TYPE: Policy Committee
PURPOSE: The Committee serves to promote the information policy interests of the Association regarding policies, laws, regulations and other developments that may affect the Association, law librarianship, law libraries, or the dissemination of information, with the exception of copyright issues, which are governed exclusively by the Copyright Committee.
CHARGE: The Committee shall monitor all federal and state legislative, regulatory, and judicial developments, with the exception of copyright issues, that may affect the Association, law librarianship, law libraries, or the dissemination of information, and shall advise the Executive Board and the Washington Affairs Office about these issues. The Committee shall coordinate all efforts to testify, or otherwise communicate Association views, on information policy issues to any branch of government at any level. The Committee may, on its own initiative, prepare testimony or otherwise communicate Association views consistent with the AALL Government Relations Policy to appropriate governmental bodies and other interested groups and shall keep the Executive Board informed of all such efforts.
Where necessary or desirable, the Committee shall make recommendations for policy changes to the Executive Board or the membership. The Committee may draft proposed resolutions, position papers, or letters for adoption by the Executive Board or by the membership.
The Committee shall inform the membership of notable information policy issues, and other relevant matters. In addition, the Committee shall be responsible for the legislative update session at the annual meeting.
The Committee will select one (1) or more recipients every year for the AALL Public Access to Government Information (PAGI) Award and the Robert L. Oakley Member Advocacy Award, or no recipients if it deems none of the nominees sufficiently qualified, and will submit the winning recipients’ name(s) to the Awards Committee. The Awards Committee will oversee the grant of the PAGI Award and the Robert L. Oakley Member Advocacy Award to the recipients selected by the Government Relations Committee.
MEMBERSHIP QUALIFICATIONS: Members must have the resources to monitor federal legislation. All members must submit a conflict of interest statement in accordance with the AALL Conflict of Interest Policy. When appointing members to subcommittees or to work on particular tasks, the chair shall use his or her best judgment to avoid any real or perceived bias or conflict of interest.
TENURE: Membership on the Committee shall normally be for three (3) years. The returning member selected as Vice Chair at the end of the first year shall serve in that capacity in the second year, and become Chair of the Committee in the third year.
SIZE: The Committee shall normally consist of a Chair, a Vice Chair, nine (9) members, and a non-voting Executive Board liaison. Normally the President serves as the Executive Board liaison to the Committee. In addition, the President-elect may choose to appoint one or more members with significant information policy expertise to serve as informal advisors to the Committee. When making appointments to this committee, the President-elect will strive to achieve a balance among the interests of members employed in different settings, and consider the potential impact of publisher interests on the work of the committee. When appointing the Chair of the committee, the President-elect shall use his or her best judgment to avoid any potential or perceived conflict of interest.
STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS COMPLIANCE: Goal II - Education
Goal III - Advocacy
RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER COMMITTEES: The Committee consults with the following other committees on relevant issues, as necessary:
Copyright Committee
When the committee encounters issues related to copyright or licensing law, it shall consult with the Copyright Committee, which has exclusive committee jurisdiction over copyright issues. Access to Electronic Legal Information and
Citation Formats Committee
When the Committee works on issues related to electronic legal information or citation reform, it shall consult with the Access to Electronic Legal Information and Citation Formats Committee. Awards Committee
The Committee shall work with the Awards committee regarding the Public Access to Government Information (PAGI) Award.
In addition, the Committee may work with the Annual Meeting Program Committee, the AALL Representative to the Federal Depository Library Council, and the Council of Chapter Presidents, for issues related to those constituencies.
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