Legislation and policies

The Library's plans and policies inform our services, programs and initiatives and provide guidelines on practical matters such as accessing the collections, bringing food, drink or bags into the Library, copyright and photocopying.

Legislation

Library Act 1939

Library Regulation 2018

Policies and plans

Access to Special Collections Policy	Policy	The Library balances public access to special collections material with the security and long-term preservation of the state's cultural heritage.
Accessibility Action Plan	Plan	This document outlines concrete actions to which the Library is commiting to be more accessible for people with disability.
Accident, Incident Reporting and Investigation Procedure	Policy	The State Library has rules around the reporting and investigating of accidents and incidents in the workplace.
Ask a Librarian Service	Guidelines	These guidelines list the different levels of support you can expect from our staff and what we're able to help you with.
Australian Interlibrary Resource Sharing (ILRS) Code	Policy	The ILRS Code helps Australian libraries and their users find and share materials with a system that's easy and flexible.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policy	Policy	Library staff can use their own mobile devices for work purposes but it's important to ensure the security of the Library’s systems.
Business Continuity Management Policy	Policy	The Library has a strategy in place so we can still deliver critical services and products following a disruption or major crisis.
Charter of the Library Council of New South Wales Currently under review	Policy	This Charter provides guidance on the objectives, powers and authorities, duties, responsibilities and proceedings of the Library Council of New South Wales.
Childrens Policy Guidelines	Policy	These guidelines are for all NSW public libraries to help improve services for children and young people.
Code of Ethics and Conduct	Policy	We have standards by which State Library staff are expected to conduct themselves at all times.
Code of Conduct - Terms of Use for Interaction with State Library of New South Wales Forums	Policy	Do you want to use use State Library content in online spaces such as social media channels? Here's some guidance.
Code of Conduct Library Council of New South Wales	Policy	The Library Council and their committees are expected to follow an ethical standard. This is the summary of the positions.
Collection Acquisitions Policy	Policy	The Library is always looking to find the most cost-effective, efficient and timely ways of getting collection material.
Collection Development Policy	Policy	This gives information about the Library's collections and what our collecting priorities are.
Collection Donations Policy	Policy	The Library gets many offers of donations of published and original material. Here's how we determine what to accept.
Collection Preservation Policy	Policy	This policy defines the Library’s approach to preservation in line with its duties and responsibilities.
Collection Retention and Withdrawal Policy	Policy	How we look after and dispose of collection material and donations.
Complaint Handling Policy	Policy	The Library is committed to engaging with its readers and visitors to find ways of improving services and increase satisfaction to visitor feedback
Copyright	Statements and plans	We have a very comprehensive copyright section that should cover key aspects of copyright queries you may have.
COVID-19 Safety Plan	Policy	This Safety Plan outlines how the State Library of New South Wales (the Library) is complying with Public Health Orders and NSW Health advice in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, and managing risks posed by the virus to staff, volunteers, readers and visitors.
Delegations of the Library Council of New South Wales	Policy	Delegations to the State Librarian & Chief Executive.
Digital Collecting Strategy	Policy	The Library has developed plans for collecting digital content for a two year period between 2014-15 and 2015-16.
Domestic Travel Policy	Policy	This policy outlines the requirements and procedures associated with domestic travelling expenses and compensation.
Financial Delegations Policy	Policy	This sets out how the Library's finances are managed and the titles of those who are responsible with looking after the Library resources. It's based on the Public Finance and Audit Act 1983.
Fraud and Corruption Prevention Policy	Policy	It's critical that the State Library establishes and maintains a healthy ethical culture.
Gifts and Benefits Policy and Procedures	Policy	The State Library has strict rules about receiving any gifts and benefits.
Governance Framework	Policy	The State Library is committed to the principles and practice of good governance in planning and managing services and operations; encouraging stakeholder and community participation and meets government requirements and community expectations through rigorous policy and compliance.
Grievance Policy and Procedure	Policy	The State Library of NSW (the Library) is committed to providing a positive, safe and healthy workplace, including an environment that identifies, hears, and resolves grievances in a prompt, fair, impartial and confidential manner.
Guidelines & Conditions for External Exhibition Loans	Guidelines	Would you like to borrow collection items from the State Library of NSW for a temporary exhibition? Here's our guidelines and rules.
Guidelines For Local Government Authorities	Guidelines	The Library Act of 1939 sets out the requirements for public libraries. We've developed some useful guidelines to make this legislation easily understood.
Guidelines for the use of public-facing Library blogs	Guidelines	The Library welcomes all input from Library clients. We encourage an informative, creative,tolerant and respectful online forum.
Honours and Honorary Appointments of the Library	Policy	The Library Council may want to reward and recognise outstanding individuals who have contributed to the State Library of New South Wales.
Incoming Loans Policy	Policy	The Incoming Loans Policy provides a framework for the management of incoming loans for temporary exhibition at the Library.
Information Security Policy	Policy	The Library is committed to a secure information environment that protects the confidentiality, integrity and availability of its information assets, and systems.
Interlibrary Lending Policy	Policy	How we manage the lending of library material from the State Library’s collections to other libraries.
Internet Usage Policy	Policy	This Policy is for Library staff, readers and visitors to be aware of the Library's approach to providing access to the Internet through its public computers and wi-fi both onsite and offsite.
Legislative Compliance Policy	Policy	The Library is committed to complying with its relevant legislative obligations. Compliance with the provisions of all legislation applicable to the Library’s operations, collections and services is essential.
Metadata framework: principles & standards for cataloguing	Policy	How are collection materials catalogued in the Library?
Multicultural Plan	Plan	We are eager to hear the observations of people from multicultural communities about their experiences of the Library and how we can make it ever more welcoming.
Outgoing Loans Policy	Policy	The Outgoing Loans Policy applies to the outward loan of collection items from the Library to other cultural institutions for exhibition including travelling exhibitions.
Pesticide notification plan	Statements and Plans	How and when pesticides are used around the Library premises.
Physical Collection Storage Policy	Policy	The Policy indicates how Collection material is to be accommodated including criteria for onsite and offsite storage
Policy for the administration of gifts to the State Library of NSW Foundation	Policy	This document outlines the ways in which gifts given to the Library Foundation are administered.
Policy on the use of State Library Information & Communication Technologies	Policy	This policy is for staff, contractors, volunteers, fellows, vendors, and members of the Library Council of NSW to know their responsibilities when using State Library ICT resources.
Privacy Management Plan	Statements and Plans	The State Library is very careful with any personal and health information. Here's our plan for managing it.
Procurement and Contract Management Policy	Policy	The State Library aims to get the best value for money in all its buying activities.
Public Interest Disclosures Policy	Policy	This policy states the Library requirements for the reporting of public interest disclosures (PIDs) and seeks to provide staff with an understanding of their responsibilities, to encourage reporting of wrongdoing.
Public Interest Disclosures Procedure	Procedure	It's very important that Library staff are able to feel protected and safe if they want to report things such as corruption, waste, fraud or maladministration. The State Library is committed to The Public Interest Disclosures Act of 1994 which supports this.
Public libraries policies and guidelines	Guidelines	Information to help local councils and public libraries so they can provide important library services such as planning buildings, accessing collections and creating digital strategies.
Purchasing Card Policy	Policy	The purpose of this policy is to articulate the State Library’s policy on the administration, the provision and conditions of use of purchasing cards (P-Cards) issued to staff within the State Library of NSW.
Reader and Visitor Code of Conduct	Policy	This document outlines the conduct the Library expects from its readers and visitors in all public spaces, both onsite and online.
Respectful, Inclusive and Fair Workplace Policy	Policy	The State Library of NSW (the Library) is committed to providing staff with a positive, diverse, safe and healthy workplace where all activities are undertaken with respect, inclusion and fairness.
Records and Information Management Policy	Policy	This policy supports Library staff to create, capture, and make available accurate, reliable data and information to drive decision making and effective services, and maintain compliance with the State Records Act 1998.
Requests to produce documents: subpoenas, summons, statutory notices and orders	Policy	This policy sets out the approach of the State Library of New South Wales for dealing with and responding to subpoenas.
Risk Management Policy and Framework	Policy	The State Library is committed to developing a risk management culture, where risk management is seen as integral to the achievement of our objectives at all levels and where all staff are alert to risks, are capable of an appropriate level of risk assessment and confident to report risks or opportunities perceived to be important to our priorities.
Security Systems Surveillance Policy	Policy	The State Library uses security systems to safeguard its valuable collections and people and property. This explains how they are used in accordance with legislation.
Selection of internet reference resources	Guidelines	From time to time the Library will suggest other websites you may want to visit that have high quality information. This is our criteria for choosing those websites.
Sensitive Collections Material Policy	Policy	This policy outlines access guidelines and a best practice approach to managing sensitive and private records held in the Library's collections.
Smoke Free Workplace Policy	Policy	The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the risks to health associated with environmental tobacco smoke are eliminated and to provide direction to State Library of NSW workers concerning the smoking of tobacco on the Library’s premises and workplaces.
Social Media Policy	Policy	How we suggest Library staff communicate with customers when using social media platforms.
Staff guidelines for editing Wikipedia	Guidelines	Help for Library staff if you're editing Wikipedia and information for the Wikipedian community about Library editing activities.
Staff Loans Policy	Policy	The collections of the State Library of New South Wales are for the use and benefit of the public. The collections are also used by staff to undertake work such as research, exhibition planning and record maintenance.
Take down request position statement	Policy	Have you seen something you like that we've published online? Read about our principles for using and taking down content.
Use of the State Library under Library Regulation 2018, Part 3	Policy	This key piece of legislation explains just how the Library is meant to be used. Under this law, anyone who breaches the regulation can be excluded from the Library.
Web Privacy Statement	Statements and Plans	Everything you need to know about how the Library uses any personal information and what we will and won't publish.
Work Health and Safety Policy	Policy	The health and safety of all workers and visitors on the Library premises is extremely important to us and so we've put steps in place to safeguard anyone who's on the site.