The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) is pleased to call for member nominations for subcommittees and working groups, under the Information Resources Standing Committee and the Collaborative Futures Steering Committee.

Information resources (IR) and Collaborative Futures (CF) are key initiatives of OCUL and reflect a commitment to advancing research, teaching, and learning through the shared development and delivery of transformative services, resources, and digital research infrastructure for the province's universities. 

The anticipated start for all subcommittee and working group roles is summer 2024.

Subcommittees

OCUL-IR Collections Subcommittee – 2 member opportunities
The Collections Subcommittee provides direction and feedback to OCUL office staff on various operational level processes in the e-resources lifecycle. This can include providing feedback on new offers or negotiation strategies, invoicing and payment processes, or assistance with various communications to members or vendors. Read more about the Collections Subcommittee.

OCUL-IR Collections Assessment & Evaluation Subcommittee – 1 member opportunity
The Collections Assessment & Evaluation Subcommittee provides operational support and guidance in the evaluation of e-resource renewals and potential deals. The subcommittee also provides expertise and collections assessment guidance and support to OCUL member libraries. Read more about the Collections Assessment & Evaluation Subcommittee.

OCUL-IR Health Resources Subcommittee – Open membership, new members welcome
The Health Resources Subcommittee assists OCUL Information Resources staff and the OCUL-IR Chair with further developing health resources for OCUL member libraries. Read more about the Health Resources Subcommittee.

CF Accessibility (CFA) (NEW) – 2 member opportunities
CFA is transitioning from a working group to a new subcommittee and will champion proactively identifying and removing barriers that disadvantage individuals with disabilities when using products in the Collaborative Futures initiative, including Primo VE and Alma. Read more about CFA.

CF Communications (CFCOMM) – 3 member opportunities
CFCOMM establishes and supports ongoing communications planning and approaches for the Collaborative Futures initiative and Omni academic search tool. Read more about CFCOMM.

CF Discovery and User Experience (CFDUX) – 1-2 member opportunities
CFDUX creates policies and procedures related to public interfaces, particularly the Omni academic search tool, for all participating schools to follow. Read more about CFDUX.

CF Metadata Management and Standards (CFMMS) – 1-2 member opportunities
CFMMS drafts metadata (cataloguing) policies for the Collaborative Futures shared library services platform. Read more about CFMMS.

CF Shared Resources (CFSR) – 1 member opportunity
CFSR drafts shared resources policies for the Collaborative Futures shared library services platform. Policies are designed to coordinate the work of all parties related to the acquisition, licensing, access, management, and work in the areas of Access Services/Fulfillment and Acquisitions as they relate to the management of shared resources. Read more about CFSR.

CF Systems and Analytics (CFSA) – 1 member opportunity
CFSA drafts systems and administration policies for the Collaborative Futures shared library services platform and coordinates resources for administering the shared platform and systems it interoperates with, including gathering of analytics. Read more about CFSA.

Working Group

CF Onboarding and Training Working Group (CFOTWG) (NEW) – 4-7 member opportunities
A short-term working group, CFOTWG will develop an Onboarding and Training Plan and Toolkit for the Omni partnership to support those working with Alma and PrimoVE (Omni). Read more about CFOTWG (SPOTDocs login required).

Submitting a nomination

Individuals may self-nominate or be nominated by someone else from their OCUL member library. Nominations are submitted through an online form.

The deadline for nominations is May 31, 2024 at 5 p.m. EDT.

Nominees should bring relevant expertise and knowledge to the subcommittee or working group, as well as a commitment to:

• Collaboration – Models an open, collaborative approach to teamwork and discussions, and values different ways of knowing.
• Communication – Expresses ideas and information in a collegial, constructive manner.
• Innovation – Demonstrates creativity and sees links and impacts between related processes to realize a holistic outcome.

For more information

If you have any questions about the nomination process or about OCUL engagement opportunities, please email ocul [at] ocul.on.ca.