Volume 2, Number 1, January-February 2006

In Focus

The Library and Archives Canada Preservation Centre

Preservation Centre Source

Located in the National Capital Region, in Gatineau, Quebec, the Library and Archives Canada Preservation Centre offers state-of-the-art facilities for the storage and preservation of the documents and works that tell the history of our country. It enables Library and Archives Canada (LAC) to fulfill its mission of preserving Canada's most important heritage--the accumulated knowledge and experiences of Canadians.

Old maps, priceless manuscripts and portraits, sound recordings, films and other holdings form that heritage, which LAC showcases through its exceptional programs and services.

An ultra-modern facility, the Centre boasts optimum storage environments and advanced laboratory installations. It is a building within a building. An outer shell of glass and steel creates an environmental buffer zone for the interior concrete structure that houses the storage vaults.

Forty-eight vaults, each with controlled ambient environments and measuring 350 square metres, provide storage for a variety of documents. The storage vaults have a manual mobile shelving system. More than 60 linear kilometres of shelf space hold the documents preserved by LAC.

Restoration laboratories Source

The preservation laboratories for conservation treatment and copying are located on the fifth floor, above the storage vault structure. They consist of mobile workspaces and adjacent laboratory enclosures organized in a village-like setting.

The Library and Archives Canada Preservation Centre brings together expertise and cutting-edge technologies to ensure the preservation of the country's documentary heritage. Through its website and remarkable digital collections, LAC makes Canada's documentary riches accessible to all.

For information on guided tours of this world-class centre of excellence call 613-996-5115 or 1 866 578-7777.

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