Legislative Library

Contact the Nunavut Legislative Library at library@assembly.nu.ca or 867-975-5132.           

We provide the following services:

    •  Access to the Library’s collection of materials and its electronic document repository through the       
       online public access catalogue. Many items are available in PDF format online directly from the catalogue.        
    •  Recommended reading lists from the catalogue on many topics for items in the collection.        
    •  Loan of circulating materials in the Library’s collection either in person or through interlibrary loan        
    •  Interlibrary loan services through other libraries        
    •  Assignment of ISBN numbers for GN publications. It is quick and simple!        
    •  Reference service for information such as:        
           o Essential facts about the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut April 1, 1999 to the present        
           o Biographical information on MLAs        
           o Contact information for MLA constituency offices        
           o Contact information for government departments within Nunavut and throughout Canada

In addition to items available through the online catalogue, the Library can provide access to the following types of documents:        

    •  Documents tabled in the Legislative Assembly (generally available the next business day)        
    •  Nunavut 1st reading bills, 1999 to present        
    •  Newly assented bills        
    •  Historical records of petitions, as well as responses provided to questions asked in the Assembly

Searching the catalogue? What you will be able to find:

The Library’s collection focuses on the territorial government, public administration, politics, Parliamentary practice, and northern issues. We have specialized materials related to the constitutional development of Nunavut. These include the following:

    •  Nunavut Implementation Commission reports (print and electronic)        
    •  Office of the Interim Commissioner reports (print and electronic)        
    •  All Legislative Assembly of Nunavut public records, tabled documents, committee reports and debates (Hansard)        since April 1, 1999        
    •  Government of Nunavut publications        
    •  Selected Government of Canada publications relating to Nunavut, relationships between the Crown and        Indigenous peoples, and northern development        
    •  Copies of land claim agreements        
    •  Historical materials from the Government of the Northwest Territories leading up to the time of division of the        territories.        
    •  Publications issued by Inuit organizations

Items on other topics such as health, education and science are collected if there is a direct relevance to Nunavut. In addition to print and online electronic documents, the library collects relevant materials in other media such as DVDs, CDs and CD-ROMs. These can be discovered by exploring the online catalogue.

We actively collect resources in all official languages of Nunavut. These include all language versions of government publications as they are issued, as well as Inuktut dictionaries, glossaries, and traditional knowledge texts. Our catalogue reflects the language of publication in its description of materials.

Partnerships with other libraries in Nunavut and across Canada ensure access to a wealth of information.

Mandate: 

The mandate of the Nunavut Legislative Library is to preserve and make accessible the public documentary and institutional record of the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut and the government that it represents in an open and equitable way, in order to support the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit value of Tunnganarniq (fostering good spirit by being open, welcoming and inclusive).

It functions as the repository of the Assembly’s documentary history, collects and describes Government of Nunavut publications, supports the activities of the Assembly’s research and information services, and assists with the curation of the Assembly’s cultural belongings. Materials are described and maintained in all of Nunavut’s official languages as issued. To the extent possible, the library provides remote access to its collection for all of Nunavut’s far-flung communities.

Vision:

The library is a central repository in both physical and electronic formats of the record of the Assembly’s public activities, from the establishment of Nunavut on April 1, 1999. It provides a physical and virtual space where the library’s collection, the Assembly’s documentary record, and information about the Legislative Assembly’s Members and its cultural artifacts are brought together and accessed through the creative use of library and information technology.

The Library also strives to acquire and maintain a comprehensive collection of published Government of Nunavut documents on behalf of the people of Nunavut. The library leads the way in Canada in setting metadata standards for access to materials in Inuktut (Inuit language) and in making information about the Legislative  Assembly and Nunavut available in all languages and scripts used by Nunavummiut.