Regional Interest Groups

Capital District Library Council interest groups are created to encourage communication and collaboration among the staff of CDLC member libraries and other interested individuals. The Council does not appoint these groups and participation is informal. The sole criterion for membership is an interest in the work of the group.

The following interest groups currently exist. Follow the links or contact CDLC for more information.

Guidelines for CDLC Interest Groups

Any group of individuals can petition the CDLC Board of Trustees for recognition as an interest group. The Board will evaluate the request based on satisfaction of the criteria cited below. The Board reserves the right to periodically review interest groups to determine if they are still active and in compliance with the stated guidelines.

Group Recognition:

Each interest group must submit the following information when petitioning the Board for recognition:

a "statement of purpose" which includes the name of the group
a list of individuals interested in forming the group
an outline of how the group will proceed to organize its activities

CDLC Responsibility:

The main role of CDLC is to facilitate the communication necessary for these groups to function. CDLC will provide routine administrative support such as maintaining mailing lists, distributing information, and providing meeting facilities. CDLC will also provide information about the group on the CDLC website. Announcements or other information for distribution must be submitted to CDLC at least ten working days before any meeting. Material will be distributed to group members and to appropriate email lists.

Group Responsibility:

Each interest group must fulfill the following obligations to continue to be recognized:

designate a liaison to the Council (this can be the chair, secretary, or a designated coordinator if no officers are elected)
provide information about the group’s meetings and activities
submit a brief written annual report by April 15th
review the group’s email list and provide an updated membership roster annually
review group information on the CDLC website annually and provide updates to CDLC

Group Structure:

Membership in the group is open to all staff of CDLC member libraries and other interested individuals. Each group will identify the operational procedures that will be followed. These procedures will include:

the mechanism for selecting an individual to chair or coordinate the group's activities and the length of time an individual will have this responsibility. If officers are elected the method of conducting elections, terms of office, etc. must be identified.
the frequency of meeting (minimum of two per year)
the method for recording and publicizing the group's activities and identifying new members

Financial Responsibility:

The interest group may not incur any financial obligations or use the CDLC name in any legal or financial arrangement without prior CDLC approval. For example, any conferences, contracts with outside speakers, or sale of publications must be reviewed and approved by CDLC before they can be undertaken by a group or committee.