Information Outlook, Vol 6, no. 3, March 2002
Why New Bylaws?
 | We are at a time both opportune and critical for our association to improve.
SLA's existing bylaws prevent us from being flexible and responsive to the changing needs of our current membership and obstruct our ability to seize opportunities to bring new collaborators into our network.
Networking is the greatest value that SLA offers. Our association is only valuable if the network is broad and deep. Declining membership and declining participation in various SLA activities dilutes our value because the fabric of our network is weakened. As an association we need to focus on the big picture to retain current members and recruit new ones.
|
This is the message that I have heard loud and clear from my chapter visits, and I believe it is my responsibility to use my time as president to focus on this initiative to streamline so that we can focus on what is important and not on how we do things. Today we are not the responsive association John Cotton Dana helped found; we have become the bureaucracy it was founded to counter.
Since changing bylaws is a time-consuming and expensive process, we need to use the opportunity to make changes that will free us in the future to act flexibly rather than just change those things that we are sure need changing today. There are also certain additions to the bylaws document, not only to bring us into compliance with the laws of the state of New York where we are incorporated, but also to position us to take advantage of future legal changes when they happen.
When the bylaws changes were introduced at the SLA Winter Meeting, the leadership from divisions, chapters, and committees in attendance brought up concerns important to them. The board is reflecting on these and will be presenting a revised document based on member feedback. If you have any improvements or concerns to raise, make sure we hear them. Please watch the SLA Web site for documents concerning the changes in governance that are being proposed. Come to the Annual Business Meeting to vote on whether the bylaws changes are to be sent out to the general membership for ratification by mail ballot. Help us move toward the future in putting knowledge to work.
Hope N. Tillman, SLA President
RSS
Feedback form
