To improve services, research libraries are expanding their definition of library “collections” to include an ever-widening array of formats of research resources. A dramatic illustration of this concept is unfolding in Canada with the creation of the Library and Archives of Canada.
Announced in October 2002, this new agency, the Library and Archives of Canada, will bring together in one institution all forms of information about Canada; strengthen the visibility, relevance, and accessibility of the collections and services of the new institution using modern technology and the traditional skills of librarians and archivists; and provide leadership and support for archives and libraries across the country.
The vision statement of National Librarian Roch Carrier and National Archivist Ian Wilson includes the following:
The new institution will bring together all forms of information, much of it unique and unavailable elsewhere but all focused on Canada, in a way that will ensure systematic preservation and one-window public access. It will provide a focus for access to information resources....It will be motivated by the needs of its clients....and it will share the Canadian experience internationally.
This discussion session will explore the challenge of merging different cultures of service delivery.