As set out in The Parliamentary Service Act 1999 (section 38B), The Parliamentary Library provides research and library services for senators and members of the House of Representatives in support of their parliamentary and representational roles.
The Parliamentary Librarian
Mr Steven Fox was appointed Parliamentary Librarian on 18 September 2023 for a 5 year term.
Mr Fox was most recently Assistant Director-General Collection Management at the National Archives of Australia. In this role, he was responsible for identifying, storing, digitising, preserving and making accessible the most significant Australian Government records. Steven also oversaw the NSW and WA state offices of the National Archives.
Mr Fox has also worked in the Australian and New Zealand cultural heritage sectors for over 30 years. He has held a variety of roles as curator, collection manager and heritage manager. In these roles he led many significant award-winning projects that explored the diversity of communities, their stories and connections with collections and heritage.
Mr Fox has also held senior executive positions at the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland, New Zealand, where he led organisational transformation in collection management and public engagement. He also worked as Deputy Director of the Museum of Australian Democracy, where he was responsible for audience development and public engagement.
Office of the Parliamentary Librarian
The Office of the Parliamentary Librarian is a small unit comprised of:
- the Parliamentary Librarian and the Library's executive support officers
- the Director, Client Relations, who provides orientation and training services for senators, members, their staff, and other parliamentary staff
- the Library Publishing Unit maintains the Library Client Portal, the Library webpage, and the Library's social media channels, and creates a number of print publications
- the Central Enquiry Point (CEP) which manages the Library loans and reference desk, and the Senators' and Members' Reading Room
Contacts
Research Branch
Research Branch provides research and analysis to senators, members, parliamentary committees, and the staff supporting them. The branch has approximately 100 staff and is comprised of the Office of the Assistant Secretary and eight teams:
- Economic Policy — the Australian and international economy, superannuation, taxation, financial markets, industry, trade, public finance and Budget, foreign investment, resources, energy, competition policy, employment and industrial relations
- Foreign Affairs, Defence & Security — borderprotection, crime and law enforcement, cybercrime, national security, terrorism, foreign aid, foreign affairs and geopolitics, United Nations, defence and peacekeeping
- Law & Bills Digest — legislation, constitutional law, discrimination, human rights, corporate law, citizenship, intellectual property, trade practices, criminal law and international law
- Statistics & Mapping — assistance with Census data, election results, maps and spatial information, demography and opinion polls
- Politics & Public Administration — Parliament, parliamentary procedure, referenda, elections and electoral funding, government and executive, public administration and federalism
- Science, Technology, Environment & Resources — biodiversity and conservation, climate change, energy, transport, space, innovation, biotechnology, and natural resources including mining, fisheries, forestry and water
- Social Policy — health, aged care, NDIS and disability services, welfare, employment services, social security, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues, education, immigration, the arts, media and social issues
- Research Coordination Unit — coordinates requests across our research teams, provides surge support to researchers and the Central Enquiry Point, and coordinates the Library's publication program
Contacts
Library Collections and Databases Branch
The Library Collections and Databases Branch develops and manages the Library's print and electronic information resources.
The Branch offers the following assistance to senators and members in support of the parliamentary and representational duties:
- a daily online press clipping service — including tailored packages of news clips of interest to senators and members
- help in setting up personalised alerts in our media services
- recordings of radio and television news and current affairs programs to view and download, and social media monitoring
- a comprehensive Library collection for reference and loan
- 24/7 access to our online databases and subscription services
- a collection of books, periodicals, and newspapers for you to browse in the Senators' and Members' Reading Room
Contacts
Library Reports and Client Service Evaluations