Requesting and Viewing Archival Records
- Material in Original Format
- Contacting a Reference Archivist or the Information and Privacy Unit
- Material Available from the Microfilm Interloan Service
- Material Available through the Visual Database
Material In its Original Format
In general, materials identified in the Archives Descriptive Database are available only in their original format such as a paper file, photograph or sound recording.
Original archival materials must be viewed in our reading room at 134 Ian Macdonald Boulevard in Toronto. See Visiting the Archives of Ontario for more information on our location, hours of operation and services. Please note that:
- some material may be restricted because of legislation, by request of the donor, or for conservation reasons
- most records are stored offsite and must be retrieved to 134 Ian Macdonald Boulevard.
You may pre-order a limited amount of material identified in advance of your visit by calling 1-800-668-9933 (Ontario only) or 416-327-1600, or by sending an email to reference@ontario.ca. When pre-ordering material, please be as specific as possible.
Contacting a Reference Archivist or The Information and Privacy Unit
In some cases, where records are restricted or are unlisted, you may be directed to contact a Reference Archivist or the Information and Privacy Unit:
Reference Archivists:
- 1-800-668-9933 Toll Free Number (Ontario only)
- 416-327-1612 Reading Room Reference Desk
- email:Â reference@ontario.ca
Information and Privacy Unit:
- 1-800-668-9933 Toll Free Number (Ontario only)
- 416-327-1600
- email:Â reference@ontario.ca
Material Available Through the Microfilm Interloan Service
In some cases, archival records that have been microfilmed may be borrowed through your local library using our Microfilm Interloan Service. Archival records that are available through this service are noted in the Descriptive Database and in our Microfilm Interloan Catalogue.
Material Available through the Visual Database
For a limited amount of material, visual records such as photographs and documentary have been digitized and are available in the Visual Database. The Archives Descriptive Database provides links to images in the Visual Database as appropriate.