- Digitization Services
September 9, 2013
In an effort to expand access to Canadian heritage content beyond research institutions, the Early Canadiana Online (ECO) platform is now accessible on an individual, monthly basis.
This low-cost subscription model is designed to support the greatest possible access to Canadian heritage while also guaranteeing its preservation well into the future. As a self-funded and expanding project, ECO depends on user funding to build and maintain its collections. User fees support the digitization of new titles, reliable access, secure storage, backups in multiple repositories, and ongoing conversion to evolving media formats.
Early Canadiana Online (ECO) grew out of a project to serve the scholarly community as a research resource, but as the collection expands and searching improves, there is growing interest from students, history buffs, and individuals researching local or family history. ECO now hosts over 4 million pages published in Canada from the first European settlers to the early 20th century, including government documents, literature, pamphlets and magazines. Each year, ongoing digitization adds more than a quarter-million pages of original, primary-source material to this resource.
Canadiana.org appreciates the longstanding efforts by member libraries and supporters to promote this resource in schools and libraries, encouraging new kinds of learning, research, and knowledge of Canada.
As a non-profit and charitable organization, Canadiana relies on supporters – from individuals to major research institutions – to help build these collections and the digital infrastructure supporting it. Our mission is to work towards open and sustainable access to Canadian heritage for Canada and the world.