16. OVERSEAS GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS

COLLECTING

Government Publications

16.1 Prior to 1994, the Library received the publications of overseas governments in many parts of the world. As a consequence, the Library has good holdings of the publications of the governments of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, France, Belgium and the other major countries of Europe. The government publications collections from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand have been developed to a level capable of supporting advanced research. The collections of government publications from other countries vary in strength depending on the reliability of exchange or purchase agreements and the availability of material. Malaysia, Singapore and the other countries of South-East Asia are not as strongly represented, with the exception of the colonial period which is well covered. The Library’s collections from South Asia and the Pacific are variable, although again with strengths relating to the colonial period.

16.2 The Library continues to collect a wide range of government publications particularly from the countries and territories of Asia and the Pacific. Areas of emphasis include parliamentary proceedings and papers, laws and statutes, statistics, public administration and current issues of public policy interest in Australia. The Library concentrates on the acquisition of government publications at the national level and in priority subjects at the sub-national level. Where the Library selects material for purchase, rather than receiving it through deposit or exchange arrangements, priority is given to publications which meet the subject criteria set out in the earlier sections of this policy. Government publications, particularly those from the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand, are increasingly available on the Internet and the Library may provide access to this material in electronic format rather than collect the printed item.

Intergovernmental Organisations

16.3 The Library has substantial holdings of the publications of intergovernmental organisations, notably those of the United Nations and its subsidiary bodies such as the Asian Development Bank, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the former General Agreement on Tariff and Trade, now the World Trade Organization, the International Court of Justice, the International Labour Organization and the World Bank. These publications cover a wide range of subjects such as international relations, human rights, trade, the environment, pollution, international aid, refugees and international security. The Library also has deposit or exchange arrangements with a variety of non-United Nations organisations such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. The Library also holds the publications of the League of Nations, 1919–1946, and indexes for their use. In addition, the Library has the complete holdings of all treaties registered with the League of Nations from 1920 to 1946, and treaties subsequently registered with the Secretariat of the United Nations.

16.4 The Library collects materials from those intergovernmental bodies of which Australia is a member, or which deal with topics of relevance to Australia, Asia or the Pacific. While the Library does not acquire all the publications of these organisations, it gives priority to obtaining those which relate to current issues of public policy interest in Australia and which meet the subject criteria set out in this policy. Publications from intergovernmental bodies are increasingly available on the Internet and the Library may provide access to this material in electronic format rather than collect the printed item.

International Non-Governmental Organisations

16.5 While the publications of many non-governmental organisations have been acquired by the Library, holdings are uneven.

16.6 Works published by non-governmental bodies which deal with topics of relevance to Australia, Asia or the Pacific are collected. The Library does not acquire all the publications of these organisations but priority is given to obtaining those relating to current issues of public policy interest in Australia and which meet the subject criteria set out in other sections of this policy.

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