AskAway Advisory Committee Members: Best Practices

The AskAway Advisory Committee is a representative body focusing on policy, planning, and operations. Committee members:

• Advise BC ELN on policy issues
• Represent the interests and concerns of their regions and institution types
• Bring forward issues and suggest initiatives
• Carry out research, or other work, in support of the service and bring back recommendations
• Communicate regularly with their colleagues on the aims and progress of the AskAway service
• Act as 'goodwill ambassadors' for AskAway

Further details on the role and procedures of the Advisory Committee can be found in the committee’s Terms of Reference.

Advisory capacity

The Advisory Committee guides the AskAway service for the benefit of all participating libraries. Committee members are therefore expected to approach issues relating to AskAway from a system perspective, with a focus on the needs of the service as a whole above their own institutions’ concerns. 

Advisory Committee members attend meetings held in person and by teleconference three to four times annually. If a member is unable to attend a meeting, they should send an alternate from their constituency group in their place.

Representing constituents

Except for the permanent institutions and members-at-large, each Advisory Committee member represents a group of institutions and is expected to represent their constituency’s interests to the Committee. Representatives meet periodically with the directors of constituent libraries, to share pertinent information about AskAway and to gather feedback for the larger Committee.

At least one constituency meeting is held annually by each representative, typically in August or September, before the start of the AskAway Fall term. Additional meetings may be held at the member’s discretion or according to the needs of their groups.

At the member’s request, the Admin Centre will assist with scheduling meetings and providing a teleconference line. The Admin Centre can also assist with agenda suggestions if desired.

Large Universities

While the members from the largest universities do not represent a constituency of other institutions, they do represent large institutions with many departments and service providers, which may have their own unique perspectives on AskAway. Members from these institutions are encouraged to meet regularly with their local coordinators and other internal stakeholders, in order to ensure that information is shared with all relevant parties and to keep abreast of the particular needs of their institution’s AskAway staff.

Members-At-Large

As representatives for service providers and local coordinators, Members-at-large are encouraged to attend Local Coordinators’ Meetings, which are typically held once per term, to share pertinent information about AskAway and to gather feedback for the Advisory Committee.