Affirmative Action Chair
The chapter president should appoint an Affirmative Action Committee and/or chair. These should be individuals who have an interest in ethnic minority concerns relevant to present and potential special librarians and information professionals. The chair will work with the Association Affirmative Action Committee, acting as a representative that will aid affirmative action programs at the chapter level.
The committee should attempt to represent the profession by participating in and/or promoting the following suggested ideas: career day activities (high school and/or college levels), awareness programs, library school presentations, and mentoring projects.
The chair should communicate interests and concerns to the Association Affirmative Action Committee. A written report summarizing their activities for the past year should be submitted to the Association Affirmative Action Committee chair no later than April 15th of each year.
Archivist
Each chapter shall maintain archives. A chapter group may elect either to maintain its own archives or to contribute material to the chapter archives. Since chapters and their groups are part of the Special Libraries Association, all archives are, ultimately, the property of the Association.
Chapters should treat their archival material with the highest level of professional competence.
For housing of archives, archivist, retention schedules, transfer of materials to archivist, organization of archives, filing of archives, and microfilming see the archivist guidelines available through the Manager of the Information Resources Center at the association office.
Bulletin Editor
The bulletin editor is responsible for the content, production, printing, and mailing of the chapter bulletin at regular, established intervals. The Bulletin Editors handbook provides specific information about legal and tax considerations; bulletin contents; editing, production, and design; and mailing.
The bulletin editor is responsible to the chapter president, as well as the editorial committee (if such exists). The bulletin editor should understand the activities of the chapter and SLA and be acquainted with the interests of the members. If the chapter has a defined editorial policy, it must be adhered to in all respects. The editor's annual report must be submitted to the president (copies must also be sent to the secretary, treasurer, and archivist).
The bulletin editor should meet with the executive committee and the finance committee early in the year to be sure that specific questions have been settled for the coming year and that the editor understands how much money is to be used for the bulletin. A budget should be prepared and followed. SLA's Manager, Serial Publications is available to assist bulletin editors with technical questions. Additional information is provided in the Bulletin Editors Handbook.
Consultation Chair
The Special Libraries Association offers a Consultation Service through its chapters to provide assistance to management for the solution of information problems in industry, government, educational institutions, and other organizations. The Consultation Service often includes working with existing information centers or libraries to evaluate services now performed or new services. Such help may include recommendations for the handling and transferring of information and for the planning and selection of information services. The Consultation Service also includes working with organizations that are in the initial stages of establishing library or information services.
The Association's Consultation Service Committee coordinates the Consultation Service activities of the chapters. The committee keeps the procedures up-to-date and issues directives as needed on the Consultation Service.
Depending on the volume of chapter consultation activity, the president shall make one of the following annual appointments:
- A three-member consultation committee, the chair to be known as the chapter consultation officer (CCO).
- One member to the position of chapter consultation officer (CCO).
If a committee is appointed, other members might be the employment officer and a past president. The CCO may call upon any capable member who is knowledgeable in the subject field of the consulting assignment to assist with a chapter consultation.
The CCO should be fully aware of all the functions of the Association's Consultation Service. All referrals or requests for chapter consultation service shall be directed to the CCO. An inquiry may be handled by the CCO, or the CCO may select a competent member to follow-up, making sure the inquiring organization received the assistance it requested. A follow-up letter is recommended.
The CCO is the chapter's liaison with the Association's Consultation Service Committee and shall attend the Consultation Service meeting held at the Annual Conference or appoint a representative to attend.
Prior to the Annual Conference, each CCO shall report on the chapter's consultation activities as requested by the Association's Consultation Service Committee. The report should include the number and nature of contacts and the services rendered. A copy of the same report should be given to the chapter president.
Due to the confidential nature of the client-consultant relationship, such CCO reports should not be generally distributed or published in the chapter bulletin. The CCO reports are for the statistical use by the president and the Association's Consultation Service Committee chair.
Employment and Career Chair
The chapter president may appoint a chapter employment officer to meet the needs of the Association members and of employers who are seeking library and information personnel. As a chapter activity, this position administers the functions and events by:
- maintaining contact with local employers in response to requests for personnel, and
- assisting members looking for employment in that chapter's area.
The chapter employment service should maintain contact with local employers in response to requests for personnel and assist members looking for employment in that chapter's area. Some chapters offer more extensive employment services including the operation of a telephone jobline.
Other employment services available through the association office include:
- Resume Evaluation Service - A fee-based service designed to help members with resume writing.
- "Getting a Job: Tips and Techniques": - A resource guide available free to
- SpeciaLine - SLA's telephone jobline
- Employment Clearinghouse - A service offered to employers and job seekers during the Annual Conference.
- Career Advisory Service - Offered in conjunction with the Annual Conference, provides an opportunity to discuss career goals.
- Special Librarianship as a Career: An SLA Information Kit - Available for purchase, a comprehensive information kit packed with valuable tips for jobseekers.
- SpeciaList - classified advertisement section, including position ads.
Government Relations Chair
The key to the success of the SLA Government Relations Program has been the creation and expansion of the government relations network. Each chapter president and division chair is asked to appoint a member to serve as a government relations liaison. Each member of the network acts as a focal point for government relations activities in their chapter or division. They serve as a vital link between the members at the grassroots level, the government relations staff at headquarters, and the government relations committee. They convey the concerns of their chapter and division members and keep their colleagues informed about issues that might require individual action on the part of the Association, such as writing letters to elected officials or appropriate regulatory agencies. In addition, this individual:
- should have an interest in and knowledge of legislation and/or government policies which affect special librarians/information professionals at all levels of government;
- serves as the chapter/division contact when an important piece of legislation is under consideration by alerting members at the grassroots level who, in turn, would convey their concerns to their elected representatives; and
- identifies "expert witnesses" in the chapter/division who might be asked to prepare a statement or provide input to staff at headquarters on government policies or proposed regulations.
The need for a strong government relations network is clear. Each chapter and division within SLA should appoint a liaison to the network to assist in the work being done by staff at Association headquarters. The members of the Government Relations Committee and Network as well as individual members concerned about government policies and legislation should remember these rules:
- SLA is engaged in an exchange of information. Our efforts are to help government officials understand the issues before them and the impact their actions will have on the library and information community.
- SLA, as a 501(c)(3) educational institution, is restricted in the amount of "lobbying" it can do. Although IRS rules in this area are not as restrictive as they have been in the past, they are always open to interpretation. It is therefore critical that all legislative endeavors be channeled centrally through the President or Executive Director, both of whom, under SLA policy, are the only individuals who can officially speak on behalf of the Association. In essence, if the Board of the Directors has not taken a position on a particular issue, it is imperative that either the President or Executive Director be consulted. However, if comments or statements are based on Board-approved issues, discuss them with the Government Relations staff for clarification. This also enables headquarters staff to be aware of chapter/division activities.
Membership Chair
A membership chair may be appointed, or this responsibility may be assumed by one of the other officers; consult your chapter bylaws for specifics. The membership chair maintains membership records, sends letters of welcome to new members, encourages recruitment of new members, and contacts non-renewing members to determine the reason for their departure and to encourage their renewal.
- Duties of the Membership Chair
- Maintain up-to-date membership records as received from the association office.
- Write welcome letters to new members, inviting them to an upcoming chapter or Association activity, and list their names in the bulletin.
- Supply items for the bulletin encouraging recruitment of new members. These items should review the requirements for membership and inform members that applications may be obtained from and returned to the association office for processing.
- Act as host to new members attending their first Annual Conference.
- Annually remind members to renew membership.
- Follow-up delinquent members by encouraging reinstatement. Personal telephone calls from other members are particularly effective.
- Forward recommendations for Honorary Membership to the SLA Board of Directors.
- Plan and carry out membership drives in cooperation with the programs of the Board of Directors.
- Supply membership information to the officers and bulletin editor (and mailing service if an external service is used), the directory editor and others who need the information to accomplish assigned responsibilities.
- Compile or update the directory, as directed by the executive board.
- Maintain up-to-date membership records as received from the association office.
- Membership status
Approved as amended by the Board of Directors at the 1989 Winter Meeting in San Francisco, the following is the Affirmative Action Policy Statement. A copy of this statement and other statements and guidelines are available from the association office through the Administrative Assistant in the Executive Office.
"The Special Libraries Association is committed to Equal Employment Opportunities and supports Affirmative Action programs that will encourage and assist members of minority groups entering, developing, and advancing in the fields of special librarianship and information management."
Association members have the right to affiliate with one division and one chapter on payment of SLA dues. Additional divisions and chapter affiliations are possible by payment of an extra fee. Qualifications for each membership class are defined in the Association Bylaws under Article II, Sections 2-7. Members, Associate Members and Retired Members may hold any elected or appointed offices. Student Members may hold any appointed office.
Membership records are maintained at the association office. Questions regarding membership for individuals or organizations and applications for new membership should be forwarded to the Association's Membership Development Department; changes of address; and requests for change in division, section, or chapter affiliation should be forwarded immediately to the Membership Development Department at the association office. Members should be reminded to pay dues directly to the association office. No membership data is official until notification from the association office has been received.
A current alphabetical print-out of chapter members with addressees is sent from the association office to membership chairs at the beginning of August. This is the official roster. All old rosters should be discarded immediately to avoid error. It is not necessary to keep old rosters in the archives. Revisions to the roster will regularly be sent from the association office indicating changes in name, address, division and chapter membership, etc.
Codes for membership category, chapter affiliation and division and section affiliation appear on the printout and a key to the division, section, and chapter code numbers is sent with the roster.
When there is a name or address change, the Notification Report shows the item as corrected. If it is a change in name, the earlier name will also be indicated. When there is a transfer from one division, section, or chapter to another, the new code will be given and the old code also noted. When there is a change in class of membership, the letter code will so indicate and the previous code will be noted.
The Association's Membership Development Department sends a list of non-renewing members to each membership chair biannually (April and October) for follow-up.
Officers should keep in mind that in their contacts with other professional and trade associations and universities and colleges, they have excellent opportunities to recruit new members for the Association.
Membership applications for potential members can be obtained from the chapter's membership chair or from the association office. Contact the Association's Membership Development Department for authoritative up-to-date information that will answer the questions asked by potential members about membership requirements, dues, benefits, etc.
The Association's Application for Membership is included as the back panel of the membership brochure. This brochure is revised annually, therefore each membership committee should request no more copies in any one year than it expects to distribute to potential members during that year.
To avoid distributing outdated information to potential new members, officers and membership committees are advised to take care that they use the most recent revision of the membership application and brochure when recruiting new members.
- Membership Labels
When used for official association business, all divisions and chapters may request labels for their members at no cost. Official business includes:
- Bulletin mailings
- Meeting notices
- Education Course announcements
- Ballot mailings
- Bylaws amendments
Mailing labels are available as pressure sensitive (peel off, stick on) and cheshire. Labels are run 4-up (in four columns) in zip code order. Label request forms are sent to chairs each August.
Divisions and chapters are not authorized to provide membership labels to outside vendors. All requests for labels by vendors must be handled through the Mailing List Service at the association office.
- Membership Reports
Membership chairs routinely receive several membership reports to assist in their recruitment and retention activities. These are:
Standard Roster - Alphabetized by last name and provides the business and home address for each member, if available, specifying the preferred address. Rosters are mailed to membership chairs annually in August and are available throughout the year upon request.
Notification Reports - A customized report indicating changes to member records, as well as indicating new and reinstated members. This report, sent monthly to membership chairs, advises of address and name changes, and notifies of chapters, divisions, caucuses membership additions and deletions.
New Member Reports - New member reports with corresponding labels, sent bimonthly to membership chairs, list individuals new to SLA and that unit. The first report lists activity occurring between the 1st and 15th of the month, and the second report lists activity occurring between the 16th and the last day of the month. These reports duplicate the new member information contained in the notification report, however are sent more frequently to provide chapters and divisions with immediate access to the new members.
Please remember, New Member Reports list only those persons new to both SLA and your unit. Notification Reports list current SLA members transferring into a chapter or division.
Inactive Member Reports - Structured similarly to a roster, this report lists individuals who have not renewed their SLA membership. This report is sent biannually, each April and October.
Membership Analyses - These analyses are membership statistics with in your specified unit, broken down by member class. These reports are sent to membership chairs on a quarterly basis.
For additional information on membership activities, see the Membership Chair who will receive a monthly newsletter from headquarters. It contains information on why individuals join associations, facts about SLA membership services, sample new member letters, and other useful information for membership chairs.
Professional Development Chair
All SLA chapters plan and implement programs of current interest designed to advance members knowledge, skills and professional expertise.
- Chapter and division co-sponsored continuing education courses
The SLA staff will assist chapters and divisions in planning continuing education courses. Courses are available in the areas of budgeting and finance, computers and technology, marketing, library and information management skills, personnel and human resources, and general management.
To co-sponsor a course, contact the Professional Development Department for more details and a copy of "Guidelines for Co-sponsorship." After the chapter/division contracts for a co-sponsored course, SLA will send the chapter/division a copy of the booklet "Co-sponsoring Continuing Education Courses: A Checklist and Timeline for Organizers," with step-by-step guidance through the planning and arrangements.
- Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
SLA is accredited by the International Association for Continuing Education and Training, a nationally recognized nonprofit federation of noncredit continuing education providers devoted to increasing the quality of education, training, and development. The association approves providers of continuing education who meet an approved set of guidelines for program administration, design, and evaluation.
SLA awards continuing education units (CEUs) to program participants. CEUs are awarded according to the number of instructional contact hours included in an organized educational experience. The recording of CEUs by the Association provides CE participants with a permanent, standardized record of their continuing education achievements.
For a copy of SLA's CEU Guidelines, or for additional information, contact the Professional Development Department.
Public Relations Chair
A public relations chair and committee should be appointed to develop and coordinate public relations activities at the local level. Members of the committee should have an interest in public relations.
The committee should draft a statement of purpose to develop goals for its public relations program, and solicit the Board and membership for constructive suggestions and ideas for the public relations committee to pursue. The committee should also consider past activities, as well as activities undertaken by other units and SLA headquarters.
Then, a public relations plan should be developed and discussed at a business meeting for input and approval by the Chapter Board. For more information, consult the Public Relations Handbook.
Networking Chair
The chapter president may appoint a networking committee chair and committee to promote resource sharing among chapter members and with other library organizations and networks.
The chapter networking chair should send the SLA Networking Committee Chair copies of articles about networking from chapter newsletters or state/provincial library publications. This will allow SLA members to share their ideas and be aware of activities elsewhere.
Association headquarters should be notified as to whom the chapter networking chair is, so that individual will receive appropriate mailings.
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