Charter

1. Name

The name of the organisation shall be Porta Historica. A Network of Institutions Editing Historical Sources.

2. Objective

The Network shall bring together, at the international level, institutions that play a national or international role in facilitating historical research by editing and publishing (in print or digitally) historical sources in a broad sense (editions, reference works, databases etc.). The object of the Network shall be to promote cooperation among these institutions and to increase their expertise.

3. Members

Membership shall be open to institutions that are active nationally or internationally in the area of facilitating historical research as referred to in clause 2 and that accept the Charter of the Network. The board shall decide whether or not to admit an institution as a member of the Network.

4. Board

4.1. The Network shall have a board consisting of five representatives of different members and different countries. They shall be elected by and from among the members of the Network. The term of office for a member of the board shall be three years. A member of the board shall be eligible for re-election at the end of this period.

4.2. The chair shall be elected annually by and from among the members of the board. The chair shall be eligible for re-election.

4.3. The board shall promote and stimulate the development and the activities of the Network. It shall draw up a programme of activities and shall supervise the activities of the Network.

4.4. The board shall report to the members on the activities and the status of the Network at the Network's annual meeting. It may make recommendations regarding the development and the activities of the Network.

4.5. The board shall set up committees to carry out specific tasks, including committees to:

- make the necessary preparations for the annual meeting. This committee shall consist of the member of the Network that will be hosting the annual meeting and the member that organised the previous annual meeting;

- manage the content of and provide support for the website. This committee shall consist of the member responsible for managing the website and a further two members.

4.6. The board shall arrange its own activities.

5. Finances

For so long as the Network does not have its own financial resources, its activities shall be carried out on a decentralised basis. This means that activities shall be carried out by the members of the Network in turn.

 
6. Activities

The Network shall in any event engage in the following activities:

6.1. A meeting for members and other interested parties shall be organised each year. During this annual meeting, there shall also be an internal meeting at which the board will report as referred to in clause 4.4.

6.2. The institution that hosts the annual meeting is responsible for its organisation, in consultation with the academic Secretary (see clause 8).

6.3. Activities shall be developed in the area of the exchange of information and expertise.

6.4. The Network shall strive to set up and carry out joint projects.

 
7. Common language

The common language of the Network shall be English.

 
8. Academic secretary

8.1. The Network shall have an academic Secretary. The Secretary shall support the Network by promoting the exchange of information and by assisting with the organisation of the activities of the Network. The position of Secretary shall be filled on a rotating basis by one representative of the members for a period of three years. The Secretary shall be appointed by the members of the Network, on the proposal of the Board. The Secretary may be reappointed at the end of his or her term of office.

8.2. The academic Secretary shall participate in meetings of the board ex officio.

 
9. Website

The Network shall raise its profile by means of a website. This shall support the aims of the Network. The website shall in any event contain information about the Network and its activities, and shall be managed by one of the members for a period of three years. The member that shall be responsible for managing the website shall be appointed by the members of the Network, on proposal of the Board. The member that manages the website may be appointed again.

 
10. Amendment of the Charter

The Charter of the Network may be amended by a majority of the votes cast by the members at the internal meeting as referred to in clause 6.1.


11. Transitional provision

While the Network is being established and developed, the following provisions shall apply:

- up to and including the annual meeting in 2010, the board of the Network shall consist of the following representatives of the institutions that established the Network:

* Jacques Berlioz, École Nationale des Chartes (Paris);

* Donald Haks, Institute of Netherlands History (The Hague);

* Thérèse de Hemptinne, Commission Royale d’Histoire/Koninklijke Commissie voor Geschiedenis (Brussels);

* Helmut Reimitz, Institut für Mittelalterforschung (Vienna);

* Jane Winters, Institute of Historical Research (London).

- elected as Chair of the board was Donald Haks.

- up to and including the annual meeting in 2010, Eef Dijkhof, Institute of Netherlands History (The Hague) shall act as an Academic Secretary.

- up to and including the annual meeting in 2010, the Institute of Netherlands History (The Hague) shall be responsible for managing the website.