Statutes and Ordinances of the University of Cambridge
SPECIAL ORDINANCES UNDER STATUTE C
pp. 75–76
UNIVERSITY OFFICES AND EMPLOYMENT IN THE UNIVERSITY

SPECIAL ORDINANCE C (v):
The Librarian (Special Ordinance under Statute C VII)

1. There shall be in the University a Library Syndicate which shall have power to make rules for the management of the University Library, provided that such rules shall not be inconsistent with any Ordinance. The composition of the Library Syndicate and the manner of its appointment shall be determined by Ordinance from time to time.

2. The Librarian is placed under the direction of the Library Syndicate and shall act as Secretary to it. It shall be the duty of the Librarian

  1. (a)to be responsible for the management of the University Library in all respects as determined by Ordinance and by the rules made by the Library Syndicate;
  2. (b)to act as the General Board’s principal adviser on matters relating to libraries;
  3. (c)to be responsible, in consultation with the Registrary where appropriate, for the custody and arrangement in the Library of the University archives and of documents that are added thereto at the request of the Registrary or otherwise, provided that the Registrary shall be entitled to require the temporary deposit in the Registry of any document to which he or she may need to refer.

3. The Librarian shall be elected by a Board of Electors consisting of the Vice-Chancellor, or a duly appointed deputy, two persons appointed by the Council, three persons appointed by the General Board, and five persons appointed by the Library Syndicate. One at least of the Electors appointed by the General Board and one at least of those appointed by the Library Syndicate shall be persons who at the time of their appointment are not resident in the University nor officially connected with it, and three at least of the Electors appointed by the Library Syndicate shall be appointed from among the members of that Syndicate. The Secretary of the General Board, or a duly appointed deputy, shall be Secretary to the Board of Electors.

4. Electors shall be appointed in the Michaelmas Term to serve for four years from 1 January following their appointment.

5. If an Elector is or becomes a candidate for the office of Librarian he or she shall be disqualified from acting thereafter in the matter of that election, and the other Electors shall have power to act.

6. If an appointment to the Board of Electors is made after the Electors have first met to consider a vacancy in the office of Librarian, the Elector so appointed shall not have any vote in the election of the Librarian, but that Elector’s predecessor, if not a candidate for the office of Librarian, shall retain her or his right to vote in the election.

7. (a) When the Librarian is due under the Statutes to retire, the Vice-Chancellor shall report the fact to the Council and to the General Board in the Michaelmas Term, but not later than the division of that term, of the academical year next before the year at the end of which the retirement is due to take place.

(b) When it becomes known to the Vice-Chancellor that a vacancy has occurred or will occur in the Librarianship otherwise than by the holder’s becoming due under the Statutes to retire, the Vice- Chancellor shall report the fact to the Council and to the General Board at their next meetings.

8. Not later than the thirtieth day after reporting a vacancy or an expected vacancy in the Librarianship the Vice-Chancellor shall publish a Notice inviting applications to fill the vacancy; provided that the General Board shall have power to suspend the publication of such a Notice for any period not exceeding one year.

9. The Board of Electors shall have power to act notwithstanding one or more vacancies in the number of its members and shall have power to adjourn and generally to regulate its own procedure, provided that

  1. (a)no election shall be made earlier than the day following that on which the qualifications of the candidates have been considered in the first instance at a meeting of the Board;
  2. (b)no election shall be made unless two-thirds at least of the members of the Board (exclusive of any member disqualified by being a candidate) are present at the time of voting and a majority of the members present vote in favour.

10. The Board of Electors shall have power (a) to offer the Librarianship to a person who has not submitted an application for the office, provided that such a person’s qualifications have been considered at two meetings held on different days, and (b) to enquire whether any person or persons other than those who have submitted applications would accept the office if offered.

11. If at the end of two years from the date of publication under Section 8 of the Notice inviting applications for the Librarianship the Electors have been unable to make an election, the Librarian shall be appointed by the Chancellor or, if the office of Chancellor is vacant, by the High Steward.