1. Purpose
To ensure that clients, staff and volunteers of the State Library of Western Australia are aware of how feedback from clients is managed.
2. Scope
The management of complaints by clients is the responsibility of all staff and volunteers.
Definition:
Feedback by a client is defined as:
Information provided by an external person or organisation regarding the services, products or facilities provided by the State Library. Feedback may take the form of complaints, suggestions, requests or compliments.
Feedback can be received via:
State Library feedback form,
email,
person,
telephone,
letter, or
Ministerial correspondence.
This definition includes feedback as defined above from members of the public, local governments and other government, business or community organisations.
3. Context
As a public sector agency with a major public focus, the State Library aims to provide best practice service delivery to the Western Australian community and welcomes feedback to assist with the continuous improvement of service delivery.
The State Library is committed to ensuring that everyone using its services can provide feedback. There is a separate process for the management of feedback by children (by legal definition, anyone under the age of 18 years of age). This feedback is dealt with in a manner relevant to the age of the client. Under the State Library’s Disability Access and Inclusion Plan, there is a requirement for processes dealing with feedback to respond to the needs of people with disability. This may include the way feedback from a client is received and the form and format of any response.
All feedback received by the State Library is dealt with promptly, fairly, efficiently and courteously by the manager, or delegated officer, of the team that receives the feedback. If the client requests a response, the form of that response will be via email, telephone or letter. The client will receive an acknowledgement of the receipt of feedback within three days and then a response within ten days. If a response will not be possible within ten days, the client will be informed of the reason for the delay and given an estimated response date. Alternatively, the client can choose to remain anonymous and not receive a response from the State Library.
Depending upon the nature and context of the feedback from a client, an investigation may be undertaken. Any investigation of feedback is carried out fairly and with impartiality.
Feedback from clients, and responses to feedback, are treated as confidential. However, feedback may be the subject of a Freedom of Information application where the Freedom of Information Act 1992 will determine what documents or content of documents is made available to the applicant. Under the State Records Act 2000, all feedback correspondence must be kept as a corporate record for a period of seven years after the last action.
Feedback assessed to be vexatious and/or containing spurious or unsubstantiated claims intended to cause harm or distress will be escalated to a Director who may decide not to respond to this feedback.
If the client is not satisfied with the State Library’s response, they may be directed to seek a review of the response by a Director or the CEO and State Librarian. If still unsatisfied, a client may be directed to make a report to the Western Australian Ombudsman.
Feedback from clients is anonymised and grouped for reporting in the Annual Report of the Library Board of Western Australia.
4. Policy Statement
It is the policy of the Library Board of Western Australia that:
Staff and volunteers have a responsibility to record all feedback by clients, including verbal feedback, in compliance with State Library procedures.
All feedback by clients will be considered and responded to promptly, fairly, efficiently and courteously.
State Library staff and volunteers promote awareness of the feedback by clients handling process through the provision of the Client Code of Conduct and by providing client feedback forms on the State Library website and throughout the State Library building.
The rights of the client for confidentiality, respect and natural justice will be protected, as are those of staff or volunteers who are the subject of feedback.
The State Library recognises the right of people with disabilities to have the same access to provide feedback and have it considered. Feedback can be provided in any format at the client’s request.
The State Library recognises the right of children and young people to provide feedback and to have it considered in an age-appropriate manner.
The State Library will regularly review feedback from clients as a means of continuously improving services and facilities.
5. Responsibilities
Manager Public Libraries and Information Services (content and implementation).
6. References
Client Code of Conduct
Code of Conduct (CITS)
Child Safeguarding Policy (CITS)
Child Safeguarding Framework (CITS)
Guide to Managing Client Feedback in RefTracker
Disability Access and Inclusion Plan
Corporate Records Management Policy
Freedom of Information Act 1992
Ombudsman Western Australia –Complaints Management Guidelines (October 2020)
Approved, Library Board, 4 December 2025.