Have a research question or need help locating records in the Archives’ holdings?

Reference staff are available virtually for reference interviews, one-on-one consultations, to assist you with searching the Archives’ collections, locating relevant Research Guides and Tools, ordering materials to view in our Reading Room and booking in-person appointments.
Reference staff are also available during in-person visits to assist with access to pre-ordered materials or using our microfilm readers.

Click here to book your reference interview now!

Please visit our Research Guides and Tools page for more information.

Is your group interested in researching at the Archives?

Reference Archivists offer orientation sessions virtually to assist your group with understanding the basics of archival research and how to locate and access records in the Archives’ collections.

Sessions are particularly helpful for genealogical and educational groups, including post-secondary students.

For more information or to schedule an orientation session, click here to book an orientation consultation now!

Is your group interested in taking a tour of our facility?

Booking a Tour

Please contact us at least one month before your preferred date.

Book now by submitting an inquiry

In-Person Tours

Length: 1 hour
Group Size: 5-20 people

We are happy to work with you to accommodate shorter tour times or multiple tours for groups larger than 20 people if needed.

For groups interested in learning how to research our collections, in-person tours can also be paired with an orientation session.

Virtual Tour Presentations

Length: 45 minutes
Group Size: minimum 5 people

We are happy to work with you to accommodate a shorter timeframe if needed. For groups interested in learning how to research our collections, virtual tour presentations can also be paired with a virtual group orientation.

Virtual tour presentations are also part of our virtual educational workshops for students from grades 7 to 12.

Need to access original records from the Archives holdings?

Original records and materials from the Archives’ holdings can be retrieved for viewing in-person in the Archives’ Reading Room, by appointment only.

Click here to submit an inquiry
Reference Staff are also available to assist with preparing researcher’s retrieval orders.
Click here to book a reference interview now!

Already pre-ordered materials?
Click here to book an in-person visit now!

Interested in accessing archival records governed by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)?

Requests for access to restricted government records held by the Archives of Ontario are processed in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).

The records in the Archives’ collection must be reviewed with consideration to the requirements of FIPPA prior to disclosure.

Requesters may examine original records in the Archives’ Reading Room or receive copies in the mail or digitally

Please consult Customer Service Guide 109 for more information.

Interested in obtaining a copy of an item from the Archives’ holdings?

Records and materials from the Archives’ collections can be reproduced for research, private study or legal purposes.

Most items can be reproduced digitally and in hardcopy formats.

Reproduction requests are normally processed within 14 business days and are subject to the fees outlined in Customer Service Guide 105.

Researchers looking to exhibit, publish or broadcast copies of archival records can also submit a copyright request to the Archives, as per Customer Service Guide 108.

Please visit our Research Guides and Tools page for more information.

Need a reproduction certified for legal or humanitarian purposes?

In lieu of providing the original, the Archives offers the certification of records in its holdings for legal or humanitarian reasons.

Certifications consist of a copy of the requested document or file with a form attached to the front stating that the reproduction is a true copy of the original. This is also signed and sealed by the delegate of the Archivist of Ontario.

Do you have a group of students wishing to learn more about archives?

Our educational team, archivists, and technicians carefully incorporate materials from our archival, library, and art collections to offer a valuable virtual workshop experience for your class; students may also have the option of a virtual tour of our facility.

To book a free virtual workshop for your students, click here to submit an inquiry.

Are you an educator wishing to learn more about archives and how to incorporate them into your teaching?

Using examples from the Archives of Ontario’s collections, our professional development sessions will explore historical inquiry through teaching with primary sources and model the use of archival materials in the classroom with activities and group discussion.

To book a free virtual educator workshop, click here to submit an inquiry.

Interested in loaning an item from our collections for exhibit or digitization purposes?

We are happy to accommodate loans of materials from our collections (Archives, Library, Art Collection).

Need to access a microfilm from the Archives’ but unable to visit us in-person?

The Archives’ Microfilm Interloan program enables to borrowing of microfilmed archival records through a library or another institution belonging to the interlibrary loan network.

For more information, consult our online Microfilm Catalogue.