A cooperative endeavor of Duke University, North Carolina Central University,
 North Carolina State University, and  The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

HISTORICAL NOTE

Cooperation among the academic research libraries of the Research Triangle dates to 1933 when the presidents of the University of North Carolina and Duke University created the Committee on Intellectual Cooperation. Library cooperation became the strongest and most enduring component of the 1935 Program of cooperation of the Universities. This cooperation later expanded to include the libraries of North Carolina State University and has now grown to incorporate North Carolina Central University. For most of its history, the cooperative programs consisted of coordinated collection development and resource sharing.

Library cooperation was revitalized in 1977 when the Triangle Universities Library Cooperation Committee (TULCC) was formed to develop a technical and organizational support system for resource sharing. The name Triangle Research Libraries Network was adopted in 1980. The first memorandum of understanding was signed in 1984 and revised in 1987. They emphasized the systems development mission of TRLN, narrowly defining its purpose as "to develop and maintain a network of online catalogs and other automated library systems."

This new Memorandum of Understanding incorporates North Carolina Central University into TRLN for the first time. It also broadens the purpose statement to incorporate the traditional programs of cooperative collection development, resource sharing, and technical innovation with new concepts of collaboration for leveraging institutional resources to improve access to information for our users in a technologically advanced environment.

I. MISSION

The Triangle Research Libraries Network is a collaborative organization of Duke University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the purpose of which is to marshal the financial, human, and information resources of their research libraries through cooperative efforts in order to create a rich and unparalleled knowledge environment that furthers the universities' teaching, research, and service missions.

II. MEMBERSHIP

A. Member Institutions. The member institutions of TRLN are Duke University, North Carolina Central University, North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

B. Requirements for Membership -- Institutions

1. Member institutions must:

a. be institutions of higher education,

b. have a library that is eligible to be a member of TRLN

c. consent to this Memorandum of Understanding as attested by the ratifying signature of their president or chief executive offices and,

d. assume fiscal responsibility for support of TRLN. Such fiscal responsibility includes the assessment of annual dues, proportional costs of joint projects and other assessments as shall be mutually agreed upon.

2. The Governing Board may recommend the addition or removal of member institutions to the chief executive officers of the member institutions.

3. Continuance of institutional membership requires:

a. at least one of its libraries is a member

b. all annual dues and assessments must be remitted within the current fiscal year and on a semiannual or more frequent basis

4. Member institutions shall be defined as members in good standing when they meet all of the above conditions

5. The chief executive officer of a member institution may withdraw his/her institution from membership in TRLN by written notice to the chief officer of every other member institution.

a. Such notice must be given at least one year in advance of the effective date or longer, as may be required by the particulars of TRLN contractual obligations with third parties.

C. Requirements for Membership -- Libraries

1. A new member library must:

a. be a library of a TRLN member institution,

b. be a member of a national bibliographic utility,

c. consent to this Memorandum of Understanding,

d. be separately administered within its institution and report to a dean, provost or equivalent level administrator,

e. have a total budget exceeding $750,000 (in 1995 dollars) and professional library staff of 4 or more FTE,

f. maintain copies of its machine-readable bibliographic records in a TRLN-accessible database, and

g. be recommended to the Governing Board by its member institution.

2. The Governing Board may add or remove libraries as members of TRLN, upon unanimous consent of the members in good standing.

3. The chief officer of a member library may withdraw his or her library from membership in TRLN by written notice to the chief officer of every other member library.

a. This notice of withdrawal should be signed by the chief executive officer of the withdrawing library's institution to show that he or she has consented to the withdrawal.

b. Such notice must be given at least one year in advance of the effective date or longer, as may be required by the particulars of TRLN contractual obligations with third parties.

III. GOVERNANCE

A. Governing Board.

1. Responsibilities. The ultimate authority within TRLN is the Governing Board. The Governing Board is responsible for retaining qualified executive leadership for TRLN, establishing policy, approving operating budgets, overseeing assets, and setting strategic directions.

2. Membership. The membership of the Governing Board consists of the Provosts of the member institutions, the University Librarian from each member institution, the chair of the Council of Directors, and the TRLN Executive Director, ex officio.

3. The chair of the Governing Board is a provost of a member institution. The chair rotates among the member institutions on two-year terms.

4. Meetings.

a. Annual Meeting. The Governing Board meets at least annually, at such time and place as the chairperson of the Board may determine, given reasonable written notice of time and place to the members of the board.

b. Special Meetings.

1. Special meetings may be called by the chairperson upon written request from two or more members of the Board specifying the business to be transacted at the meeting.

2. Special meetings may be held at such time and place as the chairperson of the Board may determine, giving the members of the Board reasonable notice of time, place, and the business to be transacted.

c. Quorum. A quorum consists of a majority of the members of the Board, including one from each member institution.

B. Executive Committee.

1. Responsibilities. The Executive Committee engages in planning, conducts mid-year budget reviews, plans the annual board meeting, and makes decisions as a necessary between meetings of the full Board.

2. Membership. The membership of the Executive Committee consists of the chair of the Council of Directors, the other library members of the Governing Board, and the TRLN Director, ex officio.

3. Chair. The chair of the Executive Committee shall be a library director from the same member institutions as the chair of the Governing Board. The chair rotates among the member institutions on two-year terms.

C. Council of Directors.

1. Responsibilities. The Council of Directors initiates programmatic directives, reviews proposals, identifies and studies issues of interest to the directors and provides advice and counsel to the Executive Committee concerning TRLN and its operations.

2. Membership. Composition of the Council of Directors is defined in the addendum.

D. Decision Making. The Governing Board and Executive Committee proceed in decision making by unanimous consent of the members in good standing. When formal votes are taken, each member institution in good standing has one vote, and no project or action shall be undertaken nor any policy adopted without unanimous consent of the members in good standing.

IV. STAFF

A. Central Staff. TRLN has a central staff to support cooperative endeavors of the member institutions. This central staff consists of an Executive Director and such other regular staff as may be necessary to accomplish its goals. All permanent and temporary staff are under the direction of the Executive Director.

B. Temporary Staff. TRLN also employs temporary project staff as is appropriate to pursue funded projects. Member institutions may assign staff from time to time as appropriate for projects that may be underway.

V. HOST INSTITUTIONS AND OTHER SUPPORT

A. Host Institution. TRLN is hosted by one of the member institutions, hereafter designated as the host institution.

1. Responsibilities of Host. The host institution provides space for TRLN staff and operations and certain kinds of clerical and administrative support (e.g., purchasing operations and accounting services) on terms agreeable to the Governing Board and the host institution

2. Term. The period for serving as a host institution shall be a minimum of three years and may be re-negotiated for additional three-year periods with the mutual consent of the Governing Board and the member institution that is willing to be host.

B. Other Support. Upon agreement, any member institution may serve TRLN by housing projects, supplying services, or serving as contract signatories.

VI. AMENDMENT AND REVIEW

A. Amendment. This Memorandum of Understanding may be amended by unanimous approval of the chief executive officers of the member institutions.

B. Review. At a minimum, the Governing Board shall review this Memorandum of Understanding every five years. The Governing Board shall submit to the chief executive officers for their consideration any suggested amendments that it deems worthy.
 

Signed:
 
 

Nannerl O. Keohane, President, Duke University

Julius L. Chambers, Chancellor, North Carolina Central University

Larry K. Monteith, Chancellor, North Carolina State University

Paul Hardin, Chancellor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
 
 

ADDENDUM OF CURRENT PRACTICE

COUNCIL OF DIRECTORS

The Council of Directors consists of the library directors of the member libraries or their designees and the TRLN Executive Director, ex officio. The number of representatives from an institution will not exceed the number of directors from the institution with the largest number of independently administered libraries which are members of TRLN. Members of the Council of Directors may bring others at their discretion. The chair of the Council of Directors is elected by the membership and rotates among the member institutions on the basis of two-year terms. The chair and chair-elect of the Council of Directors and the chair of the Executive Committee cannot be from the same institution. The chair of the Council of Directors shall not be a University Librarian. The Council meets at least quarterly.

COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

Attendant committee structure will be organized under the TRLN Executive Director. TRLN shall be the coordinating agency for joint committees. A formal agreement for the organization and constituency of committees will be developed after the new organizational structure is in force.

GOALS

TRLN leverages resources to accomplish the following goals:

to extend the scope of information resources and services available to our users through libraries and campus networks

to create new library and information services

to make information accessible to users among member institutions in a convenient, timely, and equitable manner

to develop and pursue strategic partnerships that enhance our ability to deliver information and services

to provide a forum for discussing cooperative library and information issues

to seek external funding in support of these goals

to maintain a leadership role among universities in the provision of collaborative research library services

Originally signed August 29, 1989 mou1989.pdf
Updated May 26, 1995 mou1995.pdf
Reviewed July 13, 2000
Modified November 13, 2002
Last reviewed September 28, 2005