Meeting Challenges of the Future: From Reflection to Action

Library and Archives Canada has posted a document by the above title. As described in the cover letter, the document:

"will help steer the institution in the coming months...the next logical step that flows from the work accomplished so far."

"The document lists essential components that will facilitate the achievement of corporate objectives and deliver on LAC’s mandate. Among other things, the document stresses the importance of adapting to the digital environment to take advantage of new technologies that will help build, preserve, and describe our collections as well as make them accessible for the benefit of all Canadians."

I detect a lot of spin and generous employment of platitudes such as "While the challenges are enormous, the opportunities are also numerous."

One remarkable aspect is the mention of the forgotten majority, genealogy and genealogists, as LAC clients. What substance can we expect, other than exploiting the benefit of cooperative projects with Ancestry and FamilySearch in place long before the present initiative. I for one would be interested to learn what similar cooperative initiatives have been initiated under the present management.

The document warrants in depth analysis by those with a better knowledge of LAC than I possess.