DBIO Procedures Manual - Vendor Relations Committee

Function: The Committee provides a forum for the exchange of information between the Division and publishers, producers, and vendors and serves to investigate and remain current on trends in publications, products, services, and technologies that are of interest to the biomedical and life sciences information fields, both in the traditional library and rapidly changing electronic environment.

Qualifications: The Chair as well as each Committee member shall be a member, associate member, or retired member of the Association, as well as a member of the Biomedical and Life Sciences Division. The Chair shall also serve as a member of the Fund Development Committee.

Appointment: The term of appointment is two years, renewable once.

Duties:

1. Maintains active and open lines of communication with publishers, vendors, and producers whose products and services are of interest to and are used by biomedical and life sciences librarians.
2. Regularly communicates information about new products, both traditional and electronic, to Division members via the Email Discussion List and Biofeedback.
3. Arranges formal or informal meetings of publishers, vendors, and producers with interested Division members at the annual conference, in coordination with the Program Committee for that conference.
4. Refers interested publishers, vendors and producers to the Fund Development Committee to consider fund raising activities to benefit the Division.
5. Reviews the appropriate sections of the Procedures Manual in February and submits corrections, revisions, and so forth to the Director for inclusion in the next edition.
6. By deadline determined each year (typically August), the Committee Chair shall submit an estimated budget to the Treasurer.

Reports: An annual report is submitted to the Division Chair in accepted format by April 1 or another mutually agreed upon date.

Records: Outgoing officers and committee chairs shall send the files which they used during their tenure to their successors at the end of their terms of office, along with their copy of the Procedures Manual. All files they received the year earlier (from predecessor) should be reviewed as to the usefulness for archival retention (see information on retention in the Archivist section). Files include, but are not limited to, important correspondence, fax, e-mail, and summaries of verbal communications deemed important to the business of the Division. The officers and committee chairs may keep copies of any relevant materials but original materials should be transmitted to the DBIO Archivist on the regular schedule.

Expenses: The Division will provide funding for expenses including postage and telephone calls if not borne by the incumbent's organization. Other expenses will be approved by the Division's Executive Board. Expenses incurred for organization business will be paid in accordance with SLA guidelines. All expenses must be submitted with a Committee Expenses Form or a Travel Voucher form and be accompanied by the original receipts for reimbursement. Direct payment of bills can be made if the bill is accompanied by a Committee Expenses Form or a Check Request and Payment Approval Form. Advances for expenses may be obtained from the Division's Treasurer. Requests for advances should be made in writing and include an estimate for each item. A final report of expenses for reimbursement shall be filed with the Treasurer prior to or at the annual business meeting.

Rev. 4/00, J. Perez