Library and Archives Canada

06/23/2026

Last week, Alexane Drolet, our Creator in Residence, visited our facilities. She enjoyed an exclusive tour of our laboratories and the specialized areas at the Preservation Centre.

We asked some of you what you would most like to see during a visit—and, unsurprisingly, the most popular answer was the Book Conservation Lab!

So here’s a glimpse into the fascinating space where patience, expertise and precision come together.

Our book collection contains approximately 20 million items dating from the mid 1400s to the present day, including rare books, ledgers, sketchbooks, scrapbooks, magazines and pamphlets.

The conservation treatments they require can range from repairing a small tear to carrying out a full rebinding, including sewing the individual pages by hand—a process that can take over 100 hours!

In this video, conservator Manise Young presents a photo album by William James Topley (1879—1880), a comic book from the Elsie MacGill fonds (1942), and a bound volume of newspapers (1890).

06/22/2026

06/22/2026

The Wilson Globe conservation treatment, before and after! 🌍

Senior paper conservator Mylène Leroux shares how the conservation of the Wilson Globe illustrates that preservation goes far beyond caring for old objects:

“By removing the degraded varnish and the old, discolored repairs, we are given the opportunity to connect more deeply with this specific item in our collection.

This globe was carefully constructed originally by J. Wilson, putting together his whole vision of the world he himself only knew through books, records, and other people’s work, into one cohesive sphere. I believe that by giving better access to the globe, this record itself will become part of the viewer’s construction of the world.

Conservation is always a choice. In this case, removing the varnish, we had to accept we will be responsible for changing an invaluable historical object. The trade off is to potentially increase its physical life, to be able to pass down this document for many more generations, and to be able to view it in a more compelling way. We can read the historical annotations that were important to its maker, and the names given to places that we know by a different name today.

The wood stand was re-varnished using shellac, a historically accurate varnish that has a good resistance through time. A synthetic modern varnish was chosen for the sphere that is proven to resist the test of time and will remain transparent for decades.

After its treatment, the globe returned to our Digitization team for a fresh photoshoot. These before-and-after treatment photos are kept as a record of the treatment it went through, along with extensive documentation of the techniques and material used, to help a future conservator understand this globe’s history.

Rediscover the previous stages of the project:
1: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Be6WM26F4/
2: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1NbdpGza5S/
3: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EQqBNGZWg/

06/19/2026

06/19/2026

Banff. Gros Morne. Forillon. Bruce Peninsula. Jasper. Elk Island. La Mauricie. Aulavik. Kejimkujik—among others. What do they all have in common? They’re just a few of the many national parks across Canada.

And actually, this summer, admission to national parks is free with the Canada Strong Pass! So, why not go for a hike, take in the scenery, unwind by the water, and enjoy the fresh air?

Need some inspiration? Discover this wonderful set of photos from our collections... head to Flickr! https://www.flickr.com/photos/lac-bac/albums/72157654902028592/

To learn more about the Canada Strong Pass: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/canada-pass.html

📷 4301696, 4297913, 4312027, 4311953, 4297703, 3612900, 3232477, 3207531, 3303738, 3335111

06/19/2026

This National Indigenous Peoples Day, we recognize and celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples across Canada.

It’s a time to reflect, learn and reaffirm our shared commitment to reconciliation.

To mark this day, we invite you to listen to some of our podcast episodes featuring Indigenous content:

Hiding in Plain Sight: The Métis Nation
https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/collection/engage-learn/podcasts/discover/episode-027.html

Canada's canoe archive
https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/collection/engage-learn/podcasts/discover/episode-048.html

Healing journey: Project Naming at 15
https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/collection/engage-learn/podcasts/discover/episode-038.html



GCReconciliation

06/19/2026

We invited our employees to share their favourite images from our collections. Today, we're happy to highlight the pick of Nicolas Sylvestre, Senior Program Advisor, Communications.

“As my grandfather was a welder at the Sorel shipyards during the Second World War, this image has always made me think of him. I imagine him younger, doing his work.”

Here’s the place to search for yours: https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/collection/search.html

📷 3196657

06/18/2026

We invited our employees to share their favourite images from our collections. Today, we're happy to highlight the pick of Melissa Britney, Senior Project Manager, Digital Discovery and Access Branch.

“I love the story behind this photo of a summer road trip with four women in 1954.”

Our blog describes this journey further: https://thediscoverblog.com/2015/08/10/trailblazers-a-road-trip-in-the-summer-of-54/

Here’s the place to search for yours: https://www.canada.ca/en/library-archives/collection/search.html

📷 4814411

06/17/2026