Pauling Fanning grew up and was educated in Tasmania. In 1936 she was granted a cadetship with the Parliamentary Library and moved to Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. She joined the National Library in 1937. After marriage and family she returned to full-time work in 1950 at the Library where she was important in the development of the National Library's collection especially the Australian collections. She was Principal Librarian, Australian Reference, 1966-1975 and then Director, Australian National Humanities Library, from 1975 before her retirement in January 1980. Pauline Fanning published books and articles about the Library and its Australian collections.
