PRACTICES FOR CAUCUSES

It is the practice of the Special Libraries Association to have Guidelines for Caucuses.

To enhance the value of membership through offering affiliation in a Caucus.

DEFINITION OF A CAUCUS: A Caucus is an informal group within Special Libraries Association intended to serve as a focus for the interaction of members who share a common interest not covered by any Association Division or Committee.

TO ESTABLISH A CAUCUS: A Caucus may be approved by the SLA Board of Directors under the following conditions:

A. That a petition is submitted to the Board for the formation of the Caucus, including a statement of the area of interest of the Caucus, containing the signatures of at least fifteen (15) individual members of the Association.

B. That the area of interest does not fall within the scope of any one Division and does not conflict with any other established unit of the Association.

C. That the area of interest of the Caucus is consistent with the Association's goals, objectives an policy statements.

D. That the initial period of authorization for a Caucus shall be for no more than two (2) years, and that reauthorizations by the SLA Board of Directors, when requested by the current Convener, shall be for three (3) years each. In relation to Caucuses, a year shall be defined as a calendar year, thus making the term of the original authorization until the second Winter Meeting after establishment.

ANNOUNCING A CAUCUS:

A. Since the intent of the Caucus structure is to be rather fluid, it is not reasonable to expect the SLA membership brochure, promotional material and the renewal invoice reflect changes immediately.

B. An announcement of new Caucuses authorized by the Board of Directors shall be printed in Information Outlook as soon as practicable after authorization so that Association members may join if they wish.

C. Twice each year a list of the currently established Caucuses shall be printed in Information Outlook so that Association members may see which ones they may wish to join.

D. A Caucus may announce its availability in other ways also, if it chooses to do so:

1. Posting notices on bulletin boards at Annual Conferences.

2. Submitting items and articles to be considered for any appropriate publication of SLA, including Chapter and Division Bulletins, keeping in mind that, in all cases, their inclusion is a voluntary decision by the editor.

MEMBERSHIP IN A CAUCUS:

A. Membership in a Caucus is not included in the regular Association dues.

B. Only individual members o the Association may join a Caucus.

C. A member may join a Caucus by sending the annual fee and a written request to be added to that Caucus' membership roster to the Membership Development Department of the Association Office.

D. The fee for joining each Caucus shall be equal to two-thirds of the fee for an additional Division or Chapter affiliation (or $12 in 1999), and shall not be prorated through the year, nor shall any portion of the fee be refunded for any reason including the dissolution of the Caucus.

E. Membership cannot be transferred between Caucuses during the year. Each new Caucus affiliation will require a separate fee.

DISSOLVING A CAUCUS: A caucus will be dissolved under any one of the following conditions:

A. At the end of its term of authorization unless granted a reauthorization by the SLA Board of Directors.

B. By the will of its members and Convener as expressed in a letter to the Board of Directors.

C. By failure of the Convener to submit an Annual Report by December 31st each year, or to request an extension for good cause.

D. By failure to maintain a membership of at least fifteen (15) fee-paid members as of each December 31st as indicated by SLA membership records.

E. By action of the SLA Board of Directors for one of the following reasons:

1. The Caucus has flagrantly abused any established SLA guidelines and policies, especially the Conference Guidelines.

2. The Board has determined that a particular Caucus is no longer relevant to the goals of the Association.

CONVENER:

A. The only required office within a Caucus shall be that of Convener.

B. A convener shall be chosen from among the members of a Caucus by any method those members shall choose: election, appointment, volunteer, etc.

C. The term of office of a Convener shall be until a successor is chosen or the Caucus is dissolved. The former Convener shall be required to communicate the name, address, and date of assumption of office of the new Convener to the Association Office (this is to keep the lines of authority as clear as possible).

D. It is recommended that the selection of a new Convener be done between late Spring and the end of the Annual Conference so that the new Convener's name and address can be listed along with the Caucus in the Association's annual membership directory.

ALLOTMENTS AND FINANCES

A. A Caucus shall receive an annual budget allotment of one-half of the annual fee per Caucus member ($6 per member in 1999) or $75 whichever is greater.

1. This amount is intended to cover the ordinary expenses of a Caucus including communication with members and/or activities at Conferences, etc.

2. All funds for a Caucus shall be disbursed or reimbursed by the Association Office upon written authorization from the Convener of the Caucus.

3. It is the responsibility of the Convener to keep track of the total of authorized expenditures submitted to the Association Office for reimbursement or disbursement so that Caucus funds are not overspent during the fiscal year.

4. Unspent funds will revert to the Association at the end of each fiscal year.

B. A Caucus may submit a budget request for funds beyond its normal allotment in the coming year by following the established budgeting procedures of the Association.

C. A Caucus is not allowed to seek, solicit, or raise outside donations of funds, goods, or services from individuals, organizations, or vendors without specific permission from the Board of Directors. Such permission must be sought through the established procedures for making requests from the Board, should provide detailed information on the proposed project, and should meet all applicable guidelines and deadlines.

D. A Caucus may submit proposals for Special Project Fund Grants. Such requests are subject to the policies and procedures governing the awarding of such Grants.

ANNUAL REPORTS:

A. An Annual Report of each Caucus' activities shall be prepared by the Convener and submitted by December 31st each year to the Managing Director, Leadership and the association's Past President who shall serve as Board Proctor for all Caucuses.

B. Failure to submit an Annual Report by December 31st each year or request an extension for good cause shall result in the automatic dissolution of the Caucus at the Fall Board of Directors Meeting.

ASSOCIATION OFFICE AND CAUCUSES

A. The position of Managing Director, Leaderhship shall serve as the Association Office contact for all Caucuses.

B. The Convener of a Caucus will receive a membership printout for that Caucus from the Association Office on a regular basis similar to that for Chapters and Divisions.

C. The Convener of a Caucus may receive mailing labels for the members of the Caucus by requesting them in writing from the Leadership Associate at the association Office and allowing three(3) weeks for delivery.

D. The Convener of a Caucus shall receive such other materials and communications from the Association Office as may relate to the operations and concerns of Caucuses within the Association.

CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES:

A. It is not intended that a Caucus should sponsor programs or field trips at SLA Annual Conferences in direct competition with Divisions and the Conference Committee. A Caucus may, however, co-sponsor a program with a Division or Association-level Committee.

B. One time period at each Annual Conference to be designated for the activities of Caucuses will be chosen by the Conference Committee.

1. The Association will provide each currently recognized Caucus with an assigned meeting room during that time period.

2. Any costs for audio/visual or other equipment must be borne by the Caucus, although such equipment should be arranged or through the regular Conference planning process.

3. If a Caucus does want to meet at an Annual Conference, the convener should so notify the Association Office staff so that the room will be assigned and a brief announcement of the meeting will appear in the Conference Program.

4. If a Caucus does not wish to meet at an Annual Conference, the Convener must so notify the association Office staff in writing.

5. If a Caucus wishes to plan any formal activity for its members during its time period at an Annual Conference, the convener or other plan must conform to all requirements of SLA's Conference Guidelines. In addition, the Convener or other planner should make every effort to participate in the various formal Conference planning meetings which usually begin two years ahead of the Conference in question.

PUBLICATIONS:

A. A Caucus is not required to publish any sort of bulletin, newsletter or other regular publication.

1. Communications among members should be kept as informal as possible. It is expected that the main method of communication among members of a Caucus shall be personal correspondence.

2. The cost or any formal means of communication such as bulletins, newsletters, etc. shall be covered from the Caucus' annual allotment.

B. If a bulletin or newsletter is produced, one copy must be mailed to each Caucus member in good standing and to each member of the Board of Directors. In addition, three copies must be mailed to the association Office for archival purposes.

C. By Board action, each issue of a bulletin or newsletter must include the following disclaimer: