diff -ru Python-2.7.11.0/Lib/ctypes/__init__.py python-2.7.11.4/Lib/ctypes/__init__.py
--- Python-2.7.11.0/Lib/ctypes/__init__.py	2015-12-05 19:46:56.000000000 +0000
+++ python-2.7.11.4/Lib/ctypes/__init__.py	2016-05-31 20:50:34.000000000 +0000
@@ -355,6 +355,15 @@
              flags |= _FUNCFLAG_USE_ERRNO
          if use_last_error:
              flags |= _FUNCFLAG_USE_LASTERROR
+         if _sys.platform.startswith("aix"):
+             # adding RTLD_NOW is already 'forced' in Modules/_ctypes/callproc.c
+             # left here (as a comment) to remind it is required by AIX
+             # from _ctypes import RTLD_NOW - not until Python3.6
+             # mode |= RTLD_NOW -- not documented, but added automatically by Modules/_ctypes/_ctypes.c
+             if name and name.endswith(")"):
+                 # from _ctypes import RTLD_MEMBER not until Python3.6
+                 RTLD_MEMBER = 0x00040000
+                 mode |= RTLD_MEMBER
  
          class _FuncPtr(_CFuncPtr):
              _flags_ = flags
diff -ru Python-2.7.11.0/Lib/ctypes/util.py python-2.7.11.4/Lib/ctypes/util.py
--- Python-2.7.11.0/Lib/ctypes/util.py	2015-12-05 19:46:56.000000000 +0000
+++ python-2.7.11.4/Lib/ctypes/util.py	2016-05-31 20:33:39.000000000 +0000
@@ -71,7 +71,16 @@
      def find_library(name):
          return name
  
- if os.name == "posix" and sys.platform == "darwin":
+ if sys.platform.startswith("aix"):
+     # find .so members in .a files
+     # using dump loader header information + sys.
+     import ctypes.aixutil as aix
+ 
+     def find_library(name):
+         # print ("aix.find: ", name)
+         return aix.find_library(name)
+ 
+ elif os.name == "posix" and sys.platform == "darwin":
      from ctypes.macholib.dyld import dyld_find as _dyld_find
      def find_library(name):
          possible = ['lib%s.dylib' % name,
@@ -256,6 +265,12 @@
          print find_library("m")
          print find_library("c")
          print find_library("bz2")
+         if sys.platform.startswith("aix"):
+             # examples of working with AIX and versions, when available
+             print("aix.find_library(\"libssl\")", find_library("libssl"))
+             print("aix.find_library(\"ssl\")", find_library("ssl"))
+             print("aix.find_library(\"libiconv\")", find_library("libiconv"))
+             print("aix.find_library(\"intl\")", find_library("intl"))
  
          # getattr
  ##        print cdll.m
@@ -268,9 +283,14 @@
              print cdll.LoadLibrary("libSystem.dylib")
              print cdll.LoadLibrary("System.framework/System")
          else:
-             print cdll.LoadLibrary("libm.so")
-             print cdll.LoadLibrary("libcrypt.so")
              print find_library("crypt")
+             if sys.platform.startswith("aix"):
+                 # This is the syntax AIX returns when looking for find_library("c"), etc.
+                 print(cdll.LoadLibrary("libc.a(shr.o)"))
+                 print cdll.LoadLibrary("libcrypt.a(shr.o)")
+             else:
+                 print(cdll.LoadLibrary("libm.so"))
+                 print cdll.LoadLibrary("libcrypt.so")
  
  if __name__ == "__main__":
      test()
diff -ru Python-2.7.11.0/Lib/ctypes/test/test_loading.py python-2.7.11.4/Lib/ctypes/test/test_loading.py
--- Python-2.7.11.0/Lib/ctypes/test/test_loading.py	2015-12-05 19:46:56.000000000 +0000
+++ python-2.7.11.4/Lib/ctypes/test/test_loading.py	2016-05-31 21:05:46.000000000 +0000
@@ -27,6 +27,13 @@
          CDLL(os.path.basename(libc_name))
          self.assertRaises(OSError, CDLL, self.unknowndll)
  
+     @unittest.skipUnless(sys.platform.startswith ("aix"),
+                          'test specific to AIX')
+     def test_load_AIX_libc(self):
+         cdll.LoadLibrary("libc.a(shr.o)")
+         self.assertRaises(OSError, cdll.LoadLibrary, "libc.so.6")
+         self.assertRaises(OSError, CDLL, self.unknowndll)
+ 
      @unittest.skipUnless(libc_name is not None, 'could not find libc')
      @unittest.skipUnless(libc_name is not None and
                           os.path.basename(libc_name) == "libc.so.6",
@@ -38,7 +45,7 @@
          self.assertRaises(OSError, cdll.LoadLibrary, self.unknowndll)
  
      def test_find(self):
-         for name in ("c", "m"):
+         for name in ("c", "m", "intl", "ssl"):
              lib = find_library(name)
              if lib:
                  cdll.LoadLibrary(lib)