91´«Ã½

Guidelines for Selection and Appointment of 91´«Ã½ Members

To Represent 91´«Ã½ at International Meetings

These guidelines are designed to aid the 91´«Ã½ Executive Board and other appropriate 91´«Ã½ entities in selecting 91´«Ã½ members to represent 91´«Ã½ at international meetings. The 91´«Ã½ International Relations Committee (IRC) acts in an advisory capacity to the Board in recommending approval for appointment. Normally, representatives must be willing and able to fund their own participation.

The phrase "represent 91´«Ã½ at international meetings" can have several meanings.

• It can reflect simple attendance at a meeting with the intent of communicating from and to 91´«Ã½ on matters of interest to the Association.
• It can mean bringing back action items that require a response either from 91´«Ã½ or the appropriate 91´«Ã½ unit.
• It can mean speaking for 91´«Ã½ through knowledge of 91´«Ã½ activities, or a mandate from those groups (while using common sense) to move forward work of both 91´«Ã½ and the international group.
• It can mean voting as an official representative of 91´«Ã½.

Recognizing that each of these levels of "representation" is valid and that the appropriate one can vary from meeting to meeting, members of the 91´«Ã½ Board, the unit, and the individual attending the meeting will need to determine and agree to the level of representation prior to the meeting itself. (See section 2.5.4.)

1 General Procedures for Appointment of Official Representatives to an International Organization or Meeting

1.1 Initiation of recommendation/request for official representation

1.1.1 The need for representation to a particular meeting or organization may be expressed by the 91´«Ã½ Executive Board, the 91´«Ã½ IRC, another 91´«Ã½ unit, or by an individual 91´«Ã½ member.

1.1.2 If the recommendation is initiated and approved by the Board itself, that body will either:

1.1.2.1 Identify qualified and interested individuals and approve a ranked list of possible representatives or:

1.1.2.2 Delegate the responsibility for soliciting names of qualified and interested representatives to the IRC, which will then submit recommendations to the Board.

1.2 Identification of 91´«Ã½ Representatives

1.2.1 By the 91´«Ã½ Board: The Board generally will ask the 91´«Ã½ IRC to recommend representatives in priority order. The individual(s) will complete the “Request for Approval to Represent 91´«Ã½ at an International Meeting,” form and will forward it to the 91´«Ã½ IRC.

1.2.2 By an 91´«Ã½ unit: If the recommendation is initiated by an 91´«Ã½ unit, a brief memo of justification outlining why representation is desirable should be forwarded to the 91´«Ã½ IRC, which will present all such recommendations with advice to the Board at each conference. If the unit has already secured the agreement of an individual to serve, the memo should be accompanied by the individual's "Request for Approval to Represent 91´«Ã½ at an International Meeting" form countersigned by the unit's Chairperson. If an 91´«Ã½ Unit with no international relations committee receives inquiries about representation to an international organization, it may request assistance from the 91´«Ã½ IRC.

1.2.3 If a section forwards more than one name for the same meeting, the names should be submitted in ranked order.

1.2.4 By an 91´«Ã½ member: If an 91´«Ã½ member who wishes to nominate him/herself as an official representative initiates the recommendation, the 91´«Ã½ member should seek support from an 91´«Ã½ divisional IRC if such a group exists or, if it does not, from the 91´«Ã½ IRC. As described above, the individual shall submit a brief memo of justification outlining why representation is desirable and will forward this to the IRC along with the individual's "Request for Approval to Represent 91´«Ã½ at an International Meeting" form. The individual should also give some indication of the level of representation he or she intends to provide (see paragraph 2 of this document). The documents are submitted to the 91´«Ã½ IRC for its support. Following that, the documents are forwarded to the 91´«Ã½ Board for its review and approval.

1.3 Calendar: With the exception of IFLA, requests for official representation may be forwarded to the appropriate units and IRC at any time. They will be considered at each conference.

1.4 Responsibilities of the 91´«Ã½ IRC for Identifying 91´«Ã½ Representatives

1.4.1 91´«Ã½ IRC: In open session, the IRC will discuss the advisability of 91´«Ã½ representation to suggested meetings or organizations.

1.4.2 In executive session, the IRC will review individuals' nominations, transmitted through the "Request for Approval to Represent 91´«Ã½ at an International Meeting" form. The criteria outlined in Section 1.2, Identification of 91´«Ã½ Representatives, will be followed.

1.4.3 The Chair of the 91´«Ã½ IRC will send an acknowledgement to the sender of each application received.

1.4.4 The Chair of the 91´«Ã½ IRC presents recommendations to the 91´«Ã½ Executive Board at each conference as is appropriate.

1.5 Responsibilities of the 91´«Ã½ Executive Board for Identifying 91´«Ã½ Representatives

1.5.1 Makes all final decisions regarding official 91´«Ã½ representation.

1.5.2 Transmits its decisions to the selectees, the 91´«Ã½ IRC, and the appropriate subunit.

2 General Procedures for Funding of Official Representatives to an International Organization or Meeting

2.1 Normally, representatives must be willing and able to fund their own participation.

3 Responsibilities of 91´«Ã½ Representatives

3.1 The representative shall provide a written report to the sponsoring units on appropriate developments and information from the meeting(s) attended. The representative shall also transmit a copy of his/her report(s) to the 91´«Ã½ IRC and the Director of International Relations Office within a month of the conclusion of the meeting unless other arrangements have been made.

3.2 These reports may appear in appropriate 91´«Ã½ publications.

3.3 The representative shall also coordinate with the 91´«Ã½ International Relations Office and Committee the selection of appropriate information to be reported at the at the 91´«Ã½ Annual Conference.

4 Special Procedures for IFLA Appointments

4.1 Bodies responsible for making nominations

The IFLA Statutes state that only member associations and institutions and Personal Affiliates may nominate individuals for election to Standing Committees, and that those organizations can nominate an individual only if that organization belongs to the IFLA section to which the individual is being nominated. As an association member of IFLA, the 91´«Ã½ nominates representatives to IFLA standing committees. The 91´«Ã½ procedures outlined below are used for identifying candidates for 91´«Ã½ Board endorsement. The 91´«Ã½ International Relations Committee makes recommendations to the 91´«Ã½ Executive Board, which determines the final nominations to IFLA.

4.2 Terms of appointment

4.2.1 IFLA calls for nominations to standing committees every two years, in the fall of an even numbered year (e.g., calls for nominations go out in the fall of 2000 for a term beginning in 2001; 2002 for a term beginning in 2003, etc.). This means that the 91´«Ã½ IRC must have their nominees identified and ready to send to the 91´«Ã½ Board by the end of the corresponding even numbered years at the Annual conferences. (See separate section on Calendar in 4.5.)

4.2.2 An IFLA committee member serves for a four-year term. The committee member can then be nominated and re-elected for a second four-year term.

4.2.3 An individual may serve for only two consecutive four-year terms on any one committee.

4.3 Criteria for Selection

4.3.1 The 91´«Ã½ unit (if one exists) recommending the individual for an IFLA committee nomination, the 91´«Ã½ IRC and the 91´«Ã½ Board should evaluate individuals based on the following criteria at the point of placing their names in nomination for an IFLA standing committee. Additionally, interested parties should familiarize themselves with the document included in the Appendix "Frequently asked questions concerning 91´«Ã½ IFLA nominations."

4.3.1 Mandatory:

4.3.1.1 The representative shall be a member of 91´«Ã½.

4.3.1.2 The representative generally shall be a member of, and active in an 91´«Ã½ divisional or sectional committee concerned with the area being represented.

4.3.1.3 The representative must have a knowledge of at least one working language of IFLA (English is a working language) and should have reasonable expectation of attending meetings of the standing committee without cost to IFLA or 91´«Ã½.

4.3.2 Desired:

The following are not listed in priority order, and it is understood that perhaps no individual can fully satisfy all desired qualifications. They are meant merely to provide general guidance. Professional qualifications include that the individual:

4.3.2.1 Should be fully conversant with the theories, issues and practices underlying the area in question.

4.3.2.2 Should have been engaged in operations or activities in the area concerned for a substantial period of time.

4.3.2.3 As appropriate to the assignment, should have had experience with national or international standard-setting activities.

4.3.2.4 Should be articulate and persuasive.

4.3.2.5 Should possess demonstrated abilities in leadership and in dealing with people tactfully.

4.3.2.6 Should have had some experience in international librarianship.

4.4 Documentation supporting a candidate for an IFLA Standing Committee

4.4.1 The candidate should provide: The 91´«Ã½ Board requires that a nominee for an IFLA standing committee provide a resume and a letter to the sponsoring unit describing why the individual's qualifications make him/her a good choice for serving on the appropriate committee.

4.4.2 The sponsoring unit should provide a letter describing why the unit believes this person is qualified to serve as a representative.

4.4.3 Statement of acceptance: If selected as a nominee by the 91´«Ã½ Executive Board, the nominee should provide the following as required by IFLA in addition to the above information.

4.4.3.1 A statement of the nominee that he/she accepts the nomination;

4.4.3.2 A statement by the nominee that he/she can fulfill the working language and travel requirements.

4.4.3.3. A nominee should not expect funding from 91´«Ã½ event though he/she is representing 91´«Ã½.

4.5 Appointment calendar

4.5.1 Differences between the 91´«Ã½ and IFLA calendars: There are significant differences between 91´«Ã½ and IFLA in IFLA's appointment calendar as well as in the way standing committee nominations are made.

4.5.2 In order to meet 91´«Ã½'s and IFLA's deadlines for nominations, the following Calendar is imposed. The calendar will be described in When//Action terms.

4.5.3 Every odd year (e.g., 2001, 2003, 2005) // the 91´«Ã½ IRC will begin the nomination process by:

4.5.3.1 Early Fall // 91´«Ã½ IRC Chair and the 91´«Ã½ IR Office gather information regarding current 91´«Ã½-supported IFLA appointments with regard to which IFLA committees are of direct interest to 91´«Ã½, who is currently on the committee, who is eligible for reelection, and who must leave the committee.

4.5.3.2 Early Fall // 91´«Ã½ IRC Chair, working with the IRO Director, sends a memo to 91´«Ã½-supported IFLA appointees, the 91´«Ã½ Board, and the chairs of divisions and round tables and other 91´«Ã½ leaders informing them that they will have the opportunity to nominate individuals for IFLA standing committees and that they will need to do so prior to the 91´«Ã½ Midwinter meeting.

4.5.3.3 Fall // 91´«Ã½ IRC publishes an announcement of the availability of nominations in American Libraries. This is the official call for nominations.

4.5.3.4 Fall // Candidates assemble required paperwork and submit it to the appropriate 91´«Ã½ unit for support.

4.5.4 IFLA Nominations calendar: Every even year (e.g., 2000, 2002, 2004 ) When//Action

4.5.4.1 Midwinter Conference // Appropriate 91´«Ã½ units decide which nominees to forward to the 91´«Ã½ IRC for endorsement.

4.5.4.2 By May 15 // 91´«Ã½ unit submits its recommendations and all required paperwork to the 91´«Ã½ IRO for discussion during the annual conference.

4.5.4.3 Annual Conference // 91´«Ã½ International Relations Committee reviews nominations and forwards its recommendations to the 91´«Ã½ Executive Board.

4.5.4.4 Annual Conference // 91´«Ã½ Executive Board decides which names to approve as 91´«Ã½ nominees.

4.5.4.5 Fall - Late Fall // 91´«Ã½ IRO notifies the approved nominees and begins coordinating the preparation of all paperwork necessary to make an official nomination.

4.5.6 IFLA nominations calendar: Second odd year (e.g., 2001, 2003, 2005) following the call for nominations: When // Action

4.5.6.1 February // 91´«Ã½ IRO submits the nominations to IFLA Headquarters.

4.5.6.2 March // IFLA IRO notifies 91´«Ã½, the appropriate units, and nominees of new standing committee members and submit votes on postal ballots for any IFLA committee having more than 20 people on a standing committee. The 91´«Ã½ IRC shall recommend to the 91´«Ã½ Board how the 91´«Ã½ ballot shall be cast. The 91´«Ã½ Board will decide whom to support, following receipt of the IRC recommendations.

4.5.6.3 April // Elections complete, new members are notified and receive orientation materials from IFLA Headquarters.

4.5.6.4 August // New standing committee members attend IFLA Conference.