The Sierra Leone Parliament library, the official repository of the records of Parliament, is responsible for the collection, organization and dissemination of bibliographic materials and information to further the work of the legislation. The Parliament, which houses the library, is situated at the summit of Tower Hill, on the second floor. It was opened on the eve of the country's Independence day,26th April 1961. The proximity of the library to the Chamber ensures that its existence and services are brought close to parliamentarians and parliamentary administrators.
In line with these aims and objectives the library has a small collection of stock on Philosophy, Sociology, Political Science, Economics, Law, Military Administration and History. Also included are Bills, Acts, Order papers and notices, Hansard/Parliamentary debates, State Opening programmes, Presidential addresses, Budget speeches, chronicles of Parliamentary elections and developments, Parliamentary debates of the House of Commons and Lords of Britain, dating back to the colonial period, Indian Parliamentary debates and similar ones from Tanganyika (Tanzania), Gold Coast (Ghana), Nigeria and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), and materials from Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Commonwealth. In addition is a collection of reference works such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, parliamentary handbooks, yearbooks, public notices, protocols and treaties. These materials are acquired by purchase, donation, exchange, and deposit, especially by the Government Printing Department responsible for the printing of all government publications in the country. The materials are classified and arranged according to Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme (19th Edition).
A Librarian, an Assistant Librarian and a few clerical staff man the library. The Librarian is responsible to the Clerk of Parliament, the chief administrator and vote controller, and overall head of the unit. The functions of the Librarian, in addition to administering the library, include the compilation of bibliographies and reading lists, literature searching, summarizing facts and published information, and obtaining information from government departments. The Assistant Librarian performs such duties as acquisition, classification and cataloguing of materials, answering reference queries, writing correspondence, shelving and the general supervision of support staff. He also computes the parliamentary index to all parliament papers and debates, the public bill index and then international affairs index with references taken from the daily and periodical press, government notices and Commissions of Inquiry index. These indexes are cumulated and reproduced photographically. Government mainly financially supports the library.
The Sierra Leone Parliament Library clientele are mainly parliamentarians and parliamentary administrators. The library also extends its services to university lecturers and students, public officials and visitors. It has a readership of over five hundred (500). The library is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00p.m. from Monday through Friday and is closed during weekends and public holidays. It offers reference and lending services to its clientele as part of its book services. To enable a user to loan materials a request form is issued for completion. Up to three books can be loaned for two weeks. Users can renew their books for a further two weeks, provided no other users request for them. However, materials like reports, conference proceedings, parliamentary Acts, debates and gazettes are not loaned but only consulted in the library. The library has an Author/Title and Classified catalogue.
In line with these aims and objectives the library has a small collection of stock on Philosophy, Sociology, Political Science, Economics, Law, Military Administration and History. Also included are Bills, Acts, Order papers and notices, Hansard/Parliamentary debates, State Opening programmes, Presidential addresses, Budget speeches, chronicles of Parliamentary elections and developments, Parliamentary debates of the House of Commons and Lords of Britain, dating back to the colonial period, Indian Parliamentary debates and similar ones from Tanganyika (Tanzania), Gold Coast (Ghana), Nigeria and Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), and materials from Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Commonwealth. In addition is a collection of reference works such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, directories, parliamentary handbooks, yearbooks, public notices, protocols and treaties. These materials are acquired by purchase, donation, exchange, and deposit, especially by the Government Printing Department responsible for the printing of all government publications in the country. The materials are classified and arranged according to Dewey Decimal Classification Scheme (19th Edition).
A Librarian, an Assistant Librarian and a few clerical staff man the library. The Librarian is responsible to the Clerk of Parliament, the chief administrator and vote controller, and overall head of the unit. The functions of the Librarian, in addition to administering the library, include the compilation of bibliographies and reading lists, literature searching, summarizing facts and published information, and obtaining information from government departments. The Assistant Librarian performs such duties as acquisition, classification and cataloguing of materials, answering reference queries, writing correspondence, shelving and the general supervision of support staff. He also computes the parliamentary index to all parliament papers and debates, the public bill index and then international affairs index with references taken from the daily and periodical press, government notices and Commissions of Inquiry index. These indexes are cumulated and reproduced photographically. Government mainly financially supports the library.
The Sierra Leone Parliament Library clientele are mainly parliamentarians and parliamentary administrators. The library also extends its services to university lecturers and students, public officials and visitors. It has a readership of over five hundred (500). The library is open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00p.m. from Monday through Friday and is closed during weekends and public holidays. It offers reference and lending services to its clientele as part of its book services. To enable a user to loan materials a request form is issued for completion. Up to three books can be loaned for two weeks. Users can renew their books for a further two weeks, provided no other users request for them. However, materials like reports, conference proceedings, parliamentary Acts, debates and gazettes are not loaned but only consulted in the library. The library has an Author/Title and Classified catalogue.