Vote library: How libraries support you and your electorate

This advocacy document for the #VoteLibrary campaign discusses the services and impacts of libraries in Australia. When people think about libraries, they think about public libraries, but across Australia there are some 13,000 public, school, university, TAFE, health, law and other special libraries, serving more than 10 million people. There are government department and parliamentary libraries, assisting researchers and policy makers. And there are our National, State and Territory Libraries providing access to heritage materials which document the living history of the nation. The goal of all libraries is for a smarter, more literate population, with universal access to information, leading to increased civic engagement. Libraries comprise collections, physical and virtual spaces, technology, programs and services, expert staff and are shaped around the needs of their 10 million-plus users.