Membership Criteria, Expectations, and Obligations

Membership Applications

Orbis Cascade Alliance Council, July 11, 2008

For further information, please contact

John F. Helmer
Executive Director
(541) 346-1835
jhelmer@uoregon.edu

This document reflects the discussions and decisions of the Orbis Cascade Alliance Council and its Executive Committee in retreat and in regular meetings of April 3, 2003, January 13, 2006, May 25-26, 2006, and July 14, 2006. As with all Orbis Cascade Alliance policies, this document is subject to interpretation and revision by Council.

Any accredited associate, baccalaureate, masters, or doctorate granting, public or private non-profit academic institution in the Pacific Northwest may be considered for Orbis Cascade Alliance membership. Potential members must demonstrate a commitment to Orbis Cascade Alliance goals and principles and must be able and willing to meet all service and financial obligations, both start-up and continuing. All member institutions must use the same interoperable library system in use by the Alliance (in 2006, Innovative Interfaces Inc. Millennium integrated library system). All member institutions must participate in the union catalog, Summit Borrowing Program, Courier Service, and reciprocal on-site lending. In accordance with the terms of a separate Memorandum of Understanding, all member institutions must participate in the initial construction and ongoing operations of the Regional Library Services Center. Members can generally opt in or out of other services that might be offered by the Alliance. Potential members must agree to participate faithfully in Orbis Cascade Alliance governance through representation at Council, Executive Committee, and other committee meetings.

The basic unit of membership is the institution. Each academic institution is an independent member of the Orbis Cascade Alliance and is expected to participate in Alliance services and to meet membership obligations, including adherence to best practices and performance standards for cooperative programs and services. Its library (or libraries) is (or are) the agencies through which Alliance programs are conducted and services delivered, and its library staff(s) are the agents for the cooperative delivery of these services and programs.

Divisions of an academic institution are not eligible for separate membership. When an institution is part of another consortium or shared system, only the qualified institution(s) may join the Orbis Cascade Alliance. Other non-qualified participants in the consortium or shared system are not eligible for membership. In all circumstances requiring interpretation or judgment, the Council will determine what constitutes an institution.

The applicant institution must provide evidence of its ability to advance the activities and priorities of the Orbis Cascade Alliance. Membership applications will include institutional data to be reviewed by the Executive Committee. Executive Committee will make a recommendation and forward applications to Council for action. Although published standards for university, college, and community college libraries (e.g., ACRL standards) may be used as a guide for deliberations, Executive Committee and Council will interpret, revise, and vary from such guidelines at their discretion

In considering an institution's application for membership in the Orbis Cascade Alliance, the Executive Committee and the Council will take into consideration a number of institutional characteristics, including the following:

Institutional Profile

• Statement of applicant institution’s mission and its compatibility, or fit, with the mission of the Alliance
• Profile of library’s (or libraries’) clientèle, including number, characteristics, and location(s) of students, faculty, staff, and others as pertinent
• Ratio of FTE to headcount of eligible borrowers
• Nature and extent of the applicant institution’s cooperative affiliations and relationships

Library Collection

• Size and character of circulating collection
• Adequacy of the collection to support basic institutional needs
• Evidence of institutional commitment to maintaining a core collection at an appropriate level, including an acquisitions budget appropriate for the scope of the institution’s instructional and research enterprise
• Size and characteristics of non-circulating collections of specialized materials

Budget

• Evidence of resources available or planned to meet the financial obligations of initial membership
• Evidence of continuing commitment to support the financial obligations of membership

Library Staff

• Evidence of staffing levels to meet consortial obligations and expected performance levels as described elsewhere in this document or in companion documents
• Adequate staff resources available to support participation in consortial governance and committee work, including travel to and hosting of meetings

Materials Delivery

• Designation as a courier dropsite
• Commitment to consortial best practices and to meeting Alliance expectations for the Summit Borrowing Program
• Evidence of adequate facilities to process materials exchanged through the Summit Borrowing Program

Technical Preparedness

• Evidence of staff expertise to meet various technical requirements and obligations
• Willingness and ability to support the technical requirements of borrowing procedures and the processes related to the union catalog and other Alliance activities

Governance

• Willingness and ability to participate actively in consortial governance and committee work
• Resources available to support participation in consortial governance and committee work, including travel to and hosting of meetings