SMT Working Groups

On 10 and 23 August, I wrote to inform colleagues of the imminent restructure of the Library’s Senior Management Team. An enlarged Senior Management Team came into being on 1 September, and we had our first meeting on 19 September. Amongst other things, we celebrated the successful launch of Alma, surveyed circulation activity for 2017/18 and approved the creation (for a pilot of 1 year) of a Special Collections Fellowship, which we hope will attract academics to come and work on UCL Special Collections materials.

With the re-creation of SMT, we have also set up new SMT Working Groups to advise SMT on detailed policy and operational issues which shape the Library. The complete Membership and Terms of Reference can be seen in the report SMT and Working Groups. There are five new Working Groups:

• Budget Executive Group (Chair: Paul Ayris)
• HR Working Group (Chair: Martin Moyle)
• Library Estates Operations Board (Chair: Ben Meunier)
• Staff Training & Development Oversight Group (Chair: Kate Cheney)
• Survey Response Working Group (Chair: June Hedges)

With the start of the new academic year, these Working Groups are now beginning to meet and will make regular reports to SMT. Please feel free to contact the Chairs if you have any questions/comments.

Now that the new term is upon us, I thank all colleagues for all the work they have put in to welcome our new and returning students; and to ensure that the Library runs smoothly at the start of a busy academic year.

Paul Ayris

Pro-Vice-Provost

UCL Library Services

New SMT and associated Working Groups

Felbrigg Hall

On 10 August, I wrote to expain how the Library’s Senior Management Team was being restructured and enlarged. The role of the SMT is to oversee policy developments and the daily operation of the Library. The SMT will also meet regularly as the Library Strategy Committee, to oversee the development and implementation of the new Library Strategy. The new SMT comes into being on 1 September. Its membership and Terms of Reference can be found here.

As SMT, the new Committee will meet monthly (rather than every 2 weeks). It will also act as parent for a series of Working Groups, the purpose of which is to support the business of the SMT.

The Working Groups do not supersede and are not substitutes for established Library Services committees and groups, such as the Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. SMT WG chairs will be responsible for ensuring appropriate join-up between their Groups and any relevant established committees.

Broadly, the SMT Working Groups will have 4 functions. These are as follows:

• To advise SMT on new developments and future strategy in their respective areas of business
• To ensure that SMT and UCL policy decisions are implemented effectively and equitably across Library Services
• To take ownership of matters of operational detail in their respective areas on behalf of SMT
• To make regular reports to SMT through their chairs.

The following Working Groups are proposed, each with a chair and membership drawn from SMT:

• Budget Executive Group (Chair: Paul Ayris)
• HR Working Group (Chair: Martin Moyle)
• Estates Oversight Group (Chair: Ben Meunier)
• Survey Response Team (Chair: June Hedges)
• Staff Training and Development Strategy Group (Chair: Kate Cheney)

The full Membership and Terms of Reference for each of these Working Groups will be circulated via a LibNet Blog posting once signed off by the new SMT in September.

Good governance is essential to the successful running of the Library and the wellbeing of our staff and students. I look forward to the enlarged SMT playing a full and successful role in the daily life of UCL Library Services.

Paul Ayris

Pro-Vice-Provost (UCL Library Services)

New Senior Management Team

The current Library Strategy has now formally been completed and a report on the Library’s success in achieving its objectives in the 94 Action lines will be presented at the next meeting of Library Committee.

The Library Strategy is currently overseen by the Leadership Team. The role of the Senior Management Team (SMT) is  different – to oversee the operation of the Library on a daily basis and to lead on policy development. The fantastic work of both teams was highly commended as part of the Library’s entry in the THELMA Awards for 2018.

The new Library Strategy is currently in the final stages of being developed and will be signed off by Library Committee in the first meeting of the new academic session. Feedback has suggested that some colleagues find the distinction between the Leadership Team and the Senior Management Team difficult to understand. You said, and we listened. So, for the coming Strategy period, the two committees will be merged into one. The revised Membership and Terms of Reference can be seen in the new set of SMT Terms of Reference.

SMT will continue to meet regularly as it is the primary policy-making group in the Library. Its actions and decisions set the framework within which initiatives and projects are progressed throughout UCL Library Services. Within UCL Library Services, it has ultimate responsibility for all the Library’s services and infrastructure. However, for 3 meetings a year, the SMT will become the Library Strategy Committee. In this form, it will oversee the preparation, communication, delivery and maintenance of the new UCL Library Services Strategy, which will set the Library’s overall priorities for the duration of each Strategy period.

The change to the new committee structure takes place on 1 September 2018. Please do not hesitate to ask me, or any member of the new SMT, if you have any questions.

Paul Ayris

Pro-Vice-Provost (UCL Library Services)