What's New
LAC begins implementation of new approach to service delivery
Starting on February 13, 2012, Library and Archives Canada (LAC) will begin the phased implementation of its new approach to service delivery.
Information technologies have modified how the vast majority of Canadians find and use information. Memory institutions like LAC must adapt to this new environment to remain relevant to as many Canadians as possible.
LAC’s service statistics provide a vivid illustration of this digital revolution. Our website now gets close to half a million visits per month. In contrast, LAC’s in-person service hub located at 395 Wellington Street, receives about 2,000 visits per month. These two service points are also trending in opposite directions, with online consultations increasing rapidly, and in-person visits declining slowly but steadily.
The implementation of a digital service approach to deliver more and more services via electronic means, constitutes a major milestone of the Modernization initiative. This will lead to significant adjustments to our front-line services at 395 Wellington Street, as LAC explores technological opportunities to interact with clients via innovative channels and videoconferencing.
Below, you will find the timeline for front-line service changes at LAC’s 395 Wellington Street facilities.
Phase 1: February 13, 2012 – end of March, 2012
- Basic orientation services will be available from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday;
- Access to LAC experts will be available through a new reference by appointment service, provided between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Appointments will take place onsite or at a distance, using videoconferencing or telephone, depending on the preference of the client; and,
- As a transition, during this period walk-in reference services with LAC experts will be maintained from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Friday.
Phase 2: April 2, 2012
- Basic orientation and genealogy services will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday to Friday;
- Access to experts, including for genealogy inquiries, will be through reference by appointment only, provided between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday; and,
- All reference services will be offered by appointment only.
LAC’s goal is to shift its service model from a largely in-person approach to service to a largely unmediated (self-serve) approach focused on enhanced virtual access to content and services. With these planned changes, LAC will firmly position itself as an institution where all Canadians will be able to discover, engage with, and share LAC’s rich content when, where, and how they want it.
