Georgian Integrated Library & Information System (GILIS) Consortium was founded in 2000 based on signed Statement of Intent and Agreement between Georgian libraries and organizations and it operates according its bylaws within the Georgian Library Association. This implies legal support from the Association while (according to the bylaws) Consortium has different structure and autonomy in decision-making. 

Main goals of the Consortium are to coordinate activities of the members for the development and implementation of integrated library system (standards, regulations, software...) and providing access to electronic information sources for Georgian libraries.

Establishment of the Consortium was stimulated by meetings of Board of Directors and several round-tables of librarians devoted to the problems of libraries organized in 1999, principally concerning Information Technologies and standardization in Georgia. Consortium was based on common will to find solutions jointly, coordinate activities and share resources. Statement of Intent was signed by 15 libraries.

            Later in 2000 it was decided that it is not necessary (at least currently) to pass the procedures for formal registration of the Consortium as an independent NGO, but it would be better more effective to enclose it "under the umbrella" of the Georgian Library Association. The reasons for this decision were following: almost the same libraries were in both unions, Association will benefit from having effective body that will set strategies and coordinate projects in IT implementation, Consortium will also need to complement its goals with broader strategy for development of librarianship and libraries, management (not restricted to IT).

            Basing on these points we worked out our bylaws where we agree on collective statements for membership, structure, annual fees, decision-making procedures, project management rules, resource sharing and property, etc.

            Just to clarify some ideas: member of the Consortium is an organization (only collective membership, unlike Association) and is not necessarily member of the Association, the decision-making body for Consortium is a general meeting (bi-monthly), Executive director of the Consortium should be a member of the Association Board, Consortium appoints a management team for each project and decides on the delegation of the authority and resources (equipment, financial, etc.) for each joint project, decisions are made by ¾ of members voting. The Bylaws were signed by all collective members of the Consortium.

            At the same time Consortium elaborated the Conception for development of integrated library & information system for Georgian librares, which was adopted by September 2000.

Since then the number of Consortium Members has increased, great majority of them being the members of the Association as well. We discussed a need to reform a Consortium to independent legal body and agreed that present status is advantageous while in future it will be possible to make changes. List of libraries is attached.

            In fact main policies of Consortium are regulated based on 2 documents: Statement of Intentions and Bylaws.

             Currently the structure and governance of the Consortium is following:

                                                General Meeting

                                                Executive Director (I. Garibashvili)

 Current Project management teams

            "Georgian Bibliography on the Web"                             "eIFL-Direct Georgia"

                        L. Berdzenishvili (Coordinator)               E. Basilaia (Coordinator)

                        T. Chkhenkeli                                                       D. Butskhrikidze

                        I. Garibashvili                                                       T. Xaxutashvili

 Consortium currently has no paid staff but all responsibilities for consortium and project management are sanctioned to Executive director and Project Coordinators. They make regular reports on the General Meetings.