Modification to Quebec Archives’ online request form may initially cause minor confusion

Within the last few months, the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ) has tweaked its online form for requesting digital copies and has re-worked the price list. These modest changes may cause a wee bit of confusion for some researchers. They confused me.

There is now a slight change in the wording that may cause researchers to wonder if they’ve ordered a digital or paper copy.

In a nutshell, BAnQ has dropped the term, Digital copy, and replaced it with Copy of archival materials. If you’re from my generation, you may think copy means photocopy — and I didn’t want them to mail me pieces of paper. If you’re much younger than I, you probably assume it means digital, and you can skip this blog post.

I have written in the past about how to order a Quebec notary record in How to order a notary record from the Quebec Archives after finding it in an index on Ancestry and provided the steps to follow. In this blog post, I will explain where the recent changes are.

How to order records
Here’s how to now order a digital copy — a PDF — from BAnQ.

Select English in the top-right corner of the BAnQ website.

Next, select Help in the links at the top (or select Using our services tab in the top left). Then, click on Reproduction services.

Select Digital copy services as indicated below. You can also look at the Price list from this page or check it later.

After selecting Digital copy services, you will see links to the Online reproduction request form and the Price list.

Change in terminology
After you select the request form and fill in your contact information, select the Type of reproduction. A drop-down menu will appear. This is where the change comes in.

Until recently, you could select PDF file in the drop-down menu. That has been replaced by Copy of archival materials. This is a digital copy, not a photocopy.

When I asked why BAnQ dropped digital from the menu description, the representative said it is understood that all copies are now digital, with the exception of certified documents and other special requests.

The cost for a copy remains one of the best bargains in the province. It is $0.38 per page, and a minimum of $2.60 per document. To find the price, scroll down the price list toward the bottom to COPYING ANY OTHER KIND OF ARCHIVAL MATERIAL BY ONLINE ORDER.

How to pay
Yesterday, I ordered a one-page coroner’s report for the minimum price of $2.60, which I thought was excellent.

You will not be asked to pay when you place your order. You must wait to hear back from BAnQ. When your order is ready, BAnQ will send you an email message, asking you to call and provide your credit card information.

Call the number provided in the email. If you live outside Montreal, it will be a long-distance call. After you dial the number, you will hear a recording in French providing instructions. Without listening to the recording, enter the four-digit extension number, which will take you to User Services where someone will answer your call.

They will take your call in English or French.

After you briefly explain why you have called, you will be asked to provide your credit card information. Payment is by credit card only.

Within about 30 minutes of providing your credit card details, you will receive an email from We Transfer, directing you to click on Download to receive your documents.