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Services of the Nova Scotia Legislative Library
Mandate
Service to Members
Library Publications
The Collection
Borrowing Privileges
Hours of Operation
The Legislative
Library’s primary mandate is to serve the information needs of the
Members of the Legislative Assembly and their caucus staff. As a secondary
mandate, the Library’s collection is also available to members of the
provincial civil service, and for use by the general public who may borrow
through interlibrary loan.
SERVICE TO MEMBERS AND THEIR CAUCUS STAFF
Information Assistance
At all times when the
House sits, and during regular library hours when the House is not in
session, experienced, professionally trained librarians are available to
respond to questions on any topic from Members, staff, and caucus
researchers. The librarians aim to provide timely and complete responses
to all requests. All requests are treated with impartiality, objectivity,
and strict confidentiality.
How to Request
Information
Requests may be made in
person, by telephone, fax, e-mail or mail. Voice mail is available on both
the general library line (424-5932) and at the information desk
(424-5625).
Electronic Information Services
The Library has access
to full-text databases covering a wide range of topics including law,
government, education, science and technology, business, energy,
economics, and the environment. Many Canadian and international newspapers
are also available online.
Newspaper Clippings
Service
Selected national and
provincial newspapers are clipped and indexed on a daily basis by
Legislative Library staff so that materials pertaining to the historical,
political, economic, social, and local issues and events of Nova Scotia
may be made available to members, staff and caucus researchers. The
newspaper files are housed in the Legislative Library Reading Room.
Current Issues
Every two weeks, the
Library provides the Members of the Legislative Assembly and caucus
offices with photocopies of the tables of contents from a broad range of
magazines in the Library’s collection. Copies of articles are available
to Members upon request.
Legislature Web Site
The Legislature Web
site distributes current information pertaining to Nova Scotia legislative
materials. Information of particular interest to Members, staff, and
caucus researchers includes full-text of the current Speech from the Throne, the Status of Bills, Publications of the Province of Nova Scotia:
Monthly Checklist, as well as full-text of current statutes, debates,
and committee proceedings. In addition, this site provides users with
contact information for the provincial constituencies, Members of the
Legislative Assembly, and the Legislature offices.
The Legislature Web
site can be found at: http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature
Online Public Access
Catalogue
On October 15, 1998 the
Legislative Library launched its catalogue on the Internet. On the Nova
Scotia Legislature home page, the legislative Library Catalogue link
provides access to the catalogue; alternatively, typing http://legcat.gov.ns.ca
into a web browser will connect to the catalogue.
Orientation
After each general
election, the Legislative Librarian meets with the new Members of the
Legislative Assembly to introduce them to the Library collection. Members
can receive further instruction at any time by making an appointment with
the Legislative Librarian or Library staff.
Photocopying
Members of the
Legislative Assembly, caucus staff, and provincial civil servants may
photocopy library materials without charge. Members of the public must
purchase a photocopy card at the Library.
The Library prepares a
number of publications to assist Members and their staffs with their
information needs.
Bookcase
Bookcase is a list of
the Library’s recent titles, which is distributed monthly to Members of
the Legislative Assembly, caucus offices, and other Canadian legislative
libraries.
Members’ Manual: House of Assembly
of Nova Scotia
This manual is intended
to provide the Members of the Legislative Assembly of Nova Scotia with
general information on the House of Assembly and its services. Also
included are copies of statutes and regulations of particular interest to
the Members.
Publications of
the Province of Nova Scotia: Monthly Checklist
Each month, Legislative
Library staff compiles a comprehensive checklist of Government of Nova
Scotia publications. Publications, in this instance, refers to all items
of information, including pamphlets, brochures, and flyers as well as
reports, studies, books and periodicals, which are available for public
distribution. The checklist is available via the Internet at http://www.gov.ns.ca/legislature/library/checklist.html
or upon request at the Legislative Library.
Annual Checklist
of Provincial Government Publications
Publications:
Province of Nova Scotia is
compiled annually from the monthly publication checklist.
THE COLLECTION
The Library staff
devotes considerable time to maintaining a collection that provides
comprehensive subject coverage for an array of interests and public policy
concerns. This is done so that the Members are provided with the prompt,
accurate and in-depth information that they require to perform their
duties effectively.
General Collection
The Library has
extensive holdings of government publications, books, periodicals,
newspapers, business and commercial legal services, as well as microforms,
maps, videotapes, audiocassettes, and other materials to meet the
information and research requirements of Members of the Legislative
Assembly. The Library maintains a core collection of materials on many
subjects. The primary subject areas of the collection are: Law, Economic
and Social Issues, Novascotiana, Parliamentary Procedure, Politics and
Government, Public Administration, Public Speaking, and Statistics.
The Library maintains a
collection of approximately 2000 serials, including newspapers, magazines
and annual reports.
Recommendations for
books and other materials to add to the Library’s collections are
welcomed.
Reference Materials
The Reference
collection contains a variety of quick information sources such as
almanacs, parliamentary guides, directories, books of quotations,
encyclopedias, dictionaries, and newsletters that detail federal and
provincial government activities.
Government Publications
The Legislative Library
is the official depository for Nova Scotia government publications and
maintains as complete a collection as possible. Through depository
arrangements, the Library has acquired a strong collection of federal
documents as well as publications from other provinces. There is an
extensive collection of legislative materials (i.e., debates, journals,
bills and statutes) from the federal, provincial and territorial
jurisdictions.
Special Collections
The Novascotiana
collection is the pride of the Legislative Library because of its
comprehensiveness. It is composed of materials by Nova Scotians or about
Nova Scotia. It represents approximately 20,000 volumes of the Library’s
catalogued collection, not including the Library’s extensive holdings of
Nova Scotia government annual reports. Among the finest gems in this
collection are the approximately 100 early and first edition works by
Thomas Chandler Haliburton. To the delight of historical researchers, the
Library has directories and almanacs dating back as early as 1790. The
Library also houses a complete collection of the Nova Scotia Journals
of the House of Assembly since the first Assembly in 1758.
Other special
collections include such items as Army Lists from 1759 to 1901 and
Great Britain legislative materials such as the Statutes at Large,
the Debates of the House of Lords and the Debates of House of
Commons.
Members of the
Legislative Assembly, their staff, and government employees may borrow
books from the Library for two weeks. The Library issues notices for
materials that are overdue. Renewals may be made over the phone.
The general public may
borrow from the Library through interlibrary loan.
Reference materials and
legislative documents cannot be taken out of the library except by Members
of the Legislative Assembly, for use in the House, during the session.
During the Session
The Library is open
from 8:30a.m. until the House rises for the day and as directed by the
Speaker of the House of Assembly.
Regular Hours
Monday to Friday
8:30a.m. – 4:30p.m.
When the
Legislature is not in session.
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