National Library of Australia
National Library of Australia 2003 Annual Report National Library of Australia 2003 Annual Report
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CORPORATE OVERVIEW

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Contents
Director General's Review
Corporate Overview
Report on Operations
Financial Statements
Appendices

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:

2001–02

  • No 8—Disposal of Infrastructure Plant and Equipment
  • No 19—Payroll Management
  • No 22—Personnel Security—Management of Security Clearances
  • No 27—Agency Management of Software Licensing
  • No 34—Management of Travel—Use of Taxis
  • No 36—Benchmarking Implementation and Production Costs of Financial Management Information Systems
  • No 41—Transactional Banking Practices in Selected Agencies
  • No 45—Recordkeeping
  • No 52—Internal Budgeting
  • No 53—Goods and Services Tax Administration by Commonwealth Organisations
  • No 61—Managing People for Business Outcomes
  • No 62—Benchmarking of the Finance Function Follow-on Report
  • No 64—Management of Learning and Development in the Australian Public Service.

2002–03

  • No 18—Management of Trust Monies
  • No 22—Payment of Accounts and Goods and Services Tax Administration by Small Commonwealth Organisations
  • No 23—Physical Security Arrangements in Commonwealth Agencies.

Internal audit reports

The following internal audit reports were considered by the Audit Committee:

  • Control Framework Assessment 2002
  • Review of Procurement
  • Aurion Post-Implementation Review of Degree to Which System Meets Business Case
  • Stocktake Audit of Shop and Sales and Distribution
  • Capitalisation of Costs Associated with Information Technology Projects
  • Review of Staffing Model
  • Review of the Oral History Section
  • Audit of the Library’s Existing Insurance Coverage
  • Voice System Upgrade—Post-Implementation Review
  • GST Compliance Review
  • Online Purchase Order Request System
  • Asset Register Data Transfer to Finance One
  • Control Framework Assessment 2003.

Parliamentary committees and government inquiries

The Library lodged submissions and/or attended public hearings in response to the following Inquiries:

  • Pay Parking Inquiry (February 2003)
  • Review of Australia’s Relations with Indonesia (October 2002)
  • Senate Inquiry into the Role of Libraries in the Online Environment (July and November 2002).

PICTURE - Augustus Earle

Augustus Earle (1793–1838)
A Bullock Hackery or Cow Coach of India [1829]
watercolour on paper; 21.0 x 26.8 cm
Nan Kivell Collection, Pictures Collection
nla.pic-an2838426

Ministerial Directions

Under section 28 of the Commonwealth Authorities and Companies Act 1997 the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts must consult Library Council members before notifying them of a general policy of government. The Minister wrote to the Library in July 2002 regarding a new general policy on Foreign Exchange Risk Management and again in May 2003 regarding a new general policy on Cost Recovery.

Legal actions

A claim was lodged in the ACT Supreme Court on 8 May 2003 on behalf of Wagdy Hanna and Associates Pty Ltd seeking damages from the Library for a breach of contract in respect of a 1996 tender process for one of the Library’s offsite storage facilities.

Ombudsman

No new issues relating to the Library were referred to the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s Office. The Library continued to supply information throughout the year to the Ombudsman relating to a complaint about the tender process referred to above.

Freedom of Information

The Library received no requests for access to documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cwlth). 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. Insurance coverage includes property, business interruption, fidelity guarantee, property in transit, general liability, products liability, directors and officers, and professional indemnity.

Like many agencies, the Library experienced a significant increase this year in its premium. In our case, costs rose by 102 per cent or $0.544m.

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 website and travelling exhibitions;
  • collects Australian library materials in all community languages for current and future research;
  • maintains high standards for physical access to the building through implementation of the Disability Action Plan;
  • assists community organisations, including geographically isolated and culturally diverse groups, to preserve nationally significant documentary heritage collections through the Community Heritage Grants Program.

During the year the Library issued two key publications relating to Australia’s Indigenous population:

  • Many Voices: Reflections on Experiences of Indigenous Child Separation. The book, with a CD of excerpts from oral history recordings, brings the stories of Indigenous community members and others who have shared their individual experiences to a wide audience. The publication was the final part of the four year Bringing Them Home Oral History Project for which the Library received special Federal Government funding;
  • Mura Gadi: A Guide to Manuscript, Pictorial and Oral History Materials Relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the National Library of Australia. This is an extensive online guide with extended descriptions of Indigenous material in the Library’s collections.

Service Charter

The Library released its revised Service Charter during the year. The charter facilitates a dialogue with users of the Library’s services. It sets out the Library’s commitment to users, the standards of service they can expect and the mechanisms for providing feedback or making a complaint. The charter is made available via the website <www.nla.gov.au/charter/> and as a print publication. The Library welcomes feedback as well as suggestions for service improvement. This year a total of 158 formal compliments and 44 formal complaints were received as set out in the tables overleaf.

Compliments

CHART - Compliments

Complaints

CHART - Complaints

The average time taken to respond to complaints was six days, and the Library’s services to the public were available at the stated times throughout the year.

Consultancy services

During the year, 33 consultancy contracts were entered into by the Library at a total cost of $1 052 844. 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 following advertising and market research organisations were contracted to provide services at a total cost of $123 035.

Advertising and Market Research Organisations Contracted

CHART - Advertising and Marketing research Organisations Contrated

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