Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee

Inquiry into the Role of Libraries in the Online Environment

The Senate has referred the above matter to the Committee for inquiry and report by 16 October 2003. The terms of reference are:

The role of libraries as providers of public information in the online environment, having particular regard to:

(a) the current community patterns of demand for public information services through libraries, including the provision of such information online;

(b) the response by libraries (public, university, research) to the changing information needs of Australians, including through the provision of online resources;

(c) possible strategies which would enhance the wider use and distribution of information resources held by libraries, including the establishment of library networks, improved online access in libraries, online libraries, and greater public knowledge and skill in using library resources;

(d) the use of libraries to deliver information and services over the Internet to more effectively meet community demands for public information in the online environment; and

(e) the roles of various levels of government, the corporate sector and libraries themselves in ensuring the most effective use of libraries as a primary public information resource in the online environment.

The Committee invites written submissions from interested individuals and organisations to be lodged by Friday 16 August 2002. The Committee prefers submissions to be lodged in electronic form, sent by email to ecita.sen@aph.gov.au. The email must include full postal address and contact details. Alternatively, submissions may be sent to the Secretary, Senate ECITA References Committee, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600.

Advice on preparing a submission is available on the Committee's web site or by contacting the Secretariat as follows: phone (02) 6277 3526; fax (02) 6277 5818. The web site address is www.aph.gov.au/senate_environment.

Submissions become Committee documents and are made public only after a decision by the Committee. Persons making submissions must not release them without the approval of the Committee. Submissions are covered by parliamentary privilege but the unauthorised release of them is not.

Submissions

Report - Tabled 16 October 2003

Government Response (PDF 4989KB)