Round Table of the International Association of Metropolitan Libraries (INTAMEL)

2000 Business Meeting

21 September 2000, St. Louis, USA

Present

Tatsiana Akushevich	Melvyn Barnes
Patrick Bazin	Jan Boman
Stuart Brewer	Arend Flemming
Peter Fodor	Aline Girard-Billon
Fatimah Binte Hassan	Glen Holt
Charles Hunsberger	Geok Lan
Claudia Lux	Frans Meijer
Andrew Miller	Wim Renes
Liv Sateren	Silvia Todea
Ton Van Vlimmeren	Dan Wilson
Patricia Wressell

President's report

On behalf of both the St. Louis County Library and the St. Louis Public Library and its Executive Director, Dr. Glen Holt, the President, Mr Dan Wilson, opened the meeting and greeted the members present and welcomed them to St Louis. The President reported that about twenty members had sent their regrets that they were unable to come the conference.

Secretary-Treasurer's Report

The statement of receipts and expenditures for the period ending September 4, 2000 showed a closing fund balance of SEK (Swedish kroner) 52.772. Member fees received after this date were not included and thus not reflected in the sum total. Two scholarships of US $2000 also fall outside of this balance.

To expand the budget and make future scholarships possible, the President suggested the meeting raise the annual dues to US $125.

The business meeting decided to raise the annual dues to US $125.

Newsletter Report

Mr Stuart Brewer reported that 'Metro' continues to be issued twice a year. By including information from the British Council in the 'Metro' mailings, costs for postage had been reduced since the British Council pays for part of the postage. Mr Brewer also informed members about INTLIB, the new INTAMEL e-list. INTLIB will make it possible to spread information about library activities and to be a tool for its members in exchanging.

Mr Andrew Miller expressed his and all members appreciation for all work done by Stuart Brewer and Patricia Wressell concerning 'Metro' and INTLIB. Their work is highly appreciated by everybody and gives all members the possibility of communicating directly with each other. For that, everybody is grateful.

INTAMEL Statistics

Some members declared that they had not been reached by the annual statistics survey. Mr Brewer took the responsibility for informing Ms Wiebke Andresen about this.

So far, collecting statistics from members has been done in a traditional way, by sending out a survey and thus having members return their answers by mail/fax.

The meeting decided that collecting statistics from members from now on should be done electronically via INTLIB, if possible.

Upcoming INTAMEL Conferences

Ms Aline Girard-Billon informed the conference that unfortunately it was impossible to have, as had been planned, next year´s conference in Paris.

Several members informed the conference of invitations to their cities and countries for coming conferences, including invitations from Amman, Singapore, Brasov and Stockholm. After the presentations from the different members, the meeting decided unanimously that the yearly INTAMEL conferences shall be held as follows:

The President expressed the wish that the organising cities inform all members of the specific dates of their conference, as soon as possible.

Scholarship

Mr Jan Boman, Secretary-Treasurer, reported that Ms Tatsiana Akushevich of Minsk, Belarus, and Ms Silvia Todea of Brasov, Roumania, had been granted a scholarship from INTAMEL in order to take part at the present conference.

Ms Akushevich gave her many thanks for having received a scholarship and informed how she was planning on using the material she collected at the conference for education at her library. Ms Todea gave her many thanks for the scholarship she received and for the opportunity of participating in this conference.

The meeting decided that next year, if the economic status of the organisation permitted, we will distribute two scholarships to the amount of 2000 US $.

INTAMEL Statutes

The President described a suggestion for several changes in the statutes of INTAMEL. After discussion the meeting decided on new statutes for INTAMEL. The new statutes will be attached to these minutes.

The meeting also decided that when electing a new Secretary/Treasurer next year, this office should be divided into a secretary and a treasurer. The meeting also decided to discuss the model of the executive committee at next year's meeting.

Other Business

The President informed that Ms Barbara Gubbin and Ms Susan Kent together with Mr Gary Strong are working on the issue of the participation of INTAMEL at the IFLA conference in Boston in 2001. The President also informed the members that the theme for the next INTAMEL conference needs to be decided by the host.

No further questions were raised and the President thus declared the meeting closed.

Dan Wilson
President Jan Boman
Secretary & Treasurer

Statute of the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF METROPOLITAN LIBRARIES (INTAMEL)

1. The NAME of the Association is:

International Association of Metropolitan Libraries (INTAMEL) or the translation of the name in the other languages represented in the membership.

2. The aim of INTAMEL is to encourage international cooperation between public libraries serving cities and /or counties with a population exceeding 400,000, exceptions can be made by the membership situated in a larger conurbation, and in particular to develop exchange of books, staff and information, and act as a Round Table of the Public Libraries Section of the International Federation of Library Associations.

3. The Association consists of:

the General Assembly to which belong all members of the Association,
the Executive Committee, made up of at least five members elected by the General Assembly for a period of three years and including
a President, a secretary-treasurer or a secretary and a treasurer.

4. The following may become members of the Association on recommendation of the Executive Committee:

Libraries directly serving cities and/or counties with a population exceeding 400,000 which are also in Associate Membership of IFLA.
Libraries serving cities/and or counties with a population exceeding 400,000 not in Associate Membership of IFLA.

5. Directors who retire from active service may continue their membership in INTAMEL.

6. The General Assembly consists of the directors of member libraries or members of their staff delegated by them. The General Assembly will meet once a year. It shall approve the annual report, the accounts over the year past and the budget, submitted by the Executive Committee. Whenever voting takes place in the General Assembly, a simple majority of the members present or represented by proxy is required. In case of equality of votes, the President shall have a casting vote.

7. Current affairs are directed by the Executive Committee, which will meet at least once a year.

8. Amendments of the Statute, as well as a decision to dissolve the Association, must be approved by the General Assembly. A two-thirds majority of the members present or represented by proxy shall be required.

9. In case of dissolution of the Association, the General Assembly shall

10. decide on disposal of the available funds.

Latest Revision: January 29, 2001