PRIME MINISTER Press Statement No. 462
1~ March 1975
COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY INTO PUBLIC LIBRARIES
The Prime Minister today announced the establishment
of a wide-ranging Committee of Inquiry. into public librrries
in Australia. The Committee will comprise:-
I'r A. 0orton, Librarian, University of r1ew South 7' ales
Chairman
Hr V. L. Brrown, State Librarian, Tasmania
professor D. NcL. Lamberton, Professor of Economics,
University of Queensland
ilr Pickering, Senior Special Education Officer,
Departm: ent of Education, Victoria
Professor P. Tannock, Dean, Faculty of Education,
University of T'estern Australia
i. rs Trask, Principal Lecturer in Librarianship,
Kurinsai College of Advanced Education.
The terms of reference of the Committee are:
To inquire into and report upon the current role and
effectiveness of State, regional and municipal libraries
in serving the information and recreation needs of the
community including the limitations imposed by existing
methods and levels of financing and staffing.
To report upon the desirable future roles for, and
development of, State, regional and municipal library
services, including priorities of need for these
libraries; interaction with, or dependence on, developments
in related fields; likely costs; manpower and training
requireents; requirements for specialised. library
services; the need, and possible mechanisms, for the
jrovision of Australian Government assistance.
To recommend measures necessary to give cffect to those
developmnents and neans whereby these measures might be
implemented. In its report the Committee of Inquiry should pay
particular attention to:,
the development of methods for evaluating the
effectiveness of public libraries and library systems;
2
the relationship between proposed public library
policies and the Australian Library Based Infor; mation
Syster feasibility studies, the Australian Assistance
Plan . nd the policies planned or implemented by the
Departments of Urban and Regional Development and
Tourism and Recreation;
S the relationship between public libraries and
libraries in education centres.
The Committee should consult widely and openly with
the Australian, tate and local governments, the cb* munity and
professional groups AACOBS, LAA, State Librarians Council).
It should be able to commission specific studies.
The Committee will be expected to present its report
by 1 December. 1975 to the Special ' iiister of Ctate who will
have the carriage of the Inquiry. for the Australian ' overni ent. -t*