Part of Parliament: Penny Young
4 min read
The role of House of Commons Librarian is multi-faceted. From planning for the restoration and renewal to the Palace of Westminster to providing an essential service to MPs, Penny Young is busy as ever
As the House of Commons Librarian, I lead two teams: Research and Information, and Participation. Our staff produce and publish impartial research briefings, answer queries from constituency caseworkers, index content so that it’s findable online, welcome visitors on tours, run sessions with school children, develop MOOCs to help people find out more about Parliament, engage the public in digital debates. It’s incredibly diverse. I’ve worked here for three years, which means I still have lots to learn. I’m lucky to have colleagues who understand how this place works, who’s who, and how to get stuff done.
Our oldest service is the House of Commons Library – which turns 200 this year. People sometimes assume the Library is just about books, but we’re also an independent research unit. Our team of 75 specialist researchers compile impartial, factual information on topics as diverse as chemical weapons, inequality, social care and of course, increasingly, every aspect of Brexit. We answer 25,000 confidential enquiries by MPs every year and produce 900 briefings which everyone can read online.
We also have an impressive library space, with beautiful furniture, ladders and bookshelves. The team there help MPs with their enquiries, find briefings, and of course borrow books.
MPs are asking us more questions than ever, which means our larger team of researchers are busier than ever. MPs want help on issues affecting their constituents, or some killer facts to include in a question in the chamber. Our new website helps MPs, their staff and the public find our research quickly – they can subscribe to get personalised alerts when we publish a paper on a topic they’re interested in which saves us all time.
Briefing MPs on Brexit is a newer challenge and our specialists are pioneering here, since often no-one yet knows the definitive answer. Some of my time is increasingly spent working with our Director of Research to evolve how we do things, and grow our expertise in new areas like data science, and working more with external partners.
I also manage the Participation team, which includes education and engagement, visitor services and various public information teams. Our role is to open Parliament up to the world and give people a voice here. The public can be sceptical about Parliament, and sometimes don’t understand what it does. We focus on reaching out to people in different ways – which makes a big difference to people’s interest in and respect for Parliament.
We’re building our understanding of our different audiences, whether teachers, families, tourists, community groups, schools or young people. I’m engaging with my leadership team on how best we do this. Getting as many people through the doors to buy tickets for summer opening is a priority for us. The Vote 100 programme and the 2018 UK Parliament Week are both great ways people can get involved too.
Planning for restoration and renewal is underway even though it will be many years before we move out. It’s an opportunity to think about how public engagement can be designed in from the start. If we’re going to spend billions on the project, let’s make sure we renew Parliament from a public perspective, as well as restoring the building.
Right now, I’m spending a lot of time working with our data protection officer and other colleagues to ensure the House is compliant with the new GDPR regulations and supporting MPs in their duties as data controllers. There’s a huge amount to do and not much time, so we’re working on evidencing consent for marketing lists, adapting training for MPs, engaging with the regulator and DCMS on the implications for MPs and so on. The Facebook/Cambridge Analytica issue shows how vital it is that everyone handling personal data understands their responsibilities. We’re are providing templates and toolkits for MPs offices but I suspect our work is not going to end on 25 May.
My week is never complete as a senior manager unless I’ve also been immersed in discussions on efficiencies, cyber security, performance appraisals, information management, our digital strategy, performance metrics, budgets etc. These are vital, but it also means I need to take time to remember why I’m here.
Wandering through Westminster Hall, the Library, or the Gallery, and hearing about the work of our teams, reminds me just what a great job I have.
Keep up to date with House of Commons Library research by subscribing to personalised alerts at https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/
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