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Parliamentary Libraries contribute to democracy through the provision of information, of reference and research services, of subject matter expert support to parliamentary committees and associations, and in many cases, the provision of information to the public about parliament. IFLA Library and Research Services for Parliaments discusses the work and its challenges.
The IFLA Law Libraries Section has been involved in promoting access to government information, with a particular emphasis on access to law and legal information, for many years. Access to legal information is a critical part of ensuring citizens can be active participants in democratic governance.
Constitutions assign to parliaments not only the functions of law making and approval of expenditure/taxation but also the role of overseeing the work of the executive branch of government. Focusing on this last function of parliaments Josefa Fuentes, IFLA Library and Research Services for Parliaments (IFLAPARL) Chair, analyzes some of the inherent challenges ensuring public access to information produced and attained by the libraries and research services in parliaments related to government information.
In the UK, all material produced by civil servants, ministers and government departments and agencies in the course of their work belongs to the Crown and is Crown copyright. The material covered ranges from public records, government reports and legislation to Ordnance Survey maps, government reports and official press releases, and even academic articles sponsored by government departments. IFLA Government Libraries Section Information Coordinator, Jonathan Ginn covers the bases.