Library and Archives Canada: Jan to 1 April 2021

As of the start of the month LAC had posted 20 items in the news section in the left-hand column of its home page this year. They can be roughly categorized into four groups: Operations, Policy, Acquisitions and Outputs. Here's the list ordered by group then date.

Date	Topic	Group
27-Jan-2021	Rare book from 1943 acquired by Library and Archives Canada—was one of first sources to sound global alarm about Holocaust in progress	Acq
15-Mar-2021	Library and Archives Canada Foundation funds purchase of unique centuries-old Canadian legal heritage documents	Acq
5-Jan-2021	Exhibition: Hiding in Plain Sight: Discovering the Métis Nation in the Archival Records of Library and Archives Canada	Ops
8-Jan-2021	Temporary suspension of digital copy services	Ops
8-Feb-2021	Ottawa Public Library-Library and Archives Canada joint facility: A landmark cultural infrastructure project pointing the way to a greener future	Ops
11-Feb-2021	Interruption of computing services on Saturday, February 13, 2021	Ops
16-Feb-2021	February 22 - Resumption of copy services and on-site consultations in Ottawa	Ops
16-Feb-2021	Reopening - Winnipeg public service point now open by reservation	Ops
26-Feb-2021	OPL-LAC joint facility: Inviting Indigenous artists!	Ops
2-Mar-2021	Technical difficulties (update): Collection Search	Ops
10-Mar-2021	Reopening: Limited access to microform collection in Ottawa	Ops
10-Mar-2021	Interruption of computing services on March 13, 2021	Ops
1-Apr-2021	LAC Ottawa: Public service point closed and temporary suspension of copy services	Ops
9-Feb-2021	Launch of third edition of Lingua Franca e-book	Out
22-Feb-2021	A new Google map to search for Indigenous-related collection items	Out
2-Feb-2021	LAC's Vision 2030: We want your input	Pol
3-Mar-2021	Taking steps toward reconciliation at Library and Archives Canada	Pol
9-Mar-2021	The Francophone Name Authority Program: Progress for the Francophone Library Sector	Pol
19-Mar-2021	Policy on Maintaining the Canadian National Union Catalogue	Pol
1-Apr-2021	Update on Theses Canada for universities and students	Pol

11 of the 20, more than half, relate to operations. Most are short-term - interruptions of service or closing and opening of physical facilities. Two relate to the LAC-OPL joint facility under development and one is a new location for a travelling exhibition.

Five relate to policy, two to acquisitions and two to outputs — Launch of third edition of Lingua Franca e-book and A new Google map to search for Indigenous-related collection items.

A surprising omission is The Library and Archives Canada Scholar Awards "created to recognize remarkable Canadians who have made an outstanding contribution to the creation and promotion of our country’s culture, literary heritage and historical knowledge." Those being honoured on Wednesday 21 April at 7 pm online here are:

Margaret Atwood, poet, novelist, literary critic and essayist

Roch Carrier, novelist and author

Charlotte Gray, historian, author and biographer

Serge Joyal, former senator, art collector and philanthropist

Terry O’Reilly, broadcast producer and radio personality.

Another surprising omission is resources of broad interest newly available online. There surely must be some. In recent months progress is evident in Co-Lab. You have to dig to find it, Why is LAC so shy in providing information on newly available resources online?