• Purpose of the NRC Archives
• Administrative Setting
• Collection Statement
• Acquisition
• Access
• Reproduction
• Enquiries
• Guidelines for Using the Archives

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Purpose of the NRC Archives

To preserve inactive records of permanent historical value of the National Research Council Canada (NRC Canada).

To make the materials accessible to the:

• Employees of the NRC Canada, providing information to support their work and raise the profile of the NRC Canada;
• Public and media community, providing information to support their research, private study and interest in the history of the NRC Canada and related topics.

To collect and conserve materials which illustrate the growth and development of the NRC Canada, or which pertain in whole or in part to activities within the NRC Canada.

To arrange and describe these materials according to accepted archival principles and make them accessible to clients and the Canadian public, unless access is restricted by legal requirements or through written agreement with the donor.

To provide appropriate conditions for the storage, protection and conservation of archival material

To provide reference services to individual clients and organizations or other groups interested in the activities and holdings of the NRC Archives.

To provide outreach programming whenever possible to increase awareness of the National Research Council’s history and development.

Administrative Setting

The NRC Archives is part of the NRC Canada Institute for Scientific and Technical Information (NRC-CISTI).

The NRC Archives Officer is available to consult with Institutes and individuals in order to identify those records that have long-term historical value.

Collection Statement

The aim of the NRC Archives is to document the history, functions and development of the NRC since its establishment in 1916.

Examples of permanent records and historical materials include, but are not limited to:

• Research reports
• Research collections, including notes, findings, etc.
• Newspaper clippings and other external publicity about NRC
• Lab memos
• Divisional, institutional, organizational reports
• Scientific and historical photographs

The main source of archival material is acquired through:

• NRC Institutes
• Media
• Public
• Other Government agencies

The NRC Archives will accept historical NRC material in most formats, including but not limited to: manuscript, printed, electronic, photographic, visual records, maps, plans, sound recordings and oral history tapes. However, the NRC Archives will not accession material in non-paper media that cannot be provided adequate long-term preservation and/or access to, for example computer discs that cannot be accessed on current hardware and that cannot be migrated to modern standards. Some artefacts and ephemera with historical value may be considered.

Material processed into the Archives becomes a permanent part of its collections. 

Acquisition

The NRC Archives only accepts material as gift; material will not be purchased or accepted on loan.

The NRC Archives has the right to refuse any materials that are not suited to its purpose.

All material must come from a bone fide source and should have a demonstrable provenance.

Material acquired by the NRC Archives shall become the permanent property of the Archives and, therefore, the National Research Council Canada, until such time as the Archives Officer deems it no longer relevant to the Archives, in which case the material may be deaccessioned. Deaccessioning will not take place without the written approval of the appropriate authorities.

Access

The Archive Service is open on Monday to Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m..

All researchers must complete and sign a user registration form which signifies their agreement to abide by the archive rules.

Every attempt will be made to provide access to the NRC Archives collection, but there may be occasions when some material may be exempt on grounds of confidentiality, restricted access conditions or for conservation reasons.

There are some items that can not be photocopied as this would cause damage to the material. This decision is at the discretion of the NRC Archives Officer.

No person shall be prevented from using archival materials unless is it determined that the materials will be physically abused or used in a libellous or illegal manner or the materials are considered restricted, classified, etc.

Materials from the Archives may not be loaned to other institutions or organizations although special instances may be considered only under the following circumstances:

1. Written authorization is obtained from the NRC Archives Officer;
2. The borrowing party ensures adequate care and handling in writing of the material on loan. If at any time the Archives determine that the material on loan is not being cared for adequately, the NRC Archives Officer may cancel the loan and request the immediate return of the material.

Reproduction

Due to the fragile nature of some archive material, items may only be photocopied by the NRC Archives Officer.

The NRC Archives retains the right to reproduce materials by mechanical, electronic, or photographic means for security, conservation, or research purposes and maintains copyright control of its holdings.

There are some items that cannot be photocopied as this would cause damage to the material. This decision is at the discretion of the NRC Archives Officer.

Enquiries

The NRC Archives Officer will answer simple enquiries by email, telephone or letter.

Guidelines for Using the Archives

These guidelines are designed to minimise the risk of damage to the archive collections so as to preserve them for future use:

• No items of food or drink, including chewing gum, sweets and drinking water, may be consumed while using the material;
• Pencils only may be used for note-taking, pens are not allowed;
• The use of laptops is permitted;
• The documents are not to be marked, written or leant on whilst they are being consulted;
• Users should ensure that they have clean hands when handling documents;
• Users should seek advice on how to handle material if in any doubt;
• Where material is known to be damaged, this will be noted when it is issued to the user. Documents will be checked on return for any signs of new damage;
• The documents should be kept in the order in which they were found.