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Public
Accountability
External
and internal audit
The
Library's Audit Committee
met four times during the year and considered external and
internal audit reports.
Australian
National Audit Office reports
The
following reports contain Auditor-General recommendations
implemented by the Library:
2000-01
- No
52-Payment of Accounts
- No
54-Engagement of Consultants
2001-02
- No
8-Disposal of Infrastructure Plant and Equipment
- No
12-Selection, Implementation and Management of Financial
Management Information Systems in Commonwealth Agencies
- No
13-Internet Security Within Commonwealth Government Agencies
- No
18-Performance Information in Portfolio Budget Statements
- No
19-Payroll Management
- No
20-Fraud Control Arrangements in the Department of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Forestry-Australia (AFFA)
- No
22-Personnel Security-Management of Security Clearances
- No
25-Accounts Receivable
- No
27-Agency Management of Software Licencing
- No
34-Management of Travel-Use of Taxis
- No
36-Benchmarking Implementation and Production Costs of
Financial Management Information Systems
- No
45-Recordkeeping
- No
52-Internal Budgeting
- No
53-Goods and Services Tax Administration by Commonwealth
Organisations.
Internal
audit reports
The
following internal audit reports were received by the Library:
- Fraud
Risk Assessment and Fraud Control Plan
- Review
of the IT Division's Policies and Procedures Relating to
Portable and Attractive Items
- Audit
Planning and Assessment of the Library's Control Framework
- Review
of Portable Attractive Item Policy
- Review
of the Goods and Services Tax
- Aurion
Post Implementation Review of Degree to Which the System
Meets the Business Case
- Capitalisation
of Costs Associated with Information Technology Products,
and
- Review
of Staffing Model

Parliamentary
committees and Government inquiries
There
were no submissions made to Parliamentary committees or government
inquiries during the year.
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's Office. The Library provided further information
to the Ombudsman relating to a complaint about a 1996 tender
process for one of the Library's off-site storage facilities.
Freedom
of Information
The
Library received no requests for access to documents under
the Freedom
of Information Act (Commonwealth) 1982. 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 the 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:
- provides
an increasing range of services to Australians in any location
through its web
site and travelling
exhibitions
- collects
Australian library materials in all community languages
for current and future research, and
- maintains
high standards for physical access to the building through
implementation of the Disability
Action Plan
Service
Charter
The
Library's Service Charter was revised during the year and
is used as a means of dialogue with users of the Library's
services. The Charter sets out the Library's commitment to
users, the standards of service which users can expect, and
the mechanisms for providing feedback or making a complaint.
The Charter is made available via the web site (www.nla.gov.au/charter)
and throughout the Library. The Library welcomes all feedback
from users, as well as suggestions for service improvement.
This year a total of 324 compliments and 140 formal complaints
were received, as set out in the tables below.

COMPLIMENTS
| SUBJECT |
NUMBER |
NATURE |
| Treasures
exhibition |
184 |
Mostly
on general arrangements, including the consideration of
special requirements such as disability access |
| Other
Public Program activities |
28 |
Other
exhibitions, education programs, concerts, tours and the
Bookshop |
| Web
site |
16 |
Content
and layout |
| Library
services |
96 |
Mostly
efficiency and helpfulness of staff in reading rooms |
| TOTAL |
324 |
|
COMPLAINTS
| SUBJECT |
NUMBER
|
NATURE |
OUTCOME |
| Treasures
exhibition |
101
|
The
majority concern access to the exhibition |
The
extraordinary demand meant that some members of the public
were unable to gain entry and often had long waits. The
Library took a variety of steps to inform the public of
the difficulties in obtaining entry to the exhibition,
however some people were disappointed that they could
not gain entry at the time required. |
| Other
Public Program activities |
8
|
Bookshop,
publication sales and distribution, events, grants |
Revised
arrangements were implemented, where required |
| Collection
development/use of collections |
15
|
Collection
policies and access arrangements |
Services
were enhanced where possible |
| Facilities |
16
|
Road
access, IT, and photocopying |
Services
were reviewed and improved where possible. Longer-term
changes to improve facilities are under consideration. |
| TOTAL |
140
|
|
|
The
average time taken to respond to complaints was 4.9 days,
and the Library's services to the public were available at
the stated times throughout the year.

Consultancy
services
The
Library engaged 37 consultants at a total cost of $899 508.
The consultants were selected in accordance with the Library's
Procurement Guidelines, on the basis that specialist expertise
was considered necessary and was not available within the
Library. Consultancies with an individual value of $10 000
or more are listed at Appendix
5.
Advertising
and market research
The
advertising and market research organisations indicated below
were contracted to provide services at a total cost of $139
734.
ADVERTISING
& MARKET RESEARCH ORGANISATIONS CONTRACTED
| ORGANISATION |
COST
|
|
PURPOSE |
| Environmetrics
Pty Ltd |
$11
700
|
|
Survey
of national awareness of the Library |
| Environmetrics
Pty Ltd |
$15
000
|
|
Survey
of user satisfaction with onsite exhibitions |
| User
Insite (Division of Courage Partners) |
$11
242
|
|
Survey
of stakeholder and customer satisfaction with Kinetica |
| Canberra
Mailing |
$19
517
|
|
Distribution
of publications and flyers promoting the Library's services
and products |
| StarCom
Worldwide |
$82
275
|
|
Newspaper
advertising promoting Library events |
| TOTAL |
$139
734
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