| REFERENCE
ENQUIRIES |
| Members
& their staff |
|
Year |
|
Members' Library
(a) |
Derby Gate Library |
|
1998-99 |
22,458(b) |
31,479 |
|
1999-00 |
34,759 |
30,758 |
|
2000-01 |
30,200(c) |
25,500(c) |
|
2001-02 |
30,360 |
22,808 |
|
Notes: |
(a)
Excludes Book & Video Service enquiries. |
| (b)
From January 1999, telephone enquiry data were collected
automatically. Figures are not directly comparable with
those derived manually for earlier periods. |
|
|
(c)
Estimate due to recording system problems. |
2.2
RESEARCH SERVICES
Subject specialists provide a briefing service in response
to enquiries from Members across the range of their parliamentary
duties. They also prepare research papers on new legislation
and on other topics of current interest. The research service
is grouped into subject-based sections each of which holds
specialised collections of material.
The demands on the research
service are measured in two ways. The Enquiries Database
is used to log the more substantial requests. Other requests,
mainly telephone calls seeking immediate briefing or advice,
are not routinely recorded, but biannual week-long surveys
of demand allow estimates of the total number of requests
dealt with during the year to be made. The targets for the
research service as a whole are to answer all deadlined
enquiries within the deadline and all undeadlined enquiries
within two weeks. In 2001-02 97% of logged deadlined enquiries
were answered by the deadline and 87% of logged undeadlined
enquiries were answered within two weeks.
RESEARCH
ENQUIRIES
| Recorded
('logged') enquiries |
|
|
|
|
|
|
of
which: |
|
|
|
|
with
deadline |
|
|
without
deadline |
|
|
|
|
|
%
answered |
|
|
% answered |
|
|
Total |
number |
by deadline |
number |
within two |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
weeks |
|
1998-99 |
15,017 |
10,454 |
95% |
4,563 |
80% |
|
1999-00 |
14,947 |
10,347 |
97% |
4,600 |
86% |
|
2000-01 |
13,345 |
8,743 |
96% |
4,602 |
87% |
|
2001-02 |
10,832 |
6,103 |
97% |
4,729 |
87% |
In 2001-02 the Library
published 96 research papers. Research papers were produced
before the Commons second reading debate on all but one
Bill.[2] A new type
of paper, Social Indicators,
was produced. As well as appearing in conventional form,
both printed and electronically, the paper is supported
by Intranet pages from which the underlying data can be
downloaded, alongside additional information, on a constantly
updated basis.
Standard notes are often used to deal quickly with individual
enquiries and their production has probably
contributed to the slowing in growth of "logged" enquiry
numbers, while the proportion of "unlogged" enquiries has
risen. There is already firm evidence that the availability
of selected standard notes in electronic format on the Intranet
is rendering some individual enquiries to the Library unnecessary.
The same may be true of other Intranet services.
During 2001-02 efforts have continued to develop and improve
the Library's services available on the Intranet. A new
subject-based approach to finding information was launched
in spring 2001, bringing together under appropriate headings
information from disparate sources, including research papers,
standard notes, statistics and links to relevant external
websites. A new system for tracking standard notes, and
for publishing them on the Intranet, was introduced at the
end of the year, reflecting their increasing importance
both as timely and efficient ways of providing information
to Members and their staff, and along with other
primarily electronic resources of managing demand.
Interactive services on the Intranet have been further developed:
the most popular, constituency profiles, received around
3,000 requests in 2001-02, while the number of logged requests
for such profiles has fallen from around 130 in 1998-99
to fewer than five this year.
| RESEARCH
INTRANET SERVICES |
|
|
|
|
|
Research
papers |
|
|
|
Number of |
Standard |
accessed from |
|
Standard notes |
|
|
|
research |
notes on the |
the Intranet or |
|
accessed from |
|
|
|
papers |
Intranet (a) |
Internet |
|
the Intranet |
|
1998-99 |
117 |
31 |
n.a. |
|
n.a. |
|
1999-00 |
116 |
224 |
n.a. |
|
n.a. |
|
2000-01 |
100 |
510 |
n.a. |
|
n.a. |
|
2001-02 |
96 |
788 |
420,000 |
(b) |
29,000 |
(b) |
|
Note: |
(a)
At year end. Data for 2001-02 are notes with published
status on the Enquiries Database. |
|
|
(b)
Estimated. |
During the year, the Library
introduced procedures to ensure that it complies with the
provisions of the Data Protection Act, especially in connection
with its advice to Members regarding constituency casework.
2.3
NETWORKED INFORMATION SERVICES
While the main focus has been on improving the organisation
and delivery of electronic resources over the Intranet,
the Library continued to develop the services it provides
to maximise the return on the investment made. The POLIS
service, which includes components managed by the Library
on behalf of other departments, the House of Lords Library
and the devolved assemblies, has been extended to include
links to the full text of many parliamentary publications;
and a version of the POLIS database was made available on
the Internet in spring 2001.
A new service, "Bill Information
Pages", is presently being piloted on the Intranet. These
pages provide a 'one-stop shop' for information on most
major government bills and some private members' bills.
Material is drawn from Library publications, other parliamentary
sources, government departments and elsewhere. The Library
has also continued to develop its Parliamentary Current
Awareness Service on the Intranet. In 2001-02 it received
some 4,200 requests.
The Library has been extensively involved in preparatory
work for the Parliamentary Information Management Services
(PIMS) project. This is being developed as part of the House-wide
information management strategy, and is intended to build
on the foundation of the present POLIS service to expand
the range of information readily available to users within
and outside Parliament. The systems that result from the
project will, among other things, provide a replacement
for the POLIS database. It is hoped that approval of the
business case will be given in summer 2002.
The IS Section's target of ensuring 99.5% availability of
the main POLIS services during scheduled availability hours
was exceeded in 2001-02. The target of not more than four
service incidents per year was met, but the target of such
breaks lasting for not more than 30 minutes' downtime per
incident was missed on one occasion.
| IS /
IT INDICATORS |
|
Year |
|
|
|
Transactions |
|
|
|
|
IT training |
on POLIS |
|
|
|
Items added |
course |
(Current) |
|
|
|
to POLIS(a) |
attendees |
Intranet |
|
1998-99 |
108,238 |
801 |
n.a. |
|
1999-00 |
106,848 |
955 |
n.a. |
|
2000-01 |
128,531 |
560 |
n.a. |
|
2001-02 |
124,939 |
961 |
137,634 |
|
Note: |
(a)
Includes items added on behalf of devolved legislatures.
Excludes book and pamphlet records from October 2000. |
2.4
LOANS
The Library has a substantial loan collection of books and
pamphlets and also borrows material from other libraries
when necessary. It is the Library's aim to maximise use
of its loan stock. 2001-02 was the first full year in which
the Library's computerised loans system was in operation.
This has enabled automatic generation of renewal and recall
letters facilitating a faster turnover of stock and the
recall of loans during the dissolution period.
| BOOK
AND VIDEO LOANS |
|
Year |
|
|
|
|
Book
loans |
|
|
Tapes
and |
Deadlines |
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
From
our stock |
|
transcripts |
missed for |
|
|
|
|
|
Number |
Per cent |
acquired |
items |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
obtained |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
elsewhere |
|
1998-99 |
4,433 |
|
|
3,755 |
|
85% |
|
298 |
|
17% |
|
1999-00 |
4,312 |
|
|
3,617 |
|
84% |
|
391 |
|
7% |
|
2000-01 |
(a) 3,837 |
|
|
3,282 |
|
86% |
|
343 |
|
14% |
|
2001-02 |
3,560 |
|
|
2,670 |
|
75% |
|
280 |
|
11% |
|
Note: |
(a)
The Service was closed for three months in connection
with the reclassification project. |
2.5
SERVICES FOR THE PUBLIC
The House of Commons Information Office provides information
about the work, history and membership of the House of Commons
for the general public. The Parliamentary Education Unit
provides an education service for schools for both Houses
of Parliament. The Library maintains contact at official
level with overseas parliamentary libraries and research
services.
The Library aims to continue
to develop its services to the general public and to schools
as far as resources allow. This has been done bearing in
mind increased demand, the inclusion of citizenship in the
National Curriculum from autumn 2002 and the need to exploit
the opportunities offered by new technology, particularly
the Internet.
The HCIO's telephone
bureau has a target of answering 85% of calls within 20
seconds, which is typical for telephone enquiry services.
An automatic call distribution system collects the relevant
data. In 2001-02 71% of calls were answered within 20 seconds,
a substantial improvement on the 62% recorded in 2000-01.
| ENQUIRIES
FROM THE PUBLIC TO THE HCIO |
|
Year |
|
|
Total |
|
of
which: |
|
|
|
|
|
Telephone |
|
Written |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
By |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
e-mail |
|
1998-99 |
|
111,973 |
107,484 |
|
4,489 |
3,811 |
|
1999-00 |
|
113,687 |
107,348 |
|
6,339 |
5,751 |
|
2000-01 |
(a) |
93,013 |
83,752 |
|
9,261 |
8,783 |
|
2001-02 |
|
83,015 |
72,292 |
|
10,723 |
10,205 |
|
Note: |
(a)
There was some under-recording of calls in early 2001
due to technical problems with the Automatic Call Distribution
systems. |
Within the total number of HCIO enquiries the switch away
from telephone calls towards e-mails continued. In 2001-02
the HCIO received 10,205 requests via e-mail compared to
8,783 in 2000-01, an increase of 16%. Part of the decline
in telephone enquiries in 2001-02 can be explained by the
introduction of a message option system during the year.
Callers who know which Member they want to speak to are
now diverted straight to the Westminster switchboard rather
than being connected to the Information Office in the first
instance.
The Education Unit's Explore
Parliament website was
highly commended in the accessibility category of the 2002
Government Internet Forum Awards. The Unit's new video,
Parliament Uncovered,
won the silver award in the education video category of
the 2002 IVCA Corporate Visual Communication Awards.
2.6
DOCUMENTATION, PROCESSING AND ARCHIVING
The information and research services are supported by documentation
and information technology services and by library services
such as selection, acquisition and processing of material.
The Library is the House's repository for the definitive
set of parliamentary papers, Hansard and other categories
of official material.
The Library continued
to develop and maintain its stock of Parliamentary Papers,
official publications, books and other material, with a
view to ensuring that it meets users' needs as fully as
possible and in a cost-effective manner making efficient
use of new technology. In consultation with other departments,
the Library has been exploring the most effective means
of preserving and making available essential parliamentary
publications that are deteriorating owing to the paper and
ink used in the past. A business case that proposes to digitise
Hansard of both Houses from 1804 until 1989 (since when
it has been available electronically) to make it available
on the Internet is to be submitted early in 2002-03.
Priscilla Baines
LIBRARIAN
