Order archival material
While many items are available online, you will need to consult the majority of the collection in person in Ottawa.
Order material at least 10 business days before your visit
If you don't, it may not be ready when you arrive. Archival material is stored at our offsite preservation facilities, and there are limited deliveries per week.
Access to restricted documents
Some records in the collections require special permission to view. If you find a record in Collection search that is open (access code 90), you can order it right away. If a record is marked as restricted (for example, access code 32), you will need to request access through ATIP.
To learn more about access codes, see Archival document restrictions and access codes.
Textual documents, photos and video
You'll need to go onsite at 395 Wellington Street in downtown Ottawa to consult most of the collection. Documents must remain in consultation rooms. Ordering materials before your visit will make your trip more efficient. Documents in various preservation facilities are only open to LAC staff.
We recommend that clients order material 10 business days in advance of their visits. We are only able to retrieve documents three times per week, and we only process requests during working hours.
Onsite clients can request textual archival records using the paper Request for Archival Material form. You can find copies of this form in the Textual Documents Consultation Room on the 3rd floor.
Lockers are available for short-term storage of documents. Book one onsite from our staff at a circulation desk or in the Additional Information field when you order materials in advance.
Microforms
We hold almost 400,000 microforms that you can order through our Material Retrieval form.
If you're onsite, we have copies of 40,000 of some of the most commonly-used microforms.
Access them through the self-service section in the Microform Consultation Room.
- Find a reel using the card catalogue.
- Select it from the shelf.
- Load it into a machine.
When you are done, leave the reel on the used shelf.
Special collections
We store the Preservation Collection, including rare book or fragile published material, offsite. You will need to consult it in the Special Collections Consultation Room.
To consult some originals, you may need to book an appointment at the Preservation Centre in Gatineau. If necessary, LAC will contact you to set up a date and time after you submit your request.