Library services

Supporting Victorian Government departments and agencies to deliver quality research and policy outcomes for the Victorian community.

What we do

We ensure that eligible Victorian Government clients and staff have easy access to the information resources needed to do the work for the government:

through the collections of licensed electronic resources
the Whole of the Victorian Government library collection
a team of information professionals
research assistance and an extensive information skills program
access to a global network of libraries and suppliers.

We have resources covering the following subject areas:

Law
Economics and Finance
Health and Human Services
Transport, Roads and Infrastructure
Governance and Risk
Public Administration and Business
Science and Technology
Management
Climate Action
Energy and Resources
Water, Environment and Agriculture

Access to information

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I want to know what information I can access

Our clients have access to:

print and online resources, including books, ebooks, journals and reports not available elsewhere
specialised databases containing subject-specific journals, media, legal resources, standards and conference papers.
resources from other libraries across Australia and world-wide. Please note: Your access to the library services and resources depends on the subscription scope that your department has chosen.

I want to register to start using library online services

If you are new to the library, you need to register to obtain your login. Please fill in the online registration form and you will receive an email with your login details.

I want to log in to the library online services

Your access to the library services depends on the subscription scope that your department has chosen. Go to thelibrary website, where you will be required to log in first to access the catalogue and search electronic resources your department has access to.

I need help with accessing the online library services

If you have questions about online services, you can:

Email:contact@vgls.vic.gov.au
Phone: ALS Help Desk on 1800 SHARED (1800 742 733) and press Option 2 for the library.
Chat: Go to library website and click on the Chat now link

I want to request an item

Login to the Library website and search the available options
Use the ‘Request item button’ or ‘Place on hold’ if the item is currently on loan
Your requested items will be sent directly to your office location. You can check the progress of your request in the ‘My Account tab’
You can also request an item via the Ask a Librarian form on Library website

Borrowing terms:

you can borrow unlimited items
loan period is 28 days
you can renew loans via your library website
you can return items during business hours or via Australia Post
you can reserve items via your library website, or by calling 1800 SHARED (1800 742 733)
you can request items not available from our collections by using the Request form on your library website at no charge
you will receive overdue reminder notices via email.

I want to find out the status of my request

You will be notified about the status of your request when the item becomes available or overdue. Once you have confirmed your shipping address, we will send the item via Australia Post and will email the AusPost tracking number.

I want to obtain an item that is not in the library catalogue

VGLS can obtain items from other library services across Australia and worldwide. If you can’t find an item, please login and submit the Request an article or loan form on library website .

I want to renew a loan

You can renew items (unless other library users have requested them).

To renew a loan, go to “My Account”, select “Checkouts” tab and “Renew” button.

Items borrowed from another library can only be renewed by VGLS on your behalf – please contact the library for assistance.

I want to obtain an ISBN or an ISSN

ISBNs and ISSNs are unique identifiers that are allocated to all publications prior to publishing.

You can request an ISBN/ISSN online using the ISBN request online form. You need to be registered to access this form.

Research support

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What research support do we offer?

We offer:

Research support. Advice on using any of the VGLS services or resources, or a referral to another source or person (< 10 minutes).
Complex research support (up to 10 hours per query).

A comprehensive targeted literature search at the start of a major project
Advice on key players in a subject area
Advice on locating specialist information
Current awareness service: automated alerts on topics of interest
Document delivery: digital copies of documents from the Victorian Government Collection and other Library collections Australia-wide.

Complex legal research, which can include:

Legislation searching – including current and retrospective
Case law searching – Australia and most common law countries
Commentary searching – mining of secondary sources to help better understand legislation and case law
Government Gazette searches
Other general legal enquiries
Library resources

I want to ask a Librarian about some research advice

VGLS librarians can help find the resources for clients’ research. Complete the ‘Ask a librarian’ form located on your library website. You will receive a confirmation of your request within 48 hours.

If your request is urgent, please contact library services directly:

Email: contact@vgls.vic.gov.au
Phone ALS Help Desk on 1800 742 733 and press Option 2

I want to lodge a request for research

Our librarians can help find the resources for clients’ research. Complete and submit your request using Ask a librarian form.

Library resources

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What we do

Library resources consist of collections of authoritative information resources to support the work of government, including:

a ‘core suite’ of premium electronic resources for basic research and professional development. Includes multidisciplinary journals, databases, and information resources. Products that form part of the ‘core suite’ may change from year to year.
a central collection of hard copy resources, including books, journals and published reports drawn from former departmental library collections. For loan, delivered to staff at their workplace via Australia Post.
electronic publications are purchased for clients’ use via the annual client-funded subscription project. The costs for these subscriptions are in addition to the funded services.
International Standard Book Number (ISBN) service – assign published documents with an ISBN to ensure compliance with legal deposit requirements.

I want to know what subscriptions are available from the library for my department

Please fill in the Ask a librarian form to contact the library service.

I want to deposit my publications

ISBNs and ISSNs are unique identifiers that are allocated to all Victorian Government publications intended for public distribution.

To request an ISBN or ISSN for your publication before publishing, please complete the ISBN or ISSN request form on your library website. ISBN numbers are usually supplied within 24 hours. ISSN numbers for serial publications can take up to 72 hours to supply.

After publishing, copies of the publication must be forwarded to VGLS for inclusion in the Whole of Victorian Government library collection and for legal deposit obligations with the State Library of Victoria.

For urgent requests, you need to complete the ISBN request form and contact us on 1800 742 733.

Alert

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What we offer

VGLS offers a customised alerting service. Clients can register for a particular topic and receive email notifications.

I want to receive alerts for selected topics

Go to library website, select an alert under Alerting services and fill in the form to subscribe.

Information skills development

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What we offer

Training program to build capability in searching for, locating, and appropriately using information resources. This training is targeted to the needs of VPS and features a range of information services.

Training programs include:

an information literacy training program
individual or workgroup training as requested – targeted sessions requested for a specific work area or group to upskill in a specific field, for example, policy teams, legal teams, etc.
legal training (Case Law, Legislation, Commentary and Government Gazettes)
bespoke training upon request.

I want to book training

Our library currently runs information sessions online via MS Teams.

If you need a customised training session, please contact the library team and we will design a session for the needs of your team.

How to contact library services

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I want to contact the library

There are several ways you can contact library services

Email: contact@vgls.vic.gov.au
ALS Help Desk on 1800 SHARED (1800 742 733) and press Option 2 for the library
Live Chat is available on the library website. To return items to the library, please send via Australia Post using the address below:

Victorian Government Library Service Knowledge Resource Centre 607 Sneydes Road Werribee VIC 3030

I want to know how to provide feedback

Visit our contact page, complete and submit the feedback form. All feedback will be collected and stored following DTF’s privacy policy and used to improve our services and delivery.

You can also fill in the short feedback survey.

I want to know how to raise a complaint

Visit our contact page, complete and submit the Complaint form. We will contact you to discuss and resolve your complaint.

Working in government

Updated 20 November 2025

Economic Growth Statement

Mini vic.gov.au

Library services

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Working in the Victorian Government