Our commitment to you

Service charter

The National Library of Australia aims to provide Australians with high levels of customer service. With your assistance and feedback, we seek to continuously improve our service to the Australian community by responding to the changing needs of our users; by providing access to the nation’s library collections and services; and by safeguarding our heritage building for future generations.

Dr Marie-Louise Ayres
Director-General

This Charter sets out the standards of service you can expect from us. The Library will:

treat you with courtesy and professionalism and address any issues efficiently
communicate with you in clear, straightforward language
provide physical and online environments that are conducive to research and study and accessible for all Australians
welcome your suggestions and comments
deal promptly and appropriately with feedback
provide physical and online environments that are safe and welcoming for all.

Our purpose

In accordance with the National Library Act 1960, the Library collects and preserves documentary resources, particularly relating to Australia and the Australian people, so Australians can discover, learn and create new knowledge, now and in the future.

The Library is a respected custodian of Australia’s published, written, oral, visual and digital heritage, and a world-leading provider of access to that heritage.

The Library’s vision is to connect all Australians with national collections, enriching our understanding about who we are and our place in the world.

Our services

We are dedicated to meeting your information needs and facilitating access to our collections and services promptly and efficiently. Our services include:

access to digital collections, including eResources, ebooks, archived websites, and a growing number of items digitised from the Library’s own collections
Trove, where you can explore Australia’s cultural collections and a wealth of digitised and online content
online discovery tools, including our catalogue, finding aids, and research guides, which will assist you in locating, discovering, requesting and exploring our collections
reading rooms, where you can use and access the Library’s collections
informed and helpful staff, available to assist you in your research on our collections both onsite and online
Copies Direct, for obtaining digitised copies of all formats of collection material for personal or public use
exhibitions, publications, events, education offerings and outreach activities, which present and interpret our collections
compliance with accessibility standards and requirements.

Our targets

We aim to:

deliver 90% of items stored onsite within the designated collection delivery times
deliver 90% of items from our rare or secure collections within the designated collection delivery times
deliver 90% of items stored offsite within the designated collection delivery times
respond to 90% of simple information and research enquiries within one week
dispatch 90% of Copies Direct orders, where rights allow, within the designated delivery times
ensure 99.5% availability of the Library’s website and Trove
ensure our website and Trove are user-friendly and accessible to a broad range of users.

Disclaimer: Requests that are complex or pertain to material that contains Australian Indigenous cultural and intellectual property may require longer timeframes to complete.

How you can help

To assist us in serving you more effectively, you can:

treat our staff courteously, be respectful of the rights of others and adhere to the Library’s Code of Conduct for Readers and Visitors, Acceptable Use of Information and Communications Technology, Social Media and Online Community Guidelines and the Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property Protocol [insert link]
be honest and fair in your expectations
plan your visit in advance, noting our opening hours and collection delivery times
apply for a Library card and request items in advance of your visit via our catalogue
handle all collections items with care and respect
acknowledge the Library and cite sources accurately
let us know how we can improve our services.

Providing feedback

We welcome feedback, both positive and negative, so that we can improve our services.

All comments will be acknowledged, and the majority responded to within one week. For more complex issues, a resolution or explanation will be provided as soon as possible. There are no fees associated with making a complaint. The Library will handle complaints confidentially in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Feedback can be provided in person to Library staff; via a User Feedback form (available in the Library’s Reading Rooms and at Information Desks) deposited onsite in the User Feedback box; and online.

If you believe the issue has not been resolved via these means, you may contact the Library’s Director-General:

National Library of Australia
Parkes Place
Canberra ACT 2600
Phone +61 (0)2 6262 1390

Website: User Feedback Form

If you are dissatisfied at any time with our handling of your feedback, you may write to the Commonwealth Ombudsman at the following address:

GPO Box 442
Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone: 1300 362 072
Website: www.ombudsman.gov.au

If you have a hearing or speech impairment, please contact us via the National Relay Service:

TTY: 133 677
Speak and Listen: 1300 555 727
Website: https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications-arts/phone/services-people-disability/accesshub/national-relay-service

Reporting and review

To ensure this Charter continues to reflect community needs and expectations, it will be reviewed regularly for currency and a major review will be undertaken every three years.

December 2021