Part 5 Parliamentary Library

The Library on a page

Role

To provide high quality, impartial, timely and confidential information, analysis and advice to senators and members of the House of Representatives in support of their parliamentary and representational roles.

Clients

  • Senators and members of the House of Representatives and their staff
  • parliamentary committees
  • the Governor-General, and
  • staff of parliamentary departments.

Governance

  • Presiding Officers—jointly vested with responsibility for the administration of the Department of Parliamentary Services, including the Parliamentary Library.
  • Joint Standing Committee on the Parliamentary Library—provides advice to the President and Speaker on matters relating to the Library.
  • Parliamentary Librarian—statutory officer responsible for the control and management of the Library, reporting directly to the Presiding Officers and the Joint Standing Committee on the Parliamentary Library.

Structure

  • Parliamentary Librarian
    • Office of the Parliamentary Librarian
  • Research Branch, and
  • Library Collections and Databases Branch.

Resource Agreement: 2016–17

  • operational funding: $16.620 million
  • capital funding: $3.491 million, and
  • average staffing level: 134 FTE.

Services

  • comprehensive Library collection for reference and loan
  • media monitoring—press, broadcast and social media
  • confidential and tailored research and analysis
  • mapping (electoral, social-economic and demographic data)
  • assistance with parliamentary delegation briefings
  • research publications to help inform parliamentary debate, scrutiny and policy development
  • 24/7 access to online databases and services, and
  • training, lectures and seminars.

The Library in numbers: 2016–17

  • 100% of senators and members used the Library’s services
  • 11,681 individual client requests completed
  • 280 research publications released, including 121 Bills Digests
  • 1,101 clients attended training and seminars
  • 37 electorate offices visited
  • 6,575 new books and serial titles added to the catalogue
  • 42.2% of titles available online in full text, and
  • 168,788 items added to Library databases.