This is a translated version of the original statutes given by the Ministry of education and Research. In the event of any differences, the Norwegian text should be counted as the authorized version.

Statutes

Statutes of BIBSYS, as laid down by the Ministry of Education and Research on 28 March 2007, changed 21. December 2011.

Section 1 Purpose

BIBSYS has been set up for the purpose of providing universities and university colleges with excellent and cost effective library services to be obtained through cooperation about shared library scientific systems.

Section 2 Organisation

BIBSYS is a national public administrative agency answerable to the Ministry of Education and Research, with the management being placed at NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) under the provisions of 1-4 subsection 4 of the Act relating to universities and university colleges (Lov om universiteter og høgskoler). The Board of BIBSYS has overall responsibility for the professional activities at BIBSYS, and for carrying out the administrative tasks allocated to the agency.

Section 3 The Board

The Board shall have from six to eight members, of which:

up to seven members are appointed by the Ministry of Education and Research
one member is elected by and from BIBSYS staff

The Ministry of Education and Research appoints the Chair and Vice-Chair from the Board members, as well as selecting two deputy members to replace Board members in the event of absence. The Ministry of Education and Research must also determine which deputy member is to be summoned first and last of the two. One deputy member is to be elected from the BIBSYS staff. The Ministry must ensure that both genders are represented when selecting the staff member and staff deputy member. The BIBSYS Board will draw up more detailed election systems.

The Board members normally serve for a term of four years. The Ministry may appoint a different term of office for individual Board members appointed by the Ministry. Members may be reappointed.

A quorum is obtained when at least four Board members are present, including the Chair or the Vice-Chair. A resolution is made with a majority-vote. The Chair shall cast the tie-breaking vote.

An agenda is required for each Board meeting. The Board meets when the Chair or at least two members of the Board demand that a Board meeting be convened. The Board must be informed of the meeting at least one week in advance. Decisions and attendance must be recorded. The General Manager, or his/her deputy, will record the information.

The Board makes decisions about the professional activities at BIBSYS as required by the Ministry. The Board has strategic responsibility for the future development of BIBSYS.

The Board will address the following issues:

issues of principle or general concern for the BIBSYS activities
plan for BIBSYS activities and budget
approval of annual report and accounts
price model for BIBSYS products and services as well as contract templates to be used when agreements are made
BIBSYS internal organisation
what groups, institutions and/or users, in addition to the research and special libraries, that may be offered BIBSYS services and products
instructions for the General Manager
to determine in more detail and in dialogue with the users of BIBSYS products and services, what obligations users of BIBSYS products and services should undertake.
to make decisions on how contact between BIBSYS and the users of BIBSYS products and services are to be established to ensure overall dialogue with the institutions that use BIBSYS products and services
delegation for the follow-up of decisions to the Chair of the Board or the Director

Section 4 General Manager

BIBSYS must have a General Manager who is responsible for the day-to-day running of the unit. The General Manager is to ensure that BIBSYS is run in a responsible manner and in accordance with the requirements decided by the Ministry of Education and Research, NTNU or the Board. The General Manager functions as the Board Secretary, has the right to speak and submit proposals, prepares meeting documents for the Board and is responsible for implementing the Board decisions.

Section 5 BIBSYS tasks and services

The purpose of BIBSYS is to make available and deliver cost effective and high quality information services primarily for higher educational institutions, as well as acquiring, developing and running shared systems as the need arises. The BIBSYS activities are to promote collaboration and integration between institutions in its development of solutions. BIBSYS is and will maintain professional competence in all its activities.

In each institution BIBSYS will contribute to the best possible integration between library systems and information services on the one hand, and other computer systems and services on the other.

BIBSYS shall acquire, develop and run a shared library catalogue and a shared library system for the participants, manage data and conduct other activities relating to these products and services. As far as possible, the BIBSYS shared library catalogue and other databases are to be freely available for online search for the general population.

BIBSYS may also render other services and products to one or more institutions. These services and products will be funded by the institutions that request them. The revenue derived from these will go towards the general running and development of BIBSYS services.

BIBSYS is to facilitate the best possible terms of cooperation with the National Library of Norway. Furthermore, BIBSYS shall emphasise the ability to offer the National Library of Norway products and services that specifically address the needs of this library. The Board will decide what products and services must be funded separately by the National Library of Norway.

Section 6 Participation in the cooperation of the BIBSYS Library System

Most BIBSYS products are organised as cooperative consortiums for the institutions that use the product. The cooperation of the BIBSYS Library System is to be a separate consortium.

State universities and university colleges are eligible as participants in the BIBSYS Library System-cooperation, allowing them access to the BIBSYS Library System. Institutions that participated in the cooperation as of 1 January 2007 are also considered eligible. Other institutions may participate in the consortium after having been approved by the Board.

A participant may withdraw from the BIBSYS Library System-cooperation giving 9 months notice, and may keep a copy of its own data at cost. The Board decides more detailed guidelines and agreements for participation in and withdrawal from the cooperation.

The cooperative consortiums must have individual agreements that specify details.

Section 7 Financial obligations

National authorities may allocate funding to the running or development of BIBSYS. In addition, institutions using BIBSYS products and services must cover all costs in accordance with the following provisions:

The Board decides on a price model for BIBSYS products and services. Minimum fees may be decided on.

The fees for the use of BIBSYS products and services will subsequently be paid annually to BIBSYS in accordance with the annual budget approved by the Board. The budget is to include all costs and expenses of BIBSYS.

The fees will primarily be made as annual advance payments to BIBSYS before 1 April. The Board may decide on other models of payments where this arrangement is not practical.

The individual participant must bear the costs of data communication as well as costs relating to the procurement and running of equipment for internal institutional use unless a specific agreement to the contrary is made between the institution and the BIBSYS Board.

When a service is not to be state-operated, and a participant institution or another institution asks BIBSYS to compete with private suppliers about a service (for example through tender), the BIBSYS offer of supplying said service must be based on a full-financing offer that covers both direct and indirect costs. A separate account will be drawn up for this kind of commission.

Section 8 Rights and responsibilities

The state is the proprietor of BIBSYS shared registers.

Institutions that use BIBSYS products and services and have fulfilled their financial obligations are entitled to let their own staff and students use the products and services they have paid for.

The Board decides in more detail what responsibilities users must take on to be allowed to utilise BIBSYS products and services.

Section9 Statutes changes

Changes of these statutes may be determined by The Ministry of Education and Research.