Governance Overview

GALILEO Governance Structure

June 17, 2016

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (University System) will retain ownership of the GALILEO program.

The permanent governance structure for the GALILEO program will consist of a GALILEO Steering Committee to manage the project, to recommend strategic direction, to prepare budgets, and to implement continuing evaluation procedures. The Academic Affairs division of the University System will advise the Steering Committee concerning strategic direction and budget guidelines.

The GALILEO Steering Committee will consist of the following 25 members:

  • RACL, current chair (to serve as Steering Committee chair also)
  • RACL, current chair-elect
  • RACL, immediate past chair
  • RACL, 5 at-large members, elected by full RACL membership
  • One representative (library director or designee) from each of the USG research universities:
    • Georgia State University
    • University of Georgia
    • Georgia Institute of Technology
    • Augusta University
  • Academic Affairs of the University System, 2 representatives: RACL Liaison/Executive Director of Library Services and the Assistant Director of GALILEO Support Services
  • Public Library Directors, 3 representatives, selected by the Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS)
  • The State Librarian of Georgia (or designee)
  • Representative from the Department of Education (K-12) and a K-12 public school media specialist selected by that representative
  • One representative from each consortium: Atlanta Higher Education Consortium / Atlanta-Macon Private Academic Libraries (AMPALS), Georgia Academic Private Libraries (GPALS), Georgia Public Library Service (GPLS), Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG), Georgia Independent Schools Association (GISA)

GALILEO Steering Committee member terms begin on July 1. Members representing GALILEO communities may begin the term on a different date by notifying the Steering Committee Chair well in advance. The at-large RACL representatives will serve two-year terms, although initial terms of one year may be established for some representatives to provide for a staggered membership rotation. Because of their role as research universities, the library directors (or their designees) at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, Augusta University, and the University of Georgia will serve as permanent members. Because of the GALILEO planning and administrative services provided by Academic Affairs of the University System, the Executive Director of Library Services/RACL Liaison and the Director of GALILEO Support Services will also serve as permanent members. If a permanent member of the GALILEO Steering Committee is elected to the Executive Committee of RACL, then the member will appoint a person to fill the permanent seat on the Steering Committee while the member is on the Executive Committee. All other Steering Committee members will serve one-year terms. The Steering Committee will meet as frequently as is necessary to address GALILEO management and budget issues. All meetings are open to all members of participating institutions.

The GALILEO Steering Committee will be authorized to appoint sub-committees and/or task-forces as may be necessary for the operation and development of the GALILEO program.

With the advice and consent of the GALILEO Steering Committee, Academic Affairs of the University System of Georgia will serve as the contracting authority for GALILEO to execute contracts and supervise contractors’ performances as a legal agent of the University System.

The University System, with the GALILEO Steering Committee as its agent, will provide the services of the GALILEO program to the University System’s academic community on a uniform basis.

The individual University System institutions and their libraries will be required to participate in the GALILEO program as defined by the GALILEO Steering Committee, including proper use of University System-provided equipment, access to licensed databases, contribution of local cataloging records to union catalogs, and compliance with interlibrary loan and universal borrower standards.

The GALILEO Steering Committee will provide internal procedures for the operation and evaluation of the existing GALILEO resources and services, for any training that may be necessary for the use of the GALILEO resources and services, and for the consideration of revisions to GALILEO resources and services, including the addition or discontinuation of licensed databases. These considerations of revisions to GALILEO services may also include an examination of the feasibility of incorporating other existing library automation or technology projects within the state that are compatible with the GALILEO program.

The GALILEO Steering Committee will be responsible for providing a budget recommendation to the Chancellor concerning the ongoing expenses of the GALILEO program, including the operation of the central GALILEO computer sites, the licenses for databases, training, and hardware or software upgrades.

With advice and consent of the GALILEO Steering Committee, Academic Affairs may establish contracts with other non-System institutions to provide access to some or all of the parts of the GALILEO program to those institutions. All ownership rights and responsibilities for the GALILEO program will remain with the University System. The costs of any extension of GALILEO services to external customers must be paid by the customer.

The GALILEO Steering Committee may define a minimum level of participation in the GALILEO program for external customers. This minimum level may include cooperation in interlibrary loan standards and contribution of local cataloging records to union catalogs.

  • Approved unanimously by RACL membership (April 25, 1996)
  • Revised and approved (April 4, 1997)
  • Revised and approved (April 16, 1998)
  • Revised and approved (October 21, 1998)
  • Revised and approved (October 25, 2000)
  • Revised and approved (June 15, 2012)
  • Revised and approved (June 17, 2016)
  • Revised and approved (August 25, 2017)
  • Revised and approved (April 21, 2023)

Related pages:

Regents Academic Committee on Libraries

GALILEO Steering Committee