Background
In 2014 and 2015, two studies on the state of Canada's libraries and archives were released urging Library and Archives Canada (LAC) to re-engage with Canadian documentary heritage institutions and networks, as well as to re-establish linkages with the global community of libraries and archives.
With the arrival of Dr. Guy Berthiaume as Librarian and Archivist of Canada in 2014-15, the Stakeholders’ Forum was created to renew and strengthen LAC’s working relationships with key stakeholders. Since that time, the Stakeholders’ Forum has enabled a fully open and collaborative engagement between LAC and its key stakeholders in order to identify common problems, find shared solutions, and contribute to joint initiatives.
Today, the Stakeholders’ Forum includes LAC and 11 institutional members from the documentary heritage community (librarians, archivists, museum professionals and historians) who represent the diverse interests of their respective organizations. Each organization can have a maximum of two representatives participate in Forum meetings, either the president or chairperson, and/or the Executive Director.
- See Annex A—Stakeholders’ Forum Membership
- See Annex B—Terms of Reference
- See Annex C—LAC’s 2018 National Stakeholder Engagement
It has become a well-established and highly attended consultative committee chaired by the Librarian and Archivist of Canada. Stakeholders Relations and International Affairs (SRIA) team provides strategic analysis and secretariat support to the Librarian and Archivist of Canada, to LAC senior management and to members of the Stakeholders’ Forum.
- See Annex D—Examples of Past Subjects Presented and Discussed at the Stakeholders’ Forum
- Next in-person meetings: October/November 2019 in Ottawa, TBC / January 28, 2020 in Toronto, TBC
- Next teleconference: spring/summer 2020
Considerations
Membership Review: The 2019-2022 three-year plan commits LAC to seek out and identify new collaborators while continuing to work with established partners as a key strategy to achieving a more impactful documentary heritage community. This is a good time for LAC to review the current membership of the Stakeholders’ Forum to strengthen its national network with a more inclusive and diverse representation of perspectives as members of the Forum.
The Stakeholders’ Forum serves as an excellent venue to increase awareness of LAC’s activities, understand strategic and complex issues facing documentary heritage communities in Canada, and create better strategic links with Canadian Heritage (PCH) ministerial and departmental (and the portfolio) priorities and initiatives. PCH is not currently a member of the Stakeholders’ Forum, but consideration could be given to formally invite PCH to join. This would support greater alignment between PCH and LAC priorities and initiatives, when and where possible, to further advance mutual objectives.
LAC could also invite Youth Advisory Council member(s) to join the Stakeholders’ Forum to ensure youth perspectives are incorporated into discussions on programs, services, and initiatives within the documentary heritage community and LAC.
LAC staff participation: LAC sector heads, and subject-matter experts attend in-person meetings to increase exchange between LAC staff and key stakeholders.
Revisiting LAC Stakeholders’ Forum Format: Going forward in fall 2019, LAC (SRIA) will develop a “Look Ahead/ Year Long” thematic agenda with LAC senior management, subject matter experts and Stakeholders’ Forum members; develop an “LAC Update” deck for the January meeting to coincide with the Ontario Library Association Conference; and organize a question and answer panel discussion/presentation with LAC senior management and subject matter experts.
SME:
Angela Tancorre, Analyst, Stakeholders Relations and International Affairs (SRIA)
Francesco Manganiello, Director, SRIA
Email: angela.tancorre@canada.ca
francesco.manganiello@canada.ca
Tel: 613-894-2351
613-462-8359
Annex A: Stakeholders’ Forum Membership
| Organization |
President/Président(e) |
Executive Director/Directeur(trice) général(e) |
| Association des archivistes du Québec (AAQ) |
Cédric Champagne
President/président |
Louis Germain
Executive Director/directeur général
Carole Saulnier
Vice-President Associative Affairs/Vice-présidente aux affaires associatives |
Association of Canadian Archivists (ACA) /
Association canadienne des archivistes (ACA) |
Loryl MacDonald
President/présidente |
Luciana Duranti
Director at Large/ directrice du conseil d’administration
Dr. Jo-Anne McCutcheon
Executive Director/directrice générale |
| Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) / Association des bibliothèques de recherche du Canada (ABRC) |
Jonathan Bengtson
President/president
*NEW* effective May, 2019 (replacing Donna Bourne-Tyson) |
Susan Haigh
Executive Director/directrice générale |
| Canadian Council of Archives (CCA) / Conseil canadien des archives (CCA) |
Joanna Aiton Kerr
Chair/présidente |
Christina Nichols
Executive Director/directrice générale |
| Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA) / Fédération canadienne des associations de bibliothèques (FCAB) |
Alix-Rae Stefanko
Chair/président |
Katherine McColgan
Executive Director/directrice générale |
| Canadian Historical Association (CHA) / Societé historique du Canada (SHC) |
Adele Perry
President/présidente |
Michel Duquet
Executive Director/directeur général
Observer/Observatrice:
Sarah Glassford |
| Canadian Museums Association (CMA) / Association des musées canadiens (AMC) |
Dr. Vanda Vitali
Executive Director/directrice générale
*NEW* effective March 1, 2019 (replacing John McAvity who has retired) |
Karen Bachmann
Vice-President/co-présidente |
| Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC) / Conseil des bibliothèques urbaines du Canada (CBUA) |
Maureen Sawa
Past Chair/présidente sortante |
Jefferson Gilbert
Executive Director/directeur général |
| Council of Provincial and Territorial Archivists (CPTA) / Conseil des archivistes provinciaux et territoriaux (CAPT) |
Fred Farrell
Chair/président |
John Roberts
Chief Privacy Officer and Archivist of Ontario/Chef de la protection des renseignements personnels et archiviste de l'Ontario |
| *Fédération des milieux documentaires (FMD) 1 |
Carole Urbain
Vice President/vice-présidente |
Lionel Villalonga
Executive Director/directeur général |
| Provincial and Territorial Public Library Council (PTPLC) / Conseil provincial et territorial des bibliothèques (CPTB) |
Mari Martin
Chair/présidente |
Diana Davidson
Director/directrice |
| Ontario Library Association (OLA) / Association des bibliothèques de l’Ontario (ABO) |
Mr. Kerry Badgley
President/president |
Richard Reid
Vice President/co-président
Shelagh Paterson
Executive Director / directrice générale |
1Formerly known as : Association pour l’avancement des sciences et des techniques de la documentation (ASTED)
Annex B: Terms of Reference
Committee name
Stakeholders’ Forum
Chair
The Stakeholders’ Forum is chaired by the Librarian and Archivist of Canada, and secretariat support is provided by Library and Archives Canada (LAC).
Composition
The Forum has 13 members who represent the diverse interests of their respective organizations. Each organization can have a maximum of two representatives participate in Forum meetings, either the president or chairperson, and/or the Executive Director. Decisions about exact representation are at the discretion of each organization.
Members include:
- Library and Archives Canada
- Association des archivistes du Québec
- Association of Canadian Archivists
- Fédération des milieux documentaires
- Canadian Association of Research Libraries
- Canadian Council of Archives
- Canadian Historical Association
- Canadian Library Association
- Canadian Museums Association
- Canadian Urban Library Council
- Ontario Library Association
- Council of Provincial and Territorial Archivists
- Provincial and Territorial Public Library Council
Frequency of meetings
Beginning in 2014, the Forum will meet three times annually—once in-person, and twice by teleconference. Forum meetings will be a half-day to one full day in duration.
The location of in-person meetings may rotate depending on the particular needs of Forum members or potential opportunities that may arise.
UPDATE 2017: LAC typically hosts an in-person meeting in Ottawa in spring/summer and/or fall, while the second in-person meeting takes place in Toronto prior to the OLA Super Conferences held in January/February.
Mandate
- To engage members in early discussions of LAC’s strategic, policy and operational directions.
- To facilitate exchange of information among members, and between members and LAC.
- To serve as a mechanism to test ideas, and to identify opportunities to collaborate in areas of mutual interest and benefit.
Type of committee
Consultative
Outcomes
- Feedback from members on LAC’s strategic, policy and operational directions.
- Increased exchange of information among Canada’s documentary heritage associations and other organizations.
- Open discussion of new ideas, and active engagement in collaborative initiatives.
Record of decisions
Yes
Annex C: LAC’s 2018 National Stakeholder Commitment
https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/about-us/Pages/engagement-national-stakeholders.aspx
Annex D: Examples of Past Subjects Presented and Discussed at the Stakeholders’ Forum
- Keynote presentations based on member interest included:
- Copyright exceptions for Libraries and Archives at WIPO
- Indigenous issues
- UNESCO’s Memory of the World Program
- Privacy Act (Bill C-58)
- Results of the Government of Canada Survey of Heritage Institutions, etc.
- Round table discussions on subjects included:
- LAC’s International Engagement Strategy
- LAC’s National Engagement commitment with Stakeholders’ Forum members
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommendations
- LAC’s Three-Year Plan
- Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM) narrative; etc.