The Canadiana collections are one of the largest collections of digitized Canadian documentary heritage in the world. Available at no charge thanks to the ongoing support of CRKN members through the Heritage Content Access and Preservation (HCAP) fund, the collections offer millions of pages of heritage content to researchers around the globe.
The Canadiana collections include two separate collections: Canadiana and Héritage. Learn more about them below.
Canadiana
Size: approximately 19 million pages (96,000 titles)
Date range: c. 1500 to 2000
Content: historical publications, including monographs (books), serials (newspapers, magazines, journals, annual reports), government publications, and maps.
Canadiana content is largely drawn from the Canadian Institute for Historic Microreproductions (CIHM) microfiche series.
Héritage
Size: approximately 42 million pages (900 collections)
Date range: c. 1600 to 1985
Content: digitized archival microfilm collections from Library and Archives Canada, including governmental records, records relating to Indigenous history, genealogical records, military records, and personal papers.
The Héritage collection is a joint project supported by CRKN members and Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and draws from the rich resources of archival microfilm held by LAC. CRKN and LAC continue to work together to develop the collection, with approximately 300,000 pages added annually.
As resources developed over decades of collecting and preserving documents, CRKN acknowledges that the Canadiana collections contain material that is offensive and biased, contributing to an incomplete, distorted, and harmful story of Canada. We are dedicated to redefining the principles guiding the collections, helping to ensure that future development is firmly grounded in our commitment to reconciliation and justice. Currently, CRKN is expanding the collection with content from member and stakeholder collections while prioritizing at-risk materials, newspapers, and content that represents the diversity of the Canadian population.
The Canadiana collections are overseen by the Preservation and Access Committee (PAC) and the PAC’s sub-committees, the Canadiana Content Sub-Committee and the Platform Technical Sub-Committee. To learn more about the Canadiana collections, contact us at info@crkn.ca.