Requesting Archival Microfilms

Library and Archives Canada offers to institutions a loan service of both library materials and archival documents on microfilm.

Archival microfilms are original unpublished documents that have been reproduced in microfilm. They include such items as Canadian census records, passenger lists, Western land grants and prime ministers' papers.

They do NOT include newspapers (e.g. Toronto Star, Le Soleil, Vancouver Sun) which are considered published material.

1. SENDING REQUESTS:

Canadian Institutions

If your institution already sends ILL requests to Library and Archives Canada, please use the same method you would normally use to send requests to OONL.

If you have not sent us requests in the past, the methods we prefer are:

• any ISO protocol-compliant interlibrary loan software (e.g. RSS, VDX, AGent)
• AMICUS-ILL (register now)
• ILL web request form  (register now).

Institutions Outside Canada

Institutions outside of Canada can register for the use of our ILL web request form (register now).

We also accept requests via OCLC; NLD is our service identifier in OCLC. Please enter NLD 4 times in lender string.

Fax or mail

Requests may also be sent using a standard ILL request form,
by fax to 613-996-4424 or by mail to :
Interlibrary Loan Services
Library and Archives Canada
395 Wellington Street
Ottawa ON K1A 0N4

2. FILLING IN THE REQUEST FORM:

Requests must include a microfilm reel number.
To obtain a reel number, please contact the  Reference Services at Library and Archives Canada.

If you are using AMICUS to send your request:

• Use AMICUS no 28391312.
• Enter the reel number in the Vol./Chapter field. Enter only one reel per request.
• Enter the type of archival document; (e.g. Census 1910) in the Article Title field.

If you are using the ILL web request form, 
choose a Serial Loan form.

• Enter the type of archival document (e.g. Census 1910) in the Serial Title field.
• Enter the reel no. in the Volume/Issue field.
• Enter only one reel per request.
• Enter AMICUS no. 28391312 in the AMICUS field.

Archival microfilm reels in our collection include one of the following letter prefixes: A, B, C, H, K, M, T
(e.g. A-507, C-100131, T-4776).

Some examples of archival microfilm reels not held by
Library and Archives Canada:

• MS and GS reels : Archives of Ontario
• F reels relating to New Brunswick (e.g. F-13388):
  Provincial Archives of New Brunswick
• B reels relating to British Columbia (e.g. B-13810):
  British Columbia Archives
• HBC reels: Hudson Bay Company Archives
• Reels without a letter prefix

Loan period is 4 weeks for libraries in Canada and 8 weeks for libraries in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, the United States and other countries.

Renewals : 2 additional periods of 4 weeks each, if no reserve in place.

There are no fees or postage charges for microfilm loans. However, the borrowing institution is responsible for the cost of postage for return of the material and the replacement cost of lost or damaged items.

For further information, contact :

Client Services Coordinator
Interlibrary Loan Division
Library and Archives Canada
Phone: 613-996-7527
Fax : 613-996-4424
E-mail : illservicespeb@lac-bac.gc.ca