Library and Archives Canada
Library and Archives Canada (LAC) preserves the documentary heritage of Canada and is a source of enduring knowledge accessible to all, contributing to the advancement of Canada as a free and democratic society.
LAC facilitates co-operation among communities involved in the acquisition, preservation and diffusion of knowledge and serve as the continuing memory of the Government of Canada and its institutions.
We are in the process of integrating our services and information with Canada.ca.
The official Library and Archives Canada website remains available.
Follow:
Latest
Our services and information
Genealogy and family history
More and more Canadians are taking an interest in their ancestors' history. Learn more about the basics of genealogical research and the resources available at Library and Archives Canada, including censuses.
Military heritage
Library and Archives Canada holds an extensive collection of records of the Canadian men and women who have served their country in the military. A major project is underway to digitize the records of about 640,000 people who served Canada in the First World War, and some of them are already available for consultation online.
Search the Collection
Library and Archives Canada has many treasures that reflect the country's rich documentary heritage, including more than 250 km of textual records, 30 million photographs, 3 million maps, 550,000 hours of audio and video content, and over 400,000 works of art. Start your search now!
Acquisitions and gifts of archives
Library and Archives Canada's outstanding collection of documentary heritage reflects the achievements of Canadian society, its history and its culture. See how it continues to grow.
Legal deposit and the national collection
Through legal deposit, all materials produced by Canadian publishers become part of Library and Archives Canada's national collection.
What we are doing
Features
Virtual Gramophone
![](/web/20160809183206im_/https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/institutions/library-archives/features/20160307-1.jpg)
A multimedia website devoted to the early days of Canadian recorded sound, providing an overview of the 78-rpm era in Canada.
Events and Exhibitions
![Events and Exhibitions](/web/20160809183206im_/https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/institutions/library-archives/features/20160307-2-en.jpg)
Information about Library and Archives Canada (LAC) recent and upcoming events.
Signatures Magazine
![Signatures - The Magazine of Library and Archives Canada](/web/20160809183206im_/https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/institutions/library-archives/features/20160307-3-en.jpg)
Written and produced by the staff, the magazine seeks to make known and interpret the living cultural, civic, and historical record of Canada as reflected in its documentary heritage.
Corporate information
![](/web/20160809183206im_/https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/canada/library-archives/melanie-joly.jpg)
Minister of Canadian Heritage