UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Welcome to PoCo! We are glad you are here and are delighted you have generously pledged your time and energy to advancing the strategic goals of the PCC. PoCo is comprised of a group of experts in the field, and each brings a unique perspective and set of skills to the work. In order to ensure success and enjoyment for you and for everyone on PoCo, we invite you to peruse this guide. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the PoCo Chair if you need additional information or support in carrying out your duties.
Links to official documents:
Meeting frequency and logistics:
- PoCo meets virtually at least once per month, currently on the second Thursday of each month from 11am-12:30pm Eastern time.
- Occasionally, PoCo convenes additional ad-hoc meetings to discuss topics in depth.
- PoCo members/liaisons will receive a calendar invite with Zoom link for each meeting.
- The annual hybrid PoCo meeting is generally held at the Library of Congress for 1.5 days on the first Thursday and Friday of November.
- The 2023 meeting will be held on November 2-3, concluding at 12pm on November 3.
- Attendance in person is strongly encouraged, though members/liaisons may attend remotely.
- The PCC Secretariat arranges for a block of discounted rooms at a nearby hotel. Attendees may reserve rooms at this hotel or make their own accommodation arrangements.
- PoCo does notmeet in conjunction with PCC programming at ALA conferences and at the Operations Committee (OpCo) meeting. PoCo members/liaisons are encouraged but not required to attend (in-person or virtually) PCC synchronous programming.
- Prior to each monthly meeting, the PoCo Chair will share the meeting agenda (on Google Docs). This agenda will include links to reports that will be discussed at the meeting.
- Some reports are shared in the weeks prior to the meeting via the PoCo listserv.
- Voting will occur either synchronously (within the Zoom session) or asynchronously (managed via email).
- All PoCo voting members are expected to vote on asynchronous motions, and on synchronous motions when they are present at the meeting. A vote of "abstain" is always acceptable.
- The outcome of each vote will be determined by simple majority.
Am I a voting member?
- Voting members include
- All duly elected Members-at-Large (including those currently in the Chair cycle)
- Standing Committee chairs
- Permanent members of PoCo (British Library, Library of Congress, Library and Archives Canada and OCLC)
- Each Standing Committee has one vote. If there are co-chairs for a given SC, they may cast only a single vote on a given motion.
- Liaisons are non-voting members of PoCo.
- Advisory Committee chairs are non-voting guests at PoCo meetings.
- Other guests at PoCo meetings (e.g., task group chairs) do not vote.
Meeting participation norms:
- The PCC Code of Conduct is in effect at all meetings and when using all PoCo communication mechanisms.
- If a PoCo member/liaison must miss a PoCo meeting, they are requested to notify the PoCo chair in advance.
- To the extent feasible, all PoCo members/liaisons (especially those who must miss a meeting) are requested to review reports linked to the agenda and provide comments using the Google Docs commenting mechanism prior to the meeting at which synchronous discussion will take place.
- Time is limited during synchronous discussions. The best way to ensure that every PoCo member's/liaisons' perspective is taken into account is when they make asynchronous comments prior to the meeting.
- Not all comments must be original. It is acceptable to simply indicate agreement with a previous commenter ("+1"; "Agree with John"). Discussions are most effective when all voices are heard.
- During each synchronous discussion topic, the PoCo Chair will endeavor to ensure that as many members/liaisons as possible have the opportunity to speak.
- When multiple people wish to speak at the same time, priority will be given to people who haven't yet spoken during that discussion topic.
- Each synchronous discussion topic will conclude at the PoCo Chair's discretion. If warranted, the discussion will be followed by a synchronous or asynchronous vote. If necessary, the topic will be "tabled" until a future meeting.
- Each meeting agenda includes a section for news sharing and updates not necessarily requiring discussion. PoCo members/liaisons (especially standing/advisory committee chairs) are invited to add informational items to the agenda as appropriate.
- At any time, PoCo members/liaisons may request that discussion topics be added to a meeting agenda by contacting the PoCo chair. The Chair will schedule an array of discussion topics at each PoCo meeting based on priority and time-sensitivity.
Communication mechanisms:
- PoCo members/liaisons are added to the PoCo email listserv (PCCPOL@LISTSERV.LOC.GOV) when their terms begin.
- This email list is used by the PoCo Chair to share meeting agendas, call for votes and lead asynchronous discussions.
- Other list members are welcome to use the list for relevant purposes.
- PoCo members/liaisons are granted access to the PoCo Google Drive when their terms begin.
- All meeting agendas, committee/task group reports undergoing PoCo review, and other working documents are stored on Google Drive.
- PoCo members/liaisons are granted editor access to the PCC Wiki when their terms begin.
- The Wiki is used for sharing information/documents more broadly outside the PCC administrative structure, for those types of information that are not (yet) appropriate for the PCC website.
- The Wiki is also used for "integrating" resources that are community-driven and/or highly dynamic in nature (e.g., Land Acknowledgement and Indigenous Metadata Resources).
- The general public has access to the PCC website, where approved task group reports, policy documents, and other official resources are published.
Other PoCo member activities:
- Each year, one at-large PoCo member is invited to serve on that year's Nominating Committee.
- Each year, one at-large PoCo member is invited to serve as PoCo liaison to a periodic review of a PCC standing/advisory committee.