The Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL) is calling for member nominations for a variety of committee and subcommittee roles. Serving on an OCUL governance group provides opportunities for collective decision-making, to guide OCUL’s initiatives and services, and to address issues important to academic communities and the consortium's member libraries.
Most OCUL governance groups follow a June-May cycle, with orientation typically taking place between April and May ahead of a June 1 start for new group members.
Available Opportunities
OCUL Truth and Reconciliation Committee – 1-2 member roles
The Truth and Reconciliation Committee serves to identify potential strategies and initiatives that will support collective and individual OCUL member responses to the Truth & Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action and Universities Canada’s 13 Principles on Indigenous Education.
Collections Subcommittee – 1 member role
The Collections Subcommittee reports to the OCUL Information Resources Committee and 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.
Collaborative Futures Accessibility Subcommittee (CFA) – 2-3 member roles
CFA champions proactively identifying and removing barriers that disadvantage individuals with disabilities when using products in the Collaborative Futures initiative, including Primo VE and Alma.
Collaborative Futures Communications Subcommittee (CFCOMM) – 2 member roles
CFCOMM establishes and supports ongoing communications planning and approaches for the Collaborative Futures initiative, including Mini Conference planning and the Omni academic search tool.
Collaborative Futures Discovery and User Experience Subcommittee (CFDUX) – 3 member roles
CFDUX creates policies and procedures related to public interfaces, particularly the Omni academic search tool.
Collaborative Futures Metadata Management and Standards Subcommittee (CFMMS) – 1-2 member roles
CFMMS develops policies and procedures concerning all metadata related to resource management, especially in the shared Network Zone.
Collaborative Futures Shared Resources Subcommittee (CFSR) – 2-3 member roles
CFSR generates shared resources policies and procedures related to the acquisition, licensing, access, management, and sharing of resources in the Collaborative Futures shared library services platform.
Collaborative Futures Strategic Projects Subcommittee (CFSP) – 2 member roles
CFSP identifies, investigates and initiates projects in support of the Collaborative Futures vision, priority collaboration outcomes, and the OCUL strategic plan.
Collaborative Futures Systems and Analytics Subcommittee (CFSA) – 2 member roles
CFSA creates policies and procedures concerning the administration of the shared library services platform and associated inter-operational systems.
Submitting a Nomination
Governance group engagement opportunities are open to OCUL member libraries. Individuals may self-nominate or be nominated by a colleague from their library.
Nominations are submitted through an online form.
The deadline for nominations is April 1, 2025 at 5 p.m. ET.
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@ocul.on.ca.