the world’s most comprehensive collection of Canadian materials at their disposal. Moreover, the collection will be expertly described and properly preserved. And the accent will be on accessibility.

Over the course of the next several months the shape of the new institution will begin to emerge. We have already begun work on the legislation, we have put in place a transition process, and we are examining key functions such as services to the public, preservation, digitization, acquisitions and outreach. Our publishing program is one example of outreach activity. The Library and Archives of Canada is developing its own publishing plan in order to reach more Canadians with news of the wealth of collections and services available to them.

We had earlier reached a decision to shift the National Library Bulletin to an electronic-only publication. Thus, while it will continue to be available online at www.nlc-bnc.ca/bulletin, this issue will be the last printed number. To our loyal readers, we offer our thanks for your interest over the years and we count on your continued support.

Mary Jane Starr
Managing Editor, Bulletin

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