We are carefully planning a gradual reopening of Library and Archives Canada’s (LAC) service points across the country. The health and safety of employees and visitors is our priority. On this page, you will find the status per region, how to book your visit, and services available.
Current status by region
Our Halifax, Ottawa, Winnipeg and Vancouver offices operate independently and offer limited services at this time.
Enhanced remote services are available in all our locations. Contact us by using our Ask Us a Question form or Ask Us a Genealogy Question form, or by calling 1 -866-578-7777 (option 8; toll-free in Canada and the United States).
Please DO NOT come in if you have COVID-19 symptoms or are awaiting test results, have been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or is awaiting test results, have travelled abroad in the last 14 days, or have been asked to self-isolate by public health authorities.
Should we have to close any of our facilities temporarily, we will inform prospective visitors.
Ottawa: Open to the public – Book your visit
The facility located at 395 Wellington Street in Ottawa is open to the public, by reservation only. Seating and services are limited.
Services available:
- On-site consultation of collection material (ordered in advance)
- Access to collections and databases in the Reference Room and Genealogy Room
- Orientation services
- Digital kiosk to access LAC’s databases and other subscription databases
Days/times and how to reserve:
- Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Before visiting, you must make a reservation at
Book your visit in Ottawa
- Visitors without reservations will not be admitted
- Prepare for your visit by completing your
User Card Registration if you do not already have a user card
- There is no penalty for cancelling your reservation; however, we request that you give us as much notice as possible
Safety:
- A face covering or mask that meets current public health officials recommendations must be worn at all times, including at your reserved seat
- Handwashing with soap and water is mandatory before handling collection materials
- Physical distancing must be respected at all times
- Collection material will be quarantined after handling
- There will be frequent cleaning
- Self-serve off the shelves is not available
- Clean lockers will be available to store personal items
Halifax: Open to the public – No reservation required
The service point located in the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, 1055 Marginal Road in Halifax, is open to the public. No reservation is needed.
Services available:
- Reference services
- Orientation services
- Booking a meeting with a LAC reference specialist
- Digital kiosk to access LAC's databases and other subscription databases
- Please contact us by
email or call 902 -426-4031 if you have questions before your visit
Days/times:
- Wednesday to Friday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Atlantic Time
- No reservation is required
Safety:
- A face covering or mask that meets current public health officials recommendations must be worn at all times
- Handwashing is mandatory
- Physical distancing must be respected at all times
- There will be frequent cleaning
Winnipeg: Closed to the public
The facility located at 1700 Inkster Boulevard in Winnipeg is closed to the public until further notice.
Services available:
- Enhanced remote reference services
- To contact us, send us an email or call 204 -984-1469
Vancouver: Research room open to the public – Book your visit
The research room located at 420 – 300 West Georgia Street in Vancouver is open to the public, by reservation only. Seating and services are limited. The public service point located on the 7th floor of the Vancouver Public Library, 350 West Georgia Street, remains closed to the public.
Services available:
- Reference services
- Orientation services
- Booking a meeting with a LAC reference specialist
- On-site consultations of local collections
- Digital kiosk to access LAC's databases and other subscription databases
Days/times and how to reserve:
- Tuesday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pacific Time
- To book your visit, please contact us by
email or call 604 -666-9699 to make a reservation; you can prepare for your visit by completing your
User Card Registration if you do not already have a user card
- Visitors without reservations will not be admitted
- There is no penalty for cancelling your reservation; however, we request that you give us as much notice as possible
Safety:
- A face covering or mask that meets current public health officials recommendations must be worn at all times, including at your seat
- Handwashing with soap and water is mandatory before handling collection materials
- Physical distancing must be respected at all times
- Collection material will be quarantined after handling
- There will be frequent cleaning
Resumption of
ATIP request processing
- Due to health and safety requirements related to COVID-19, the LAC Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) team is operating at limited capacity; processing delays should be expected.
- We have also resumed the processing of requests for documents in support of claims related to the Federal Indian Day Schools Class Action.
- All ATIP requests received on or after March 14, 2020, will be processed in order of priority. Please do not resubmit your request as this may cause it to be delayed further. If there is a change in the urgency of your request, or should you have questions or concerns, please contact us by
email. Please quote your request number in your correspondence.
Resumption of
copy services (online orders only)
- Our rush service is suspended until further notice.
- Delays beyond our usual service standards should be expected since we are applying significant internal safety measures and new protocols, including physical distancing and mandatory isolation of collection items.
- If you sent a request for copies between March 14 and August 11, 2020, inclusive, it was neither received nor processed, so you will need to resubmit it.