(Approved by the Board of Curators May 1, 1968)
- Revised October 23, 1969
- Revised April 17, 1974
- Revised April 22, 1981
- Revised November 4, 1994
(Approved by the Executive Committee of the Board of Governors of
McGill University, April 10, 1995)
I. Functions of the board
The Osler Library, (hereinafter, "the Library") is associated with
three different communities:
a) as a service to the McGill medical community, the Library needs
communication with, and advice from the Department of Social Studies of
Medicine in particular, and the Faculty of Medicine more generally,
especially with regard to services and facilities;
b) as a library within the McGill University Libraries, the Library
needs communication with the library system, particularly with regard
to its University appropriations, personnel policies and integration of
services and facilities with other McGill libraries;
c) as an institution with extra-mural support and responsibilities, the
Library needs communication with, and advice from individuals
representing a variety of interests, particularly with respect to the
disposition and use of private donations and other gifts, especially
Osler's bequest.
The Board of Curators (hereinafter, "the Board") is designed to embrace
these various commitments to and sources of support for the Library. So
constituted, the Board has three major functions:
i) to provide the main channel for communication by and participation
of persons from outside McGill;
ii) to provide a formal means for overseeing the disposition and use of
private donations and gifts;
iii) to define and to adjudicate the nature and extent of the Library's
responsibilities and the various interests it serves.
As far as these last two functions are concerned, it is clear that the
Board, as well as being advisory, is also a governing body of the
Library.
Under normal conditions, the Board will meet annually, on Osler Day.
However, a formal meeting may be called at any time by the Chair or by
a minimum of ten members.
II. Composition
a)Ex officio
- The Dean of Medicine, McGill University (as Chairperson, ex
officio)
- The Principal of McGill University
- The History of Medicine Librarian (hereafter referred to as "the
Librarian")
- The Life Sciences Librarian
- The Trenholme Director of Libraries
- The Director of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
b) Representatives
- A representative of the Osler Family selected by the other Curators
- A representative of the Department of Social Studies of Medicine
(appointed by the Department Chair - hereafter referred to as "the
Departmental representative")
- A medical student representative (appointed annually by the Medical
Student's Society of McGill)
- A representative of the McGill Medical Faculty (elected by the
Faculty for a five-year term)
c) Elected
In addition to the above, members may be elected upon nomination by any
member of the Board and acceptance by a two-thirds majority of the
Board on a mail vote, or by a two-thirds majority of those members of
the Board attending an official meeting. Members are elected for a term
of five years, but are eligible for re-election.
The purpose of elected membership is to allow the Board to add
individuals who can contribute special experience and perspectives on
broad policy matters affecting the Osler Library, especially its
extramural commitments. From time to time, for example, it may be
desirable to have representatives from such institutions as
l'Université de Montréal and local medical societies, as well as the
New York Academy of Medicine, American Osler Society, etc.
d) Standing Committee
There shall be a Standing Committee (hereafter, the "Committee") to
serve the Board as:
- an executive committee;
- a planning committee;
- the nominating committee;
and as
- an ad hoc committee to deal with any matters that are delegated to
it by the Board.
The Committee shall be composed of the Dean of Medicine, the Librarian
as Secretary to the Committee, the Departmental representative, the
Chair of the Friends of the Osler Library, and three local members of
the Board elected for a five-year term at an annual meeting, the Chair
of the Committee to be appointed, from among these members, by the
Dean.
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i) As an executive body, the Committee, primarily in the person of
the Committee Chair, will advise the Board Chair and/or the
Librarian on curatorial matters requiring a decision between annual
meetings. In the course of making such decisions, the Chair may
consult one or more members of the Committee but the Chair will be
answerable to the Board for all such executive decisions taken.
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ii) As a planning body, the Committee will meet from time to time
to discuss matters referred to it by the Board or the Librarian and
will make recommendations to the Board as it sees fit. Such
meetings will be open to other members of the Board as non-voting
participants.
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iii) The Committee will also make nominations and perform other
tasks assigned to it by the Board in the manner prescribed by the
Board or, in the absence of such instructions, according to
procedures established by the Committee Chair. In addition, the
Committee shall meet formally, at least once a year, before the
annual meeting of the Board, to review the agenda for, and to make
its report to that meeting. A member of the Committee shall also
serve the Board as its representative on the Health Sciences
Library Advisory Committee.
e) Honorary Osler Librarian
The Board may elect an Honorary Osler Librarian for whatever term of
office and under whatever conditions it sees fit.
III. Functions of the library
Osler's original description of the Library's purpose remains
unchanged. "The Library is to serve, as far as possible, two
functions - the education of students in the History and Methods of
Science and of Medicine, and to promote research into these
subjects." To this end the Library maintains a specialized
research collection in all aspects of the history of medicine and its
sciences.
In view of its size, importance, and uniqueness, the Library must
conceive its responsibilities on a national and international scale as
well as those demanded of any specialized research collection within
McGill University. The Library should maintain a collections policy
consonant with these responsibilities.
IV. The History of medicine librarian
a) Shall be appointed according to the Regulations Relating to the
Employment of Librarian Staff at McGill University, upon the joint
recommendation of the Director of Libraries and the Chair of the Board
of Curators.
To this end, a search committee will be struck, consisting of equal
numbers of members appointed by the Director of Libraries and the Chair
of the Board, and will be chaired by the Director or one of her or his
representatives. This committee will make its recommendations to the
Director and to the Chair of the Board. The Departmental representative
shall be a member of this search committee. Furthermore, before joining
the Director in recommending a candidate for the position, the Chair
shall obtain approval from the Board, as signified by two-thirds of the
Board in a mail vote, or by two-thirds of those attending an official
meeting of the Board.
b) Shall be responsible to the Life Sciences Librarian for the
administration of the Library and to the Board for those matters under
its jurisdiction as described in these "Guidelines".
c) Shall be Secretary to the Board of Curators, responsible for its
minutes, for an annual report to the Board, and for arranging its
annual meeting, including the establishment of the agenda, in
consultation with the Dean of Medicine and the Chair of the Standing
Committee.
d) Shall be Secretary to the Standing Committee of the Board.
e) Shall be generally responsible to the Board. It is understood that
this responsibility is discharged by being answerable to it for her or
his stewardship rather than by seeking its prior approval for her or
his decisions and actions, except where the Board's special concerns
explicitly require such approval.
f) To Sir William's original hope that the Librarian will have
scholarly attainments and an interest in the bibliography of the
history of medicine and its sciences is added the expectation that she
or he will have professional competence as a specialist librarian.
When, in the judgement of the Board, the History of Medicine Librarian
has attained high standards of excellence in these areas, the Board may
confer upon that individual the title of Osler Librarian.
V. Osler's books and manuscripts
a) Books from the original library bequeathed to McGill by Sir William
Osler will be subject to essentially the same rules as to custodial
care and security as apply to all other books in the collection with
the following exceptions:
- books clearly marked as being from Osler's original bequest will
not circulate;
- no item that is part of the original Bibliotheca
Oslerianamay be taken out of the University without the
permission of the Board.
b) The Board is the executor of Osler's literary remains. The Board
also holds copyright to other manuscript or archival materials formally
donated to or acquired by the Library, save in cases where the
conditions of gift or sale specifically state that copyright resides
elsewhere.
c) The Librarian may allow any person to examine any of Osler's
manuscripts, notebooks, etc., when satisfied of that person's
legitimate need and scholarly intentions.
d) The Librarian may also permit manual copying, photocopying,
microfilming, etc., of these materials for the same purposes, subject
to the conditions set forth in section (e) below, if satisfied that, in
processing them, suitable precautions against loss, theft, or physical
damage have been taken.
e) The Librarian may permit individuals to quote from these materials,
or from Osler's printed works, provided that due acknowledgment is
given to the Library. These quotations should be of such limited length
as to provide only documentation for the point which the author is
making and should not constitute the publication of a manuscript itself
or the wholesale, or partial reprinting of a published text, permission
for which must be sought from the Board (see section g below).
f) When in doubt, the Librarian may refer any request relating to
section (c), (d) or (e) for a decision by the Board.
g) Permission to publish the text of a manuscript, or to republish a
printed text for which the Board holds copyright, may only be granted
by the Board at an official meeting.
However, the Librarian, at her or his discretion, may grant permission
to publish an entire letter, or entire manuscript of short length, if
she or he judges the intent of publication to fall within the spirit of
section (e) above.
VI. The use of the Osler library
In accordance with Sir William Osler's original wishes, "the
Library is for the use of the members of the medical profession,
including of course medical students." In addition, the Librarian
may permit the use of the collection and Library facilities by anyone
who offers suitable evidence of a legitimate need and scholarly
intentions.
VII. Revisions
a) From time to time circumstances may necessitate ad hoc, temporary
deviations from these guidelines. Such changes can be made, on the
advice or approval of the Standing Committee but, if still in effect,
should be approved by a simple majority of those attending the next
official meeting of the Board along with a clear plan as to the time
and/or circumstances of their termination. If they are not to be
terminated, appropriate revisions to the Guidelines must be made, as
provided for in section b) following.
b) These Guidelines may be altered or augmented upon
agreement by two-thirds of the Curators, as determined by a mail vote,
or by two-thirds of the attending Curators at any official meeting.
