• This is the second issue of the Newsletter designed to keep members informed of progress towards unification. Copies of the first issue are available from the LA and the IIS. The content of both issues is on the website of each organisation.
  [www.la-hq.org.uk] [www.iis.org.uk]

• Feedback from the first issue has been positive with several members commenting that the Newsletter helped to make them feel informed and involved in the process of unification. One error (for which we apologise) was also noted:
  
  The reference to "Southern Ireland" should, of course, have been to the Republic of Ireland.
   
  
• As the dialogue on unification develops, individual members may wish to put their views. Each meeting of the IWG has a standing item when comments from members are considered. In addition a discussion list has been set up on the Internet at http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/lis-unify/
  or
  http://www.mailbase.ac.uk/lists/lis-unify/join.html
   
  
• The planning assumptions set out in the first issue have now been considered by both organisations. The IIS Council met on 8th February and gave tacit agreement to the planning assumptions. The LA's Policy & Resources Committee met on 10th February and also endorsed the work to date.
   
  
• As the first issue of the Newsletter indicated, the Implementation Working Group has now turned its attention to those matters which were not resolved in Our professional future. The Group has met twice since the copydate of the first issue and has agreed to recommend that:
   
  
  • Council will be the governing body of the new organisation setting the broad framework of policies, priorities, budgets, and regulations; Council will be directly representative of all interests and this will determine its size - Honorary Officers plus twelve National Councillors plus one representative from each Special Interest Group and each Branch.
     
    
  • The Executive Board will be the Board of Trustees with executive authority within the policy and finance framework set by the Council; the Executive Board will be drawn from Council members with the Chair elected by Council.
     
    
  • The list of Honorary Officers in Our Professional future will be extended to include the President-Elect and the Immediate Past President.
     
    
  • The financial year for the new body will be the calendar year.
     
    
  • The subscription model will be designed to achieve current levels of revenue using a simplified income-related banding structure.
     
    
  • The new subscription model will be fully implemented by calendar year 2004 with two previous transitional years - in 2002 existing subscription arrangements will roll forward with dual members paying only their higher subscription and IIS members paying 9/12 pro rata of the full year rate; in 2003 former IIS members with an increased subscription will transfer to a transitional scale in order to phase in the increase.
     
    
  • Any reduction in subscription income over the transitional period will be regarded as an exceptional cost of unification to be funded from reserves.
     
    
  • Honorary Fellows will not pay subscriptions; and Honorary Fellows and Life Members will retain the right to use the (new) post nominals.
     
    
  • Institutional members of the new body will receive the magazine, discounted rates on courses and publications, the opportunity to participate (but not vote) at relevant meetings, and opportunities to benefit from the processes of professional networking and policy development.
     
    
• In addition, work continues on the issue of SIGs (Special Interest Groups) and OiLs (Organisations in Liaison). This will be considered in the next phase of the Group's work.
   
  
• Mindful of the timetable which requires the Implementation Working Group to have produced draft requirements by the end of March, the IWG has asked for legal advice on a number of questions:
   
  
  • Is the framework of proposals, as currently developed, sufficient to begin drawing up documents as a basis for dialogue with the Charity Commissioners and the Privy Council - given that the intention is to move as much detail as possible into Regulations and out of the Charter and Byelaws?
     
    
  • What is the legal position regarding pre-existing agreements such as that between the LA and the Scottish LA and the IIS and the John Campbell Trust?
     
    
  • Is it possible for personal members living or working in any part of the European Union to have full rights of membership?
     
    
  • How can the role of Affiliated Members be best defined, recognising that a Chartered body has to be governed by chartered members and also that the new association will wish to enable the fullest possible participation by Affiliated Members?
     
    
  • What are the best arrangements for the new body's disciplinary procedure?
     
    
  • What should be the role and powers of general meetings of the new body?
     
    
  Those legal issues will be considered as part of the next phase of the IWG's work.
   
  
• Three other points have emerged in IWG discussions. One is the need to alert all Branches and Groups to the possible implications for them (in terms of elections and office holders) of the vesting day of 1 April 2002.
   
  The second is the matter of journal publications, particularly given that IIS members currently receive a scholarly journal as part of their subscription package.
   
  The third is the possibility of adding an Advisory Board of appointees to the structure of governance of the new body - in the same way that the British Library Advisory Council adds value to the BL's structure of governance.
   
  These points will be picked up as the IWG moves into the next phase of work.
   
  
• The first issue of the Newsletter mentioned that a working group was being established to refine a vision for the new body. The group is comprised of:

 and aims to report back to IWG by October this year.

If you have any comments please use the discussion list or send them to: