AARL

Australian Prime Ministerial Libraries - comments and reflections

Michael Piggott

Abstract Taking as the point of departure the seven papers on individual prime ministerial libraries and the two relevant national institutions, this paper places the subject in the setting of international and Australian information and cultural heritage. The appearance of these specialist hybrid institutions within certain kinds of universities during the 1990s is examined, followed by an outline of the benefits accruing to the host universities, the National Library and National Archives, the public and the prime ministers and their families. Finally the author looks at challenges such as funding, collecting boundaries and low recognition within the collection and higher education sector frameworks, and concludes by commending all institutions involved.

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