To better serve the diverse and complex needs of the parliamentarian, parliamentary libraries are transferring the emphasis of their activities from collection building to the provision of increasingly more costly library services. Parliamentary libraries must accept that information prepared for members of parliament is more differentiated and individualized than in the past and that the librarian's role as custodian is evolving into that of a highly specialized consultant whose ability as a subject specialist and intermediary to information is a paramount asset. Parliamentary libraries must also maintain their status as a service to the parliament as an institution, at the same time serving the goals of the institution, while serving individual interests which at any given instance may be in conflict. These requirements call for flexibility and innovation in library management, posing a formidable task for the library administrator. At this time, a worthwhile initiative for IFLA's section for Parliamentary and Administrative Libraries would be a comparative study aimed at evolving a theory of parliamentary librarianship offering practical guidance for the management of these libraries. (RAA)