Introduction

The National Library of Australia (the Library) was established under the National Library Act 1960 (the Act) and the functions and powers of the Library, the Director-General and Council are outlined in the Act. 

The Library operates as a Corporate Commonwealth entity (CCE) under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act). 

The Library is an agency subject to the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act) and is required to comply with the Information Publication Scheme (IPS) requirements.  This agency plan describes how the Library proposes to do this, as required by s 8(1) of the FOI Act.

Purpose

The purpose of this agency plan is to show what information the Library proposes to publish under the IPS, how and to whom the information will be published, and how the Library will otherwise comply with IPS requirements.

Objectives

The objective of the plan is to outline appropriate mechanisms and procedures to:

  • manage and make available information to be published under the IPS
  • identify and publish all information required to be published (s 8(2))
  • identify and publish any optional information to be published (s 8(4))
  • review and ensure on a regular basis that information published under the IPS is accurate, up to date and complete (s 8B)
  • ensure the information published under the IPS is, to the extent practicable, easily discoverable, understandable and machine readable, re-useable and transformable
  • ensure satisfactory conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (Version 2) (WCAG 2.0)
  • adopt best practice initiatives in implementing and administering the Library’s IPS entry.

Establishing and administering the Library’s IPS contribution

The following staff are responsible for maintaining appropriate website content to meet the Library’s obligations under the IPS.  

  • Director of Governance
  • Director Communications and Marketing
  • Assistant Director – Legal (FOI Officer)

This group will meet at least every six months to review NLA website content.

In addition, Governance Section will take steps to ensure that any information required to be published under section 8 of the FOI Act is identified and published on the Library’s website (where possible) as soon as practicable.  The Library also recognises that its branches and content managers will need to be responsible for identifying any future documents created by their divisions which should be published under the IPS.

The Library will publish on its website a list of any IPS documents that are impractical to publish online.  The website will state that a person seeking access to any of these documents may contact the Director Governance to arrange access.

The Library may charge a person for accessing any IPS document which it is impractical to publish online:

  • at the lowest reasonable cost
  • to reimburse specific reproduction costs or other specific incidental costs (s 8D(4)).

The website will include indicative charges that may be imposed for making that information available and an explanation for the charge.  These charges will be consistent with charges in the Freedom of Information (Charges) Regulations 2019 (which generally apply to access requests under Part III of the FOI Act).

IPS information architecture

The Library will publish its IPS information on its website (except where this is impractical).  The IPS information that is available on the Library’s website will be published under the following headings and include:

  • Agency plan
  • Who we are
    • organisation chart
    • the Library’s enterprise agreement
    • statutory appointments including the name of the person, the position the person has been appointed to, the term of the appointment and the provision of the Act under which the person is appointed.
  • What we do
    • This will include information about the functions and powers of the Library, its Council and Committees of Council together with information about the Library’s programs and activities.
  • Our reports and responses to Parliament
    • The Library’s annual reports from 2005-06 onwards as tabled in Parliament.
    • Senate Continuing Order for the Production of Departmental and Agency File Lists.
    • List of Library contracts for the Murray Order
  • Routinely requested information and disclosure log
    • This will include information in documents to which the Library routinely gives access in response to FOI requests.
    • The Library will clearly identify these documents in its disclosure log published under s 11C of the FOI Act.
  • Contact us
    • This will include the telephone number and email address for a contact officer who can be contacted about access to the Library’s information or documents under the FOI Act.  The Library will establish a generic telephone number and email address for this purpose that will not change with staff movements.

To ensure that the IPS information is easily discoverable, understandable and machine-readable, the Library will:

  • insert a link to the IPS page on the Library’s homepage
  • design and publish an IPS entry point on its website
  • whenever practicable, provide online content in a format that can be searched, copied and transformed
  • provide a search function to its website
  • publish a sitemap for its website to help individuals identify the location of information published
  • establish links to this agency plan and the sitemap at www.directory.gov.au

Accessibility under the IPS

The Library aims to have as much as is practicable of the information it is required to publish under the IPS conform to the Web Contents Accessibility Guidelines (Version 2) (WCAG 2.0).  The Library conforms to WCAG 2.0 Level AA.  A number of documents published on the Library’s website are not currently available, and cannot readily be made available, in fully accessible formats.  This includes some PDF files and some charts and tables.

From commencement of the IPS the Library will endeavour to publish any new IPS documents in fully accessible formats, either when they are first published, or as soon as practicable after they are first published.

IPS compliance review

The Library will review the operation of its IPS, including revision of the agency plan, from time to time and at least every five years in accordance with the guidelines issued by the Information Commissioner about IPS compliance review.

The National Library of Australia acknowledges Australia’s First Nations Peoples – the First Australians – as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land and gives respect to the Elders – past and present – and through them to all Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Cultural Notification

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are advised that this website contains a range of material which may be considered culturally sensitive including the records of people who have passed away.

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