National Licensing Proposal: Governance Framework
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the Governance Framework
- Who’ll be eligible for membership of the national consortium?
- If someone becomes a member after say July, for example, does that mean that they have to pay for the full year or only for the 5 months of that year?
- Who will represent my library?
- Why only two representative members per sector on the Executive Committee?
- Isn’t the definition of libraries in the Australian library sector a bit narrow in the Governance Framework?
- Why is the Executive Officer of the Consortium to be an employee of the National Library?
- If the Executive Committee is to be elected every 2 years, what happens if a member of the Committee’s library withdraws from the NLP after one year, or the person changes jobs or employer?
- How frequently will there be meetings?
QUESTION: Who’ll be eligible for membership of the national consortium?
ANSWER: All Australian libraries who belong to some type of larger entity or organisation (eg professional organisations or representative groups) will be eligible to join the national consortium under the proposed Governance Framework.
If a library is not part of a larger entity it will have to seek participation in such bodies or come together with other interested libraries and create one. It is certainly not necessary for such entities to be legally incorporated bodies, but they must be able to speak and vote on behalf of its participating libraries.
It would be administratively impossible for the national consortium to deal directly with dozens or more individual libraries: practical considerations dictate this course of action. To some extent if libraries wish to participate in and benefit from the national consortium they must help themselves and organise accordingly.
QUESTION: If someone becomes a member after say July, for example, does that mean that they have to pay for the full year or only for the 5 months of that year?
ANSWER: Membership fees will be costed on an annual (ie 12 monthly) basis. If a library applies to join the Consortium at any time beyond the usual renewal, the Membership Forum can determine the financial payment required from that library for the balance of the year in question (eg pro-rated contributions).
QUESTION: Who will represent my library?
ANSWER: Libraries are free to associate with which ever representative body or group they choose. Naturally some libraries cross sectors (eg government, special, public and school libraries) so it is in each library's interest to determine who can best represent them and their interests in the national consortium within the Membership Forum and Executive Committee.
QUESTION: Why only two representative members per sector on the Executive Committee?
ANSWER: The restriction on Executive Committee membership to two members per sector is one of broad definition and common sense. It is designed to prevent domination by any single type of library, eg schools, public, special or academic. In reality, membership of the Executive will be determined by who is willing and available at the time of elections.
The restriction on sectorial membership will have to be generously interpreted to ensure that the Executive Committee is not composed entirely of public librarians or representative of any other single type of library. In due course this section of the Governance Framework may have to be amended, like much else of the Framework, in the light of experience.
QUESTION: Isn’t the definition of libraries in the Australian library sector a bit narrow in the Governance Framework?
ANSWER: In defining the Australian library sector, it is intended to use the commonly accepted definitions of libraries within the profession, that is: academic, private specials, government specials, public, TAFE and school. If, however, a collaborative entity such as a group of law libraries wish to apply for membership of the National Consortium in their own right as say, legal libraries, then such applications would of course be considered.
QUESTION: Why is the Executive Officer of the Consortium to be an employee of the National Library?
ANSWER: The Director-General of the National Library of Australia has made a commitment to initially funding the position of the Executive Officer for the National Licence and later review the arrangements. As a position funded by an NLA budget allocation, it is only proper that the occupant will be a National Library employee. Without this commitment from the NLA it would be impossible to launch the national consortium.
After two years of operation it will be feasible to reconsider the funding and legal status of the Executive Officer in light of prevailing circumstances. For the present, without NLA funding, there can be no paid Executive Officer position.
QUESTION: If the Executive Committee is to be elected every 2 years, what happens if a member of the Committee’s library withdraws from the NLP after one year, or the person changes jobs or employer?
ANSWER: Membership of the Executive Committee’s is intended to be for representatives from the various groups within the library sector so that the voices of all Australian libraries can be heard. Personal and professional responsibilities would need to be considered by all candidates nominated for the Executive Committee, and their employers.
QUESTION: How frequently will there be meetings?
ANSWER: For reasons of funding and the availability of representative, the frequency of meetings is largely left to the discretion of the Membership Forum. The Executive is mandated to meet at least quarterly.
