The ATLA Special Committee of the Association for International Collaboration will have the following responsibilities:

• Coordinate the Association's activities regarding international theological librarianship

• Support the efforts of individual libraries and librarians to participate in international theological librarianship activities

• Serve in a liaison capacity with international theological library associations.
  

• Plan ATLA conference activities related to international theological librarianship

Explanation of the Charge

The Committee's responsibility to coordinate the Association's activities regarding international theological librarianship and to support individual libraries' and librarians' participation in those activities will include:

• Formulating and forwarding to the ATLA Board of Directors policy recommendations to guide ATLA's international involvement
• Fostering collaboration of mutual benefit with theological libraries, librarians, and library associations across the globe like cooperative efforts to document, preserve, and improve access to the theological literature of world Christianity
• Identifying specific needs of libraries abroad, e.g. expertise, training, materials, and equipment, that ATLA as an association or its individual and institutional members could address
• Investigating the most effective means that the Association or its libraries and librarians could employ to meet the needs identified above
• Identifying ways that ATLA as an association might encourage the administrations of member institutions to facilitate participation in the programs of international collaboration sponsored by ATLA

The Committee's responsibility to serve in a liaison capacity with international theological library associations will include:

• Initiating and monitoring communications with such associations
• Gathering information about the meetings and projects of these associations
• Providing reports to the ATLA Board and membership about international associations through official Board communications, the Newsletter, and website articles
• Contributing information about ATLA's international interests and involvement to these associations, newsletters and publications, and arranging for appropriate and effective ATLA representation at international meetings of these associations

The Committee's responsibility to plan ATLA conference activities related to international theological librarianship will include:

• Serving as official hosts for international visitors at ATLA's Annual Conference, e.g., providing hospitality, communication, and support, and
• Organizing, promoting, and monitoring Conference programs related to international relations

Membership of the Special Committee

• The membership of this Special Committee shall include at least one individual member of ATLA who has served no less than one month in a library outside the United States and Canada in the last three years.  In addition, as member of the ATLA Board of Directors will be appointed by the ATLA President to serve as liaison between this Special Committee and the Board.  Other committee Appointments will be made by the Executive Director as described in ATLA Bylaw 7.3