In May 2014 the Government announced that the Australian Emergency Management Institute (AEMI) would relocate from its facility in Mt Macedon, Victoria to Canberra, ACT.
Along with the AEMI move, the Australian Emergency Management Library was relocated to the Lionel Murphy Library at the Attorney-General’s Department, 3-5 National Circuit, Barton, ACT.
The library first opened in 1956 and has developed into the largest emergency management library in the southern hemisphere. The library has over 4 000 members worldwide, and provides information to individuals, local government, universities and emergency services.
Membership and library services are free and resources focus on all aspects of emergency management around the world. The collection comprises over 37 000 items and the library can be accessed using the Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC). Members within Australia can request to borrow any of these items, which can be posted within Australia only.
Subject areas include disaster recovery, business continuity, risk management and leadership. The Web Discovery Layer gives members access to thousands of records, including newspaper and journal articles, eBooks, conference proceedings and reports. This is done with a single search across all library databases and is accessed using MyAthens login details or via the search box on the Australian Emergency Management Knowledge Hub research page https://www.emknowledge.gov.au/research.
The relocation to Canberra changes the way some services are delivered and also brings new opportunities for the library to meet the changing needs of its members. Core services available in the library have not changed. Members can request items and submit reference enquiries using the online forms on the library catalogue web page https://emlibrary.spydus.com/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/MSGTRN/OPAC/HOME.
Library staff welcome visitors to the library, however it is best to contact the library to make an appointment.
The Australian Emergency Management Library’s homepage and catalogue access portal.
Australian Emergency Management Library
Attorney-General’s Department
3–5 National Circuit, Barton ACT 2600
www.em.gov.au/library