Committee and Group Structure
The Emory Libraries use committees to:
- Make recommendations on services, planning, or policy
- Facilitate collaboration across libraries
This page provides information about and links to committees whose membership spans the libraries and their divisions. Committees that are specific to a division or individual library may be included in the Libraries and Division section of the intranet.
There are four distinct types of committees and/or groups in Emory Libraries:
A committee is defined as a group that:
- Provides oversight or approval for a service, long-term project, or process
- Recommends and reviews policy when necessary Impacts all libraries and departments
- Has membership that is appointed by Libraries Cabinet or Senior Management Team for a termed appointment
A committee should perform the following actions as part of its working structure:
- Maintain bylaws, guidelines, or a charter, including how sub-committees report into the larger committee
- Document action, including approvals and policies
- Maintain a virtual presence on the intranet
- Meet and communicate regularly amongst the membership
- Report to Libraries Cabinet or Senior Management Team at least once per fiscal year
- Report to All-Staff Meetings when applicable
All committees must have a sponsor who is a member of Libraries Cabinet or Senior Management Team.
A task force is defined as a group that:
- Comprises experts in a specified area, problem, task, or project
- Has a clear and focused charter with a defined timeline for the task force
- Identifies specific outcomes for the group
- Has membership that is appointed by Libraries Cabinet or Senior Management Team.
A task force should perform the following actions as part of their working structure:
- Communicate progress and outcomes throughout the life of the task force
- Report to Cabinet at least once per fiscal year or more depending on the timeline identified in the charter
- Report to All-Staff Meetings when applicable
All task forces must have a sponsor who is a member of Libraries Cabinet or Senior Management Team.
A community of practice is defined as a group that:
- Comprises experts in a specified area or individuals seeking to share or learn about a particular service or topic
- Meets less regularly than committees and task forces
- May share information in informal ways
All communities of practice must have a sponsor who is a member of Libraries Cabinet or Senior Management Team.
- Provide input to the libraries or its divisions
- Advise the libraries on decisions, policies, etc.
- Sponsored by a member of the Cabinet
Committee and Group Sponsors
All committees and groups are assigned a sponsor upon creation; sponsors are pulled from the membership of Libraries Cabinet or Senior Management Team. The sponsor:
- Meets regularly with chairs of the committees or groups
- Is part of the requisite documentation storage (OneDrive folder, committee page, etc.)
- Works with the committee to determine when to share beyond the group (informational, recommendations, etc.).
- Works with committee when funding requests are needed.