The Parliamentary Library of Australia is a significant research and information service that supports the Parliament of Australia. Established in 1901, the library is an integral part of the Department of Parliamentary Services and provides independent, impartial and comprehensive information to members of Parliament, namely members of the Senate and House of Representatives, their staff and the broader parliamentary community.
The library was established in 1901, the year of the federation of the Commonwealth of Australia. Control of the new library was controversial as the fledgling parliament was located in Melbourne where the Victorian premier and the library committee of the State Library of Victoria sought to influence the control and management of the library.[1][2]
From 1923 the library used two names describing the two roles and two collections Commonwealth Parliament Library which designated the parliamentary collection and Commonwealth National Library to designate the national collection.[3] The collections were relocated from Melbourne to Canberra in 1927.[4]
Sir Harold White served as Parliamentary Librarian from 1947 to 1967.[5] In 1960 the National Library of Australia was created by act of parliament.[6][7][3] The collections were separated when the National Library of Australia building was completed.[8]
The staff of the Library is led by the Parliamentary Librarian, a statutory officer responsible for the control and management of the Library, who is on the DPS Executive Committee. This committee is the department's primary governance body, comprising the Secretary (chair), Deputy Secretary, Parliamentary Librarian, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Information Officer, First Assistant Secretary for Building and Security Division and Chief Finance Officer.[10][11]
As of September 2023[update], Mr Steven Fox has been appointed Parliamentary Librarian for a 5 year term.[12]
Research and Analysis: The library conducts in-depth research and analysis on a wide range of topics, including policy issues, legislation and international developments. This research is presented in the form of briefing papers, research papers and other publications.
Information Services: The library provides parliamentary clients with access to a vast collection of books, journals and other resources, both in print and digital formats.
The Parliamentary Library plays a crucial role in supporting the work of Parliament by:
Informing Policy Debates: The library's research and analysis contribute significantly to the development of informed policy debates, enabling parliamentarians to make well-informed decisions.
Enhancing Transparency and Accountability: By providing accurate and unbiased information, the library helps to promote transparency and accountability in the parliamentary process.
Some major, publicly available products of the Parliamentary Library include Bills digests, Research publications and Parliamentary handbooks.
Bills digests: The library prepares detailed analyses of bills before Parliament, providing an objective assessment of their policy implications.
Research publications: Research Papers provide in-depth analysis on a wide range of policy topics, while Quick Guides provide a concise overview of key policy issues, including definitions, context and relevant data.
Parliamentary handbooks: Detailed information about Parliament, including lists of senators and members, and details of elections.
Budget Resources: The annual Budget Review is a series of articles intended to support consideration of the Budget and the various issues the Budget is intended to address.
Australia. Department of the Parliamentary Library (1900), Annual report, AGPS, retrieved 1 March 2016
Cochrane, Peter, 1950–; National Library of Australia (2001), Remarkable occurrences : the National Library of Australia's first 100 years 1901–2001, National Library of Australia, ISBN978-0-642-10730-5{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Osborn, Andrew D. (Andrew Delbridge); Osborn, Margaret; National Library of Australia; Australia. Department of the Parliamentary Library; Osborn, Andrew D. (Andrew Delbridge), 1902–1997; Osborn, Margaret (1989), The Commonwealth Parliamentary Library, 1901–27 and the origins of the National Library of Australia, Dept. of the Parliamentary Library in association with the National Library of Australia, ISBN978-0-642-14697-7{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
White, H. L. (1965). Commonwealth Parliamentary Library. The Australian Library Journal, 14(2), 70.
