The Australian Parliamentary Library’s services are established under the statutory office of the Parliamentary Librarian with the following functions :
(a) to provide high quality information, analysis and advice to Senators and Members of the House of Representatives in support of their parliamentary and representational roles; and
(b) to undertake such other responsibilities within the joint Department, consistent with the function set out in paragraph (a), as are conferred in writing on the Parliamentary Librarian by the Secretary of the joint Department with the approval of the Presiding Officers.
(Parliamentary Service Act 1999 section 38B (1))
The Library’s primary clients include Senators and Members and their staff, and committee staff. These clients entitled to use the full range of the Library’s services. Other client groups include staff of the parliamentary departments and the Governor-General. Service entitlements for all clients are outlined in the Parliamentary Library Statement of Client Services.
The Parliamentary Library is composed of the Parliamentary Librarian and the employees of the Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS) assisting the Parliamentary Librarian.
The Parliamentary Library Executive comprises Mr Steven Fox, Parliamentary Librarian, Mr Jonathan Curtis, Assistant Secretary, Research Branch, and Ms Heather Walsh, Assistant Secretary, Library Collection and Databases Branch.
The Library’s services are:
(a) Research services. These services include responding to requests from individual parliamentary clients for information and research, and the production of general distribution briefs and publications; and
(b) Library collections and databases. Information services are provided to the Library’s clients by acquiring and providing access to information resources, through the selection, processing and indexing of material for library and media data bases in ParlInfo, and by publishing print and electronic works.
The Library’s online publications available through the Internet can be found at http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs
Databases available to the public can be found at http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/
Mr Steven Fox
Parliamentary Library
Parliament House
CANBERRA ACT 2600
Phone: (02) 6277 2500
Email: parliamentary.librarian@aph.gov.au