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Library of the National Assembly of Quebec
The Library of the National Assembly was established in 1802 to serve the Members and Legislative Councillors of the House of Assembly of Lower Canada, which first convened in 1792. During the decade preceding the establishment of the Assembly Library, the library of Quebec City served as the library for the Assembly.
A number of key figures served as director of the Library, including Étienne Parent (1833–1835), Alpheus Todd (1850–1867), Pamphile LeMay (1867–1892), Narcisse-Eutrope Dionne (1892–1912) and Jean-Charles Bonenfant (1952–1969).
The Library experienced many difficulties over the years. Between 1840 and 1865, it was moved to successive capital cities; fire destroyed its collections in 1849, 1854 and 1883; and, in 1867, its collections were divided between the Parliament of Canada and the Legislative Assembly of Quebec.
The Library of the National Assembly is currently located in the Pamphile-LeMay Building, beside the National Assembly Building. It is the national repository for all types of documents, including reference material, studies, current events, archival records and so on. A wealth of information created by its services is available on the National Assembly’s Web site.
The Library comprises the following divisions: reference and research, reception and circulation, periodicals and newspapers, press clippings, records management, archives and heritage assets, processing, acquisitions and collection development, indexing and publication of the reconstituted debates. The Library also has a division that is responsible for information technology and systems, and another that oversees special programs.
The Library of the National Assembly is a specialized library with a focus on the social sciences, political science, economics, law, geography and history. The Library has an extensive collection of Quebec and federal government publications, and national and local newspapers. Its press clipping division compiles printed and digital thematic news files. The Library also has a large collection of Quebec and Canadian pamphlets. It manages the archives of the Assembly and of former MNAs.
The Library was automated thirty years ago. It shares the resources of an automated cataloguing system with close to 40 other government libraries. This allows the Library of the National Assembly to more easily access the collections of the other libraries.
The Library of the National Assembly of Quebec has a staff of 85 permanent and temporary employees, about 40 of whom are professionals or managers. It has an annual budget of approximately $5.3 million.
The Library serves Members of the National Assembly and their staff, agencies under the Assembly’s jurisdiction and the officers of the National Assembly. These are the Library’s priority clients and they are entitled to all the services it offers. Members of the public may consult the Library’s holdings on site and use its audiovisual and computerized equipment. The Library also hosts various cultural activities, including political book days, book launches and exhibits.
Contact information:
Library of the National Assembly
Pamphile-Le May Building
Quebec City, QC G1A 1A3
PH: 418 644-6407
Email: bibliotheque@assnat.qc.ca
Web site: www.assnat.qc.ca/en/bibliotheque/index.html
Legislative Assembly website: http://www.assnat.qc.ca/en/index.html
