Video—Library and Archives Canada is not doing enough to preserve and provide access to government records of historical value

Video Transcript

In this audit, we looked at how Library and Archives Canada acquires and preserves government records of historical value, and facilitates access to these records for current and future generations.

We found that Library and Archives Canada is not acquiring all the government records of archival value that it should from federal institutions.

Of what it has acquired, 98,000 boxes are waiting to be processed, and some have been around for decades. The backlog includes approximately 24,000 boxes of military records.

We found that Library and Archives Canada spent over $15 million on a digital repository that was tested, approved and ready to use, but ultimately never used.

Library and Archives Canada still does not have an integrated system to manage the electronic transfer, preservation, and storage of digital information.

Library and Archives Canada has stated that by 2017, digital will be its format of choice for receiving records.

However, we found that the institution is not prepared to manage the volume of digital records it will have to acquire, preserve and make accessible.