Service Charter

Our mission

Our mission is to promote knowledge and understanding of Australian Indigenous cultures, past and present.

Through a network of Council and its committees, staff, members and stakeholders - we comprise a diverse community who are committed to carrying out activities which affirm and raise awareness among all Australians, and people worldwide, of the rich and diverse Australian Indigenous cultures and histories.

Functions

Our functions are to:

  • Undertake and promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies.
  • Publish the results of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies and help others to publish the results of such studies.
  • Conduct research in fields relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies and to encourage other people or bodies to conduct such research.
  • Help in training people, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, as research workers in fields relevant to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies.
  • Establish and maintain a cultural resource collection consisting of materials relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander studies.
  • Encourage understanding, in the general community of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societies.

Clients

Our clients are:

  • Australian Indigenous peoples and their future generations.
  • People in the wider Australian and international communities with an interest in Indigenous studies.
  • Members of AIATSIS.

Services

Our services to you include:

  • Conducting, promoting, funding and facilitating high-quality research in Australian Indigenous studies.
  • Developing and caring for archives and collections of Australian Indigenous studies.
  • Facilitating appropriate access to these archives and collections and provide information based on them.
  • Creating and developing a diverse range of products and services about Australian Indigenous cultures.
  • Product sales and mail order.

You can expect:

  • Courteous, responsive and friendly service.
  • Informed and culturally aware staff.
  • Standards of service informed by intellectual, ethical and cultural considerations.

In doing this we are committed to:

  • Communicating with you about what we do and why we do it.
  • Always identifying ourselves when talking with or writing to you.
  • Providing accurate and accessible information.
  • Adhering to the legal obligations and rights of access pertaining to the materials in our care.

We expect you to:

  • Respect our staff and our other clients.
  • Value our unique collections as we do.
  • Provide us with the information that we need to help you.

Client feedback

We welcome constructive feedback on our performance, so that we can know whether or not we are meeting your needs.

If you need help, or you would like to give feedback on some aspect of our service, contact us at one of the below phone numbers :

  • Aboriginal Studies Press: 02 6246 1183
  • Library: 02 6246 1182
  • Native Title Research Unit: 02 6246 1155
  • Research Programs: 02 6246 1145
  • Corporate Services: 02 6246 1112
  • Executive: 02 6246 1118

Evaluation of our performance

We will regularly monitor and seek to improve the quality of our client services according to the standards set out in this charter.

We will publicly report on this ongoing evaluation of our performance in our Annual Report.