As LAC is dealing with significant budget cuts, I’m wondering what to make of the following notice, posted without fanfare on 9 October.
Important notice
The call for proposals for the Documentary Heritage Communities Program (DHCP) scheduled for this fall is postponed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
Updates will be provided in due course.
There’s precedent. The DHCP was inaugurated in 2015, replacing a similar program cut in a previous budget crunch.
The DHCP objectives are:
Increase access to, and awareness of Canada’s local documentary institutions and their holdings, specifically:
– Conversion and digitization for access purposes;
– The development (research, design and production) of virtual and physical exhibitions, including travelling exhibits;
– Collection, cataloguing and access-based management; and
– Commemorative projects.
Increase the capacity of local documentary heritage institutions to better sustain and preserve Canada’s documentary heritage, specifically:
– Conversion and digitization for preservation purposes;
– Conservation and preservation treatment;
– Increased digital preservation capacity (excluding digital infrastructure related to day-to-day activities);
– Training and workshops that improve competencies and build capacity; and
– Development of standards, performance and other measurement activities.
Has LAC decided that the DHCP objectives are less of a priority than other activities?