Use and Impact of the Guidelines for Parliamentary Research Services

Abstract

Parliamentary libraries serve members of parliament in the execution of their legislative, representational and oversight duties. In many cases, such libraries also serve citizens, for example, by disseminating information about legislation being debated or passed. In 2015, the IFLA Section on Library and Research Services for Parliaments (IFLAPARL), in partnership with the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), published the Guidelines for Parliamentary Research Services. The Guidelines were a response to numerous requests over the years from others who sought advice on how to develop a research service for their parliaments. This paper presents general results from two surveys on the use of the Guidelines since it was published.