The Web and Social Media Archiving Program at Library and Archives Canada (LAC) acquires, preserves, and gives access to Canada's documentary heritage published on the web.
About the program
LAC captures and preserves Web resources under the authority of the
Library and Archives of Canada Act.
Web archiving is a specialized digital preservation discipline practiced internationally by memory institutions and private organizations to safeguard information on the Internet. At LAC, digital librarians and digital archivists work together to create LAC's Web and social media collections.
The program is aligned with international best practices and software development as championed by the
Internet Archive and the
International Internet Preservation Consortium (IIPC), of which LAC is an active and founding member. As well, LAC often works with other memory institutions to preserve the historical Web.
For more information, contact the Web and Social Media Archiving Program at
bac.archivesweb-webarchives.lac@canada.ca.
Collections
Truth and Reconciliation Commission Web Archive
The
Truth and Reconciliation Commission Web Archive provides access to archival copies of the websites of organizations connected with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC).
Government of Canada Web Archive (GCWA)
LAC began collecting federal government web resources in the
Government of Canada Web Archive (GCWA) in 2005. This web archive is currently being upgraded and is expected to be relaunched in 2021.
Planned collections
COVID-19 pandemic
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the winter of 2020, LAC has been documenting the changing situation and its effects on Canadians. Access to the
COVID-19 pandemic collection is planned for 2021.
Other collections that will eventually be made available will feature, among other topics, Canada's federal elections, the Olympic and Paralympic games, the 150th Anniversary of Canadian Confederation, the First World War centenary, and the National Inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Woman and Girls.