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Reports for 2009

 1  Association of Parliamentary Libraries of Australasia  (APLA)

Association of Parliamentary Libraries of Australasia  (APLA) 

Report to IFLA 2009. 

Office Bearers

At the AGM held in July and hosted by theSouth Australian Parliamentary Library, the following office bearers wereelected.
President:                   Juliet Webster, Tasmanian ParliamentaryLibrarian
Vice President:            JudyBallantyne, Western Australia Parliamentary Librarian
Secretary:                    DrCoral Stanley, South AustraliaParliamentary Librarian
Treasurer:                    DiSinclair, Manager, Parliamentary Library Service, Northern Territory 

Comings andgoings

 ACT: Since the inception of self-government in the ACT in 1989, theLegislative Assembly Library has been a combined facility, also servicing theACT Government. This service has been run by the Executive, through the departmentresponsible for all of the Territory’s libraries. In 2007-08 a review of theACT Government and Assembly Library was conducted which reported in March 2008.
From1 July 2009, the Legislative Assembly has assumed responsibility for runningits own library. Ms Val Barett is the Manager of Hansard, Communications andLibrary and SiewChin Scholar is responsible for Reference and Research Servicesfor the Legislative Assembly. 

NSW:  Greig Tillotson has announced his retirementeffective at the end of July.  Greig hasworked within the NSW Parliamentary Library for over 30 years and becameLibrarian in 2006.  We wish him well inhis retirement.

Tasmania:  Welcome back to Juliet Webster (Scaife).  Juliet had been seconded to manage a projecton merging of the Archives Office of Tasmania and State Library of TasmaniaHeritage Collections and establishing a collocated service delivery centre withthe State Reference Library.  Shereturned to the Parliamentary Library in February 2009 (and with change of nameas she married in May 2008).

WA: JudyBallantyne has been taken off line and given the responsibility to manage theimplementation of an EDMS system within the WA Parliament.   Niamh Corbett will be Acting ParliamentaryLibrarian from July-August 2009, followed by Inge Hurst.   

APLAActivities
AnnualConference July 2009- South Australian Parliamentary Library

Thiswas hosted by the South Australian Parliamentary Library on 30 July 2009.  The theme of the Conference was ParliamentaryLibraries: the impact of technology on library and research services.
 Speakers were Dr Edmund Balnaves of ProsentientSystems; Ian McDonald, Senior legal officer, Australian Copyright Council andalso a team from the South Australian Parliamentary Library research servicesspeaking on Library Clients: changing needs and challenging expectations.   This session was wryly enjoyed by those of us(baby boomers) who have personally experienced the vast technological changesthat have occurred since 1980s – from the pre-computer days when someone elsetyped up your research briefs to the first online databases which were accessedthrough acoustic couplers!   

AnnualConference July 2008 – Tasmanian Parliamentary Library

TasmanianParliamentary Library hosted the 2008 Annual Conference and AGM.  The theme of the Conference was Digitisationand Preservation.    Thepresentations by staff of the State Library of Tasmania were very well receivedas planning for digitisation especially for preservation of,  and access to, parliamentary documents ishigh on most of our agendas. Vicki Whitmell, Ontario Legislative Assembly alsopresented on the Canadian parliamentary experience of digitisation. FormerSenator, Paul Calvert, also addressed the conference.
Thesocial program was very much enjoyed, especially the Saturday winery tour andthe reception at Government House, one of the most beautiful examples of apurpose built Government House in the Commonwealth. The impromptu concert givenby the Governor’s wife and our Ghanaian visitors was also an enjoyablesurprise. 

Researchand Reference Symposium – NSW Parliamentary Library, January 2009

NSWhosted the second symposium following on from the first one held by theVictorian Parliamentary Library in February 2008.   Again, staff who attended found it awonderful opportunity to develop relationships with staff in otherparliamentary libraries. The discussion on common issues and learning howothers handle similar issues/problems in different ways was very stimulating.  

2009New APLA Web Site

Atlast, after some committed groundwork by Judy Ballantyne and Juliet Webster,APLA has made the transitions to an externally hosted website.  This decision gives APLA more flexible anddynamic control (at a reasonable cost) and we are no longer dependent on the ITServices of any particular parliament for support.
The URL is http://www.apla.org.au/index.shtml
Thewebsite is linked to the IFLA website and its address has also been distributedto the CPA secretariats in Australian Parliament and New Zealand Parliament aswell the Centre for Democratic Institutions in Canberra. 

NewLogo for APLA

Adecision was made at the last AGM to explore modernising the APLA logo.  Several designs were prepared by a graphics stafferof the Queensland Parliament and sent out for vote. It was a narrow decisionand one that was not always going to please everyone. 
Thenew website has incorporated the colours of the new logo.

Twinningprogram with Pacific Nations

Thedecision of the APLA 2008 AGM to establish a twinning program between APLAparliamentary libraries and those of Pacific nations, based on the existing CommonwealthParliamentary Association scheme has been conveyed to the CPA secretariats in Australia and NewZealand as well as the Centre for Democratic Institutionsin Canberra.  

The current twinning arrangements are:
ACT with Kiribati
NSW with Bougainville and Solomon Islands
NT with Niue
Qld with PapuaNew Guinea and Vanuatu
SA with Tonga
Victoria with Fiji,
Nauru and Tuvalu
Tasmania with Samoa
WA with Cook Islands.

The CPA meetingin April 2007 also agreed that the Australian and New Zealand Parliaments wouldnot directly twin, but instead would provide a coordination role through theirfunction as the Regional Secretariats for the Australian and Pacific Regions. 

The twinning relationships ideally shouldprovide a platform for facilitating support, information, technical assistance,exchanges and if requested, training on an on-going basis for developing andmaintaining parliamentary libraries in the region.  Personal relationships between key contactscan be developed which are often the most helpful. 

Since the CPAmeeting, various initiatives have been undertaken to progress partnerships andthese have included:
   ·     exchanges of letters betweentwinned parliaments to acknowledge the relationship that has been established;
   ·     parliamentary visits;
   ·     training programs;
   ·     provision of procedural andadministrative advice; and
   ·     provision of resources. 

Furtherdiscussions have been held during the 2009 APLA AGM meeting as to the nextsteps forward. APLAwill build on the CPA initiatives and develop some potential strategies tooffer assistance to their twinned parliamentary library. 

APLAScholarship

2009was the inaugural year for the scholarship, valued up to $1500. Unfortunately,despite some initial interest, no one put in a firm application. It will be discussedat the 2009 AGM as to how we proceed on this scholarship to make it moreattractive to staff.
Itwas agreed at AGM 2009 to raise the amount to $2000 and that more targetedencouragement of suitable staff would be undertaken by the parliamentarylibrarians. 

IFLA2010

Itwas most disappointing to learn that IFLA 2010, which had been scheduled for Brisbane in August of thatyear, has been moved to Gothenberg, because of the current financial downturn.
RoxanneMissingham and her committee had carried out extensive planning for thepre-Conference workshop to be conducted in Canberra. A training day for librarians from Pacific Islandnations was also planned as an added incentive for them to take thisopportunity to mix with colleagues. 
Atthe AGM 2009, it was agreed that a proposal presented by Roxanne Missingham forA Section symposium to be held in Feb/March 2011 in Canberra be presented to IFLA 2009 forendorsement.   This Symposium would betargeted internationally and particularly with session and events for thePacific and Asian parliamentary libraries. 

JulietWebster
PresidentAPLA
MarySeefried
ImmediatePast President APLA
August2009

4. Session Proceedings

As noted, a key objective of the conference was to encourage dialogue among those who useand are involved with parliamentary library and research services.  It was hoped that better mutual understandingwould facilitate networking among parliamentarians, secretaries general andlibrary and research staff, and, by extension, assist those tasked with meetingthe information needs of parliamentarians to create more useful and targetedproducts.

This objective determined the order of the panelsessions.  The first session was to hear first-handfrom parliamentarians.  The second was tolook at how library and research services are valued within the parliamentaryenvironment.  The third was to assessways to improve services in light of changes in technology and in the roles of parliamentarians;and the fourth addressed strategies to establish more effective inter-parliamentarypartnerships.

I.                 Parliamentarians’evolving information and knowledge needs

The parliamentarians who participated inthis session were asked to organize their presentations around the followingquestions:

• What are the information and knowledge needs of parliamentarians?  To what extent do these needs and expectations vary among parliaments?  How are the needs of parliamentarians evolving?
• How do parliamentarians meet their information needs?  What challenges do they face?
• What expectations do parliamentarians have of their library and research services?

Canadian Senator Dennis Dawson, Member of the House of Representatives ofUruguay Mr. Diego Cánepa, and SecondVice-President of the Senate of ThailandMrs. Tassana Boontong each spoke of how their respective parliamentarylibraries have been essential to the performance of their duties asparliamentarians.  A recurring theme wasthe information overload facing parliamentarians and the need for the accurate,reliable and non-partisan information that can be provided by parliamentarylibraries and research services.

Senator Dennis Dawson spoke of theevolving roles of parliamentarians in light of the possibilities and opportunitiescreated by new technologies.  He has beenusing the services of Canada’sLibrary of Parliament for more than 30 years and has witnessed how it hasadapted to changing technology and demands.  Technology has led to the democratization ofinformation, with both parliamentarians and the public having greater access tomaterial on the work of parliament and parliamentarians.  With greater access comes the need for morefiltering and fact-checking.  SenatorDawson pointed out that material on public information websites such asWikipedia is often inaccurate.  He reliesheavily on parliamentary library and research services because he knows he willreceive a response that is impartial, unbiased and analyzed by experts.

The other challenge, he stressed, was to provideinformation in a way that makes it usable.  All the information may be publicly available,but until a specialist has evaluated and synthesized it, the knowledge neededcan remain elusive to parliamentarians and the public alike.  As Senator Dawson explained: “It is not about who ownswhat … As parliamentarians, we just want access to information in a form thatmakes sense to us.”

He concluded by emphasizing thatparliamentarians play four distinct roles – in the chamber, in committees, intheir consitituencies or regions, and on the international stage.  These roles cross the lines betweenparliamentary institutions, and it is essential for parliamentarians thatprocedural staff and library and research staff work closely together so that parliamentariansmay carry out their democratic duties.

Mr. Cánepa focusedhis presentation on the role that parliamentary libraries can play in holdingthe executive to account.  Parliaments,he said, came about to counter the power of the executive branch; however,there has consistently been an imbalance of power and funds between theexecutive and the legislative branches of government.  Being a member of the opposition is verydifferent from being a member of the government – opposition members have fewerresources, and the information they need is often less accessible.  Parliamentary library and research servicescan help correct that imbalance.

He noted that there is very high turnover from one parliamentarysession to the next in Uruguay,with up to 50-60% of the legislature being newly elected.  This means that it is the parliamentary staffwho hold the institutional knowledge.  Parliamentariansand parliamentary staff have to work together closely to improve understanding. One of the major problems is gettingaccess to relevant information: “The best way of not informing is over-informing,”burying relevant information in irrelevant information.  It takes time to discern what elements areimportant, and parliamentarians do not have a lot of time.

Mr. Cánepa added that a new model is needed in Uruguay, one where the library andresearch services provide assistance on an on-demand basis.  Parliamentarians need comparative legislation,analysis of current situations, and information about issues expected to comebefore parliament.  There needs to be amuch closer relationship between parliamentarians and the legislative libraryand research services, so that information can be tailored to client needs in achanging parliamentary environment.  Heemphasized that it is important to remember that parliamentarians are notelected because they know how a parliament works; they are elected because theyare better at understanding people.  Votersdo not necessarily elect people who know more, but people who will represent thembetter.  Access to relevant information benefitsall Members of Parliament, enabling them to promote ideas better and provideconcrete responses to domestic and international challenges.

Mrs. Boontong discussed parliamentarians’ need for good informationto keep up with the many competing voices in society.  Parliament has to answer to new national and global players, and thereis closer scrutiny by a more informed electorate and international media.  Consequently, Mrs.Boontong stated, “How I use information in my job is paramount in how I testthe quality of my leadership.”  To speak effectivelyin parliament requires credible, accurate, balanced, well-researched andindependent information.  The country iswatching.

Mrs. Boontong was a nurse before entering parliament and is sometimesasked to use her health care expertise – for example, on the health committee;but more often she is asked to work on issues with which she is less familiar.  Before deciding how to vote on a legislativeproposal, much work must be done: reading the text of the legislation, reviewingthe bill’s history, and considering international comparisons.  It is difficult to do all this withoutassistance, as there is so much information and some of it is irrelevant or misleading.  There are also many different sources ofinformation: political parties, lobbyists, stakeholders, the media, the Internet,and academic articles.  She relies on herparliamentary library to find the accurate, relevant and objective informationessential for decision-making.

The opening panel session elicited awide range of comments.  Severaldelegates emphasized the benefits of having representatives from the IPU, the ASGPand IFLA in attendance and called for future opportunities to discuss parliamentarians’information needs.  Other points raisedincluded the following:

Mrs.Rosa Fuentes, Director of Information at theSpanish Senate, noted that parliamentary libraries often provide information tothe other institutions operating in parliament – the committees directorate, cabinet services or caucus research – which in turn provide a final product to parliamentarians.  While the parliamentarians’ information needs may be served, the role of library staff may not be adequately recognized, and this can be problematic when a library needs torequest more resources. 

Mr. Fouad Al-Ansari, Director of Research and Studies of the Council of Representatives, Bahrain, pointed out that parliamentarians need support to consider the potentialeffects of legislation.  Such information cannot be randomly collected over the Internet, but requires objective research.

Mr. Constantin TshisuakaKabanda, Secretary General of the NationalAssembly, DemocraticRepublic of the Congo, agreed thatmanagement of information andexpertise is a pressing challenge for some, but reminded the conference that librariesin developing countries face fundamental issues such as a lack of the basicknowledge to build capacity.  He notedthat his library has just 1,000 volumes, but more than 7,000 visitors during a parliamentary session.  He appealed to theconference to partner with him to strengthen capacity in his parliamentarylibrary.

Ms. Claudia Lux, President of IFLA, underscored theimportance of formalizing the relationship between IFLA, the IPU and the ASPG.  To this end, she suggested the creation of agrant, which could be managed by IFLA’s Action for development throughLibraries Programme (ALP), to help build capacity for parliamentarylibrary and research services, particularly in developing countries.  She added that this was an area where IFLAcould take a lead role, given that its members have the needed experience andexpertise.

II.              The value ofdedicated parliamentary library and research services

The second session of the day focused on thestructures and products available within parliamentary institutions to assistparliamentarians.  The panellists wereasked to consider:

• What are the potential benefits and outcomes of well-organized and resourced parliamentary library and research services?
• What strategic priorities should guide the evolution of parliamentary libraries and research services?  What challenges and risks are there in this evolution?
• What changes in culture and in competencies are required by library and research services to provide better value for their parliamentary clients?

Mrs. Doris Mwinga, Clerkof the National Assembly of Zambia, Mr. Xavier Roques, Secretary General of the Questure of the National Assembly,France, and Mr. Jan Keukens, DeputyHead of Information Services, House of Representatives of the States General, TheNetherlands, each explored the evolution of their institutions and how they fit into the broader parliamentaryenvironment.

A common theme among thepresentations was the need to embrace changing technology.  As Mr. Roques said, “Computerize, computerize,computerize.  If you have limitedresources, computerize!”  It was emphasizedduring this session and throughout the day that traditional libraries can and must transformthemselves into more modern services for providing information.

Mrs. Mwinga told delegates that “It is generally agreedby all librarians that there’s a need to redefine their role.  They have to be more proactive, and evolvefrom a tradition of being passive keepers of books on shelves to informationactivists who follow their users to provide relevant information services.”  She reported that, to this end, her library hasbeen attempting to maximize the use of the latest available technologies.  Since 2001, the library has had a local areanetwork and several computers, and it is currently working on linking the constituencyoffices to the library.  It is digitizingrelevant parliamentary documents and will have web-based solutions for informationand knowledge management and library automation by the end of the year.  It also has a regularly updated website.  

Mrs. Mwinga added, however, that – due to notable resource constraints– Zambia’scircumstances differ dramatically from those of developed countries, where eachMP has a laptop and other portable communications devices.  That said, she noted that the needs of parliamentariansin Zambia, across Africa and in other developing countries are much thesame as in developed countries.

Echoing remarks made by Mr. Cánepa during the first session, Mrs.Mwinga talked about the challenges confronting Zambia’s unicameral parliament whenthere was a 70% turnover of its membership following a recent general election.  With the arrival of new members, her libraryfaced not only the pressure of orienting them to parliamentary procedures and availablelibrary and research services, but also the reality that many of them needed tobe trained to use a computer.  Indeed, fewerthan 1 million of Zambia’s12 million citizens are computer-literate.  She underlined that, in developing nations, computerskills for parliamentarians and staff are a priority for capacity-building.

Mrs. Mwinga noted that, all told, the ultimate impact of anefficient library and research service is better-informed parliamentarians.  “They say knowledge is power, and we aretrying to make very powerful MPs.”  Inclosing she challenged the secretaries general, clerks and chief librariansfrom the Association of Parliamentary Libraries of Eastern and Southern Africa (APLESA)– many of whom were in attendance – to use this occasion to make plans toreactivate the Association after a three-year hiatus.

Mr. Roques hailed his library’s creation of acentralized database network for France’s National Assembly as the“victory of the library.”  He reportedthat centralizing the file system under the library had simplified workflow, thanksto the creation of a keyword taxonomy that provides all users with betteraccess to previous research.

He explained that, over time, the National Assemblyof France had developed many different and incompatible information systems forparliamentarians, parliamentary institutions and subject areas.  The consequence was duplication, repetition andreliance on personal connections and individual initiatives to determinewhether other sections had already worked on a subject.  With centralized databases, parliamentariansand staff now find it easier to locate needed documentation and parliamentaryinformation.

At the same time, there has been a trend towardsmore complex research requests of a global and comparative nature.  In response to this development, the French parliament’sstudies department now prepares anticipatory research papers that arecirculated electronically and on paper within the Assembly.  This strategy has raised many questions,notably how to select topics for such papers and who should initiate them.

The question of anticipatory and strategic researchwas raised several times during the day.  Participants generally agreed that in a worldof unlimited resources, an anticipatory research agenda would be very helpfulto parliamentarians.  Having informationprepared in anticipation of an emergency debate, or awareness of an issue inthe media, reduces stress for parliamentary staff and helps ensure thatparliamentarians have ready access to needed resources.  Most library research services, however, lackthe needed expertise and resources for a truly anticipatory research model andmust focus instead on producing high-quality products in short turnaroundtimes. 

Mr. Keukensemphasizedan issue identified by many participants: too much information, not enoughtime.  He added that the modern parliamentary information provider is like “a sheep with fivelegs,” with communication skills, an extroverted and flexible attitude, a cooperativeapproach, and well-developed information technology and networking abilities.

With regard to helpingparliamentarians handle the pressures imposed by their workload, he underscoredthe fundamental utility of parliamentary library and research services as aone-stop shop for non-partisan information and knowledge, synthesized fromdifferent sources, and covering the full range of public policy andinstitutional memory.

He noted, however, that the core missionof most parliamentary libraries has expanded considerably due to innovations intechnology and shifts in client expectations. For this reason, many parliamentary libraries are now struggling to accommodate:

• the increased complexity of requests (dealing with a broader range of issues and often requiring international comparisons);
• a growing diversity of information sources;
• the proliferation of civil society interest groups; and
• more frequent requests for tailored information. 

Compounding these pressures has beena concomitant shift in the expectations of clients, whose deadlines are now shorterin the face of more frequent emergency debates and a 24-hour news cycle.  These demands pose a serious challenge for parliamentarylibrary and research staff, who are nevertheless expected to deliver timely,high-quality and relevant responses. 

Given these issues, Mr. Keukens concluded that the parliamentary librarymay increasingly become a facilitator of information rather than theinformation provider per se.  Thisrequires finding ways to select, aggregate, and provide access to relevantsources.  It also necessitates theprovision of tools for self-service and a focus on training clientele.

In response to the presentations, Mr. Allel Haddad, Director of Documentation, Publishing and Archivesfor the Council of the Nation, Algeria, asked the panellists for advice to developingcountries seeking to develop library and document management expertise andcapacity.  Mr. Keukens suggested twinningwith another library and resource-sharing with outside institutions.  By establishing bilateral partnerships withother libraries, a library can maximize resources and expertise.  Basic resource-sharing agreements are veryimportant to libraries with smaller collections and limited access totechnology.  Establishing partnershipswith state libraries or other local institutions can also expand a library’scapacity significantly.  Mrs. Mwingasuggested secondments to other parliamentary libraries and linkages to stateand university libraries.  She noted thatthe Zambian library has sent many of its researchers and librarians to otherparliaments, and it was the lessons learned from these experiences thatprompted the decision to merge Zambia’slibrary and research services.  For hispart, Mr. Roques indicated that the best way to build capacity is to computerize.

III.          Innovativestrategies to meet parliamentarians’ evolving needs

IFLA’s Library and Research Services for Parliaments Section has made apriority of innovation in library and research services, as evidenced by itsrecent pre-conferences in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2007 and in Ottawa, Canada,in 2008.[2] Building on those discussions, the day’s third session addressedstrategies to meet the evolving needs of parliamentarians.  

The panel opened with the launch of the report on the 24^thAnnual IFLA Pre-Conference of Library and Research Services for Parliaments.[3] Dr. William Young,Parliamentary Librarian of Canada and 2008 Pre-Conference host, told theassembled delegates that the report sums up thechallenges facing legislative libraries around the world and discussesinitiatives and best practices that have been adopted to meet these challenges. He explained that the discussions andpresentations in Ottawafocused on how legislative libraries work to assist parliamentary clients tomake the democratic process more effective. 

One of the Ottawaevent’s main themes was the experience of smaller libraries seeking innovativeways to offer a full range of services to their clients.  The Pre-Conference highlighted the diversityof legislative libraries, characterized by their different histories, politicalcontexts, mandates and levels of resources. At the same time, participants noted that legislative libraries aroundthe world share the same purpose: to provide reliable, accurate information andresearch to parliamentary clients. 

Discussions also demonstrated the notablesimilarity in the key challenges facing parliaments in the early 21stcentury.  Dr. Young noted that legislativelibraries must deal with the profound transformation of the information andknowledge environment in the digital age, and the equally profound changes inthe needs and demands of parliamentary clients. In this rapidly changing environment, libraries are faced with an ever-increasingneed to absorb new ways of sharing and creating knowledge as democracy emergesat different speeds, in different contexts, relying on different tools. 

For these reasons, libraries and research servicesmust develop strong and effective partnerships with their parliamentary clientsand with legislative libraries in other jurisdictions. 

Dr. Young concluded by listing key recommendations fromthe Pre-Conference:

1. Technological advances, which have driven the transformation of the information and knowledge environment, have not only led to profound changes in the needs and demands of parliamentary clients; they have also led to higher expectations.
2. While the number of simple information requests has decreased considerably, demand for more complex and multi-faceted analysis has grown.  At the same time, the need for traditional library services and materials is declining, and there is a growing demand for electronic sources and formats. 
3. Profound changes in client needs and expectations are forcing legislative libraries to modernize their working methods.  While this is a challenge, especially for well-established organizations, it is also an opportunity for adaptation and renewal.
4. Providing orientation and training to parliamentarians and their staff opens the door to a rebranding of services in light of changing client needs and growing expectations.  It is also an opportunity for building partnerships with legislators.

In closing, Dr. Young observed that working withpartners in other jurisdictions and through IFLA is an essential element in thedevelopment and implementation of successful, innovative strategies to addressthese challenges.

Following Dr. Young’s remarks, Mr.Iain Watt, Head of Client Services, Library of the European Parliament, andMs. Gloria Insaidoo, ParliamentaryLibrarian, Ghana,made their presentations.  Thesepanellists had been asked to consider the following questions:

• What new services and technologies can library and research services use to support parliamentarians in holding the executive to account and improving the quality of legislation?
• How can parliamentarians communicate their changing needs to their research and library services?  How can library and research services keep in step with the changing needs and expectations of parliamentarians?
• How can library and research services be organized to innovate as rapidly as the best information service providers?

Mr. Watt reminded conference participants that parliamentary librariesand research services are highly diverse: their resources and functions vary;their histories vary; they range from small operations to much larger ones;some have very traditional library services, whereas others are much moresophisticated.[4]  Consequently, what may seem like a basicservice in one parliament could be an extraordinary innovation in another.

He added that the aim of any innovation should be to improve the qualityand value of the service provided: to do the same things, but do them better.  Mr. Watt noted that there are three main typesof innovations in parliamentary libraries: entirely new services, newapproaches to old services (e.g., finding ways to achieve better quality orincreased efficiency), or new marketing approaches to old services. 

For innovations to be useful, a clear understanding of client needs isessential.  To this end, Mr. Watt reviewedthe most common forms of feedback mechanisms used by parliamentary librariesaround the world.  These range frominformal, one-on-one coffee meetings to gauge opinions and needs, to moreformal methods, such as feedback forms, structured interviews, or marketresearch firms hired to conduct surveys or focus groups.  Mr. Watt urged all to remain mindful that eachparliamentary context is both unique and diverse, making it essential that librariesand research services regularly evaluate and tailor their products and servicesto remain relevant to their clients.

Mr. Watt concluded his presentation with a discussion of some emergingtrends in parliamentary libraries.  Mostnotable was the growing convergence between parliamentary library and researchservices.  Traditionally, the libraryand research functions were separate professional areas.  In recent years, however, these two areas havestarted to work more collaboratively. Many library services now offer a wider range of value-added products;that is, summaries and overviews, rather than simple reference responses.  At the same time, research services are phasingout lengthy, in-depth research papers in favor of more concise briefingmaterials.

In both services, the trend is toward subject-area specializationas the work of parliaments has become more focused, technical and challenging.  Other emerging trends include: anticipatory research,integration of library services into work processes or legislative projectteams, audio-visual services such as audio briefings and podcasts, andknowledge sharing and “OpenParl” tools that permit citizens to follow the legislative process moreclosely.  In addition, some of the largerparliamentary libraries are experimenting with Web 2.0 social networking tools.

For her part, Ms. Insaidoo noted that circumstances differ vastly indeveloping nations such as Ghana, where most parliamentarians lack offices,personal staff, personal computers, and Internet access – all of which, byextension, amplifies their reliance on the library for their information needs. She observed that the needs in hersetting were far simpler.  For example, manymembers of Ghana’sparliament were using the library for its newspapers.  In response, the library developed a newspaperclipping service for a select group of parliamentarians.  Over time, it was noted that the clippingswere not being read.  Rather than ending theservice, the library redesigned it to provide members withmore media reports on their activities, information about their constituency,as well as other articles of interest.  Toensure its utility, the librarians followed up with parliamentarians toevaluate their satisfaction with the service. A simple lesson was learned: implementinga new service is not an end in itself; sometimes the service must be adapted tosuit client needs.  Thus, to innovate effectively, libraries needto manage change, offer more flexible services, encourage creativity andcollaboration, and maximize the knowledge of their staff.

Computer literacy training was another issue raised by Ms.Insaidoo.  Library staff train MPs andtheir staff in the use of online databases and resources so that they can takeadvantage of other library resources such as an automated Hansard and a billtracking service.  Her library alsoteaches parliamentary staff and MPs how to find information themselves; forothers, her staff provide information as requested.

In the final analysis, Ms. Insaidoo underscored the importance ofensuring the value and utility of the products and services offered toparliamentarians.  This, she noted, isall the more important when financial and human resources are limited.  Achieving this end, she concluded, requires regularinteraction with parliamentarians and an effective feedback mechanism.

During the question and answer session, Ms. Nawal Al Shehhi, Head of the Library and Information Sources Department, United Arab Emirates, asked thepanellists to discuss the establishment of partnerships for contractresearch.  Mr. Watt said one of the mostimportant factors when hiring contract researchers is to be very clear on yourresearch parameters.  Dr. Young added thatone needs to be “hard-headed” about partnerships.  He recommended having a policy and guidelinesin place to help maintain the library’s mandate and values.

Mr. Gunnars Fors, Deputy Secretary, Committee onForeign Affairs, Sweden, andMs. Siiri Sillajoe, Deputy Headof the Department of Economic and Social Information, Estonia, both commented on thedifficulty in obtaining useful feedback on their products and services.  Ms. Sillajoe emphasized the value of meeting clientsone on one and asked panellists to explain how they establish and retain personalconnections in the electronic era.  Mr.Watt listed a number of different feedback mechanisms, including contactingpeople who have not used the library recently, but he reiterated that differenttechniques are necessary in different cultures.  Ms. Insaidoo suggested targeted group meetingsand one-on-one sessions with members at which time they are asked to fill out aquestionnaire.  Dr. Young spoke of arecent perception audit undertaken at the Canadian Library of Parliament.  He hired a market research firm to talk tostakeholders and clients.  In response tothe results of the audit, the Library is reorganizing its services to confrontsome of the challenges in reaching its clients.  Finally, Mr. Pullinger reminded participantsthat getting the information required is sometimes the easy part; deciding howto adapt services in response to feedback is the hard part.

By way of wrap-up, Mr. Pullinger askedthe panellists to identify the biggest change they had implemented in theirlibraries.  For his part, Mr. Pullinger identifieda program he adapted for the UKcontext that he borrowed from the Canadian Library of Parliament to trainteachers in parliamentary procedure.  This is a way to engage with the public,thereby helping a new generation of children to better understand what theirparliament does for them.  Ms. Insaidoo identifiedwork conducted by Ghana’slegislative service, where they prepare background information on bills for MPs’reference.  Mr. Watt described anintegration project implemented at the European Parliament whereby subjectspecialists were brought together with library staff to work in four subjectareas.  Thespecialists helped guide the work and served as a bridge to the committees andcommittee officials.  As a result, librarystaff became more engaged and interested in committee work, thereby developing morein-depth specialization.  This has improvedthe overall quality of the output and was a notable success with both thecommittees and the library staff.

IV.          Sharing goodpractices and building capacity: strategies to assist parliamentaryinstitutions

Thefinal session of the day focused on ways to share goodpractices among parliamentary library and research services.  Ms. Anita Dudina, Director of the InformationDepartment of the Latvian Parliament, Mr. Martin Chungong, Director, Division for the Promotion of Democracy, IPU, and Ms. Mireille Eza, Directorof the Inter-parliamentary Cooperation Program (Noria Program) of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie (APF), consideredthe following questions:

• How can good practices in parliamentary library and research services be shared effectively?
• How can programs to help parliaments in less-developed countries build their library and research capacity be better coordinated?  Are new programs needed?
• What role can international and regional bodies play in strengthening the support offered to parliaments?

The panellists spoke of their experiences indeveloping new libraries as well as the challenge of coordinating assistancefrom external organizations.  They stressed the importance of harmonizingassistance from various sources; of establishing multi-year plans to allow fordevelopment and implementation; and of ensuring that assistance is driven bythe demands of newer libraries.  Interventions focused on ways to support parliaments inless-developed countries in order to meet the information and knowledge needsof their parliamentarians. 

The panellists also observedthat a number of programs and organizations currently provide opportunities toexchange good practices in parliamentary library and research services at the internationaland regional levels.  For example, a keyobjective of IFLA’s Library and Research Services for Parliaments Section is:

To assist in thedevelopment of parliamentary libraries by providing assistance and support inaccordance with the interest, requirements, and stage of development ofparliaments in various regions of the world; to encourage bilateral assistanceand development programmes; and to act as a clearing house in this regard.[5]

Inaddition, IFLA’s ALP program furthers the library profession, libraryinstitutions and library and information services in developing countries inAfrica, Asia and Oceania, and Latin America and the Caribbean.  Other examples include parliamentary organizations such as the IPU andthe APF, which have technical assistanceprograms that provide support to library and information services. 

Mr. Chungong explained that parliaments in new democracies often lack the required experience,trained staff, information and material to serve their members effectively.  Through its technical assistance program, theIPU provides advice, guidance and support to parliaments.  This includes helping parliaments to conduct aneeds assessment and design a program of support to address those needs.  The IPU can draw on the resources of itsmember parliaments, making it well placed to play a mediator role, both betweenmember parliaments and with other organizations, such as IFLA.  He added that almost all requests for supportto parliaments received by the IPU have a library and research component.

Forits part, the APF’s Noria Program helps francophone parliaments in the Global Southto build capacity for the production, management and dissemination oflegislative information.  Ms. Ezaexplained that Noria’s support includes helping parliaments identify theirneeds; implementing action plans to meet those needs; and providing equipmentand training.  The training providedthrough Noria responds to requirements that are collectively identified bymember parliaments.

It was noted that regional organizations suchas the European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation (ECPRD)also facilitate the sharing of information. The ECPRD provides a forum for exchange between participatingparliaments on issues such as the management of parliaments, the status of parliamentarians,legislation, and research and studies of a comparative nature.  As the informationgenerated by the Centre’s members is extensive and specific items can be hardto locate, the ECPRD strives to assemble useful data and practices that will facilitatethe exchange of ideas, the retrieval of data and the circulation of studies.

Ms. Dudina reminded participants that a parliament’s strongest andmost important asset is its intellectual capital.  For this reason, parliamentary libraries and researchunits are by far the best positioned to build and cultivate a knowledge-sharingculture within parliaments.  She added that IFLA’s Library andResearch Services for Parliaments Section serves as a door to new ideas and as anetwork to reach colleagues for consultation and advice.

Countries that have recently developed legislative libraries are alsowell positioned to partner with developing libraries.  She observed that countries such as Latviacan be good mediators between the needs of new libraries and the expertise ofmore established ones, thanks to very recent transition experiences.  With this in mind, she suggested thatmultilateral programs should promote twinning to help transfer expertisebetween nations that have recently made changes to their parliamentary libraryand research services and those with libraries that are in the initial stagesof development.  As did many others, she emphasized the importance of learningfrom the experiences of other countries, while at the same time remaining awareof the unique needs of developing libraries.

With respect to the various organizations involved in parliamentary strengthening activities, all three panellists noted thatcoordination among these groups has been less than ideal.  When numerous initiatives are under way, insufficientcoordination is at times more detrimental than no assistance at all.  On this point, Ms. Eza underscored the need to improve the exchange of information, thespecialization of the various players, the harmonization of working tools andmethods, and the synergy between initiatives. She also encouraged all partners to adhere to the “reality principle”:that is, to play close attention to the consistency and complementarity of actions, the proven effectiveness of new methods, and the incorporation of ongoing training for managers.

Ms. Eza added thatpartnerships need to be active and ongoing: a program should not be doingthings for a developing library, butworking with it to encouragesustainability.  For this reason, theparticipation and responsibilities of all parties need to be clarified from theoutset.  All must work together, but makean individual contribution.  Thisrequires multi-year plans for development and implementation.

In thecase of new programs, it is equally important that a parliament assess its needs.  This allows the parties involved to takeownership of the implementation.  Forexisting programs, it is important to recognize that things can beimproved.  The partners need to evaluatewhat could be done with new tools or methods. At the same time, they need to evaluate the human resources available, aswell as what officials and parliamentarians can do. 

Ms.Eza stressed the need for specialized leadership development for researchservices and libraries.  Professionaldevelopment must be targeted towards the right staff and be provided by thebest persons to give technical assistance. At times, effective professional development requires smaller groups andlonger periods.  For this reason, regional and sub-regional exchanges are often useful ways to shareexpertise.

For his part, Mr. Chungong reminded all participants that capacity-buildingprojects require a range of options, as no single model fits allparliaments.  For this reason, organizationslike the IPU can best help parliaments by ensuring that they draw up andimplement an individualized program of support based on assessed andagreed-upon needs.  He noted that theparliamentary environment is unique and challenging and that it is necessary totake a politically sensitive approach.  Allpolitical parties should be engaged so that they understand the value behindthe endeavour.  It is useful, therefore, tohave a core group of change champions, preferably across party lines.

EchoingMs. Eza, Mr. Chungong emphasized the importance of local ownership of assistanceprojects.  This can be accomplished byensuring that support recipients are involved in all stages, includingplanning, organization, implementation and delivery.  He stressed, however, that supportingparliaments is a long-term endeavour; one cannot “spend the money and run.”  It is equally important to prepare a careful exitstrategy, preferably one that involves a commitment from the recipientparliament.  For example, if newtechnology has been donated and set up, local stakeholders’ support must besecured to ensure maintenance and sustainability. 

Mr. Chungong also underlined the importance of adheringto the principles of the ParisDeclaration on Aid Effectiveness, which calls for greatercoherence in donor support and ensuring that assistance is demand-driven.  He noted that the United NationsDevelopment Programme (UNDP) and the IPU are undertaking an initiative tocreate a “knowledge hub” designed to identify and map out the various programs seekingto support parliaments.  IFLA and theASGP could be invited to support this initiative, which is currently in thepreliminary stages.  In the long run, itis hoped that the initiative will result in an Internet portal, with links toresources to strengthen parliaments in areas such as library and researchservices.

5. Closing Remarks

On behalf ofthe Secretary General of the IPU, Mr.Martin Chungong thanked the conference participants.  He noted that the discussions had beenenriching and rewarding, and that the collaboration among IFLA, the ASGP andthe IPU is the kind of partnership that the IPU would like to promote in thefuture in support of stronger parliaments. He invited discussion on moving forward with the ideas, process andnetworking started at this conference, both by bringing ideas discussed back toparliaments and by pursuing future partnerships among the organizations.

The Presidentof the ASGP, Mr. Hafnaoui Amrani, summarized the consensus of participantsthat it had been productive to bring togetherparliamentarians, secretaries general, and research and information services todiscuss the issues on the agenda.  Hehighlighted the essential role played by libraries and research services in thefunctioning of parliaments.  He alsonoted that the conference had helped identify both the commonalities and thedifferences among parliamentary library and research services.  As the discussion had made clear, theseservices continue to confront the challenges and opportunities created by rapidadvances in technology and the proliferation of available information.  Opportunities to share best practices inmeeting these challenges are helpful for all.

Finally, Ms. Gro Sandgrind, Chair of IFLA’s Library and Research Services for ParliamentsSection, concluded thata strong andindependent parliamentary information service can contribute to the democraticprocess by providing authoritative, independent and non-partisan backgroundinformation and analysis to parliamentarians, who work in a high-pressureenvironment.  Noting that feedback fromparliamentary clients is essential to maintaining and improving services fromparliamentary libraries, she drew attention to a survey undertaken by theGlobal Centre for ICT in Parliament, and published in the World e-Parliament Report 2008, which provides an excellentframework for looking at needs and at innovative strategies to meet them.[6]

She also drew attention to a publication to bereleased by IFLA next year that will help guide those who are setting uplegislative libraries.  The publicationwill be written not only for the library profession but also for those involvedin setting up new information services for legislators.  Its target audience includes administratorsand those responsible for authorizing funds for this purpose.

6.  Conclusionsand Recommendations

Informing Democracy: Building capacity to meet parliamentarians’information and knowledge needs wasconceived as a means to facilitate the exchange of ideas amongparliamentarians, secretaries general and parliamentary library and researchstaff.  At the end of the day,participants agreed that the debate had come full circle with commonunderstanding on several key points, notably the importance of working incollaboration – as partners – to build capacity. 

It was noted repeatedly that all parliamentarians – nomatter their geographic, political or individual circumstances – are strugglingto extract useful and reliable information from a growing range of sources.  As a result, they are increasingly reliant ontheir library and research services to synthesize and analyze requiredinformation and knowledge in an accessible format and in a timely manner.  This trend, however, is placing greatpressure on parliamentary information providers to adapt their methods andpractices to meet client needs. 

In many developed nations, efforts are being made to centralizeparliamentary information repositories, eliminate duplication, and build clearpaths of communication.  There is also agrowing recognition that parliamentary libraries and research services  need to adapt their service models to reflecta shift from their traditional function as information providers to a new roleas facilitators and synthesizers of knowledge and information.  Accordingly, some parliamentary services arenow developing anticipatory and strategic research services that not onlyrespond to individual requests, but initiate research on key topics inanticipation of upcoming parliamentary issues or debates.

In developing nations and newerdemocracies, however, these same pressures are being compounded by an absenceof needed resources and expertise.  Inthese contexts, staff need to be trained on best practices and clients oftenrequire fundamental services such as computer andInternet training courses, newspaper clippings or briefing notes written inplain language.  To cope with these realities, some parliamentsare working closely with bilateral, regional and international partners such asthe IPU or the Noria Program to develop tailored services that are bothcompatible with available resources and sustainable over the longer term. 

Several conference participants familiar with capacity-buildingprograms for parliaments emphasized that recipient parliamentstypically need guidance to identify their requirements.  Equally important is the involvement ofrecipients at all stages – planning, organization, implementation and delivery– as well as a very clear understanding of client needs.  This latter point was raised frequently,along with the point that parliamentary libraries and research services – whether smallor large, well-funded or struggling with limited resources – need relevant andhonest feedback to ensure that they are meeting the information needs ofparliamentarians.  With this in mind, itwas urged that parliamentarians be regularly consulted with regard to theirneeds and interests.  

The development of innovative products and services was another key themethroughout the day’s deliberations. Several delegates noted that the aim of innovation should be to adapt toparliamentarians’ needs; that said, the scale of such innovations dependsentirely on an institution’s capacity to manage and sustain the relatedinitiatives.  Indeed, as one delegatenoted, small changes to current services and products can sometimes produce themost value.

All told, there was a broad consensus among delegates that the timehas come to integrate the work of library and research services more closely.  Parliamentarians – no matter theircircumstances – require objective, non-partisan information and research tocarry out their various and complex duties.  These needs can best be provided by teams ofwell-trained and impartial information and research specialists working incollaboration to respondto the increasingly specialized needs of parliamentarians.  In those instances where parliaments requireassistance to build capacity and expertise, delegates urged that every effortbe made to work through existing networks, partnerships and relevant fundingsources to address such needs.

With these latter considerations inmind, two key recommendations emerged from the day’s discussions:

1.     The Informing Democracy conferencemust not be an end, but the beginning of an enduring engagement and partnershipbetween the IPU, the ASGP, and IFLA’s Library and Research Services forParliaments Section.  Participantssuggested that these groups organize regional meetings to explore commonchallenges.  They also called on them toformalize the sharing of information and best practices among parliaments byestablishing a grant to be administered by IFLA’s ALP program.

2.     Several regional andinternational organizations provide various forms of support to parliaments andtheir library and research services.  Enhanced coordination of initiativesundertaken by these groups would improve the sharing of best practices andresources as well as the quality and delivery of support.  It was noted that the UNDP and the IPU areworking to create a knowledge hub on parliamentary strengthening programs as ameans of reducing some of the overlap and duplication among currently availableprograms and services.  Delegatesstrongly recommended that IFLA and the ASGP be invited to support thisinitiative.  A key objective of thepartnership should be the creation of an Internet portal with links toresources required by parliamentary library and research units seeking tostrengthen their services. 

Last update: 12 August 2009