How does Library and Archives Canada decide which government records are kept permanently?

Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is the national institution responsible for preserving Canada’s documentary heritage, including the records of the federal government. Only a small share of all government records ever created have lasting value; the rest are kept for a defined period and then destroyed. Deciding which records merit permanent preservation is the work of appraisal, a core discipline of archival and information governance practice.

The role of appraisal

Appraisal is the structured assessment of records to determine their long-term value to government and society. LAC reviews records produced across federal departments and agencies and judges them against several broad considerations:

• Evidential value — whether the records document how government was organized, made decisions, and exercised its authority.
• Informational value — whether they contain significant information about people, places, events, or conditions in Canada.
• Accountability and rights — whether they protect the legal, financial, or civil rights of citizens or hold institutions accountable.

Records judged to have enduring value are designated for permanent retention; the majority, lacking such value, are scheduled for eventual disposal.

Disposition authorities and schedules

LAC works with government institutions to establish disposition authorities — formal instruments that specify what happens to each class of records at the end of its useful life. A disposition authority directs records either to be destroyed after a set period or to be transferred to LAC for permanent preservation as archival records. This mirrors the international principle that retention and disposition decisions should be planned systematically rather than made record by record, an approach reflected in standards such as ISO 15489.

How decisions are reached

The process is typically collaborative and macro-level. Rather than examining every document, archivists analyze the functions and activities of an institution to identify where the most significant records are created. They then appraise whole series or classes of records, balancing administrative needs, legal requirements, historical significance, and the practical costs of preservation.

The result is a defensible, documented basis for keeping a limited body of records permanently while responsibly disposing of the remainder. This protects citizens’ access to an authentic record of government action and ensures Canada’s archival heritage reflects the activities that shaped the nation.

For the underlying appraisal and archival concepts, professional bodies such as the Society of American Archivists offer widely used definitions and guidance.