Kathleen's blog

Digitized materials are not always easily indexed by Google and other search engines, meaning that in the past, users had to visit each individual website to find content related to their research- a very time consuming process.

Family Tree Magazine, a US based publication, has named Canadiana.org as one of the top 101 websites for genealogy research. The magazine provides articles and guidance for amatuer genealogist on how to "discover, preserve and celebrate their roots". Although most of the websites listed are housed in the US, they have a "Canadian Cousins" section which include six Canadian websites - one of which is Canadiana.org.

A recent report published by the Library of Congress makes a very strong case for government investments in digital preservation infrastructure. Although it is a US report, the arguments are equally valid in the Canadian context.

On March 16, 2011, eight international research funders, including Canada's SSHRC, jointly announced their participation in round two of the Digging into Data Challenge, a grant competition designed to spur cutting-edge research in the humanities and social sciences.

Canadiana.org has begun a new feature that aims to highlight the types of content available through our two major information services: the Canadiana Discovery Portal and Early Canadiana Online. The feature provides users with access to a sample of content related to a current event of issue in the news, and demonstrates the range of material available through Canadiana.org.

Canadiana.org is inviting Canadians to browse its rich and distinctive collections to discover rare images, text, and other material related to the history of black Canadians. These items come from the collections of Canada's universities, libraries, archives, and museums. Until recently, much of this material would have only been available to those able to visit the often dusty shelves of rare book departments and libraries. Other items would have been packed away in storage rooms and not available to the public at all.  Digitization has completely changed this.

On January 16, 2011, The Canadian Press published a feature article about the Canadiana Discovery Portal. The article, written by Stephanie Levitz and reads,
“An ambitious new search engine has been launched by an alliance of digital heritage advocates designed to allow one-stop searching for centuries of Canadian history”.
It goes on to say,