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ParliamentParliamentary department

Department of the Parliamentary Library

Commonwealth Parliamentary Library · Parliamentary Library

1901 – 1 February 2004

Parliamentary department providing library, reference and research services to senators and members. Until the National Library Act 1960 separated them, it also built and housed the national collection that became the National Library of Australia.

How it came into existence

Founded in 1901 as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Library under the Library Committee of the first Commonwealth Parliament, which met in Melbourne. It had no Commonwealth predecessor.

Legislation: Parliamentary Service Act 1999 (from 1999)

Changes during its life

  1. 1923The library's national (non-parliamentary) collection and services began to be run under the name Commonwealth National Library, sharing staff with the Parliamentary Library.
  2. 9 May 1927Moved with the Parliament from Melbourne to the provisional Parliament House in Canberra.
  3. 1960The National Library Act 1960 provided for the national collection to be separated as the National Library of Australia, which took it over in 1961, leaving the Parliamentary Library to serve the Parliament alone.
  4. 1966A Legislative Research Service was established within the library to provide research and analysis for parliamentarians.
  5. 1988Moved into the new Parliament House on Capital Hill.
  6. 5 December 1999The Parliamentary Service Act 1999 commenced, making the library's staff parliamentary service employees rather than officers employed under the Public Service Act.

How it ended

Merged with the Department of the Parliamentary Reporting Staff and the Joint House Department on 1 February 2004 to form the Department of Parliamentary Services, in which the Parliamentary Library continues.

Main functions

  • Library and reference services for parliamentarians
  • Research and analysis for parliamentarians
  • Collection and information services for the Parliament
  • Building a national collection (until 1960)

Lineage

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Sources

Some dates or links for this organisation are not fully confirmed. Corrections are welcome.