Guidelines for committees and working groups

In accordance with Article VII(8) of the Constitution of IAML(UK & Irl), Committees and Working Groups are established to further the work of the Branch within their fields of interest and should involve the general membership of the Branch as much as possible. They have a finite scope and limited membership.
Membership of a Committee or Working Group is decided by the Executive Committee, normally at its first meeting following an Annual General Meeting. The President, General Secretary and Treasurer of the Branch are members of the Finance and Administration Committee and are ex-officio members of all other Committees and Working Groups. Where Committees and Working Groups wish to co–opt additional members, who may or may not be members of the Branch, Chairs must first seek the approval of the Executive Committee. Committee structures are as defined in the appendix to this document.
Committees and Working Groups are not to commit the Branch to action or expenditure not approved by the Executive Committee.
Committees and Working Groups may meet not more than four times within a calendar year unless otherwise authorised by the Executive Committee.
Minutes or reports of each meeting of Committees and Working Groups must be supplied to the General Secretary of the Branch who will circulate them to members of the Executive Committee.
Costs of travel to and from Committee and Working Group meetings, and copying and postage costs incurred as a result of those meetings, must be kept to a minimum, and queries regarding costs should be raised with the Treasurer of the Branch. Costs of other activities must be approved in advance by the Executive Committee. Subsistence expenses are not normally reimbursed. Members are not paid for work undertaken on behalf of the Branch. Payment for time and labour will ordinarily be made only to non–members of the Branch who have been engaged for a specific purpose approved by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may, in exceptional circumstances, authorise payment to a member of the Branch for work undertaken. Any payments to individuals under the terms of this paragraph must be subject to a formal written agreement between the individual and the Executive Committee. This agreement must include estimates of all income and expenditure.
Reimbursement of authorised expenditure incurred in the course of Branch business will be made on presentation of appropriate documentation.
All activities involving the Branch in financial commitments to outside bodies must be undertaken on the basis of a written agreement approved in advance by the Executive Committee.
Chairs of Committees should observe the following instructions:
1. Immediately following the Spring Executive, at which Committees have been decided, the Chairs of each Committee shall write to appointed members informing them of their membership; inform any previous members of the Committee not reselected for that year; and send a list of members to the President and General Secretary.
2. Chairs of Committee shall ensure that a list of names and addresses of all members of their Committee is prepared for circulation at the Committee's first meeting following an Annual General Meeting of the Branch.
3. At its first meeting following an Annual General Meeting of the Branch, a Committee shall set dates for its meetings up to the next Annual General Meeting, and, as appropriate, draw up a strategy for that period.
4. Committees shall meet sufficiently in advance of an Executive Committee meeting to enable minutes to be sent to the General Secretary of the Branch at least 14 days prior to the following Executive Committee meeting. Authority for exceptions to this instruction should be sought in advance from the President of the Branch.
5. Chairs of Committees are responsible for ensuring that an Annual Report of their Committee's work is delivered to the President of the Branch by December 31st of each year.
Working Group Convenors should follow the above instructions to Chairs of Committees. The term 'minutes' should be taken to include reports of work undertaken.
Secretaries of Committees should observe the following instructions:
1. In consultation with the Chair of the Committee, the Secretary shall produce an agenda. This will include the date, place and time of the next meeting of the Committee. The agenda shall be circulated to the Chair and members of the Committee, including ex–officio members (President, General Secretary and Treasurer), at least 7 days prior to the meeting.
2. Draft minutes of a meeting shall be supplied to the Chair of the Committee within 14 days of the meeting, where possible. Minutes agreed with the Chair shall, where possible, be circulated to the other members of the Committee, including any who were unable to attend the meeting, within a further 14 days.
3. A copy of the agreed minutes shall be supplied to the General Secretary of the Branch at least 14 days prior to the date of the next meeting of the Executive Committee. Where this is not possible, the Chair shall consult with the General Secretary of the Branch.
4. It is the responsibility of Committee Secretaries to ensure that travelling expenses of Committee members are recorded at each meeting of the Committee, using an expenses form authorised by and obtained from the Treasurer of the Branch. Completed expenses forms shall be forwarded to the Treasurer of the Branch as soon as possible after the meetings to which they relate.
5. Expenses relating to copying and postage incurred by the Secretary of a Committee in the preparation and postage of papers for a meeting shall also be claimed from the Treasurer of the Branch. Any other expenses must have been authorised in advance by the Executive Committee [cf. 6], and should be claimed with the approval of the Chair of the Committee. Claims for expenses incurred by other members of the Committee shall be presented at a meeting of the Committee, or sent to the Chair of the Committee who will forward the approved claim for reimbursement to the Treasurer of the Branch.
Working Groups: since it is not necessary for a Working Group to appoint a Secretary, it is the responsibility of the Working Group Convenor to fulfil the requirements outlined above [cf. 11.].
Although the Branch undertakes to reimburse agreed expenses, use of any alternative source of funding for meeting expenses is to be very much encouraged and will be greatly appreciated.
In paragraphs 2, 3, 4 and 6, the approval of the Executive Committee may be exercised by the President of the Branch on behalf of the Executive Committee.

Recommended timetable for Committee and Executive Committee meetings:

7 days minimum before Committee meeting: Agenda to be circulated [cf. 11.1.].
Committee meeting takes place.
14 days after Committee meeting: Secretary to supply draft minutes to Chair of Committee [cf. 11.2.].
28 days after Committee meeting/14 days minimum before Executive Committee meeting: Secretary to circulate agreed minutes to Committee members [cf. 11.2.] and the General Secretary of the Branch [cf. 11.3.].
Executive Committee meeting takes place.

Committees should where possible meet not less than 42 days (6 weeks) prior to the Executive Committee meeting following, unless agreed minutes can be circulated in fewer than 28 days.

Last revised 4/04

Appendix — Committee structures

Conference

Executive Committee member (Chair)
Non-Executive member (Secretary)
4 members
Local representative

Courses and Education

Education Officer (Chair)
Non–Executive member (Secretary)
6 members

Documentation

Executive Committee member (Chair)
Non–Executive member (Secretary)
4 members

Finance and Administration

President of the Branch
Minutes Secretary
General Secretary
Treasurer
2 elected members of the Executive Committee
Ireland Representative
President-Elect (co–opted every third year).

Library

Librarian
2 members

Trade and Copyright

Executive Committee member (Chair)
Non–Executive member (Secretary)
4 members

E.T. Bryant Prize

1 Courses & Education representative
1 Music Libraries Trust representative
1 other member

Chair/Convenor rotates on an annual basis with one member leaving the committee each year.

C.B. Oldman Prize

1 Academic librarian
1 Public librarian
1 other member

Chair/Convenor rotates on an annual basis with one member leaving the committee each year.