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Photograph of Honourable Josée Verner

Minister's Message

As Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages, I am pleased to present Library and Archives Canada's Departmental Performance Report for 2006-2007. The report outlines all that this Canadian Heritage Portfolio Agency has accomplished over the reporting period and the many ways in which it continues to fulfill its mandate. Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is well known for its many important roles in preserving the rich documentary heritage of Canada. It has earned a reputation for making that heritage known to Canadians and to people around the world who are interested in the stories of this country

.

In addition to this important work, LAC is making another critical contribution of importance to the Government and to all Canadians by enabling our Government to achieve its accountability commitments. As this report illustrates, LAC has an essential role in government recordkeeping and provides critical expertise in this field to federal departments and agencies.

Increasing the speed of LAC responses to Access to Information requests is one important step forward for accountability. LAC is collaborating with partners across Government to make effective recordkeeping a consistent priority for all Departments and Agencies and to ensure that the government records needed to explain decisions and spending choices are better organized and managed and accessible for long term use.

Along with its work as Canada's national knowledge institution, LAC's actions demonstrate its relevance and value to Canadians. This Departmental Performance Report demonstrates the unique and important role the Agency plays as a member of the Canadian Heritage Portfolio in helping to shape and strengthen our identity as Canadians.

The Honourable Josée Verner, P.C., M.P.

Message of the Librarian and Archivist of Canada

Since the creation of Library and Archives Canada (LAC) in 2004, our organization has taken a highly-strategic approach to the mandate that Parliament set for us. LAC has emerged from an initial transformation process as a much more unified knowledge institution with a national scope. We are accelerating the evolution of an institution that is responding to a digital information environment and a world in which partnerships and collaboration are the orders of the day. We are focusing on the needs and interests of Canadians and people interested in Canada in all their diversity, wherever they live and however they prefer to interact with us.

This Departmental Performance Report (DPR) demonstrates that we met or exceeded many of the targets that we set for the year. In others, competing priorities and lessons learned during the year meant changed plans or timetables for our expected accomplishments. Together, the results of the year make clear that we are continuing to bring LAC together as a fully-integrated organization, as demonstrated practically by our initial progress in introducing a single function to enable people to search through our collection.

We are proud of the efforts we are making to take an increasingly-strategic approach to building our collection, so that it is representative of the rich diversity and complexity of this country and the Canadian experience. However, we believe strongly that it is not good enough to expect Canadians to come to us, although we have improved the spaces we use for client services in Ottawa and Gatineau. We are reaching out by making our extraordinary but fragile collection available to Canadians through greater delivery of services and access to our collection electronically and through regional exhibits with partners who share our commitment to making Canada's documentary heritage known.

Government records represent an element of that documentary heritage that has gained much greater recognition since the creation of LAC. Many of those records are critical to understanding decisions made many years ago. They provide the documentary basis to understand and address issues that resonate to this day such as treaty negotiations and commitments with First Nations and the payment of the head tax by immigrants from China. Many of the records being created today, whether on paper or electronically, will have similar importance to future generations. We are proud to be marshalling the commitment of government departments and agencies to bring their recordkeeping to a state in which the right information is retained and accessible. We are using our experience and expertise to lead a process that will give government recordkeeping the sustained attention and commitment it must have in order for governments to demonstrate accountability.

This DPR points out that much of what we did during 2006-2007 were steps forward, not the completion of a journey. That progress has earned international attention and is the basis for an expanding array of partnerships with other knowledge institutions. Still there are areas for greater action ahead of us.

For example, much more has to take place for LAC to have the facilities needed to ensure that the fragile items entrusted to us are kept in the most appropriate environments and for LAC to have the information technology resources to keep pace with the opportunities presented by an increasingly-digital collection and a world of users who want access to that collection from their homes, schools and workplaces. Achieving those goals will take the best use of the resources we have already combined with new funding to meet specific goals. With the work we have done to date and with the plans we are building for the future, LAC will be well-positioned to earn the support we need to deliver fully on our mandate as a truly 21st century knowledge institution.

Ian E. Wilson

Management Representation Statement


I submit for tabling in Parliament, the 2006-2007 Departmental Performance Report for Library and Archives Canada.

This document has been prepared based on the reporting principles contained in the Guide for the Preparation of Part III of the 2006-2007 Estimates: Reports on Plans and Priorities and Departmental Performance Reports:

  • It adheres to the specific reporting requirements outlined in the Treasury Board Secretariat guidance;
  • It is based on the department's Strategic Outcomes and Program Activity Architecture that were approved by the Treasury Board;
  • It presents consistent, comprehensive, balanced and reliable information;
  • It provides a basis of accountability for the results achieved with the resources and authorities entrusted to it; and
  • It reports finances based on approved numbers from the Estimates and the Public Accounts of Canada.

_______________________________________
Ian E. Wilson
Librarian and Archivist of Canada


Mandate of Library and Archives Canada

The preamble of our enabling legislation, the Library and Archives of Canada Act, states that the mandate of Library and Archives Canada is:

  • to preserve the documentary heritage of Canada for the benefit of present and future generations;
  • to serve as a source of enduring knowledge accessible to all, contributing to the cultural, social and economic advancement of Canada as a free and democratic society;
  • to facilitate in Canada cooperation among the communities involved in the acquisition, preservation and diffusion of knowledge; and
  • to serve as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions.

The Library and Archives of Canada Act introduced a new legal concept "documentary heritage", which includes publications and records in all media related to Canada. The Act strengthens the mandate of the institution to preserve this documentary heritage by providing for online publications and future new media to be included in legal deposit, for archiving Web sites of interest to Canada, and for the transfer of any government records deemed to be at risk. The legislation also provides an explicit mandate to make Canada's documentary heritage known and understood by Canadians and those interested in Canada

.

Summary Information

Financial Resources


Planned

Authorities

Actual

$131,578,000

$115,956,000

$106,166,000


Human Resources (FTE = Full Time Equivalent)


Planned

Actual

Difference

1,165 FTEs

1,126 FTEs

39


Program Activity Architecture

The Report on Plans and Priorities for 2006-2007 was based on a reporting structure with 1 strategic outcome and 3 program activities.

Image of Library and Archives Canada Program Activity Architecture 2006

Status on Performance


Strategic Outcome: Current and future generation of Canadians have access to their documentary heritage.

Program Activity 1: Managing the disposition of the Government of Canada records of continuing value

Commitments/
Deliverables

Program Activity
Expected Results

Performance Status

2006-2007

Planned Spending

Actual Spending

1.1
We will provide advice to enable a business-based approach to information management across federal government departments and agencies, through sound recordkeeping by:

a. Promoting the roles of IM and recordkeeping as essential to the success of the continuous improvement agenda of the Government of Canada, and collaborating with government departments and agencies to establish a government-wide recordkeeping infrastructure linked to government's business objectives and accountabilities.

a. We have created an ADM-level Task Force on Recordkeeping to develop a way forward and to recommend an action plan on the creation and implementation of a sustainable culture and regulatory regime for recordkeeping in government

Met

$14,684,000

$10,881,000

1.2
We will contribute to improving the use and management of information throughout their life cycle by:

a. Establishing a strategy to ensure that electronic records are effectively managed throughout their life cycle and ensuring that electronic systems and electronic recordkeeping are the Government of Canada's preferred means of creating, using and managing records.

a. In partnership with Transport Canada and Treasury Board, we successfully completed a pilot online transfer of electronic archival records. We also developed guidelines related to common administrative records supported by plans for information sessions in 2007-2008.

Met

   

b. Completing a functional and business activity-based classification scheme for government's business records and developing recordkeeping metadata.

b. We developed a function-based classification model for government business records and an adaptation methodology for all government institutions. Testing and implementation will be linked to strategic initiatives developed within the ADM Task Force on Recordkeeping. We also tested an approach to metadata with federal institutions that use the Records and Document Information Management System (RDIMS).

Ongoing

   

1.3
We will provide valued, cost-effective information management "and recordkeeping" services to the Government of Canada by:

a. Developing a new model for storing records of business value to the Government of Canada in all media.

a. We developed options for a new storage model, which will lead to a future decision. The implementation will start when the decision is made regarding the preferred option. We also developed approaches to clear the backlog of legacy records.

Met

   

b. Developing and implementing the initial phase of a strategy to increase the capacity of federal libraries to provide high-quality information services.

b. We focused on strengthening the Council of Federal Libraries Secretariat and Consortium. As a step forward in providing electronic library services, an analysis took place of the Consortium's proposed Desktop Tools initiative, which currently centers on an eLibrary project providing better information access to meet the needs of federal science-based department and agencies.

Met

   



Program Activity 2: Managing the documentary heritage of interest to Canada

Commitments/
Deliverables

Program Activity
Expected Results

Performance Status

2006-2007

Planned Spending

Actual Spending

2.1
We will ensure that Canada's documentary heritage is acquired and preserved by:

a. Developing an acquisition strategy in the context of collaborative partnerships with other institutions across Canada.

a. We established a framework for collection development activities based on LAC strategic directions and priorities. To implement this framework, our Canadian Archives and Special Collections Branch set priorities for its acquisition efforts up to 2010.

Met

$87,330,000

$65,102,000

b. Extending legal deposit to electronic publications and maps.

b. We supported the implementation with new guidelines for Legal Deposit and responded to questions from new publishers and through presentations to stakeholders to support implementation of the new regulation. We began to draft a communications plan for target groups such as GoC, scholarly journals and some commercial publishers.

Met

 

 

c. Addressing the challenges of acquiring, managing and preserving digital collections.

c. We have begun the development of an enterprise, digital preservation business framework and technical infrastructure which provides a suite of trusted digital repository services for ingest, metadata management, preservation and access of our digital documentary heritage. This includes policy, standards, business processes and software.

Ongoing

 

 

d. Archiving Web sites of interest to Canada.

d. We have developed and deployed web harvesting software, quality control and indexing capacity and viewing software. Major harvests of GoC domains have been completed and made available for searching.

Ongoing

 

 

e. Addressing the Auditor General of Canada's recommendations for protecting government records of archival and historical value.

e. We undertook refinements to RDACS to improve functionality for both LAC staff and GoC client institutions, including the development of a module for capturing information on the implementation of the Multi-Institutional Disposition Authority for Operational Case File Records by GoC institutions.

Met

 

 

f. Working with others toward a national strategy for digital information production, preservation and access.

f. We held a national Summit in June 2006. After the Summit, the Canadian Digital Information Strategy (CDIS) committee worked to finalize, validate and consult further on the Strategy. A Strategy Review Panel was also established with leaders in the library and archival communities to review, to provide final approval and champion the emerging strategy.

Met

 

 

2.2
We will enhance the management and delivery of content from our collection by:

a. Developing a framework for using metadata, elements of descriptive information about archival and bibliographic resources, as a new approach for enhanced user access to our collection.

a. We have begun implementing the Metadata Framework for Resource Discovery. We also developed a new physical control and circulation system which we will use in our Federal Record Centers across Canada.

Ongoing

 

 

b. Designing and implementing the next generation system called AMICAN that will provide a single point of access to the holdings of LAC

b. Our commitment to designing and implementing AMICAN during 2006-2007 centered on beginning a field trial for "Federated Search". This will be improved and expanded based on input from staff and clients in coming years. Clients are able to search our up-to-date, major information repositories through a user-friendly interface with a single client sign-on capability for all of LAC's services.

Met

 

 

2.3
We will address the Auditor General of Canada's recommendations for the care of Canada's documentary heritage collection by:

a. Developing strategies and a collection management framework, implementing mechanisms to obtain comprehensive information on the nature and condition of the collection, and beginning to develop a risk management framework.

a. We developed a collection survey framework to help us obtain a "snapshot" of the condition of the whole LAC We also carried out a specific survey of our collection of 524 'Indian Affairs' Treaties. Each one was examined and assessed based on material composition, past treatment and current condition. The survey also guided the design of a pilot project to identify effective and non-invasive techniques to document the rate of preservation of treaty records.

In partnership with Industry Canada's Communication Research Centre in Ottawa, we secured funding approval for a new Cellulose-Nitrate Preservation Facility. The facility is scheduled for completion by September, 2009.

Partially met

 

 




Program Activity 3: Making the documentary heritage known and accessible for use.

Commitments/
Deliverables

Program Activity
Expected Result

Performance Status

2006-2007

Planned Spending

Actual Spending

3.1
We will improve service to Canadians by:

a. Re-designing client services, strengthening service performance measurement, and providing seamless, efficient and multi-channel access to Canada's documentary heritage collection.

a. We have completed the integration of services to the public including the Canadian Genealogy Centre. A new reference model provides access to reference experts and content specialists. We have established partnerships, notably with The Generation Network, to improve and facilitate access to our collections.

Met

$29,564,000

$30,183,000

b. Improving processes for providing access to government records.

b. We have improved the effectiveness and efficiency of our processes and addressed the recommendations of our internal task force on Access to Government Information Services, including eliminating the backlog of responses to user requests for government information received under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, and received an A grade from the Information Commissioner in his annual report for 2006-07.

Met

 

 

3.2
We will enhance Canadians' knowledge and understanding of their documentary heritage by:

a. Delivering innovative programming to meet the diverse information needs of Canadians across the country.

a. We implemented the Strategy for Public Programming. To assist in the planning and development for future products LAC commissioned a niche market study.

Met

 

 

b. Assisting in the development of Canada's archival system through a transfer payment program.

b. In 2005-2006 LAC launched the National Archival Development Program (NADP) to provide financial assistance to Canadian archives to increase their capacity to preserve and make accessible archival material across Canada. First steps were taken to target projects that increase awareness and access to archives and to give new support to aboriginal archives. LAC developed a performance measurement plan for the program in collaboration with its third party deliverer, the Canadian Council of Archives

Met

 

 

3.3
We will develop and implement programs of the Portrait Gallery of Canada to enhance the display of the collection by:

a. Maintaining and enhancing the Gallery's awareness activities and collection development, and its web presence on LAC's Web site.

a. We have continued an active acquisition program (30 collections acquired), descriptive and research work, an intensive preservation program with Care of Collections (276 items preserved), and produced plans for an education program. We took part in several lectures, professional involvements and VIP tours. We assisted in the development of a 3D initiative that will be used by LAC in the future, and entered into new exhibition partnerships nationally and internationally.

Met

 

 

b. Developing needed program supports, such as education and visitor services.

b. In conjunction with the loan of the Four Indian Kings to the National Portrait Gallery, London, the PGC curated an exhibition of contemporary aboriginal portraits at Canada House in London, which attracted 10,000 visitors

Met

 

 


Year in Review

During 2006-2007, Library and Archives Canada made progress in pursuit of our goal to be the kind of 21st century knowledge institution that integrates expertise, collections, services and programs to make known the documentary heritage of Canada. We entered the year committed to being a truly national institution in terms of the scope and diversity of our collection and increased accessibility to that collection for all Canadians. We were committed to building partnerships across Canada's archival and library community and to make LAC known as a prime learning destination for everyone interested in Canada's stories and documentary heritage. We were determined to use our role as the lead institution supporting recordkeeping and information management in the Government of Canada as the basis of helping to meet the need for increased accountability of government to citizens.

We crafted our plans for 2006-2007 in ways that recognized the importance of being a citizen-focused institution, one that responds to the needs and interests of Canadians. We based our plans on a commitment to meet the challenges and opportunities of an information universe that is increasingly digital, both in terms of a new generation of digital documentary heritage and in terms of the digital tools that Canadians use to find information. All this took place in a continuing climate of achieving the most significant results possible of importance to Canadians through the best use of our resources.

Our roles in Government of Canada information management and recordkeeping became an increasingly important aspect of our work during 2006-2007. Parliamentarians, the Auditor General and public service leaders know that better recordkeeping is fundamentally critical to providing the accountability that Canadians expect. A series of Deputy Minister Roundtables achieved consensus on the importance of effective recordkeeping and paved the way for an ADM-level task force that is moving towards a radical rethinking and renewal of federal recordkeeping, in which LAC will carry out our legislated responsibilities.

As the organization charged with responsibility for acquiring, managing and disposing of federal government records, we launched working groups that are looking for ways to improve our work under these responsibilities, in collaboration with the federal departments and agencies that generate these records. Over the coming years, government records of enduring value will be retained and managed so that they can be accessed easily, while those not needed will be disposed of, reducing unnecessary storage costs to taxpayers.

An important and ongoing responsibility that continued throughout 2006-2007 was to build our collection. Our ongoing implementation of our new Collection Development Framework underscored our commitment to make acquisitions that best meet our strategic goals for the collection. For example, we acquired many sets of papers and records that provide a window into Canada's diversity. Records relating to Aboriginal people and their institutions, many of this country's cultural communities as well as Canada's social history, complemented our successful efforts to acquire the records of Prime Ministers and other well-known Canadians from fields such as the arts and culture.

The collection that we are building has always encompassed many media, whether paper, art, film, video, sound recordings or photography. During 2006-2007, we followed through on our commitment to capture more of Canada's new generation of digital information. The implementation of a new regulation requiring the legal deposit of electronic publications and maps with LAC helped, as did our "harvest" of government websites so that future generations will be able to see an early phase of digital information distribution to Canadians.

The other side of that digital direction was our increased emphasis on making our collection known through digital means. At one level, this meant the digitization of many items from our collection so that Canadians can experience them online. At another, it deeply influenced the direction of a partnership with the National Archives of Ireland. For many Canadians, it was clear through the launch of a new "federated search" function that enables visitors to gain better, simpler access to Canada's documentary heritage and tools through the LAC website. These advances continue to show why the LAC Collections Canada website is the most visited federal cultural website, with a 65% increase in page views alone, year over year.

At the same time, we developed or continued many exhibitions in Canada and internationally. We worked with partners across Canada to support exhibitions in many regions of Canada. We also brought an increasingly international orientation to our exhibition program, including shows that brought items from the Portrait Gallery Program to the United Kingdom and France.

The LAC commitment to responding to the needs of Canadians was equally demonstrated by our continuing improvement to Access to Information responses. After a determined effort and the necessary application of resources to re-engineer our processes, we eliminated our Access request backlog and moved from an "F" grade from the Information Commissioner to an "A" - a status that we intend to keep.

Many of our focuses for action have been long-term initiatives. This is particularly true of our work to improve LAC's infrastructure to respond to the 2003 recommendations of the Auditor General and our own recognition of the kinds of facilities we need to care properly for a collection of unique and priceless items. One step forward was approval of a new facility that, when constructed, will enable us to house old films and photographic stock that are at serious risk now.

While LAC accomplished a great deal during 2006-2007, we recognized the need to look ahead and to make strategic choices. With that in mind, we began a process of business planning to guide our choices through to 2010. The decisions guided by that plan will enable us to build on the progress we have made since the creation of Library and Archives Canada and the work of the 2006-2007 fiscal year.