News Release

2001-17

Images Canada Puts Canadian Culture Online

Ottawa, June 25, 2001  -  Fascinating Canadian images dating from the end of the 18th century through the late 1990s from online collections across the country are only a few clicks away through the new Images Canada site (www.imagescanada.ca)

Hosted by the National Library of Canada, Images Canada is a collaborative project among a variety of cultural institutions that provides a single access point for the image collections on the Web sites of participating cultural institutions. With over 65 000 images indexed  -  with more coming soon  -  the images celebrate Canadian events, people, places and things.

According to Roch Carrier, National Librarian, "We wanted to provide a single window through which Canadians can find and enjoy the Canadian images that are being made available online by libraries, museums and archives across Canada. The site includes photographs, illustrations, caricatures  -  something for everyone!"

Now at the end of the first phase of the project, Images Canada currently provides access to the online image collections of the Canada Science and Technology Museum, Natural Resources Canada’s Earth Sciences Information Centre, the Glenbow Library and Archives, the National Library of Canada, and the Toronto Public Library.

Interesting historical images have stories to tell. As Susan Kooyman, archivist at the Glenbow Archives notes: "One of the vast collection of Glenbow images accessible through Images Canada shows Yellow Horse, a Blackfoot (Siksika) Chief. You can clearly see the details of the Treaty medal he is wearing with pride. The Medal dates from the signing of Treaty 7 at Blackfoot crossing in 1877."

Phase II of the project will involve of a number of new partners adding new collections to the central search service. The National Archives of Canada is among the institutions that will soon contribute images. Other planned enhancements include photo essays and the development of pre-selected search strategies, which will allow users to browse through subject-based selections from the database.

The National Library is thrilled to be providing yet another free service that puts knowledge within reach of all Canadians.

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For more information, please contact:

Susan Haigh
Manager, Program Development
Digital Library of Canada Task Force
Telephone: 613-992-2464