NSW New Rules for How Local Libraries Collect Books and Manage Services

Library Amendment Bill 2026

3 Jun 2026: Passed by Parliament and signed off by the governor.

This bill kicks in: TBA

Legislative Council

Legislative Assembly

Assent

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Topics

information services library materials library services public libraries

Introduced by: The Hon Jenny Aitchison MP (ALP); The Hon John Graham MLC (ALP)

Links to official parliament websites

Official page: progress through parliament

Official page: bill text and explanatory notes

Effects of this bill

If this bill passes, it means that:

local libraries have an explicit legal right to freely collect and make available library material — local councils cannot impose restrictions that override this right
any local authority limitation on specific library items must be consistent with the library's freedom to collect and make available material
the governing body of a library (the council for a local library; the Council for the State Library) can make formal rules about use of the library and its services — these rules must be published on the governing body's website and take effect on the date of publication

The Debate

What different members said when this bill was debated:

Mark Speakman LIB

“The Opposition supports the Library Amendment Bill 2026. The Coalition has a long history of supporting our libraries in New South Wales. In 2018 we delivered the largest increase to public library funding since the enactment of the Library Act in 1939. In our final full year of government in 2022, we delivered a $165 million further investment in our public libraries across the State.”

Official source →

Nathan Hagarty ALP

“I contribute to debate in support of the Library Amendment Bill 2026. I acknowledge Caroline Butler-Bowdon, the State Librarian, and her team who join us for this debate. I know they have worked very hard. If members love our libraries as much as I do, and they have nothing on tomorrow night, Unplugged is on at the State Library next door from 6.00 p.m. to 10.00 p.m. as part of Vivid.”

Official source →

Alex Greenwich IND

“I contribute to debate on the Library Amendment Bill 2026. Libraries are an important part of civilised societies. They democratise knowledge, information and entertainment, and play an important role in keeping historical archives. Libraries have been providing those services since ancient times.”

Official source →

Julia Finn ALP

“I particularly concur with the comments about censorship and how strange it is that libertarians are the ones banning books.”

Official source →

News articles and press releases

Library Amendment Bill 2026

The Hon. JOHN GRAHAM, Minister for Transport — 2026-02-05

This bill seeks to amend the Library Act 1939 to ensure that local libraries across New South Wales may collect any library material that is available for collection and is not unlawful. The amendment adds a provision to section 10 (1) of the Library Act, setting out this concept and the principle of the freedom to collect. Since 1964, a guideline issued by the Library Council of New South Wales under section 10 of the Library Act has set out that public libraries in New South Wales are free to collect and that people are free to access those collections. I quote from the guideline: