External and Internal Audit
The Library's Audit Committee met four times
during the year. The Library participated in an Australian National Audit
Office preliminary study on Learning and Development in the APS. The audit
report is expected to be tabled in the Winter 2002 Parliamentary Sittings. The
Library reported to the Department of Communications, Information Technology
and the Arts on action taken in response to recommendations contained in a
number of Auditor-General reports, as detailed.
Australian National Audit Office Reports
The following reports contain Auditor-General
recommendations implemented by the Library:
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Report
9Implementation of Whole of Government Information Technology and
Infrastructure Consolidation and Outsourcing Initiative |
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Report 13Certified
Agreements in the Australian Public Service |
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Report 14Benchmarking
of the Internal Audit Function |
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Report 16Australian
Taxation Office Internal Fraud Control Arrangements |
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Report 19Management
of Public Sector Travel ArrangementsFollow-up Audit |
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Report 25Benchmarking
the Finance Function |
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Report 38The Use of
Confidentiality Provisions in Commonwealth Contracts. |
Internal Audit Reports
The following internal audit reports were
prepared for the Library:
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Attendance at Stocktakes |
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Review of the Protective
Security Policy and Procedures Manual |
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Charging of Indirect Costs to
the Library Bookshop |
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Review of Improvements in
Efficiency of Human Resource Operations |
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Quality Assurance of the Aurion
Implementation Project |
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LIDDAS Project Management
Review |
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IT Risk Assessment |
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Review of Cash Handling
ProceduresPictorial Section |
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Enquiry into Pictorial Section
Thefts |
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Business Continuity Planning
Review |
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Review of Credit Cards |
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Goods and Services Tax (GST)
Post-Implementation Review |
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Risk Management Review of the
Finance One Electronic Funds Transfer Process |
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Risk Management Framework
Issues Log |
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Review of APAIS/AMI |
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Review of the Design
Function |
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Input of Employee Entitlements
Data to Aurion |
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Compliance with Records
Management Policy |
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Assessment of Staff Contract
Management and Knowledge Skills. |
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| The APAIS
thesaurus lists the subject terms used in the Australian Public Affairs
Information Service and is one of the many services accessible through the
National Library's web site |
Parliamentary Committees and Government
Inquiries
The Library lodged submissions and attended
public hearings in response to the following Inquiries:
Ministerial Directions
No Ministerial Directions were received under
the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997.
Legal Actions
No legal action was commenced against the
Library.
Ombudsman
No new issues relating to the Library were
referred to the Commonwealth Ombudsman. The Library received a request for
information, from the Commonwealth Ombudsman's Office, relating to a complaint
in 199798 about the tender for an off-site storage facility.
Freedom of Information
The Library received no requests for access to
documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cwlth). A Freedom
of Information Statement is provided at Appendix
3. A list of the Library's key supporting policies and documents is
provided at Appendix 4.
Indemnities and Insurance
Premiums
Indemnity is provided to directors and officers
of the Library under the coverage of the Library's insurer, Comcover, which is
a Commonwealth Government self-managed fund for insurable risk.
Premiums are levied as part of the overall
insurance coverage and are based on the agreed insurance value and previous
claims history.
Social Justice and Equity
The Library continued its commitment to meeting
the Government's objective of enhancing social justice and equity, outlined
within Charter of Public Service in a Culturally Diverse Society.
The Library aims to provide all Australians with
equitable access to its services in a manner appropriate to their individual
needs. In particular, the Library:
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provides an increasing range of
services to Australians in any location through its web site and travelling
exhibitions |
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collects Australian library
materials in all community languages for current and future research |
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maintains high standards for
physical access to the building through implementation of the Disability Action
Plan. |
Service Charter
The Library's Service Charter, introduced in
1998, sets out the Library's commitment to users, the standards of service
users can expect and the mechanisms for providing feedback or making a
complaint. The Charter is made
available via the web site and throughout the Library. The Library welcomes all
feedback from users, as well as suggestions for services improvement.
The number of compliments and complaints
received by the Library is set out below.

The most common compliments related to the
prompt, courteous and efficient levels of service provided by Reading Room
staff, and the extent of their specialist knowledge. Praise for the Library's
Public Program activities was also very high. A large number of compliments
were received for the consistently high quality and interesting articles
contained in the Library's monthly publication National Library of Australia
News. Compliments from the Australian library community were received
for the Library's digitisation initiatives, cataloguing services and digital
preservation work.
The most common cause for complaint was the cost
and quality of photocopies from machines in the Library's Reading Rooms (seven
complaints). Poor levels of customer service elicited six complaints. Other
complaints related to the Library's online catalogue and web site, the height
of the furniture and monitors in the Main Reading Room, and the facilities
available to copy information from the Internet. Appropriate actions have been
taken to address complaint issues including more regular servicing and
maintenance of the Library's photocopiers and microfilm/fiche readers, and
further training for Library staff working in customer service areas.
The average time taken to respond to complaints
was less than one day (0.7 days). Of those surveyed, 78 per cent were satisfied
with the manner in which their complaint was handled.
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National Library of Australia
News March 2001 The well-loved free monthly magazine publishing
articles focusing on the National Library's numerous collections, services and
activities. |
The Library's services were available to the
public at all stated times throughout the year.
Consultancy Services
The Library engaged 21 consultants with an
individual value of more than $10 000, to undertake consultancy work, at a
total cost of $865 128. Consultancy services are used when there is a
requirement for specialised services that cannot be undertaken by Library staff
due to lack of expertise, insufficient in-house resources or where independent
advice is required. The successful consultant is selected according to
Commonwealth procurement guidelines. The consultancies relate to building,
information technology, accountability and various management issues. Details
of the consultancies are provided at Appendix
5.
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