Charge: Statement of Values and Code of Conduct Task Force
HathiTrust was founded in order to collaboratively address macro-scale challenges facing libraries. In our 2019-2023 Strategic Directions, we have recommitted to this cooperative approach, and articulated several strategic intentions to guide our work. These include, among others:
Responsibly steward our collections and resources on behalf of HathiTrust member libraries.
Include many voices and perspectives in our collections, in our service development, and in our organizational governance.
Responsible stewardship requires that we establish venues and opportunities where we come together to discuss our ongoing and future work. These may include in-person and online meetings, workshops, and conferences, all of which should be inclusive and welcoming arenas to share perspectives on our work and future directions. Such stewardship is further strengthened when we understand the values that motivate us and the principles that ground our collaborative work.
In 2020, HathiTrust will formally draft a Statement of Values to guide us and a corresponding Code of Conduct for use during HathiTrust-sponsored activities. The Statement of Values, which will be developed first, should be a document that expands upon the strategic intentions articulated in our vision. The Code of Conduct will follow, and will translate this Statement into clear guidelines about the type of environments we wish to foster and corresponding expectations of behaviors.
To ensure that the Statement and the Code are aligned with the perspectives of our membership, the Board of Governors will appoint a task force to draft both documents. After their final approval, the Board will issue both in time for use at the 2020 Member Meeting.
ROLE OF GROUP
The Statement of Values and Code of Conduct Task Force will have responsibility for developing this work, and will make recommendations for final approval by the HathiTrust Board of Governors, ideally during one of two mid-year meetings. The Task Force will consult with the membership of HathiTrust and produce at least one draft of each document for public comment. They should review codes of conduct or similar statements from other allied organizations or other sources that may be helpful, and may recommend to the Board mechanisms and procedures of enforcement.
MEMBERSHIP
The Task Force includes six individuals. Our desire, and goal, is that this group be inclusive and representative of the diversity of our members and their staff. Four members of the Task Force will be affiliated with HathiTrust member organizations, drawn from the membership at large through an open call for volunteers, and will be selected by the Board of Governors or its Executive Committee. One member will be drawn from the HathiTrust Program Steering Committee, and one from the HathiTrust staff. A chair will be selected from among the member affiliates. A member of the Board of Governors will serve as a formal liaison, reviewing work and offering feedback to the Task Force, and will keep members of the Board informed on progress of work. He or she may attend meetings of the group, but is not considered to be a full member of the Task Force.
Consuella Askew, Rutgers University-Newark
Jasmine Lelis Clark, Temple University
Natalie Fulkerson, HathiTrust
Brian Quigley, University of California, Berkeley
Hilary Seo, Iowa State University
Jennifer Vinopal, The Ohio State University, Chair
Evviva Weinraub Lajoie, University at Buffalo (PSC member)
Yolanda Cooper, Emory University, (incoming chair of the Board) will serve as a liaison to the task force from the Board of Governors.
DELIVERABLES
A statement of values for HathiTrust. Link to current draft for member review.
A code of conduct for HathiTrust events.
A presentation of both of these works-in-progress to HathiTrust membership at appropriate times.
MAJOR MILESTONES
We anticipate that the Task Force will begin work in March 2020 and we anticipate that it will conclude its work in the fall of 2020. Below are major milestones for the Task Force to consider in meeting its charge.
March: Task Force convenes.
Date TBD: A draft Statement of Values is shared with the HathiTrust membership.
June 11: Board of Governors to review/approve Statement of Values.
Date TBD: A draft Code of Conduct is shared with the HathiTrust membership.
August 28: Board of Governors to review/approve Code of Conduct.
September 1: Publication of Code of Conduct
October 22: HathiTrust Annual Member Meeting