There’s good news in the following responses from the Media Relations team to questions posed to LAC.
Q: Will the collection of published family histories presently available on open access continue to be available in the new facility?
A: Yes. In the new genealogy reading room, located on the second floor.
Q: Will the open access microfilms, including newspaper microfilms, presently available on open access continue to be available in the new facility?
A; Yes, unless digitized and made available online (and onsite on public terminals).
Q: Will the collection of city and other directories presently available on open access continue to be available in the new facility?
A: LAC is currently working on digitizing documents in high demand, such as the city directories. If digitization is completed, they may not be physically available onsite, but online (and onsite on public terminals).
Q: Will government documents such as sessional papers presently available on open access continue to be available in the new facility?
A: Yes, government documents presently available on open access will continue to be available in the new facility, unless digitized and made available online and onsite on public terminals. Please note that the published sessional papers have not been available in the public rooms for several years now, but can be requested from the service collection and are available online:
o 1867-1900: https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_08052;
o 1901-1925: https://prod.library.utoronto.ca/maplib/dmgis/ca1_ys_s27.htm.
Q: What provision is being planned for access to maps and photographs in the new facility?
A: The access to maps and photographs is planned to happen in the main reading room of the new building, in an area dedicated and adapted to consultation of specialized media.