A Focus on Parliamentary Libraries.

• Author: Stos, Will

In an age when information is at your finger tips, when answers to a query are a quick Google search away, and when the number of print publications and the need for physical copies of books is in decline, should we be asking the question: whither the library?

In this theme issue on parliamentary libraries, the Canadian Parliamentary Review provides some answers, and finds that while their role has shifted over the years, parliamentary libraries remain an important resource for the people and institutions they serve.

In their historical review, Vicki Whitmell and Sarah Goodyear trace the development of parliamentary libraries from often humble beginnings to their present state. They note how the Association of Parliamentary Libraries in Canada (APLIC) has permitted the country's parliamentary libraries to work together to identify and share best practices, and monitor emerging technology and trends.

Carolyne Menard explains that, as stewards of objectivity and truth for their clients, parliamentary libraries have been combatting fake news long before that term hit the headlines. She defines the concept and outlines current steps to help clients assess the quality and reliability of sources.

Noting the political and linguistic challenges of navigating bilingualism in the federal parliament, Alexandre Fortier outlines the Library of Parliament Subject Taxonomy. He discusses two challenges related to its development: language neutrality and the interlinguistic equivalence of concepts between English and French.

Michael Dewing and Meghan Laidlaw...