Governments publish all legislation and most cartographic materials and statistical data. Effectively any official publication produced by an official or governmental body, whether legislative, judicial or executive, is a government publication, whether in print or online.
The Library's collection of government publications include:
The Library collects Australian federal and state government publications as well as those from specific overseas countries and international bodies. The collections include historical sets of parliamentary papers, legislative materials and Hansards for Victorian and all Australian states and the Commonwealth, dating from the inauguration of these governments, which form a significant research collection for Victorian users.
Government publications are held from Britain, the United States, Canada and other countries, which date from the early 19th-century. Publications of the United Nations, the European Communities, the former League of Nations and other international organisations are also held, which date from the inauguration of these bodies. The scope and diverse nature of such government publications are important in supplementing and enriching all collecting areas.
The Library has a responsibility for collecting and preserving all Victorian Government publications, including those of government departments, agencies and local councils. This extends to collecting and preserving online publications by identifying sites for PANDORA.
For other Australian states, territories and the Commonwealth of Australia, the Library builds on its historical holdings, maintaining research level collecting for Australia and the other states and linking to relevant government sites.
Treaty material and publications of all intra-Australian organisations (for example, River Murray Commission) are collected. Print publications are still the primary format for Victoria, Australia and the other states. Government publishing on the internet is now the norm; however, where possible, the Library is collecting a printed copy of government publications as well as linking to PANDORA copies and the government sites.
The Library aims to have basic social, economic, political and geographical information about every country in the world and provides internet access to government websites. Collecting intensity depends on a country’s historical, economic and social links to Australia. At the basic information level the Library collects a government's yearbook, constitution, directory, statistical abstracts and guide to government publications. For Oceania and the Pacific, South Africa and Ireland, collecting targets legislation and major government reports as well. Research collections based on historical holdings exist for the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.
Significant research collections exist for intergovernmental bodies, notably the United Nations and the former League of Nations. European and Asian organisations are well represented, including the European Communities, International Labour Organization and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, with official documents in print. Access to internet resources is complementing and enhancing these collections. Intermediate collecting for major intergovernmental and non-government organisations is maintained and basic information and access to websites are maintained for all other international bodies.
The Library provides access to a mix of printed and internet formats of the publications of the following bodies:
