Purpose
The SCELC Collections and Electronic Resources Committee (CERC) exists to help SCELC identify, explore, collect data on, evaluate and report on Electronic Information resources and other products of interest. The CERC also serves to promote the participation of SCELC member librarians in SCELC activities, discussions, and decisions. Formally, the CERC is an advisory committee to the SCELC Board of Directors.
Membership
The CERC is composed of no fewer than nine (9) and no more than twenty-two (22) members who are appointed by the SCELC Board based upon recommendations from the Executive Director, CERC, or from SCELC advisory members (Library Directors). Recommenders and the Executive Director will seek to broadly represent SCELC libraries by striving to recruit and appoint at least two (2) members from each purchasing quintile of SCELC member libraries. Appointments are for three-year (3) terms and members may serve up to two (2) consecutive terms.
Members have the following responsibilities:
- Attend CERC meetings,
- Actively participate in SCELC-CERC online discussions of vendor day, specific products, and other relevant topics,
- Monitor and participate in the SCELC-Forum discussion list,
- Share useful experience, conference reports, and product information with other CERC and Forum participants,
- Volunteer to write, coordinate, or participate in a minimum of one (1) product review during each three (3)-year term.
Structure
Each summer, the CERC will elect an officer who, subsequent to that meeting, serves as Vice Chair for one year and as Chair the following year. In consultation with committee members, the SCELC Executive Director will fill unanticipated vacancies by appointment.
The Chair has the following responsibilities:
- Organize and conduct CERC meetings
- Coordinate with SCELC staff to schedule vendor presentations at meetings
- Provide Executive Director one annual and two intermediate reports
- Follow-up on direct requests from the SCELC Executive Director
- Solicit volunteers and/or appoint subcommittees for other tasks of the CERC
- Help organize and facilitate Vendor Day product-selection discussions
- When appropriate and helpful, offer summaries of CERC discussions.
- Consider CERC goals and processes and facilitate working toward improvements.
The Vice Chair has the following responsibilities:
- Track terms of members and officers and report on the need for new appointments and elections
- Coordinate scheduling of reviews for CERC meetings
- Coordinate elections of Vice Chair
- Take meeting minutes and distribute them to the CERC within one (1) month of the meeting’s end.
The CERC may elect any other officers that it finds necessary or helpful.
Subcommittees and task forces will be formed as needed or helpful.
Meetings and Communication
The CERC meets in person in a full day meeting three (3) times per year. Subcommittees or task forces may also choose to meet. Equitable distribution of travel requirements is taken into account when selecting meeting places. Between meetings, committee business will take place via the SCELC-CERC email discussion list, the SCELC website, and other means of remote communication. Librarians who serve on the CERC may be eligible for Travel Reimbursement for attending the meetings.
Product Reviews
A CERC member may write an individual product review or may coordinate and/or participate with other CERC members in the review of several similar or competing products. Completed reviews will be posted on the SCELC website for use by SCELC librarians. Reviews may also be presented at a CERC meeting at the discretion of the Chair.
Updated Jan 2021