ASSOCIATION OFFICE OPERATIONS COMMITTEE

It is the Policy of the special Libraries Association to have a standing committee of the Board of Directors having the responsibility for advising and directing the Executive Director on matters pertaining to the operations of Headquarters.

To ensure that the Headquarter's operations remain focused on the Association's mission, goals, and objectives. AOOC provides oversight responsibility which includes guidance, approval, and a forum for discussion on administrative and operational matters.

A. Charge (Revised by Committee on Committees in January 1998)

Five members of the Board of Directors: the President, Past President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer, with the President serving as Chair.

The Committee shall: 1) provide review, guidance, and oversight for the overall operations of the Association Office; 2) conduct the annual performance review of the Executive Director; 3) initiate proposals regarding the Executive Director's employment contract; 4) initiate proposals for adjusting the Executive Director's compensation package; 5) recommend salary plan, employee benefits policies, and personnel policies for Association Office staff; and 6) have oversight for SLA's Employee Benefit Plans.

B. Procedures

Personnel

a. Job descriptions and salary ranges for all employees, including any at locations other than the Washington, DC office. The Executive Director is authorized in consultation with the President, to adjust position descriptions, job grades, salary ranges, salary increase plans, and other aspects of the salary program within the current number of authorized positions and the current budget for salaries and benefits, and the salary program is reviewed annually at the Spring meeting of the AOOC.

b. Performance Evaluation of the Executive Director annually. The evaluation and recommended salary change are agreed upon by AOOC, followed up by a discussion with the Executive Director. The President shall solicit input from all Board members prior to the Annual Review.

c. Employee benefit provisions, including retirement and health insurance programs. Ordinarily, these benefits are reviewed whenever the Executive Director finds that changes are needed or when insurers announce significant changes in the terms of their coverage.

d. Personnel policies, including the text of the SLA Employee Manual. These are normally reviewed when the Executive Director contemplates substantive changes requiring approval of the Board of Directors.

2. Physical Facilities

a. Location and amount of space for staff operations. AOOC ensures, in cooperation with the Executive Director, that adequate space is available in a suitable location for carrying out the functions, responsibilities and activities of the Association.

b. Adequacy of space provided for staff operations. This review is undertaken when the Executive Director feels that substantial changes in the arrangement of the existing office space is required to maintain efficient operations.

c. Major equipment and furniture requirements. Such reviews are normally undertaken when recommendations are made by the Executive Director for additional capital items.

3. Operations

a. Questions of policy and operations presented by the Executive Director. Normally the Executive Director refers only those questions that will have the effect of changing or adding policy or significantly modifying normal operations and which should, therefore, be considered by the Board of Directors.

b. Undertake specific inquiry into any activity on its won initiative. Such inquiry may result in either a recommendation for action to the Executive Director or the Board of Directors.

4. Meetings

Normally the Committee meets twice a year: (a) One month prior to the Fall Meeting of the Board of Directors. The agenda includes consideration of budget items for the next fiscal year. The agenda also includes the annual performance evaluation of the Executive Director, preparation of a recommendation regarding a merit increase for the Executive Director, a status report on personnel and operations by the Executive Director and (b) one month prior to the Annual Conference.

5. Committee Files

a. The official files of the Committee are held by the Chair. Normally, five years of files are adequate for the Chair's needs, plus the current year.

b. As each Chair passes on five years of files to their successor, the Chair weeds the remaining older files for duplicates and confidential materials and then sends the files to the Executive Director for inclusion in SLA Archives. (It should be remembered that what might have been confidential at the time of writing may no longer be confidential five years later.)

6. Committee Recommendations

Recommendations for action are made to the Board of Directors. Those pertaining to salaries shall be submitted in time to allow preparation of the budget for the next year. Normally this means that the matter is considered by the Board of Directors at the Annual Conference and inclusion of a sum is directed in the preparation of the budget to be considered at the following Fall Board meeting.

The President of the Association serves as the Chair of the committee with support and assistance provided by the Executive Director.

Amended: January 1998
Approved: October 23, 1989
Supersedes: January 1977