The Innovative Users Group, often abbreviated as "IUG", is an independent organization of libraries who use Innovative Interfaces, Inc.'s integrated library system

Integrated library system

An integrated library system , also known as a library management system ,is an enterprise resource planning system for a library, used to track items owned, orders made, bills paid, and patrons who have borrowed....

 software. According to its bylaws, the IUG's purpose is to:

1. serve as a forum to influence the development and improvement of Innovative Interfaces, Inc. (hereafter III) products for the benefit of IUG members;
2. foster and improve relationships and communication among members, and between members and III; and
3. gather and disseminate information on the use of III products among the users of the systems.

Annual conference

The IUG hosts a three-day conference (plus a one-day pre-conference) every spring. Approximately two-thirds to three-quarters of the sessions are presented by speakers from IUG member institutions, with the remainder being held by presenters from Innovative Interfaces. The sessions vary in nature and scope, from structured "how-to" sessions to open forums at which members share ideas and information about whatever is on their minds.

The conference moves around from year to year, alternating between sites in the San Francisco Bay Area

San Francisco Bay Area

The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...

 and other locations throughout the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Past locations have included Boston

Boston

Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...

, Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

, Houston and Philadelphia. The 2010 conference will be held in Chicago

Chicago

Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

.

Enhancements

Due to the diverse natures of the libraries

Library

In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...

 using Innovative's software, and the rapid development of other computing technologies, there is an ongoing flow of requests for enhancements and upgrades to the various pieces of software Innovative sells. In order to keep this flow of requests manageable, the IUG has set up a process for submitting, evaluating and prioritizing desired enhancements, then submitting these requests to Innovative. In turn, Innovative makes a point of trying to incorporate enhancements from the IUG in their release upgrades.

Listserv

The IUG maintains a very active listserv

Electronic mailing list

An electronic mailing list is a special usage of email that allows for widespread distribution of information to many Internet users. It is similar to a traditional mailing list — a list of names and addresses — as might be kept by an organization for sending publications to...

along with a searchable list archive.

Clearinghouse

The IUG Clearinghouse is a repository for member-written documentation and examples of specific implementations and solutions to issues or problems.

Regional groups

In addition to the main Innovative Users Group, there are numerous independent regional and special interest groups. Some of these groups include:

• The Middle East/North Africa IUG
• IUG South Africa
• The Australasian IUG
• Hong Kong IUG
• European IUG
• Irish IUG
• Eastern Canada IUG
• III Ottawa/Montreal Users Group
• Western Canada IUG
• Numerous regional groups in the United States
• Innovative Law Users Group
• New England Innovative Law Users Group
• INNOPAC Music Users Group
• Innovative Interfaces Public Library Users Group (Metropolitan New York Area)
• INN-Reach Users Group
• INNOPAC-Datatel Users Group

Leadership

The IUG is run by the member-elected Steering Committee, which consists of the Chair, Vice Chair/Chair Elect, Past Chair, Secretary/Treasurer and five Members at Large. There is also an ad hoc position for a Financial Consultant.

Steering Committee Duties

• The Chair is the head of the IUG, and responsible for overseeing the ongoing activities for the IUG. The Chair also serves as the IUG's primary point of contact with Innovative.
• The Vice Chair/Chair Elect assists the Chair in managing the IUG. Traditionally, the Vice Chair is also the Chair of the Program Committee for the annual conference.
• The Secretary/Treasurer keeps minutes from meetings and helps manage finances with the Financial Consultant.
• Members-at-large are responsible for overseeing the Enhancements process, managing the Clearinghouse and working with the regional and special interest groups.

Elections

The Steering Committee is elected by the IUG membership, with each member institution getting one vote for each open position. The secretary/treasurer and the members-at-large serve two-year terms. The Vice Chair/Chair-Elect is chosen annually, serving one year each as Vice Chair, Chair and Past Chair.

External links

• Innovative Users Group home page
• The IUG on LinkedIn
• The IUG on Facebook