The Library was stocked with some 30,000 books majoring in history, topography, literature, biography and politics, as well as the official papers of the House.

Almost alone among contemporary parliamentary libraries, from about 1860 onwards, the staff were given free rein to determine the scope of the collection.

A Research Division was created, to provide briefings to Members, and to answer their individual detailed enquiries on a confidential and non-partisan basis.

[1] Menhennet also began electronic publication in the same year, when the Library contributed to the Prestel viewdata system.

The total holdings are about 350,000 print items, plus journals and official papers, together with extensive on-line and electronic sources.

Staff of the Library are not, and have never been, employed by the civil service; they serve, and provide completely impartial advice and analysis to, Members of Parliament.