About the Collection The collection held by Library and Archives
Canada (LAC) is the shared documentary heritage of all
Canadians. A national treasure of inestimable value, it spans
the entire history of Canada, and comprises materials in all
media from all parts of the country, as well as records and
publications of Canadian interest from outside the country.
While a brief summary cannot do justice to the incredible
richness of this collection, it can convey its immense scope: -
over 71,000 hours of short and full-length films, documentaries,
silent films and "talkies," in black and white and in colour,
dating back as far as 1897; - over 2.5 million architectural
drawings, plans and maps, some of which date back to the
beginning of the 16th century; - about 3.18 million megabytes of
information in electronic formats, including more than 26,000
Canadian periodicals and books available online as of August
2007; - millions of books in various languages for all tastes
and ages, from rare first editions and livre