OCLC Canada Advisory Council Members

Meetings of the OCLC Canada Advisory Council

OCLC Canada Advisory Council Presentations

OCLC Canada Advisory Council Charter

This charter was enacted on 7 May 2007 and last reviewed / modified on 15 March 2021.

Purpose

The purpose of the OCLC Canada Advisory Council (OCAC) is to provide advice and information to OCLC Canada on regional, national and international library issues. It is also to assure that OCLC Canada functions in a collaborative manner with Canadian organizations both in identifying opportunities and creating services.

This advice and information will be used to better meet the needs of member libraries located within Canada and OCAC will forward the results of these initiatives on a regular basis to OCLC senior management. OCAC will help OCLC Canada determine future directions including potential cooperation with other related organizations and initiatives. The Advisory Council shall specifically be involved in:

• Advising OCLC Canada on planning and policy matters
• Soliciting information from a wide variety of sources and sharing ideas, comments, suggestions and concerns with OCLC Canada
• Being the key link between the Canadian membership, the OCLC Global Council and the OCLC Americas Regional Council
• Advising OCLC Canada on services and products offered
• Reviewing the results of member library satisfaction surveys at regular intervals
• Advising OCLC Canada on how it can collaborate effectively with other library initiatives in Canada and globally
• Providing support to OCLC Canada for its annual comprehensive regional planning efforts (solicit CARL, CULC and other key library association boards in the country)

Advisory Council Members

The OCLC Global Council delegates actively practicing in the Canadian library market will be members of the OCAC. These delegates will automatically be assigned as voting members to OCAC during their respective terms. There will be three ex officio voting members to OCAC, one each representing the Library and Archives of Canada (LAC), the National Research Council Canada's Knowledge Management Branch (Canada's National Science Library), and Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ).

Additional new OCAC members are appointed by the existing members with the help of the director of OCLC Canada. Both will assure a diverse representation with the goal of balancing the Council geographically, linguistically as well as by library type. The desired number of delegates is nine (9) voting members but from time to time and based on the number of nominees coming from the OCLC Global Council delegates who will not already be on OCAC, and the terms of services of existing OCAC delegates, this number may be exceeded as required.

OCAC members will select the Chair of the Advisory Council.

The Director of OCLC Canada and up to two senior employees of OCLC are ex-officio members of OCAC.

Duties of the OCAC Members

1. OCAC members, except for authority and duties assigned by OCAC itself, shall be equal in powers and responsibilities.
2. OCAC members shall honestly endeavor to conduct the business of OCAC by consensus and will work diligently to carry out the purpose of OCAC.
3. OCAC members who are unable to continue on OCAC performing these duties conscientiously shall resign in writing (by a letter signed and sent to the Chair and director of OCLC Canada).
4. Communicate with local and national constituencies in Canada about the activities of OCAC and the OCLC Cooperative.
5. Promote the OCLC shared values statement.

Term of Service

A member to the OCAC will be designated for a three-year term which may be renewed.

The term of the OCAC Chair will be established by OCAC upon selection but should ideally be for three years.

At a minimum, one new member should be replacing an existing member of OCAC for a three-year term every year.

Meetings

The OCAC will normally meet in person annually (fall).  The location will be selected by the OCAC members to represent the profile of the members.  The objective in changing location yearly is to allow OCAC and OCLC Canada staff to meet with OCLC Canada members and users of the cooperative throughout Canada.

The OCAC will meet twice per year, or more at the discretion of the chair, by conference call.  These conference calls could precede the OCLC Global Council and/or the OCLC Americas Regional Council meetings.

Minutes and outcomes of meetings will be prepared by the director of OCLC Canada and revised by the Chair.  Minutes will be made publicly available.

Simultaneous interpretation into English and French will be made available when its provision is necessary. All OCAC documents will be available in both official languages.

OCLC Canada will provide secretariat functions (preparation of agenda, minutes, reports, etc.) for OCAC.  Additional correspondence can be maintained through electronic mail and phone meetings as needed.

Annual Review

OCAC is responsible for reviewing its Charter annually to ensure continued relevance.

Travel and Conference Call Arrangements

OCLC Canada will reimburse transportation, food, and hotel expenses associated with the OCAC meetings, including ground transportation in and from the committee member's hometown. Travel and conference call arrangements will be communicated to OCAC by OCLC Canada.