Internet Archive Canada (IAC) is set to attend the upcoming Ontario Library Association (OLA) Superconference in Toronto. They will participate in a panel discussion on Thursday, February 2nd at 2:45 PM in MTCC – 201D and will be entitled “Democracy’s Library: Partnering for Sustainable Digital Access to Canadian Government Publications.” Internet Archive Canada will be represented by Loren Fantin, Special Projects & Strategic Initiatives Lead.
Government publications are an invaluable resource for interdisciplinary research and education, however, like so much of Canadian heritage content, these materials are dispersed among various platforms and organizations. It is hard to recognize what is available and where gaps exist, access and discovery is difficult, and without a dedicated preservation strategy these materials are at risk of being lost. This session will discuss a national solution to ensure long-term, open, sustainable access to government publications: Democracy’s Library. Internet Archive Canada (IAC), the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN), Library and Archives Canada, and the University of Toronto are partnering to create a free, open, online compendium of government research and publications through the Democracy’s Library project (initiated by Internet Archive). IAC, CRKN, LAC and UofT collectively hold some of the largest collections of Canadian government publications and have long been leaders in digital access and preservation of Canadian heritage materials.This partnership will leverage their collective expertise, networks, technology, resources and content to create a national solution for sustainable digital access to this important content for future generations.The session will focus on the role that libraries play in ensuring sustainable access to digital government publications in Canada. It will highlight IAC’s efforts to preserve and provide access to Canadian digital heritage, including government documents and other significant cultural materials. The session will also explore the opportunities and challenges that arise when partnering with the Canadian government to increase access to these important resources.
We look forward to seeing the community at OLA, and please join us for our session!