diff -ru Python-2.7.11/Lib/ctypes/__init__.py python-2.7.11.5/Lib/ctypes/__init__.py
--- Python-2.7.11/Lib/ctypes/__init__.py	2015-12-05 19:46:56 +0000
+++ python-2.7.11.5/Lib/ctypes/__init__.py	2016-06-05 23:12:48 +0000
@@ -355,6 +355,18 @@
             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
+            # When a string contains ".a(" and ends with ")", asin "libFOO.a(libFOO.so)"
+            # this is taken to be an archive(member) syntax for AIX, and the mode is adjusted
+
+            if name and name.endswith(")") and name.rfind(".a(") > 0:
+                # from _ctypes import RTLD_MEMBER is not expected to be valid before Python3.6
+                RTLD_MEMBER = 0x00040000
+                mode |= RTLD_MEMBER
 
         class _FuncPtr(_CFuncPtr):
             _flags_ = flags
Only in python-2.7.11.5/Lib/ctypes: __init__.pyc
Only in python-2.7.11.5/Lib/ctypes: _aixutil.py
Only in python-2.7.11.5/Lib/ctypes: _aixutil.pyc
Only in python-2.7.11.5/Lib/ctypes: _endian.pyc
diff -ru Python-2.7.11/Lib/ctypes/test/test_loading.py python-2.7.11.5/Lib/ctypes/test/test_loading.py
--- Python-2.7.11/Lib/ctypes/test/test_loading.py	2015-12-05 19:46:56 +0000
+++ python-2.7.11.5/Lib/ctypes/test/test_loading.py	2016-06-08 20:24:12 +0000
@@ -27,6 +27,16 @@
         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):
+        if (sys.maxsize < 2**32):
+            cdll.LoadLibrary("libc.a(shr.o)")
+        else:
+            cdll.LoadLibrary("libc.a(shr_64.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 +48,7 @@
         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)
diff -ru Python-2.7.11/Lib/ctypes/util.py python-2.7.11.5/Lib/ctypes/util.py
--- Python-2.7.11/Lib/ctypes/util.py	2015-12-05 19:46:56 +0000
+++ python-2.7.11.5/Lib/ctypes/util.py	2016-06-11 14:11:09 +0000
@@ -71,7 +71,15 @@
     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):
+        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 +264,21 @@
         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 "find_library(\"c\")        returns:", find_library("c")
+            print "find_library(\"libc\")     returns:", find_library("libc")
+            print "find_library(\"libssl\")   returns:", find_library("libssl")
+            # expectation is None:archive libssl64.a with member libssl64.so is non-standard
+            print "find_library(\"libssl64\") returns:", find_library("libssl64")
+            print "find_library(\"ssl\")      returns:", find_library("ssl")
+            print "find_library(\"libiconv\") returns:", find_library("libiconv")
+            print "find_library(\"intl\")     returns:", find_library("intl")
+            print "sudoers.so: ",(find_library("sudoers.so"))
+            print "sudoers.so: ",(cdll.LoadLibrary("sudoers.so"))
+            print "sudoers.so: ",(find_library("/opt/libexec/sudo/sudoers.so"))
+            print "sudo_util: ",(find_library("/opt/libexec/sudo/sudo_util"))
+            print "sudo_util: ",(find_library("sudo_util"))
 
         # getattr
 ##        print cdll.m
@@ -268,9 +291,16 @@
             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"):
+                # AIX returns different values for 32 and 64-bit looking for find_library("c"), etc.
+                print(cdll.LoadLibrary(find_library("c")))
+                print(cdll.LoadLibrary(find_library("/usr/lib/libc")))
+                print(cdll.LoadLibrary(find_library("/opt/libexec/sudo/sudoers.so")))
+                print cdll.LoadLibrary(find_library("crypt"))
+            else:
+                print(cdll.LoadLibrary("libm.so"))
+                print cdll.LoadLibrary("libcrypt.so")
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     test()