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| Tasmanian Parliamentary Library | |
|---|---|
| Name | Tasmanian Parliamentary Library |
| Country | Australia |
| Established | 1856 |
| Location | Hobart, Tasmania |
| Type | Parliamentary library |
| Director | Parliamentary Librarian |
Tasmanian Parliamentary Library is the parliamentary library serving the Parliament of Tasmania located in Hobart. It provides research, information, preservation, and reference services to members of the Tasmanian Parliament and supports legislative activity involving entities such as the House of Assembly (Tasmania) and the Legislative Council (Tasmania). The library interfaces with institutions including the National Library of Australia, the Tasmanian Archive and Heritage Office, and the Supreme Court of Tasmania to support parliamentary work.
The library traces roots to the colonial administration of Van Diemen's Land and the establishment of representative institutions after the Australian Colonies Government Act 1850 and the formation of the Tasmanian Constitution Act 1855. Early holdings were influenced by donations from figures linked to Sir John Franklin, Lady Jane Franklin, William Sorell, and administrators of the Campbell Town district. During the era of the Federation of Australia, collections expanded to include material on the Constitution of Australia and debates from the Convention Debates (1891–1898). The library preserved items connected to legal milestones such as the Judicature Act 1873 (Tasmania), and wartime documentation from the First World War and the Second World War periods reflecting Tasmanian enlistment records and local outcomes from battles like Gallipoli and campaigns involving the Royal Tasmanian Regiment.
Governance aligns with parliamentary statutes and standing orders of the Parliament of Tasmania and operational frameworks comparable to the Parliamentary Library of Australia. Oversight involves the Speaker of the House of Assembly (Tasmania) and the President of the Legislative Council (Tasmania), with executive functions exercised by the Parliamentary Librarian and staff structured around divisions such as Research Services, Collections Management, and Digital Programs. The library engages with national networks including the Australian Libraries Gateway, the Council of Australasian Archives and Records Authorities, and the National and State Libraries Australasia consortium for standards and interlibrary cooperation.
Collections span parliamentary papers, Hansard transcripts from the Tasmanian Hansard, legislative bills and acts such as the Aboriginal Lands Act 1995 (Tasmania), and printed and audiovisual materials relating to Tasmanian figures like Joseph Lyons, Enid Lyons, Earle Page, Philip Fysh, and Robert Cosgrove. The legal reference component cross-links to holdings tied to the High Court of Australia, the Supreme Court of Tasmania, and law reports such as the Commonwealth Law Reports. The library offers services including member briefings, statutory research on instruments like the Local Government (Divisions) Act and policy dossiers referencing bodies such as the Tasmanian Health Service, the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, and the University of Tasmania.
Digital infrastructure incorporates cataloguing standards interoperable with the Trove discovery service of the National Library of Australia, the Australian National Bibliographic Database, and digital preservation practices in line with the National Broadband Network era expectations for remote access. Digitised manuscript material uses metadata schemas consistent with the Dublin Core and protocols mirrored by the Digital Preservation Coalition. Accessibility and web publishing follow standards referencing the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines frameworks adopted across Australian public institutions.
Significant items include personal papers and correspondence of colonial administrators linked to Sir John Franklin and family archives akin to the Franklin Papers, legislative diaries connected to premiers such as Tommas Moore and Robin Gray (Tasmanian politician), and rare pamphlets issued during the Convict Era in Tasmania. Manuscripts document interactions with Indigenous Tasmanians and records comparable to collections at the Aboriginal Heritage Council (Tasmania) and items relating to explorers like Matthew Flinders and Abel Tasman. The library holds printed ephemera, broadsides, and maps with provenance comparable to holdings at the State Library of Victoria and the Mitchell Library.
The library underpins committee work for select committees such as those resembling the Select Committee on Public Accounts and supports inquiries into sectors represented by agencies like the Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment and the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management (Tasmania). It provides analytical briefings on comparative examples from parliaments such as the Parliament of New South Wales, the Parliament of Victoria, the United Kingdom Parliament, and the Canadian House of Commons. Services include legislative tracking, evidence synthesis, and rapid-response research paralleling outputs from the Parliamentary Library of Victoria and the Australian Parliamentary Library.
Public engagement involves exhibitions, talks, and educational programs in partnership with institutions like the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery, the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, and the University of Tasmania Archives. Outreach targets schools under curricula influenced by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority and community audiences via collaboration with bodies such as the Royal Society of Tasmania and the Australian Heritage Council. The library also coordinates public lectures and seminars comparable to series hosted by the National Portrait Gallery (Australia), promotes access through interlibrary loans with the State Library of New South Wales, and contributes to cultural events across Hobart and regional centres including Launceston and Devonport.
Category:Libraries in Tasmania Category:Parliamentary libraries