Amendments

Chapter opening policy

1. Setup unit in all countries
2. Develop as a Chapter with additional responsibilities
Noolaham Foundation Chapters are legally entitled in the UK, Canada, Australia, and Norway. Some of the chapters have been formed in the USA, France, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands, Singapore, Malaysia within the Noolaham Foundation network. These structures will be expected to form in other countries also. The present policy is meant for the network to better understand this concept and to assess the steps by which to achieve the Noolaham Foundation Goal, based on an analysis of experiences shared by Noolaham Foundation board members. Firstly, explores the meaning and definition of “Noolaham Advocacy”, as also seen through the lens of different fund collection systems in other countries. It then presents and analyses existing examples of good practices of Noolaham Advocacy in a number of countries, grouped according to one of the three dimensions: the legislative dimension, the financial dimension or and the policy dimension. These examples can serve to inspire, build confidence and to teach, as well as to be (adapted and) replicated in other countries, depending on the context. The main goal of this policy is to facilitate advocacy, the expansion of activities, information and fund collections to stimulate and encourage discussion among the Governance Board members and to give a top-down definition or to suggest one unique model for all the countries.

Fundraising and mobilization Chapters' primary responsibility shall be fundraising and mobilization of members: Fundraising for Friends of Noolaham Specific project-based fundraising Project partnership-based funding One-off donations (individual and/or organization) In-kind donation (equipment, server, etc) Institutional partnership and funding, i.e. UTSC, UCLA, etc

Chapters could spend upto 10% of the raised funds towards Chapter programs/projects (and not operations).

Fund management
1) For registered chapters: Organizational bank account creation Paypal Donorbox Signatory Fund transfer (monthly)
2) For non-registered chapters: Through another organization Ex: Manitha Neyam Trust, Direct transfer to Sri Lankan Bank account,

Operations
A new chapter setup process A Chapter shall be composed of a Mentor, Co-mentor, Members, and contributors. A Mentor and a Co-mentor shall be assigned from the Board to coordinate a Chapter’s operations. Chapter Mentor. The selection process -- Brick system Provide feedback regarding the country specific fundraising model Chapter-based responsibilities. Finance, fundraising, mobilisation Ensure the planned monthly cash flow and transfer Check, review, and maintain bank balance on monthly basis Collections Communications and outreach

Chapter Co-Mentor

A chapter member. How to join? Responsibilities. Mentors shall introduce new Chapter Members.

A chapter member shall mobilize a minimum of 10 members to Noolaham Foundation who can contribute monthly. (Please refer to the country-specific contribution document for more details on amounts; the monthly contribution amount is reflective of the hourly minimum wage of the respective country). Chapter Members shall monitor and ensure acknowledgment letters and receipts are being sent to the contributors. Chapter Members shall support the Noolaham Foundation staff to maintain the relationship with the contributors. Chapter Members shall identify new and/or existing collections and conduct outreach to diaspora individuals and organizations in order to develop Noolaham’s work. Only Chapter Mentors have the authority to make decisions pertaining to Chapter operations. A Chapter Member could contribute to Noolaham Foundation’s programs and projects directly by contacting the respective program or project Mentor or Co-mentor. Chapter meetings shall be held on a quarterly basis (according to the needs of the specific Chapter). The Finance Sector lead shall organize the meeting and the Chapter Mentors and Members, Resource Mobilisation Mentors, and the CEO shall be present in the meetings. The Finance Sector lead shall share an agenda for each meeting in advance and be responsible for recording minutes, and the meeting minutes shall be shared via the respective email thread within a day.

Programs and projects A Chapter shall engage in programs and projects to document and archive their respective country-specific diaspora histories, i.e. oral history recording, organizing archival-related meetings, writing biographies, etc. All other programs and projects are managed and facilitated by Noolaham Foundation.

Communications A Chapter could organize promotional events and related activities. Chapter Members could outreach to individuals and potential members through their personal and professional networks. Chapter Members could organize outreach and promotional meetings with interested individuals and organizations in the respective countries. A summary of the meeting/event shall be shared in the respective Chapter email thread within a day (including photographs if applicable). Any other form of communication shall be processed through Noolaham Foundation. For example, designing a flyer or a publication shall be consulted and processed through the Communications Process team at Noolaham Foundation.

Research based Documentation policy

Noolahan Foundation Research Partner Program
Noolaham Foundation supports learning, teaching and research through creating collections on specific themes, documentation, reference services, research support services, collaborative scholarly publishing, tools, capacity building and technology solutions. A core part of Noolaham’s objective is to support researchers at all levels. Noolaham supports independent as well as affiliated researchers. Noolaham Foundation’s Research Partner Service provides advanced support to researchers throughout the life cycle of their research.

Noolaham Foundation provides the following services to Research Partners:
Research Support Services Bibliographic search - we will assist in conducting a bibliographic search of books, journal articles, audio/visual materials, and datasets relevant to the research. Help obtain items such as journal articles and works not available in Noolaham Research consultation with scholars or subject experts Multimedia Documentation/Field Research Services Oral History Recording Field Documentation (photography, videography) Field Data Collection Digitization and Digital Preservation Services We will digitize, and where appropriate digitally preserve and make accessible materials researchers need for their research. Research Skills/Research Assistant (RA) training: Volunteer librarians/scholars will work with you or your Research Assistants to ensure that you/they have the research skills to support your work. Research Data Management We will help you develop a research data management plan, as well as help you publish/steward your research data for the long term. Technical Support We will collaborate with you or assist you in developing scripts, visualization etc to conduct your research. Scholarly Publishing Support We will assist you with publishing your research outputs in journals/magazines as well as via other publications such as books. Popularizing Research through Mainstream Media Get help from NF Field Researchers Network

Criteria for Research Partners
Noolaham Foundation is committed to supporting research that is conducted in line with scholarly ethics and accessible to the public. Noolaham Foundation only accepts Research Partners who share this vision. Thus, we are committed to publishing the research data, research software as well as scholarly outputs under open access guidelines, while taking steps to protect privacy/safety and copyrights. We welcome proposals from research partners on topics and themes that concern the Sri Lankan Tamil-speaking communities. We will give preference to research that is conducted in Tamil, in Sri Lanka, and research related to special collections that either has been developed or will be by Noolaham Foundation: LGBTQ+, Anti-Caste Struggle, Muslim, Women, Minorities of North East, Upcountry, Costal Vedas Archives. Noolaham Foundation will not provide input or take responsibility with respect to research content or analysis. The scope of the support will be determined on a case-by-case basis taking into consideration the need and potential impact of particular research projects.

Expectations from the Researcher
Researchers will provide a copy of their research outputs to be made openly accessible, including the following:

• Bibliography/citations related to research according to library standards
  
• Research data, including field notes, datasets, media etc.
  
• Software, including visualization/map/electronic notebooks specifically developed for the research
  
• Publications such as journal/magazine articles, books
  
• Recording of workshops, events related to research
  

The researcher appropriately recognizes Noolaham Foundation’s contribution in their publications and communications. We welcome if the researcher can provide mentorship to up and coming researchers; however, this is not mandatory. References

• Research partner and search methodology expert: the role of the librarian in systematic reviews
  
• A New Partner in the Process: The Role of a Librarian on a Faculty Research Team

Diversity Reporting Template

1. Collections Acquisitions When accessing materials or collections for acquisitions (including print and multimedia), the staff member who is responsible for the assessment shall ensure to complete the diversity matrix [prepare a matrix in consultation with the mentors]. Develop special collections Develop existing and new special collections to ensure and solidify diversity in the collections of Noolaham. Metadata creation The metadata creation staff shall ensure diversity in their use of controlled vocabularies and descriptions at all levels - collection, file, and item-level metadata. Information architecture The information architecture of Noolaham and Aavanaham sites shall be modified to reflect and provide easy access to diversity-related collections and materials.

Field research Establish a diversity committee with a minimum of five individuals from diverse backgrounds to ensure equity in representation. All new major research projects shall consult with the diversity committee and obtain their approval prior to field research.

Evaluation Diversity shall be ensured at all levels by all staff members during the collection and collection development process. Upon completion of each project, a diversity assessment report shall be prepared by the Project Lead. A biannual evaluation across Noolaham’s collections and projects shall be carried out by the Program Manager and a diversity assessment report shall be prepared and presented to the Board.

2. Human Resources

Recruitment Ensure diversity in the interview panel, selection of candidates, and hiring new employees. Job vacancy notice - include a statement of diversity Assessment of diversity in the workplace A biannual assessment related to diversity in all sectors and levels of the organization shall be performed by the CEO and a report shall be submitted to the report. Diversity training A diversity training as part of the induction to Noolaham for new employees shall be carried out by the hiring managers in accordance with Noolaham Foundation’s Diversity Manual. Create NF Diversity Manual (basic and sector-specific training) Create Noolaham’s Diversity Matrix 3. Governance Board New members to the Governance Board (Grey or Regulatory Boards) shall be selected following an assessment of Noolaham’s Diversity Matrix to ensure diversity in the leadership level. Include diversity as part of the Brick system. 4. Partnerships and collaborations Organize partnerships and collaborations with organizations/groups that advocate for diversity and invite them to facilitate workshops to Noolaham staff, project/process mentors, and Board members. 5. Communications and promotional activities All Noolaham communication and promotional materials (print and multimedia) shall be assessed for diversity and diverse vocabulary before publications. 6. Programs and Projects All programs and projects shall be assessed for diversity and diversity-related topics. Findings from research and other projects and or any concerns raised regarding diversity issues shall be addressed in due course.