On October 8-9, 2011 delegates from across the U.S. and around the world gathered in Washington, DC for a landmark event, the HathiTrust Constitutional Convention. Our goals were to review the work and accomplishments of the now 3-year-old HathiTrust, and chart its future governance and priorities. Before the group were seven different ballot proposals that had been submitted by HathiTrust partners ahead of the meeting. On a beautiful autumn weekend, the delegates headed indoors, gathered around tables, and deeply engaged in the proceedings and discussion.
As a result of these proceedings, HathiTrust:
- Will establish a governance structure consisting of a Board, a Board Executive Committee, and Board-appointed committees, and will articulate bylaws
- Will formalize a transparent process for inviting, evaluating, ranking, launching and assessing development initiatives
- Will establish a shared print monograph archiving program among the member libraries
- Will expand and enhance access to U.S. federal publications including those issued by GPO and other federal agencies
- Will develop and vet a fee-for-service model to allow contribution of content from non-partner entities
The Convention was also an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of HathiTrust in less than three short years: over 60 partners, infrastructure that preserves and makes discoverable close to 10 million volumes, and the HathiTrust Research Center that will enable new forms of research.
For a full account of the proceedings, please consult the official minutes of the Constitutional Convention.
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