Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697724487563.pdf (Canada)
Annual Report 2014 2015 Contact the Library of Parliament Library of Parliament Ottawa, Canada K1A 0A9 Email: library@parl.gc.ca Telephone: 613-995-1166 Fax: 613-992-1269 Public line: 613-992-4793 Toll-free: 1-866-599-4999 Web: www.parl.gc.ca/library © Library of Parliament, 2015 Cat.

no.

: YL1-1 ISSN 2292-1737 ii Annual Report 2014–2015 Contents Message from the Parliamentary Librarian .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.


.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

2 The Library at a Glance .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

4 The Year in Review .

.

.

.

.

.

.


.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

8 Our Work in Five Key Areas of Responsibility .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.


13 1 .

Providing tailored reference services, research and analysis .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

13 2 .

Supplying committees and associations with research support, and reference and information services .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.


14 3 .

Preserving Parliament’s documentary heritage .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

15 4 .

Keeping parliamentarians informed .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.


17 5 .

Helping parliamentarians teach Canadians about Parliament .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

21 The Specialized Work of the Parliamentary Budget Officer .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

24 Strategic Priorities and Key Accomplishments .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.


.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

26 Strategic priority 1: Increasing digital access and service .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

26 Strategic priority 2: Improving client outreach and awareness .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.


Strategic priority 3: Managing talent .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

29 30 Strategic priority 4: Ensuring product quality .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.


31 Operational Improvements .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

32 Management Team .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.


36 Financial Review .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.


37 1 Message from the Parliamentary Librarian 2 Annual Report 2014–2015 2 Annual Report 2014–2015 The Library of Parliament has proudly supported parliamentarians since the early days of Confederation .

Informed by that long tradition, the Library’s leaders are well aware of the necessity to adapt to users’ changing needs .

To that end, the Library plans its activities in ways that will allow it to achieve the objectives in Strategic Outlook 2012–2017 .
I am honoured to present a report for the last fiscal year that describes the progress made during 2014–2015 toward these objectives, as well as in the Library’s principal areas of responsibility .

The improvement in our digital products and services is undeniably one of the highlights of the past fiscal year .

We have worked hard to revamp a number of offerings to better meet the evolving needs of parliamentarians .
For example, we now publish HillNotes – analyses of current public policy issues – in blog format .

Complete digital versions of the Debates and Journals of the Senate and the House of Commons since Confederation are now available to all .

And subject guides now provide quick access to resources on issues of particular interest to our users .
Of course, we are keeping our eyes on the future to ensure that through our work we continue to provide the excellence and quality required by parliamentarians and those who assist them .

In addition to the new products mentioned above, the Library is preparing to welcome parliamentarians following the October 2015 general election and to support them during the 42nd Parliament .
Staff have begun the process of validating the content and delivery of various products and are starting to develop a variety of orientation activities that will take shape in fiscal year 2015–2016 .

We are working to improve access to our range of services, which are built on useful products that are clear, accurate, non-partisan, easy to consult and readily available .
Finally, I must mention the profound impact on our employees of the 22 October 2014 shooting in Parliament, just outside the Library’s doors .

The Library adjusted to the new reality on Parliament Hill by adopting and implementing new security measures .

But above all, we supported our employees, who wanted their lives to return to normal .
In these circumstances, and throughout the year, our employees performed in exemplary fashion, demonstrating professional integrity and dedication to providing outstanding service both to parliamentarians and to other Library users .

Sonia L’Heureux Parliamentary Librarian 3 3 The Library at a Glance VISION To be Parliament’s preferred and trusted source of information and knowledge .
MISSION The Library of Parliament contributes to Canadian parliamentary democracy by creating, managing and delivering authoritative, reliable and relevant information and knowledge for Parliament .

STRATEGIC OUTCOME An informed and accessible Parliament .
4 Annual Report 2014–2015 4 Annual Report 2014–2015 How the Library Is Organized Speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons Standing Joint Committee on the Library of Parliament Library of Parliament Parliamentary Librarian Service Areas Secretariat Parliamentary Information and Research Service Integrated Client Outreach and Digital Access Parliamentary Budget Officer Information and Document Resource Service Corporate Services 5 5 SPEAKERS OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF COMMONS Vested with the direction and control of the Library of Parliament in accordance with the Parliament of Canada Act .
STANDING JOINT COMMITTEE ON THE LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT Composed of Senators and of Members of Parliament, responsible for advising the Speakers on the operations of the Library .

PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARIAN Exercises control and management of the Library, and has the status of a Deputy Head, reporting to the two Speakers .
PARLIAMENTARY INFORMATION AND RESEARCH SERVICE Provides parliamentarians with news, reference, research and analysis services and oversees the Library’s public education programs and seminars for parliamentarians and their staff .

This service area is also the steward for the Parliamentary Poet Laureate .

PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICER Provides independent analysis to Parliament about the state of the nation’s finances, government estimates and trends in the national economy .
INFORMATION AND DOCUMENT RESOURCE SERVICE Builds, manages, preserves and optimizes access to the Library’s resources and collections; compiles and disseminates historical information about Parliament and parliamentarians .

CORPORATE SERVICES Provides business support and services to the Library of Parliament .
INTEGRATED CLIENT OUTREACH AND DIGITAL ACCESS Leads a transformative initiative to develop a Library-wide approach to improving outreach and increasing digital access to Library resources, products and services for parliamentarians and the public that the Library serves on their behalf .1 1 The Integrated Client Outreach and Digital Access Secretariat concluded its activities at the end of fiscal year 2014–2015.
6 Annual Report 2014–2015 6 Annual Report 2014–2015 What We Do The Library of Parliament has five key responsibilities: 1.

Provide customized research and analysis to parliamentarians and their staff 2.

Supply parliamentarians, parliamentary committees and associations with the information they need to examine the issues of the day, consider legislation and hold the government accountable 3.

Preserve Parliament’s documentary heritage and ensure access to its collections 4.
Keep parliamentarians informed and up to date, and deliver relevant news and information 5.

Help parliamentarians inform and educate Canadians about Parliament, its role and traditions, and the people and events that have shaped the institution since 1867 Who We Serve 1.

Parliamentarians and their staff 2.

Parliamentary committees and associations 3.

Organizations that support Parliament 4.


The Canadian public on behalf of parliamentarians Parliamentarians Supported by the Library of Parliament* SENATORS 105 MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT 308** 413 T L A T O * These numbers can vary from year to year due to Senate or House of Commons seats becoming vacant.

** The number of Members of Parliament will increase to 338 for the 42nd Parliament.
Committees* and Associations Supported by the Library of Parliament SENATE COMMITTEES 17 HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMITTEES 27 JOINT COMMITTEES 2 PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATIONS 12 L A T O 46 T * Includes special committees and subcommittees other than those focused on agenda and procedure.

7 The Year in Review A year of steady progress Over the past year, the Library has made steady progress in building and adapting its suite of products and services to meet the evolving needs of parliamentarians .
Our foremost goal in 2014–2015 was to continue to operate as efficiently as possible without sacrificing the excellence we pursue in supporting Parliament .

The following are a few highlights of our work .

Preparing to welcome parliamentarians of the 42nd Parliament We revamped our services in anticipation of a new Parliament, focusing throughout the year on making the Library more user-friendly than ever before .
The Library will be ready to serve all members, with their varied backgrounds and experience, in a Parliament with a changed composition brought about by the addition of 30 members, the election of members replacing the many incumbents not seeking re-election to the 42nd Parliament, and members who defeat other incumbents .

In preparation, we validated the content of all of our products in 2014–2015, ensuring that our resources are relevant and easy to use .
Our focus on being user-friendly and highly accessible is also key to the service that we will provide when Centre Block closes in 2018 .

We will continue to report on our progress in this important emerging area in the coming years .

Personalized service in a digital world The Library continues to focus on delivering personalized and customized service to all parliamentarians .
At the same time, parliamentarians are becoming increasingly comfortable interacting with the Library digitally and are requesting new products and services that enable them to access information and do business using mobile and electronic devices .

8 Annual Report 2014–2015 8 Annual Report 2014–2015 The Library is responding .

In 2014–2015, we continued to adapt our suite of products and services to accommodate parliamentarians who use mobile devices in their work .
As one example, 87% of the new content added to our collections in 2014–2015 was electronic .

This work is ongoing and will continue to develop in the coming years .

Enhancing our business processes Throughout the year, we continued to renew and transform our business processes, implementing cost-effective improvements that support Parliament’s commitment to prudent fiscal management .
We have kept an ongoing focus on building more efficient management practices, and paid special attention to reviewing our security arrangements .

Working in collaboration with our security partners in the Parliamentary Precinct following the shooting outside the Library on 22 October 2014, we devoted particular attention to the assessment of how the Library can best ensure the safety and well-being of its employees .
Working toward our strategic priorities In 2014–2015, we continued to align our activities in support of our strategic plan, Strategic Outlook 2012–2017 .

The plan articulates four overarching priorities for the Library: increase digital access and service, improve client outreach and awareness, manage the Library’s talent, and ensure product quality .

The specific progress we have made and how it benefits parliamentarians is explained in this report (see pages 26–31) .
Our activities and progress under our five key areas of responsibility and the ways in which our products and services assist parliamentarians, their staff and the public are also detailed in this report (see pages 13–23) .
9 9 The Library by the Numbers 6,750 in-person visits by parliamentarians, their staff and other users to Library branches throughout the Parliamentary Precinct 1,100 requests for copies of television and radio broadcasts processed by the Library’s media resources technicians 54,000 visits to the Library’s online catalogue, which provides access to a variety of documents, including books, reports and journals in electronic and print formats and 2,823 new print documents added to the collection 18,424 new digital documents 2.14 million visits – an increase of more than 10% over last year – to PARLiNFO, the Library’s public historical database about the people, events and institutions that have shaped Parliament since 1867 10 Annual Report 2014–2015 10 Annual Report 2014–2015 315,000 visitors welcomed on tours to Centre Block, and more than 12,000 visitors to East Block.
These numbers include 58,000 students and teachers who took curricula-directed tours.

More than 228,000 visitors explored the Peace Tower observation deck and Memorial Chamber.
30 reports by the Parliamentary Budget Officer about Parliament through the Library’s information Service 39,575 inquiries from the public 204 research publications, including Legislative Summaries, in-depth studies of federal policy issues, short reports and blog posts on current topics, and profiles of Canada’s commercial relationships with selected countries 2.8 million page views on the Library’s portal of digitized historical debates of the Senate and the House of Commons 1111 Requests for research and analysis, and information and reference, by user group, 2014–2015 User Group Research and Analysis* Information and Reference** Parliamentarians and their staff (including constituency staff) Senators Members of Parliament Parliamentary committees, associations and delegations Senate committees House of Commons committees Joint committees Associations and delegations Employees of the Senate, the House of Commons and the Library of Parliament General public Other parliaments and legislatures Other authorized users*** Total 1,735 265 1,470 3,162 624 734 1,537 267 – – 127 514 5,538 11,358 – – 157 – – – – 6,567 39,575 – 3,337 60,994 * In-person briefings, commissioned research notes, short briefing papers or substantive research papers are offered in response to requests from individual parliamentarians and the Governor General, parliamentary committees, parliamentary associations and delegations (oral briefings, in-depth analyses of policy issues or proposed legislation, comparative and interpretative analysis, statistical analysis, briefing notes, speaking points, country papers, work plans, draft letters, draft communiqués, and draft committee and association reports).
** Responses to information requests include the timely provision of basic information, fact checking, customized information searches, and copies of news items, official publications or other documents (information searches, bibliographic information, substantive reference support, guidance and orientation for Library of Parliament services and products, and dissemination).

*** Other authorized users for research and analysis include, for example, the Governor General and parliamentary employees.
Examples of other users who are eligible to receive information and reference services are the Governor General, the Prime Minister's Office, the Privy Council Office, Privy Councillors and former parliamentarians, caucus research staff, members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, and legislative libraries and research organizations.

12 Annual Report 2014–2015 12 Annual Report 2014–2015 Our Work in Five Key Areas of Responsibility Providing tailored reference services, research and analysis 1.
The Library provides parliamentarians and their staff with reference, research and analysis services tailored to their needs .

In 2014–2015, the confidential and non-partisan services that we provided included compiling links to information, synthesizing information from public sources, preparing in-depth research papers and research publications, giving in-person briefings to parliamentarians, and providing research to support the preparation of private members’ bills .
Our analysts responded to more than 1,700 requests from parliamentarians and their staff for research and analysis .

And our reference librarians and library technicians answered more than 11,000 requests from parliamentarians and their staff .

On behalf of Parliament, the Library’s information officers responded to 39,575 inquiries for information from the general public .

The Parliamentary Budget Officer also provided tailored research and analysis to parliamentarians and individual committees .
More details are provided in a separate section of this report (see pages 24–25) .

Delivering strategic research The Library researches and analyzes issues that are important to parliamentarians .

We released 204 research publications in 2014–2015, which included in-depth studies of federal policy issues and short briefings on current topics .

We provided Legislative Summaries of most government bills before Parliament and private members’ bills that have been referred to committee for study .
We also provided preliminary or “pre-release” versions of these summaries, which are prepared by our analysts on a tight timeline so that parliamentarians have drafts to work with before a final, published version is available .
13 “The Library of Parliament is really the backbone for any parliamentarian wanting to do a good job in Committee, to do a good job in his or her constituency, and who wants to be giving speeches on Canada, government, democracy or Parliament.” – A Senator These summaries enable parliamentarians to prepare themselves for the study of bills in committees upon reference by the chamber .

We released 20 of these pre-release summaries and 22 final Legislative Summaries .
In addition to those documents, we published 51 profiles of Canada’s commercial relationships with selected countries under the Trade and Investment series .

Many of our publications, as well as some other Library research products, include enhanced visual elements, such as data-rich maps and infographics .

The use of these visual and interactive images in our publications allows us to communicate complex concepts more effectively .
The Library uses its Twitter feed, @LoPResearch, to disseminate research publications to parliamentarians and Canadians .

In 2014–2015, we published 144 posts in both official languages, which were read by more than 1,400 English and French followers .
Supplying committees and associations 2. with research support, and reference and information services In 2014–2015, the Library’s highly specialized team of research librarians and analysts, which includes economists, lawyers, scientists, and political and social scientists, continued to provide parliamentary committees and associations with confidential, non-partisan service across a wide range of subject areas .
Analysts were assigned to 46 committees in the Senate and the House of Commons, and to all 12 recognized parliamentary associations .

They completed more than 2,800 research requests for parliamentary committees and more than 260 for associations and delegations .
The committee analysts assisted parliamentarians and their staff, who are inundated with information from many sources, by synthesizing large quantities of material and providing committees with reliable, authoritative and neutral information relevant to committee mandates .

At least one analyst was assigned to each of the parliamentary committees that benefited from ongoing research support from the Library .

Additional analysts were brought in as needed to respond to specific research requirements .
Analysts prepared background papers and work plans, provided 14 Annual Report 2014–2015 14 Annual Report 2014–2015 “At our very fingertips, we can tap into a pool of professionals who are second to none on any subject you can imagine.
It is not overstating things to say that democracy is enhanced by all of us having equal access to the same base level of knowledge and information.” – A Member of Parliament briefing materials and suggested questions for committee meetings, analyzed and synthesized witness testimony, drafted committee reports and gave advice to committee chairs and members .
They also provided research support throughout the financial cycle, including during the pre-budget consultations of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, and committee studies of federal budget implementation bills, main estimates and supplementary estimates .

The four-member team of analysts assigned to the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations completed more than 1,500 projects .
They reviewed government regulations based on a statutory list of criteria and reported deficiencies to the committee for consideration .
Our analysts and librarians also provided a full range of research and information services to support the international activities of parliamentarians, including tailored media monitoring, background papers, draft resolutions and amendments for inter-parliamentary assemblies, briefing books, speaking notes, and delegation reports for parliamentary associations and delegations participating in international meetings .
Analysts helped to develop programs for international meetings and conferences, and accompanied parliamentary delegations to more than 30 meetings abroad and in Canada .

Our staff also supported two major inter-parliamentary conferences in Canada: the 40th Session of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie in Ottawa, and the 11th Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region in Whitehorse .

3.
3.

Preserving Parliament’s documentary heritage Among the Library’s most important functions is ensuring its collections are preserved in a manner that provides parliamentarians and Canadians with the best possible access to Parliament’s documentary heritage .

The Library’s portal of digitized historical debates of the Senate and the House of Commons, released in late 2013, has been well used; it received more than 2 .8 million page views in 2014–2015 .
We built on this success by completing most of the work to add the Journals of both Chambers dating back to 1867 .

This has made digital versions of parliamentary documents more readily available .

The addition of the Journals brings us closer to our goal of providing a consolidated and growing collection of full-text searchable historical documents to the public in both official languages .

1515 Confederation Inkstand The Library is best known for its extensive print collections .
But we also have among our holdings some interesting artifacts from Canadian history .

One such artifact is the Confederation Inkstand .

It was used at the Quebec Conference of October 1864 by the Fathers of Confederation, including Sir John A .

Macdonald, Sir George-Étienne Cartier, Thomas D’Arcy McGee and Sir Étienne-Paschal Taché, who presided over the conference .
The inkstand, which was donated to the Library by a descendant of Taché, was also used in 1949 when Newfoundland (and Labrador) became a province .

In 2014, the Library had the inkstand appraised and documented .

To allow for greater public access to this artifact, we lent the inkstand and other assets to the Canadian Museum of History for its exhibit 1867: Rebellion and Confederation .
16 Annual Report 2014–2015 16 Annual Report 2014–2015 Heritage notes Our bindery In 2014–2015, the Library created more than 1,640 bound volumes of Debates, Journals and other standard collection items, and conserved nearly 1,000 valuable collection items for the Senate, the House of Commons and the Library .

Learn more by watching the Library’s Preservation Week video, Made to Last .

Celebrating Canada’s history In 2014–2015, the Library curated a number of displays in the Main Library .
One, called 100 Years Since the Outset of the First World War, was related to Canada’s involvement in the war .

Others included Defining Moments: The Adoption of the Flag, a display marking the 50th anniversary of the Canadian flag, and an exhibit highlighting our collection related to Sir John A .

MacDonald on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of his birth .

Sharing our resources The Library of Parliament works cooperatively with other Canadian libraries .
Of the 837 interlibrary loan requests handled by the Library in 2014–2015, 20% were made to other institutions to answer the information needs of our primary users .

The balance was for documents borrowed from the Library of Parliament by other libraries .

These numbers have been stable over the past two years and demonstrate that our collection meets the needs of the majority of our users .

4.
4.

Keeping parliamentarians informed The Library has multiple tools and publications to help parliamentarians stay up to date on current issues .

In 2014–2015, more than 850 parliamentarians and parliamentary staff were registered users of NewsDesk, a news service that enables users to read news items on their desktop or mobile devices .

These users received more than 2,600 customized alerts from more than 70 Canadian and international news sources .
The NewsDesk service averaged more than 2,200 page views per day .

Canadian Museum of History, photograph: Steven Darby NewsDesk is used to produce the Library’s daily news clipping service, Quorum .

The Library also provides media monitoring for parliamentarians that combines news items from Library databases with social media analysis found on social media, such as Twitter and blogs .
17 A strong appetite for current events resources HillNotes – In 2014-2015, the Library re-launched this service, which provides a concise overview of current and emerging issues, on a visually enhanced platform .

Thirty-three of the 40 HillNotes that we published were in the new format, and they received 4,320 visitors and more than 14,900 page views .

In addition, the number of subscribers to the HillNotes alert service increased from 365 to 458 .
Quorum – The Library published 200 issues of Quorum for its 1,075 subscribers in 2014–2015 .

We amass the articles in this popular daily news clipping service from more than 60 Canadian print news sources .

Quorum is available via email subscription for mobile devices and tablets .
RADAR – In 2014–2015, we published 29 issues of RADAR, a reading list of the best current, comprehensive and authoritative articles, reports, newly published books and other documents on subjects relevant to parliamentarians, compiled by the Library .

While the Library is unable to track self-serve usage of e-resources, we know that more than 6,700 items were accessed or requested from these and earlier issues .

Pass(e)port – The Library published 48 issues of this product in 2014–2015 .
Pass(e)port provides a selection of articles about Canada and current issues of interest to parliamentarians from online international news sources .

Hot Topics – In 2014–2015, the Library added 157 links to this electronic list of documents and reports related to news of interest to parliamentarians and their staff .
Background Papers and In Briefs – In 2014–2015, the Library published 54 of these in-depth studies of policy issues and short briefings on current issues as part of its research publications program .
18 Annual Report 2014–2015 18 Annual Report 2014–2015 “One very kind person from the Library of Parliament set up media monitoring for me so that any articles about my MP appear in my inbox, … which is extremely helpful.” – A parliamentary staffer LEGISinfo and Legislative Summaries LEGISinfo is one of the most frequently used sources of information for parliamentarians, their staff and the public .
Run jointly by the Senate and House of Commons administrations and the Library of Parliament, LEGISinfo provides access to electronic information about bills before Parliament – including Legislative Summaries, reading lists, news coverage, the status of the bills in Parliament and background information .

LEGISinfo had more than 16 million page views in 2014–2015, compared with 13 .8 million the previous year .
The Library continued to contribute to LEGISinfo in several ways: by releasing a total of 22 Legislative Summaries – 20 of which were first published in pre-release form; by making reading lists available; and by chairing the committees of Senate, House of Commons and Library staff who manage this key resource .

Seminar program In 2014–2015, we delivered 18 seminars to a total of 658 participants .
Designed for parliamentarians and their staff, the Library’s seminar program offers sessions that suit the needs and respect the busy schedules of participants .

Seminar topics ranged from the fundamentals of speech writing to an update on recent Supreme Court of Canada decisions .

Training on the Library’s products and services More than 520 people participated in the 126 information and training sessions held by the Library on a variety of products and services in 2014–2015 .
The format can vary from one-on-one sessions to answer a specific request to group training for more general matters .

19 Parliament in the classroom: Tools for teachers and students The Library has developed a wide range of educational resources and other tools that encourage teachers and students to learn more about Parliament .

Teacher Kit – This popular kit contains information about the Senate and the House of Commons and is intended to supplement a teacher's existing lesson plans .
The Library distributed more than 2,100 copies of the kit in 2014–2015 .

Education outreach website – In 2014–2015, 770,700 people visited our education website and affiliated pages, compared with 584,368 in 2013–2014 .

The average person spent more than nine minutes on the site .
New interactive learning tools – The Library added these four new online interactive tools in 2014–2015: • “Bill on the Hill” encourages students to learn about the legislative process as they usher a bill through the steps to becoming a law .

• “Democracy in the Classroom” allows students to propose and amend a mock bill in a committee setting .

• “Searching for Symbols” examines symbols and where they are found in Canada’s Parliament .
It includes activities and teacher’s guides for in-class discussions .

• “Setting the Agenda” allows students to experience a typical “day in the life” of a parliamentarian .

It includes activities and teacher’s guides for in-class discussions .

PARLINFO – This Library database of historical data about the people, events and institutions that have shaped our parliament since 1867 received more than 2 .14 million visits in 2014–2015 .
20 Annual Report 2014–2015 20 Annual Report 2014–2015 “When … constituents come in … they often ask questions on things and need direction on things that I can’t give or do, and so the first place I phone is the Library of Parliament, and it’s always forthcoming.” – A Senator 5.

Helping parliamentarians teach Canadians about Parliament Providing essential knowledge to teachers Eighty-five teachers from across Canada took part in the Teachers Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy, in its 18th year .
During this unique professional development opportunity, teachers met with parliamentarians, procedural experts and their peers, getting an insider’s view into how Parliament works and learning strategies for teaching their students about democracy and citizenship .

All of the respondents to follow-up surveys were satisfied with their experience .
Parliament 101 This one-day training program for student teachers provides information resembling that provided in the Teachers Institute, but the condensed program reaches out to participants in their communities .

In 2014–2015, 120 student teachers took part in seminars at the University of Ottawa, Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, and the University of Prince Edward Island in Charlottetown .
The goal of this program is to ensure that a large number of new teachers become more knowledgeable about Canadian parliamentary democracy so that they can teach about it effectively in their classrooms and inspire their students to become fully engaged as Canadian citizens .

Connecting with youth Using social media In Canada, voter turnout is lowest among youth electors, whom we define as people from 18 to 24 years old – less than 40% voted in the 2011 federal election .
In 2014–2015, the Library conducted research into the best ways to reach this group, and social media emerged as one effective means of doing so .

Our Youth Connection website features games, videos, resources and links to social media, including our Flickr photo gallery .

Videos posted to the Youth Connection and Connexion jeunesse YouTube channels, which provide a broad range of information about Parliament, were viewed 61,000 times .
And on the Youth Connection Facebook page, more than 6,000 new users followed Parliament in 2014–2015 .

Forty-six percent of Youth Connection Facebook fans are between 18 and 24 years of age, making the page a highly effective tool for reaching this group .
21 A multi-media approach to engaging Canadians In 2014–2015, the Library launched a mobile-friendly site that provides visitors to Parliament with extensive information about how Parliament works, what they will see on their visits, the options available for guided tours and related security requirements .

The site was accessed more than 392,000 times .

The Library also delivered information about Parliament to Canadians through a wide range of print publications .
All told, we distributed 440,000 publications to the public in 2014–2015 – from booklets and pamphlets to informational bookmarks .

Online users connected in record numbers this year .

The Library’s two flagship outreach websites use images, videos, puzzles and quizzes to explain Canada’s system of government .
Discover How Canadians Govern Themselves, together with another online tool called Explore Our Country, Our Parliament, attracted more than 900,000 visits in 2014–2015, a 45% increase over the previous year .

22 Annual Report 2014–2015 22 Annual Report 2014–2015 “I don’t think I could do my job without the Library of Parliament.” – A Member of Parliament Parliamentary Guide Program Each summer, university students from across Canada are hired as tour guides to welcome visitors to Parliament .
For the summer of 2015, the Library received more than 430 applications for 41 positions as Centre Block parliamentary guides .

The summer employment program gives young people an opportunity to hone their public speaking skills, perfect their second language and witness the workings of Parliament first-hand .
Welcoming the public Access to Parliament In 2014–2015, the Library welcomed 315,000 visitors for tours of Centre Block and more than 12,000 visitors to East Block, including 58,000 students and teachers who took curricula-directed tours .

More than 228,000 visitors explored the Peace Tower observation deck and Memorial Chamber .

During their tours, 305,000 visitors experienced the exhibit On the Record: The Historical Debates of the Parliament of Canada .
More than 285,000 visitors also saw one of three temporary displays that highlighted the Library’s extensive collection .

Visitors had 30 new products to choose from at our onsite boutique (as well as online) .

Following the events of 22 October 2014, new security requirements for the Parliament buildings came into effect .
In the interest of ensuring maximum visitor access to Parliament, the Library worked with colleagues at the Senate and the House of Commons to establish a new point of service, which opened on 15 May 2015 .

Located at 90 Wellington Street, across from the Parliament buildings, it provides access to a year-round ticketing centre for Parliament and introduces a complimentary bag-check service .
Hosting delegations and visits Every year, senior staff and delegates from other parliaments and legislatures come to Ottawa to learn about the Parliament of Canada and to explore other specific areas of interest, including the Library of Parliament .

These visits offer participants the opportunity to observe and to discuss and exchange views with Library of Parliament representatives on the various services we provide to parliamentarians and the public .
Education Outreach hosted five parliamentary delegations, study visits and special events in 2014–2015 .

The Parliamentary Librarian had the pleasure of hosting 20 visits to the Library, welcoming royal and parliamentary dignitaries, heads of state, the Governor General and the Prime Minister and his guests, to name a few .
23 The Specialized Work of the Parliamentary Budget Officer The Parliamentary Budget Officer (PBO) provides Parliament with independent analysis about the nation’s finances, analyzes many of the policies and programs that Parliament considers, and reports on trends in the national economy .

This work helps inform parliamentary debates .

Individual committees and parliamentarians can ask the PBO to estimate the cost of any proposal over which Parliament has jurisdiction .
Given the limited resources available to the PBO, requests must be prioritized .

Therefore, the PBO gives priority to projects that involve the most funding and that are directly relevant to decisions being made by Parliament .

The PBO’s reports are evidence- based and available to the public via its website .

The PBO provides parliamentarians with technical briefings on its reports and can give individual briefings on specific topics on request .
Explaining the cost of legislation and programs Before parliamentarians make changes to legislation, they can ask the PBO to estimate what the change will cost or what a resulting program will cost .
Here are a few examples of the content of reports that the Library has produced for Parliament: • Cleaning up Canada’s contaminated sites – In April 2014 the PBO estimated the financial cost of cleaning up Canada’s contaminated sites at $3 .9 billion (excluding certain large sites) – more than double the expected costs projected by government .

This analysis allowed the PBO to identify funding shortfalls, including a $24 million shortfall in funding for assessments .
• The Champlain Bridge replacement in Montreal – In September 2014 the PBO released a study that estimated the tolls that would be needed to recover the costs of constructing a new Champlain Bridge, the tolls that would maximize revenues, and the traffic diversion that would likely result .

• Tax-free savings accounts – In February 2015 the PBO released a major report on a proposed increase on the cap for contributions to tax-free savings accounts .
It showed that the change was regressive and costly over the long term .

The PBO estimated that by 2080, the change would cost the government an additional $39 billion in revenue each year and well-off households would benefit 10 times more than households with fewer resources .

24 Annual Report 2014–2015 24 Annual Report 2014–2015 The Parliamentary Budget Officer’s reports can be found on the PBO website.
The PBO has extended its outreach to parliamentarians through PBO podcasts and the PBO Twitter account.

• Child care – In March 2015 the PBO published a report on child care benefits that showed recent tax benefits had greatly increased the benefits being provided to families .

The report also identified a number of issues, including that, as a result of recent changes, a majority of child care tax benefits would go to families that did not have actual child care expenditures .
Explaining government spending Parliament is responsible for approving all government spending and tax collection .

The PBO analyzes the government’s main estimates and budget, and provides Parliament with information on what the government plans to spend .

Among the most common questions posed by parliamentarians are ones that pertain to the revenue impacts that will arise from various changes to tax rates, brackets and benefits in the federal tax system .
Every year, the PBO prepares a reference table for parliamentarians on this topic .

The PBO has also developed an online tax tool that allows users to experiment with hypothetical tax scenarios .

The tool enables parliamentarians to broadly estimate the revenue and distribution impacts of adjustments to the federal tax system .

Fiscal impact of federal tax cuts In May 2014, the PBO released a report evaluating the impact of federal tax cuts since 2005 .
It found that $17 .1 billion less in personal income taxes has been collected as a result of cuts, and consumers avoided paying about $13 .3 billion in value-added taxes .

It further found that low- to middle-income families benefited from the tax cuts in terms of percentage of their after-tax income, while higher-income Canadians benefited in absolute dollars .

Explaining the economy The PBO provides Parliament with regular economic forecasts and other economic information .
For example, its Economic and Fiscal Outlook report analyzes short- and medium-term outlooks and its Fiscal Sustainability Report provides longer-term outlooks .

The PBO also analyzes other topics of interest, such as labour markets and changes in oil prices .

These topics are chosen on the basis of economic developments in Canada and abroad that may have significant effects on Canada’s economic trends and finances .
25 25 Strategic Priorities and Key Accomplishments The Library set out four priorities in its strategic plan, called Strategic Outlook 2012–2017.

Throughout 2014–2015, we continued to align our activities in support of the plan.

Strategic priority 1: Increasing digital access and service The Library’s intention in increasing digital access to our products has always been to deliver more convenience and ease without sacrificing service .
We want parliamentarians and Canadians to have the ability to find what they need when they need it – whether they are working via smart phones, computers or tablets from their offices or from other locations where they require access to Library products, including outside business hours .

At the same time, we know parliamentarians value the one-on-one interactions that have built our reputation as a responsive service organization .
Leveraging the web Maintaining content and presentation quality in the Library’s web-based offerings is essential to our efforts to improve digital access and service for parliamentarians and Canadians .

In May 2014, the Library launched a redesigned Parliament of Canada Visitor Information website .

The work we completed on the popular site, which received more than 392,000 visits in 2014–2015, improves visitors’ experience .
The new site, which is mobile-friendly, enables users to find information swiftly and easily, and it allows them to link to the various social media platforms we have developed since 2013 .

These include our YouTube channel, a virtual video tour, Facebook and Google Street View .

A renewed intranet for parliamentarians To improve users’ experience with our web-based information, we also completed a review of Library content housed on Parliament’s intranet .
26 Annual Report 2014–2015 26 Annual Report 2014–2015 “I am a heavy user of the Library.

I know they always deliver in a timely manner … When asked for something, they bend over backwards to get it if they don’t already have it.” – A Member of Parliament In collaboration with parliamentary patrons, we restructured the information so that it is easier to access and use .

The new intranet site is being built using a web-publishing tool that supports the Library’s goal of mobile friendliness .
This renewed intranet was launched in time for the arrival of parliamentarians after the October 2015 general election .

Next-generation library system In the interest of improving our services for parliamentarians, we continued in 2014–2015 to plan a more intuitive and user-friendly Library catalogue for parliamentarians and their staff .

We completed extensive work to procure the best solution to replace our current system .
The new system, which is expected to go live in the fall of 2015, will enable parliamentary users, in a single step, to search and access titles available in the Library of Parliament’s collection and through our extensive licensed databases .

While our primary mandate remains that of supporting Parliament, the new system will also allow the public to discover our catalogue of collections and view copies of some documents we have digitized .
Digital Access Strategy Digital collection The way people consume information is constantly evolving, and all organizations are adapting how they deliver information .

In 2014–2015, we increased digital access to data and documents, where feasible, to meet user requests for the swift and efficient retrieval of sources .

Most of the new content added to our collections in 2014–2015 (87%) was electronic .

Today, the Library spends 62% of its collection budget developing digital content .
Sessional Papers Sessional Papers are tabled daily in the House of Commons in print format .

Increasingly, we receive requests from parliamentarians for electronic versions of these documents .

Since 2010, we have scanned them and made them available to parliamentarians through our catalogue, and over time, we have built a digital collection of Sessional Papers .

In 2014–2015, we digitized more than a thousand Sessional Papers and made these available to users within 24 hours of receipt at the Library .
Preserving Parliament’s documentary heritage: A 50-year project comes to a close In May 2014, the Library celebrated a significant milestone by publishing the eighth and final volume of the House of Commons reconstituted debates .

With this success, the 50-year project to compile the early debates of the Senate and the House of Commons dating back to 1867 came to an end .
27 At the same time, the Library completed a massive project to digitize the debates, which involved scanning 1 .5 million pages from 1,700 volumes .

Both the early debates and complete digitized official Debates are now available online, thanks to our collaboration with Canadiana, an organization that works to build Canada’s digital preservation infrastructure and provide easy access to Canada’s documentary heritage .
The Debates and Journals of the Senate and the House of Commons are accessible through “Canadian Parliamentary Historical Resources,” a free, searchable database of historical publications of the Senate and the House of Commons developed by the Library and Canadiana .

In 2014–2015, the portal had more than 2 .8 million page views .

The Library commemorated the project’s completion through an exhibit in the Main Library .
On display were the original scrapbooks that librarians used to compile the early debates, as well as other memorabilia marking the project’s milestones over 50 years .

Twitter account delivers historical information about Parliament The Library used its Twitter feeds (@LoPInformation) to increase people’s awareness about the important events and people who have shaped Parliament since 1867 .
The Library draws facts and anecdotes from the rich holdings of PARLINFO and the portal of digitized Debates and Journals .

We also used PARLINFO data to show the evolution of Parliament by comparing the compositions of the 1st Parliament (1867–1872) and the 40th Parliament (2008–2011) through interesting images from the collection and a series of infographics .
The infographics highlight key changes, such as the representation of women, occupations of parliamentarians, the number of seats in the Chambers, and Senate and House of Commons seat distribution across Canada .

We averaged 11 tweets per week (in each official language) and had 281 retweets for both the English and French accounts .

The number of our Twitter followers nearly doubled in 2014–2015 to 1,264 .
Subject guides The Library’s new subject guides provide the best sources of information on a number of frequently requested topics – for example, sources of funding for programs, and topics related to citizenship and immigration .

The guides are designed to help Library staff and parliamentarians find key material in a single location .
They significantly reduce the time required to search for frequently requested information and are particularly helpful to those who prefer to find information themselves .

28 Annual Report 2014–2015 28 Annual Report 2014–2015 Strategic priority 2: Improving client outreach and awareness The Library provides parliamentarians with more reliable information than they might find elsewhere; our goal is to remain parliamentarians’ first choice as a source of information and analysis .
We do all we can to ensure that our relationship remains strong and that we continue to listen and learn from parliamentarians as we retool our products and services to respond to their needs .

Listening to parliamentarians In 2014–2015, the Library undertook a comprehensive analysis of its communications practices and outreach activities to ensure both that parliamentarians and their staff understand how we can be of service to them, and that we understand their evolving needs and expectations .
Responding to the results of the analysis, we adjusted our media-monitoring products to include a review of key public policy issues of interest to parliamentary associations .

We also improved the Library’s Legislative Summary program by providing parliamentarians with preliminary (“pre-release”) versions of the summaries within short timelines .
Finally, the Parliamentary Librarian and Assistant Parliamentary Librarian visited the chairs of parliamentary associations to discuss current and future needs .

The contributions of an important initiative When we released Strategic Outlook 2012–2017, we created the Integrated Client Outreach and Digital Access (ICODA) Secretariat as a temporary initiative to foster collaboration across the Library and to strategically integrate our efforts to improve service to our patrons .
Having served its purpose, at the end of 2014–2015 ICODA concluded its work, which resulted in a culture change across the Library that has been vital to our process of developing truly integrated business planning and operations .

Among other things, it fostered greater collaborative work among the various units of the Library and instilled an enhanced awareness of the need to consider user perspectives more comprehensively when delivering Library products and services .
Preparing for the 42nd Parliament To prepare for the 42nd Parliament, the Library undertook significant work to plan orientation for parliamentarians .

We devised a new communications approach that will enable us to better explain 29 29 the products and services most relevant to parliamentarians and their staff .
This will be particularly important at the start of the 42nd Parliament, with its 30 extra members in the House of Commons following the addition of electoral districts, as well as members elected to replace the large number of incumbents who are not seeking re-election and members who defeat other incumbents .

Strategic priority 3: Managing talent The Library recognizes that its employees’ skills and expertise are key assets in implementing our plans and priorities across the organization .
We are committed to developing and retaining our talent by putting work tools, learning support and other processes in place that develop our employees’ zeal for knowledge, their understanding of emerging information and their delivery of world-class service .

In 2014–2015, we undertook a number of activities to support the best in our people .

A foundational step was to audit the Library’s learning-related activities and processes, and compare them with industry practices .
The audit showed that the Library provides timely learning opportunities for employees, and that it has been able to engage senior management in learning and development strategies .

However, the Library can improve its measurement of learning outcomes and the alignment of learning needs with business goals .

The audit will inform our learning strategy for 2015–2016 and beyond .
To support ongoing talent management, we completed the implementation of a Library-wide Performance Management Framework, including a website, information sessions for employees, and training for managers on how to conduct performance conversations with their staff .
This framework is fully integrated with our competency-based management efforts and not only offers guidance with ongoing performance dialogues, but also helps managers provide greater support to employees during their first year of employment (through systematic probation management), as well as during times of performance challenges (through performance improvement plans) .
As part of our targeted talent-development efforts, we provided leadership training for many of our executives and to some of our middle managers .

We also developed and delivered training for peer mentors in research and analysis, and we significantly updated and modernized our official-language policy in support of our overall staffing policy .
30 Annual Report 2014–2015 A new staffing policy Our new staffing policy, approved by the Library in 2014–2015, codifies the many options available to managers for obtaining the talent they need to achieve the goals of the organization .

It includes extensive answers to our managers’ and employees’ common questions about recruitment and staffing practices .

These are meant to help both hiring managers and interested applicants prepare for staffing opportunities .
Recognizing employees To support employee engagement and talent retention, we undertook a Library-wide survey of our corporate employee recognition program, and used the results to inform the development of a broader and more meaningful approach to employee recognition .

Key changes include more emphasis on informal and ongoing recognition from immediate supervisors, new opportunities for peer recognition, and a new format for our annual recognition event .
Strategic priority 4: Ensuring product quality The Library delivers a wide range of products and services to parliamentarians and Canadians .

From written reports and analyses of highly technical subject matter to instructional videos and sleek infographics, all our products and services must be of the highest possible quality – accurate, timely, non-partisan and easy to understand .
We are uniquely positioned to wade through the sea of information available to parliamentarians and present it to them in a coherent and efficient manner .

As a matter of strategic priority, the Library continually finds new ways to ensure and enhance the quality of the information, analysis and services we provide .

In 2014–2015, we made strides in particular toward improving the accessibility and readability of the information we collected and prepared for parliamentarians and the public .
Our major accomplishments included a series of writing skills workshops for Library analysts and librarians to improve the quality of work they prepare for parliamentarians .

Finally, we launched a multi-year project to improve the quality of visual elements in parliamentary committee reports .

This included enhancing the visuals for four committee reports as part of a pilot project to assess the feasibility and implications of providing this new service to parliamentary committees .
The evaluation phase of the pilot project will occur after 2014–2015, but preliminary feedback from the committees has been positive .

31 31 Operational Improvements Engaging our employees The Library continued to rely on the creativity and commitment of its employees as we served parliamentarians and the public, and implemented our strategic priorities as outlined in Strategic Outlook 2012–2017 .
We held several open-house forums to bring employees and managers into the conversation about the Library’s vision for becoming a more modern, flexible and change-oriented organization .

In the open house held in early spring 2014, we asked employees their opinions about the future challenges the Library faces .
Major events discussed included preparations to welcome parliamentarians after the 2015 general election, the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017 and the temporary closing of Centre Block for rehabilitation in 2018 .

In fall 2014, a managers’ meeting invited input on similar themes .

The perspectives from the two events have informed work on these initiatives .
Parliamentary precinct renovation and restoration Likely the greatest challenge for the Library during the parliamentary rehabilitation will be the closure of Centre Block in 2018 .

The work will have a major effect on how the Library operates, including how we deliver services to parliamentarians .

We must ensure throughout the process that we continue to provide the trusted and reliable information and knowledge that parliamentarians require to conduct their work .
In 2014–2015, we began to identify the issues the renovations will create, and to work toward solutions .

For example, we started to plan for the new, post-2018 visitor experience, for the closure of Centre Block, and for the future of reference services in general .

We also began to design a new visitor program for the future locations of the Senate and the House of Commons, and a new Visitor Welcome Centre .
32 Annual Report 2014–2015 32 Annual Report 2014–2015 New security measures In the weeks and months following 22 October 2014, the Library worked diligently and contributed significantly to new and enhanced security measures on Parliament Hill .

We conducted a review exercise and facilitated the delivery of initiatives that will ensure readiness for any future event .
We also provided immediate and follow-up support through the employee assistance program, updated our wellness portal and emergency contacts information, and collaborated with our counterparts across the Parliamentary Precinct who were also managing the shooting’s aftermath .

In addition, we worked closely with the Senate and the House of Commons to adjust the visitor program in ways that enhanced security in the Parliamentary Precinct .
We communicated regularly with our managers and staff about all the actions we were taking .

Business renewal and transformation In recent years, the Library has implemented cost-effective improvement initiatives that support Parliament’s commitment to prudent financial and human resources management across parliamentary administrations .

In 2014–2015, the Library continued to renew and transform its business processes .
In particular, we worked to streamline our internal processes for providing services to parliamentarians and the public .

This included modernizing our Information Technology investments and applications .

The Library negotiated with the House of Commons a new master service agreement supporting this agenda .

A new user-request management solution The Library receives, on average, 60,000 requests for information and research per year .
In 2014–2015, we implemented a new request-management system called Alpheus (after Alpheus Todd, the first Parliamentary Librarian) that is fully integrated with our record management system .

This means that the processes for taking in requests, assigning work and responding to requests now all happen seamlessly and better reflect the modern IT environment .
33 We completed the configuration and implementation of the new system infrastructure on budget in four months (launching in November 2014), in part because the Library established a steering committee to ensure all major decisions were taken in time and that risks and issues were adequately addressed .

We also delivered high-quality training materials to all 250 new users and comprehensive training sessions in English and French .
Institutional repository After determining our requirements (through a fit-gap analysis), we confirmed the capacity of the Library’s Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS) to function as our single, consolidated institutional repository, in which we will manage not only our corporate documents and records, but also our electronic collections .
Publishing, editing and creative services The Library’s Operational Services team provided formatting and quality assurance for approximately 6,500 documents and coordinated the translation of 1,869 documents .

The web publishing team produced more than 200 research publications in HTML and PDF formats, and the creative design staff completed 77 projects of various sizes .
Updated financial management system The Library switched in 2014–2015 from its legacy financial management information system to a new system, called Financial Query System (FQS) .

The migration was necessary to ensure compatibility within an ever-evolving IT environment .

Other modernization initiatives The Library kept pace with public-sector–wide initiatives to modernize how business is conducted .
Among other things, we prepared for a new, more efficient payment system and the implementation of a more efficient shared travel services solution .

34 Annual Report 2014–2015 353535 Management Team The Library Executive Committee provides corporate leadership and serves as the Parliamentary Librarian’s senior advisory and strategic planning forum .
Left to right: Lynn Potter, Director General of Corporate Services; Sonia L’Heureux, Parliamentary Librarian; Lynn Brodie, Director General of the Information and Document Resource Service; Catherine MacLeod, Assistant Parliamentary Librarian and person responsible for the Parliamentary Information and Research Service; and Jean-Denis Fréchette, Parliamentary Budget Officer .
36 Annual Report 2014–2015 36 Annual Report 2014–2015 Financial Review The Library of Parliament’s budget for 2014–2015 is presented in the table below .

Spending for 2014–2015 was $41 .8 million, a decrease from the $42 .3 million spent in fiscal year 2013–2014 .
Expenses Planned Spending Approved Authorities Actual Spending $ $ FTEs** $ Salaries and wages* 34,264,927 Operations 7,705,080 Total 41,970,007 34,283,485 7,760,080 42,043,565 327 - 327 35,069,310 6,761,033 41,830,343 * Includes contributions to employee benefit plans ** Full-time equivalents The following chart shows the trends of planned spending, approved authorities and actual spending from 2012–2013 to 2014–2015 .
Although planned expenditures for the past fiscal year were $42 .0 million, actual spending was $41 .8 million .

Library of Parliament Spending Trend ($ millions) 45 44 43 42 41 40 2012–2013 ■ Planned spending 2013–2014 2014–2015 ■ Approved authorities ■ Actual spending Note: The amounts given in the figure include contributions to employee benefit plans.

37 37 38 Annual Report 2014–2015