While it's not a BIFHSGO conference pre-event Library and Archives Canada is offering tours of their Preservation Centre in Gatineau, the crown jewel of documentary preservation in Canada, on Friday 28 September from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Members of the public are invited to tour this modern-day Parthenon at 625 Boulevard du Carrefour in Gatineau. Come and admire the archival treasures stored within its walls. Stroll through its vaults, discover the works of Canadian artists, and find out what our experts are doing every day to preserve Library and Archives Canada's vast collection.
48 storage vaults
The Library and Archives Canada Preservation Centre, which opened in June 1997, was built to preserve the country's documentary heritage. Everything is designed to guarantee optimal conservation conditions. The building has 48 storage vaults, over three floors, with each vault measuring 350 m2. The vaults were built to protect the collection from every type of threat and include a sophisticated fire detection and suppression system.
The three stories of vaults are topped by preservation laboratories, which are arranged in a village-like setting. Featuring architecture inspired by the Canadian Prairies, the Preservation Centre brings Library and Archives Canada preservation experts together in an environment perfectly suited to their work.
The onr-hour self-guided tours are from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at 625 Boulevard du Carrefour, Gatineau
Admission is free. Children are welcome but must be under constant parental supervision.
For security reasons, bags (backpacks, purses, diaper bags, etc.) are not allowed inside the Preservation Centre.
Library and Archives Canada in numbers
250 km of textual records
More than 30 million photographs
More than 22 million books
More than 3 million maps
More than 550,000 hours of audio and video recordings
4.5 billion megabytes of digital content
More than 425,000 Canadian works of art.
For those not attending the BIFHSGO conference there's the same opportunity on Saturday 29 September.
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