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Library of Parliament | 2011–2012 Annual Report Also available online at www.parl.gc.ca/library.
For more information: Library of Parliament Ottawa, Canada K1A 0A9 library@parl.gc.ca 613.992.4793 1.866.599.4999 (toll free) www.parl.gc.ca/library © Library of Parliament, 2012 Contents Message from the Parliamentary Librarian The Library at a Glance The Year in Review Orienting new parliamentarians 1 4 8 8 Providing information, research and analysis 10 Supporting parliamentary committees and associations 10 Improving access to the parliamentary collections 13 Keeping parliamentarians up to date 14 Informing Canadians about Parliament 15 Taking stock 18 Strategic Priorities and Key Accomplishments 20 Strategic Priority 1: Connecting Parliament, people and information 20 Strategic Priority 2: Investing in our people and our infrastructure 25 Leadership Team 28 Financial Review 29 Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II: Commemorative Poem 30 ii LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT Message from the Parliamentary Librarian The past year was unquestionably one of transition for the Library, spanning two Parliaments and seeing the retirement of my predecessor in December 2011.
The federal election in May 2011 and the signiﬁ cant shift in the makeup of the House of Commons that followed required the Library to introduce itself to a new generation of parliamentarians.

Our Ask the Library!

campaign promoted the diverse range of products and services we off er, and through our outreach and orientation activities we forged relationships with new parliamentarians and their staff , gaining a better understanding of the needs of our clients.
We took the opportunity to step back and assess our priorities and approaches in light of new strategic realities: the mounting pressure to “go digital,” the ﬁ scal responsibility to deliver on our mandate in as cost- eff ective and effi cient a way as possible, and the need for collaboration with our partner administrations in the Senate of Canada and House of Commons to meet the requirements of a 21st-century Parliament.
Collaboration is particularly important – partnership, whenever feasible, with other like-minded organizations will help ensure we continue to innovate and leverage value for our clients.

Our strategic planning activities last year involved multiple brainstorming sessions in which our management team delved deeply into scenarios of how we might achieve cost savings and effi ciency improvements.
While the exercise resulted in the identiﬁ cation of key areas for improvement, it also revealed that the price of progress is tied to our ability to keep pace with technology.

This work is by no means done.

It will continue into 2012–2013 as we formulate a new long-term plan for the Library, informed by the outcomes of the strategic and operating review we began in 2011–2012.
2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 1 I would like to thank my predecessor, Dr. William R. Young, for his six years of leadership at the Library.

I also want to thank the management team and the entire staff of this remarkable organization.

Not only does the Library of Parliament “wear many hats,” but it is also an organization whose personnel include some of the very best and brightest in their ﬁ elds.

I am proud of the dedication and drive this team has shown over the past year.
Sonia L’Heureux Parliamentary Librarian INFORMATION EXPERTISE ACCESS OUTREACH SUPPORT 2 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT The Library of Parliament is more than just a beautiful building.

As a key resource to the Senate and the House of Commons, it is a trusted provider of information, a support to parliamentarians in their daily work, and a personal point of contact for visitors seeking to learn more about the country’s parliamentary heritage and Canadian democracy.
While its roles are varied, the Library’s focus throughout 2011–2012 remained constant: to provide the most timely, relevant and valuable services to parliamentarians and the public they represent.

2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 3 The Library at a Glance Who we are 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.
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 Associate Parliamentary Librarian Parliamentary Information and Research Service Parliamentary Budget Offi cer Information and Document Resource Service Learning and Access Services Corporate Services 4 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT SPEAKERS OF THE SENATE AND 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 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 ASSOCIATE PARLIAMENTARY LIBRARIAN Executes and performs the duties and functions of the Parliamentary Librarian during a vacancy in the offi ce of the Parliamentary Librarian* PARLIAMENTARY INFORMATION AND RESEARCH SERVICE Provides parliamentarians with news, reference, research and analysis services, and processes requests for information from parliamentarians and the public PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICER An offi cer of the Library who provides independent analysis to Parliament about the state of the nation’s ﬁ nances, 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 LEARNING AND ACCESS SERVICES Delivers learning and centralized outreach services to parliamentary clients; encourages public understanding of Parliament through a variety of programs and products; acts as steward for the Parliamentary Poet Laureate CORPORATE SERVICES Provides business support and services to the Library of Parliament *Sonia L’Heureux held the position of Associate Parliamentary Librarian from February to June 2012, prior to her appointment as Parliamentary Librarian.
2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 5 What we do The Library of Parliament has ﬁ ve key responsibilities: 1 provide customized research and analysis to parliamentarians and their staff 2 supply legislators and committees 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 news and information relevant to the Library’s clients 5 help parliamentarians inform Canadians about Parliament and the issues before it Who we serve • parliamentarians and their staff • parliamentary committees and associations • organizations that support Parliament • the Canadian public on behalf of parliamentarians 6 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT Table 1 Parliamentary Clients Supported by the Library of Parliament Senators 105 Members of Parliament 308 Total 413 Table 2 Committees and Associations Supported by the Library of Parliament* Senate committees House of Commons committees Joint committees 18 27 2 Total committees 47 Parliamentary associations 12 *Includes special committees and subcommittees other than those focused on agenda and procedure.
2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 7 The Year in Review Orienting new parliamentarians When Canada’s 41st Parliament sat for the ﬁ rst time, on June 2, 2011, there were new faces in more than a third of the seats in the Chamber of the House of Commons, and the majority of parliamentarians had less than ﬁ ve years’ experience as elected members.

Ask the Library!

The inﬂ ux of fresh members of Parliament increased demand for the Library’s reference and research services.
In the ﬁ ve months following the election, newly elected parliamentarians made more than 1,600 information requests of the Library, compared with some 800 in the same period after the 2008 election.

Early in the new session, parliamentarians received information encouraging them to Ask the Library!

The information outlined the many ways the Library of Parliament supports senators and members of Parliament in their daily work.
Recognizing the value of face-to-face contact, designated Library employees also off ered parliamentarians personalized brieﬁ ng sessions and provided information on upcoming learning events.

All of this was part of the Library’s contribution to supporting and orienting new parliamentarians following the election.
The Library prepared for the new session by working with the House of Commons administration, which is the parliamentary partner responsible for the post-election orientation of members of Parliament.

To connect with newly elected parliamentarians and introduce them to the suite of Library services and resources, a cross-Library team was created to develop and implement the Library’s orientation plan for new parliamentarians.
Informing parliamentarians in new ways The 41st Parliament did more than bring a greater number of new parliamentarians to Ottawa: it also introduced a critical mass of technology-savvy clients into the parliamentary environment.

To support the growing use of electronic tablets and other mobile devices, the Library’s information technology (IT) priorities continued to shift toward ﬂ exible software solutions and cost-eff ective application development.
8 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT INFORMATION LEGISinfo, a collaborative eff ort of the Senate and House of Commons administrations with the Library of Parliament, provides centralized electronic access to comprehensive information about bills before Parliament.

To enhance the usability of LEGISinfo and the Parliament of Canada website, the Library worked with its partners to update them both, making it easier to access information about Parliament, its institutions, its processes and its legislative activities.
In 2011–2012, following these improvements, LEGISinfo received more than 3.5 million hits, and a survey of web visitors found it to be the most important information resource off ered to parliamentary clients.

2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 9 In March 2012, the Library renewed its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the House of Commons for the provision of IT services.
Based on a partnership and portfolio management approach, the renewed MOU and strengthened governance will enable the delivery of business- focused IT services to support the Library’s needs in a cost-eff ective and timely manner.

Providing information, research and analysis In 2011–2012, Library employees responded to 66,694 reference questions and requests for information from parliamentarians and other clients, including the general public.
Responses to these information requests ranged from answering basic questions to fact checking; customized information searching; and providing copies of news items, offi cial publications and other documents.
Its economists, lawyers, librarians, scientists, and political and social policy experts responded to 4,609 requests for custom research from parliamentarians and their staff – providing conﬁ dential brieﬁ ngs on detailed policy issues, conducting research for speeches, analyzing statistics to support committee hearings, and gathering information on constituency concerns.
In total, parliamentarians, their staff and other clients – including representatives of the parliamentary press gallery, senior offi cials and employees of the Senate, House of Commons and Library – made 9,501 in-person visits to Library branches throughout the Parliamentary Precinct.
Supporting parliamentary committees and associations To help provide parliamentarians with an overview of issues likely to arise during the new Parliament, the Library published Current and Emerging Issues, a special collection of 27 short analytical papers on parliamentary topics ranging from ethics, social aff airs, justice and human rights to government spending, debt and taxation, international aff airs, trade and investment, the digital world, energy, and the environment.
The Library assisted 47 standing committees during parliamentary sittings by supplying weekly brieﬁ ng notes and analyses required to examine legislative and budgetary issues.

Library analysts also supported the standing committees by drafting reports under the supervision of the Chair and committee members.

Over half of all the work completed by analysts was done in support of parliamentary committees.
The Library also produced 636 documents for the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations and published 39 summaries of government bills.
10 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT Table 3 Research, Reference and Information Requests Received in 2011–2012* Requester Research Requests Reference and Information Requests Senators Senate committees 254 520 Members of Parliament 1,545 House of Commons committees Joint committees Associations and delegations Offi ces of senators Offi ces of members of Parliament Senate employees House of Commons employees Library of Parliament employees Prime Minister’s Offi ce / Privy Council Offi ce Offi cers of Parliament Press gallery Embassies Government agencies Libraries General public 832 637 361 – – – – – – – – – – – – Other 460 Total 4,609 134 112 1,405 358 6 213 2,087 10,435 829 2,067 6,280 154 76 1,325 11 919 484 39,666 133 66,694 *In-person brieﬁ ngs, commissioned research notes, short brieﬁ ng papers or substantive research papers are off ered in response to requests from parliamentarians and parliamentary committees, associations and delegations.
“Offi cers of Parliament” include the Auditor General, the Conﬂ ict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, the Privacy Commissioner and other offi cers of Parliament.

“Other” clients include, for example, the Translation Bureau, the Parliamentary Centre, international organizations, the Federal Court of Canada, former parliamentarians and other authorized clients.
2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 11 EXPERTISE The Parliamentary Budget Offi cer (PBO) provides independent analysis to Parliament about the state of the nation’s ﬁ nances and trends in the national economy.

To respond more effi ciently and improve parliamentarians’ access to information about government spending estimates, the PBO launched its Integrated Monitoring Database last year.

The database gives legislators direct access to the quarterly results of all votes contained in the Government’s Estimates.
Using variance analysis, it can also help parliamentarians identify areas of spending that may warrant more detailed scrutiny.

12 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT In collaboration with the International and Interparliamentary Aff airs Directorate, the equivalent of ﬁ ve full-time Library employees supported the work and activities of 12 parliamentary associations by supplying brieﬁ ng notes, country proﬁ les, talking points and various other information materials.
In partnership with the Senate and House of Commons administrations, the Library also provided international delegations with information on programs and services that support Canada’s Parliament, accommodating visits from Bangladesh, Kenya, Pakistan, Scotland and the United States.

Library representatives made presentations and shared their expertise with participants in the May, October and March sessions of the Parliamentary Offi cers’ Study Program as well.
Improving access to the parliamentary collections To preserve its collections and give parliamentarians and Canadians greater access to them, the Library has recognized the need to focus on both digital and print preservation.
The structure and operations of the Knowledge Management and Preservation Division were realigned in 2011–2012 to ensure that new skills and responsibilities, such as those relating to digital stack maintenance, can be incorporated into our business processes while a digital preservation strategy is being developed.

During the year, more than 65% of all items added to the Library’s catalogue were available electronically, totalling more than 9,000 new digital documents.
This includes purchased electronic documents, harvested web resources such as government publications, serial publications, Radar articles of what’s new in the periodical literature and in the Library’s collection, on-demand digitally reformatted collection items, and the ongoing digitization of daily House of Commons Sessional Papers.
Meanwhile, the Library’s bindery created 3,345 bound volumes of parliamentary debates, journals and related collection items, and conserved more than 200 items of continuing value from Library collections, including several unique maps.

A collaborative arrangement was conﬁ rmed to bind volumes of key Senate publications in exchange for collection copies of the same, mirroring the Library’s existing agreement with the House of Commons administration.
The bindery’s artistry was recognized in early 2012 when two signature books were commissioned to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

These were signed by senators and members of Parliament, and presented to the Queen by the Speakers in February.

2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 13 Keeping parliamentarians up to date The Library has multiple publications and tools to help keep parliamentarians and other stakeholders informed of current issues.
Last year, more than 12,000 users took advantage of its NewsDesk, a service that allows the full text of current news items to be read on mobile devices and delivers media alerts from more than 70 Canadian and international news services in English and French.

More than 600 users received a total of 1,931 alerts in 2011–2012.

The Library continued to see an increase in downloads of Quorum, its daily compilation of Canadian newspaper reports on current issues.
Last year, 172 editions were published and the electronic version was downloaded more than 10,000 times in total by more than 7,000 users.

Up to 1,152 print copies were also distributed daily during sessions of Parliament.

The Library off ered parliamentary clients 34 seminars and information sessions, including everything from panel discussions on public policy issues to presentations familiarizing clients with the tools and services available to support their work.
New in 2011–2012, a professional development series provided short training sessions on key skills such as negotiation, mediation, speechwriting, and strategic and communication planning tailored to the parliamentary context.

Both the number of seminar sessions and average number of participants grew last year, in part thanks to new organizational approaches, clear client feedback that recommended email as the preferred way of communication, and a simple registration process.
OTHER LIBRARY INFORMATION RESOURCES IN 2011–2012 Radar: The Library published 26 issues of its journal, Radar, listing what’s new in periodical literature and in the Library’s collection.

It received 2,713 requests for Radar items, mostly from the Library’s analysts and parliamentary offi ces.

Hot Topics: 240 links were added to the Library’s electronic listing of documents and reports in the news of interest to parliamentarians and their staff .
HillNotes: 26 issues were produced to provide parliamentarians with a concise overview of current and emerging issues.

Background Papers and In Briefs: 54 publications off ering in-depth studies of policy issues and short brieﬁ ngs on current issues were published last year.
14 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT The Library also held 31 of its employee-driven Food for Thought professional development initiatives in the last year, encouraging subject-matter experts on staff to share their knowledge or research with colleagues in an informal setting.

Informing Canadians about Parliament The Library’s visitor services and public outreach activities continued to help senators and members of Parliament inform constituents and the general public about Canada’s Parliament.
Parliamentary guides welcomed approximately 352,000 visitors on tours last year, including more than 61,000 students and teachers.

Eighty-one percent of the 5,700 comment cards completed by visitors reﬂ ected a positive tour experience.

Traffi c has declined somewhat over the past decade due to heightened security measures and construction activities related to the long-term vision and plan for the Parliamentary Precinct.
November 2011 marked the 15th annual session of the Teachers Institute on Canadian Parliamentary Democracy, an intensive professional development opportunity that brought 85 outstanding teachers from across Canada to Ottawa for an insider’s view of how Parliament works.

Program highlights included a discussion on the future of learning and ACCESS From the early years of Confederation to 1875, the House of Commons kept no offi cial record of its debates.
Speeches delivered in the House were reported in major newspapers of the day, and Parliament’s librarians clipped these articles and preserved them in scrapbooks.

Today, under the Library’s Early Debates Project, historians, specialized editors, translators and indexers are painstakingly reconstructing these debates from existing source material, ﬁ lling a signiﬁ cant gap in the Canadian parliamentary record.
In 2011–2012, the Library celebrated the release of the 1871 volume of reconstituted House of Commons debates, and completed and released the 1874 volume of translated Senate debates.

This project is part of a broader initiative to preserve, digitize and improve access to Parliament’s documentary heritage.
2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 15 OUTREACH Each summer, university students from across Canada are hired as tour guides to welcome visitors to Parliament – off ering insights into Canadian and parliamentary history, parliamentary process, and the art and architecture of the Parliament buildings.

Thanks to increased promotional eff orts, including the Youth Connection and Youth Opportunities web pages, the Library received a record 450 applications for the summer 2012 employment program.
16 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT education in Canada, hosted by His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada.

Survey feedback indicated that 97% of participants were satisﬁ ed with their professional development experience, and applications to participate in the program were up 7% from the previous year – the result of increased promotion through the Library’s educational resources and by program alumni.
The Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians and the Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy generously provided bursaries to eligible participants.

The Library’s publicly accessible PARLINFO database, containing information about Parliament going back to 1867, received more than 6.5 million single-page hits last year.

(More than a million of those came in May 2011, following the federal election.)
The History of Federal Electoral Ridings – a key set of data the Library contributed to the Government of Canada’s Open Data initiative – was downloaded more than 200 times between its posting in December 2011 and March 31, 2012.

The Library launched Discover How Canadians Govern Themselves, an interactive site that uses images, videos, puzzles and quizzes to explain how Canada’s system of government works.
The site is based on content from the book How Canadians Govern Themselves by the late Senator Eugene Forsey, now in its eighth edition.

2011–2012 HIGHLIGHTS • A temporary exhibit in the Main Library building commemorated the 70th anniversary of Sir Winston Churchill’s inspirational “Some chicken!

Some neck!” speech, which was delivered to a joint session of the Canadian Parliament in 1941.
The exhibit featured selected pages of the speech, lent by the Churchill Archives Centre at the University of Cambridge, as well as audio and video clips and a signed copy of the iconic photograph of Churchill taken by Yousuf Karsh.

• The Games: A Moment of Pride showcased a pair of torches and two sets of medals given to the Canadian people to celebrate the success of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
• To commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, materials from the Library’s collection were used to create a retrospective of her visits to Canada.

2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 17 Taking stock Like other federal public administrations, the Library launched a strategic review of its operations last year, seeking to meet the demand for information in an increasingly digital environment while addressing ﬁ scal realities.
…Of client needs Outreach and orientation activities in the post-election period targeted new parliamentarians and their staff , helping the Library to forge relationships and better understand client needs.

This was supplemented by a product evaluation and needs assessment study conducted by Nanos Research in the winter of 2012.
Of particular note were two ﬁ ndings that suggested that many parliamentarians were not fully aware of the range of products and services off ered by the Library, and that parliamentary clients were looking increasingly to mobile solutions as their preferred means of obtaining information and news.
…Of costs In an eff ort to control costs, last year the Library followed updated guidelines for developing research collections – emphasizing access to electronic sources, reducing the number of print copies and improving subject focus.

Subscription fees account for some 40% of the Library’s collections budget, and the cost of these key resources increases by more than 5% annually.
In addition to following the updated guidelines, the Library subjected each subscription renewal to a rigorous evaluation process, including consultations with subject specialists, to assess the ongoing relevance of the title to Library collections.

…Of successes The Library celebrated the achievements of its employees last year through its annual Awards and Recognition Program.
Fifteen employees were recognized at a ceremony in June 2011 for accomplishments such as outstanding team performance, innovation, exemplary management and overall excellence.

…Of our talent and future The Library recognizes the need to facilitate knowledge transfer and professional development among staff , as retirement trends and demographic factors continue to aff ect its workforce.

In 2008, 40% of employees had less than ﬁ ve years’ experience with the organization; by 2011, that number was 51%.
To develop and retain their workforces, the Library and four other federal agencies took part in a cost-sharing Action Learning Groups initiative for middle managers.

The Library also continued to develop competency proﬁ les for non-management functions, with implementation to be completed in 2012.

Training related to performance dialogues also proceeded last year as part of a pilot implementation.
18 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT SUPPORT The Library continued to broaden its use of its Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS), streamlining internal processes and providing integration with other Library solutions.

Enhancements have been made in the processing, the tracking and the delivery time of parliamentary requests, publications and committee reports.

The new system has better search and tracking capabilities, facilitating interactions between employees and clients.
Improvements have also been made in policy compliance and the effi ciency of both physical and electronic records management.
2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 19 Strategic Priorities and Key Accomplishments The Library set out two priorities in its Strategic Outlook 2010–2015: 1 connecting Parliament, people and information 2 investing in our people and our infrastructure Related to these, a number of major initiatives identiﬁ ed in the Library’s 2011–2012 Business and Expenditure Plan were carried out last year, building the Library’s capacity for innovation and furthering the continual improvement of its services.
Strategic Priority 1: Connecting Parliament, people and information PROVIDING EXPERTISE IN A DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT Improving access to products and services To gain a better understanding of how its products and services are used in the digital environment, the Library consulted with its staff , parliamentary clients and the public on their use of and experience with the Library’s digital off erings.

This feedback will guide future development of the Library’s web presence and products.
The Library began implementing a new digital visual identity last year to provide a more professional, better organized and more consistent digital experience.

Integrated Library System The Library has updated its Integrated Library System to allow for future consolidation of all collection resources into one searchable database.

This will enable searches of all library holdings using a single, intuitive interface.
In 2011–2012, the Library improved service delivery by using email rather than paper notices to communicate with clients and retrieve borrowed books.

It also began making changes to document descriptions, for greater consistency and to align with international standards.

For compatibility with House of Commons technology and to beneﬁ t from the support of a greater number of experts, the Library migrated from Oracle to Microsoft SQL servers.
Records management training The Library introduced a Records Management Training and Awareness Program to support staff implementation of a strengthened records management approach that will help make information more accessible 20 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT to internal users.

All managers were trained in the principles of records management and the speciﬁ cs of the Library’s policy.
Each service area selected records custodians who then received further training on the policy and their responsibilities in supporting it.

Enhancing searchability with a new taxonomy tool In 2011–2012, the Library completed implementation of its new subject taxonomy in several systems, including client-request tracking, electronic documents and record management, and the catalogue.
A user-friendly navigation tool was introduced to improve categorization of information resources and to enable increased use of the subject taxonomy.

Instructional material was developed, training was provided, and performance indicators and statistics were deﬁ ned.
The taxonomy will ultimately allow users to search for information across various sources, generate personalized service alerts on given topics, easily identify subject experts, and route reference questions to specialists who can best respond.

MAKING PARLIAMENT AND PARLIAMENTARY INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE Digitizing resources Digitization initiatives continued throughout 2011–2012.
The sessional papers tabled daily in the House of Commons were digitized and delivered to clients through the catalogue, usually within the same sitting day.

In total, 484 sessional papers were digitized, 173 of which were part of a retrospective project to digitize the series back to the beginning of the 40th Parliament.

Also digitized were selected speeches of prime ministers and the full collection of Library annual reports.
Through a joint project with Library and Archives Canada, page images capturing nearly 100 years’ worth of Senate and House of Commons debates were digitized.

Post-processing on these ﬁ les has begun, and public access to searchable versions of portions of this content is expected in 2012–2013.
The Library’s ongoing digitization strategy has expanded to address the need for technical infrastructure to support the storage, preservation and accessibility of its growing digital collections, which are acquired both in electronic format and digitized from the original print versions.

A digital preservation strategy is being developed to ensure digital content retains its integrity and remains accessible in the future.
Preserving parliamentary information and heritage assets The 1871 debates of the House of Commons were released on the web in 2011–2012, as was a French translation of the Senate debates from 1874, further ﬁ lling the gap in the early records of Parliament.
2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 21 22 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT The Library drafted a Heritage Asset Management Strategy for implementation in 2012–2013, and conﬁ rmed a collaborative arrangement with the House of Commons for the storage and care of examples of heritage furniture formerly in the Main Library.

The Library also updated its Emergency Management Program for Documentation and, in partnership with the Canadian Conservation Institute, provided specialized training for staff .
The training helped to increase staff knowledge and conﬁ dence when dealing with collection emergencies, such as a ﬂ ood or a mould infestation, and contributed to the development of an emergency response guide.

The guide identiﬁ es staff responsible for responses to emergencies, ensuring that damage to documentation is minimized and items are restored for use as quickly as possible.
Fostering information literacy Using a YouTube account and Web 2.0 open technology, the Library developed several tutorials, including three to help parliamentary clients gain remote and mobile access to services and make use of them online.

The tutorials were viewed roughly 100 times within the ﬁ rst ﬁ ve months of their existence.

A proposal to provide online training will be studied in 2012–2013, and further tutorials may be developed in line with client requests.
Customized individual and group training sessions, designed to raise awareness about Library collections and services, were off ered to 294 people, with another 91 courses delivered remotely.

Twenty-one courses were provided on how to make optimal use of PARLCAT, the Library’s online catalogue.
Connecting with youth As part of its ongoing eff orts to engage young Canadians and encourage active citizenship, the Library developed a new Youth Connection web page, providing at-a-glance access to Parliament’s youth employment opportunities, interactive web resources, live feeds, photos and information for school projects.
Providing international leadership Parliamentary Budget Offi ce (PBO) representatives participated in Canadian and international forums hosted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Financial Management Institute of Canada, World Bank, Conference of Defence Associations, Parliamentary Centre, International Monetary Fund, Canada 2020, Canadian Association for Business Economics, and numerous universities and think tanks.
These organizations also provided the PBO with a useful platform for research collaborations to beneﬁ t parliamentarians.

2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 23 The Global Legal Information Network (GLIN) is an international information database including offi cial texts of laws, regulations, judicial decisions and other legal sources.

In 2011–2012, the Library’s GLIN team was honoured with a special achievement award for its signiﬁ cant contribution to the database.
Members of the Library Executive Committee actively participated in the International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) congress as presenters and facilitators of workshops.

Sonia L’Heureux, Parliamentary Librarian, is a member of the Library and Research Services for Parliaments Section, and Lynn Brodie, Director General, Information and Document Resource Service, is a member of the Preservation and Conservation Section.
Membership in the IFLA provides access to a network of similar institutions with whom the Library shares best practices and plans for opportunities to better serve parliamentarians’ evolving knowledge requirements.

The European Centre for Parliamentary Research and Documentation (ECPRD) facilitates the exchange of information among parliamentary research services of member parliaments and observers to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
The Parliament of Canada has observer status with the ECPRD.

In 2011–2012, the Library of Parliament responded to 112 research requests from ECPRD members and received 37 replies in response to a request for information in support of the Library’s eff orts to identify potential areas for effi ciencies in the management of its operations.

OPTIMIZING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR CORE SERVICES The PBO continued to strengthen its relationships with parliamentarians and committees.
Although there were fewer committee appearances, individual and group consultations with government and opposition parliamentarians and their staff continued to increase.

Through the economic downturn and nascent recovery, the PBO has helped to support parliamentary debate and deliberations on the economy and government ﬁ nances.

Consistent with its legislated mandate, the PBO continued to publish reports on the state of the nation’s ﬁ nances, trends in the national economy and analyses of policy costs.
Reports produced by the PBO in 2011–2012 included the Economic and Fiscal Outlook and related testimony; follow-up analysis and testimony on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter; a new quarterly Expenditure Monitor report; two ﬁ scal sustainability reports, including after changes to the Canada Health Transfer; Federal Tax Expenditures: Use, Reporting and Review; Interim Financial Reporting to Parliament in collaboration with the OECD; the Government’s Structural Budget Balance; and Fiscal Impact of Conditional 24 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT Sentencing (Omnibus Crime Bill).
The PBO continued to produce its series of Economic and Fiscal Outlook reports; estimates analyses; cost estimates of private members’ bills; and quarterly updates to the Integrated Monitoring Database.
Strategic Priority 2: Investing in our people and our infrastructure VALUING OUR PEOPLE Employee recruitment and retention In line with its Human Resources Management Strategy supporting the recruitment, retention and development of Library employees, the Library updated its New Employee Orientation Program in 2011–2012 and began to implement a new Performance Management Framework across the organization.
It also launched an online Wellness Portal to provide employees with easy access to information on products and services that support a healthy, respectful and diverse workplace.

The Library commissioned a third-party exit interview process to record departing employees’ comments about their experience at the Library.

Eighty percent of those contacted participated.

Recognition and career development emerged as areas for improvement and prompted the development of new programs.
Most exiting employees reported a positive work experience, and departures typically involved external career opportunities (37.5%) or retirement (25%).

Competency proﬁ les The Library continued to develop and implement competency proﬁ les for all positions.

The existing competency proﬁ le for managers was integrated into the Library’s recruiting processes.
Competency proﬁ les for all non-management roles were developed through a highly consultative approach, ensuring that the competencies identiﬁ ed reﬂ ect the Library’s unique organizational culture.

Harassment prevention In support of the Policy on Prevention and Resolution of Harassment in the Workplace, the Library delivered a series of mandatory information sessions for managers and employees.
The sessions focused on building awareness, outlining roles and responsibilities in contributing to a respectful and harassment-free workplace, and introducing the policy and internal resolution procedures.

These information sessions will be off ered on an ongoing basis for new employees.

Encouraging diversity The Library sent a conﬁ dential and voluntary questionnaire to all employees to gain a more accurate picture of the composition of its 2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 25 workforce.
Employees were asked to voluntarily identify themselves as a member of one of the four designated groups: women, Aboriginal peoples, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities, or as belonging to any other group.

Seventy-eight percent of employees responded, and the conﬁ dential results will help align Library recruitment with the diversity of the Canadian population, as well as incorporate employment equity and diversity objectives within an ongoing strategic human resources framework.
STRENGTHENING OUR MANAGEMENT Investing in infrastructure To ensure the Library has the right tools and information to manage eff ectively, it upgraded its electronic ﬁ nancial system and developed a guide to ﬁ nancial services for administrators and managers on how to handle ﬁ nancial matters.
The Library looked at ways to reduce costs and ensure the most eff ective use of its resources last year – a comprehensive review of its practices and operations resulted in changes that produced effi ciency gains through the consolidation of space and the negotiation of facilities arrangements.

Corporate policy review The Library revised a number of ﬁ nancial policies to strengthen its policy framework and improve resource stewardship practices.
A number of human resources policies were developed to increase the effi ciency and transparency of related processes.

Implementation of some policies was supplemented by training to ensure that employees have the necessary knowledge, skills and competencies to eff ectively carry out their duties.
AUGMENTING OUR PARLIAMENTARY INFORMATION MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CAPABILITIES IM/IT governance In March 2012, the Library renewed its memorandum of understanding with the House of Commons administration for the provision of information technology (IT) services.

Information management (IM) is central to the Library’s mandate – and IT is a critical enabler for keeping pace with the shifting operating environment of Parliament.
The renewed agreement establishes an improved governance approach and recognizes the Library’s speciﬁ c and unique IM requirements.

IM/IT strategic plan Following a series of workshops with senior and extended management, a broad vision for IM/IT, as well as deﬁ nitions for key strategies and priorities, was established.
In March 2012, the IM/IT strategic plan was ﬁ nalized 26 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT based on a portfolio management model, to manage and control projects in alignment with strategic business objectives.

A multi-year business plan was also developed to serve as a foundation for moving forward.

Parliamentary Information Management (PIM) committee The Library participated as an active member of the PIM committee alongside its partner administrations in the Senate and the House of Commons.
The PIM committee assesses, coordinates and guides Parliament’s eff orts to improve the management and delivery of parliamentary information.

It also facilitates the sharing of parliamentary- information priorities and initiatives among the three partners, and encourages the alignment of PIM projects and services in each of the three organizations for a common strategic direction.
A strategic plan and governance framework, online surveys and user consultations regarding the website and the launch of a new LEGISinfo portal, and a social media report were among the items the committee produced in 2011–2012.

2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 27 Leadership Team The Library Executive Committee provides corporate leadership and serves as the Parliamentary Librarian’s senior advisory and strategic planning forum.
Standing, left to right: Jean-Denis Fréchette, Acting Director General of Parliamentary Information Research Service; Dianne Brydon, Director General of Learning and Access Services; Lynn Brodie, Director General of Information and Document Resource Service; Lynn Potter, Director General of Corporate Services; Kevin Page, Parliamentary Budget Offi cer; and sitting: Sonia L’Heureux, Parliamentary Librarian.
28 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT Financial Review The Library of Parliament’s budget for 2011–2012 is presented in the table below.

Spending for 2011–2012 was $41.31 million, a decrease from the $41.92 million spent in the ﬁ scal year 2010–2011.
Table 4 Budget Fiscal Year 2011–2012 Expenses Planned Spending Approved Authorities Actual Spending $ $ $ Salaries and wages* 34,427,680 34,113,897 34,458,543 Operations 8,320,080 8,320,080 6,849,061 Total 42,747,760 42,433,977 41,307,604 FTEs** 355 355 342 *Includes contributions to employee beneﬁ t plans (EBP).

**Full-time equivalents.

The following ﬁ gure shows the trends of the Library’s Planned Spending, Total Authorities and Actual Spending from 2009–2010 to 2011–2012.
Although planned expenditures for 2011–2012 were $42.75 million, actual spending was $41.31 million.

This reduction resulted from some positions remaining vacant and savings achieved through cost-containment measures.
Figure 1 Library of Parliament Spending Trend ($ millions) 44 42 40 38 2009–2010 2010–2011 2011–2012 ■ Planned spending ■ Total authorities (including EBP) ■ Actual spending (including EBP) 2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 29 Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II: Commemorative Poem On December 20, 2011, the Speaker of the Senate, the Honourable Noël A. Kinsella, and the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Honourable Andrew Scheer, announced the appointment of Fred Wah as Canada’s ﬁ fth Parliamentary Poet Laureate.
At his installation on February 29, 2012, he read The Snowﬂ ake Age, a poem commemorating the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II.

The Snowflake Age “My whole life, whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service…but I shall not have strength to carry out this resolution alone unless you join in it with me as I now invite you to do.
God help me to make good my vow.” Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Daily News, February 7, 1952 She said looking through the monarchy of pronouns Her halftone face proﬁ les the moment On our kitchen table headlines mourn the proper Object of our common vale of memory and becoming Dots of quiet morning snow outside the window 724 Victoria Street then Kootenay Lake the mountain Mist-hackled town’s companion traced as Elephant You take on the words new news so we too Mark our time momentarily collected public Memory longs for its own kind of peacefulness All day soft snow hushes the valley but For the truck chains clanking up Stanley The sovereign We “… seemed for a moment As though the heartbeat of a nation stopped” That day your other you as white as the snow Fell over the town and drifted into the bank 30 LIBRARY OF PARLIAMENT Fred Wah, Canada’s 5th Parliamentary Poet Laureate Federal legislators created the position in 2001 to draw Canadians’ attention to the reading and writing of poetry.
Of memory just like the city bus I always needs Another pronoun for the we is speaking middle Voice Dominion over CKLN radio’s hourly news Sanding in progress up Josephine all clear tonight My Tenderfoot to King’s Scout posing who Is the many might be the mercy of whose light Or how to function as the subject of what long Moment caught within each sentence Let’s not forget – between – the words the traces We’ll line them up for their long parade The street’s been plowed for their cavalcade I Me You Your They My We this rime of snowy faces 2011–2012 ANNUAL REPORT 31