ALAO Procedures Manual
Committees
Awards Committee
Purpose
To identify and nominate Ohio academic library staff members for appropriate recognition and awards.
Specific Activities
- Identifies and nominates Ohio academic library staff members for appropriate recognition and awards
Membership
Composed of the Past President (Chair), President and the Vice-President/President-Elect.
Length of Term
Responsibilities terminate with the announcement of recognition and/or awards
Budget and Finance Committee
Purpose
To draft a strategic plan for the organization every four years for adoption by the board; to review Chapter finances and the strategic plan annually, develop the annual budget, and make recommendations concerning Chapter finances to the Board.
Specific Activities
- Drafts strategic plan for organization every four years.
- Reviews spending proposals from Chapter units; makes recommendations to the Board on funding specific expenditures.
- Reviews and revises the strategic plan annually; proposes to the Board any necessary changes in plan objectives.
- Reviews dues structure and other means for revenue enhancement; recommends to the Board changes when appropriate.
- Prepares annual budget as a proposal to the Board at the Annual Leadership Retreat.
Membership
Composed of the Treasurer (Chair), Membership Chair, Vice-President/President-Elect, Past President, one first year Board Member-at-Large and one second year Board Member-at-Large. Other ALAO members may be appointed to the committee, at the President's discretion. The Vice President/President-Elect may be excused from service if his or her duties as Program Chair are particularly demanding. The Ohio College Association representative will serve as an ex officio member.
Communications Review Committee
Purpose
To review the ALAO Newsletter and Web site
Specific Activities
- Conducts a review of the ALAO Newsletter and Web site at least annually.
- Reports recommendations at the April meeting of the Executive Board.
Membership
Webmaster(s), newsletter editor(s), the Past President (Chair), Membership Chair, Public Relations/Outreach Coordinator, one at-large board member, and others appointed by the President as needed.
Diversity Committee
Purpose
The purpose of the Diversity Committee is to address various aspects of human diversity, including ethnic and racial; gender; disability issues; international or cross-cultural issues; gay, lesbian,bisexual, and transgender issues; and age. This Committee will serve as an advisory group to ALAO to assist the organization in providing leadership for diversity by serving as a bridge to promote understanding across racial and cultural lines and to help foster and sustain diversity throughout the organization.
Specific Activities
- Develops among academic library personnel in Ohio a sensitivity and positive attitude toward human diversity through educational programs and activities.
- Encourages library personnel in Ohio to interact with other individuals and organizations that promote diversity.
- Encourages the incorporation of diversity concerns in all areas of Ohio library policy and practice.
- Develops recruitment and retention strategies to attract a diverse population to careers in Ohio libraries.
- Awards the ALAO Diversity Scholarship annually to a qualified student enrolled in an ALA-accredited MLS program who exemplifies the qualities needed to ensure a diverse library workforce.
- Communicates regularly to the members of ALAO about activities and items of interest concerning diversity.
- Produces a diversity column for the ALAO Newsletter.
- Submits a program for each ALAO annual conference.
- Serves as a link between ALAO and other groups concerned with issues of diversity.
Membership
Past President; Chair, Public Relations Committee; and 5 ALAO members appointed by the President for 2 year staggered terms. In consultation with the Diversity Committee Chair, the ALAO President shall appoint two members of the Diversity Committee to serve on the ALAO Program Committee and one member to serve on the Nominating Committee. The designated appointees may be the Chair of the Diversity Committee and/or other member(s) of that committee.
Nominating Committee
Purpose
Prepare a slate of candidates for elected positions on the Executive Board representing various geographic regions and all sectors of academic libraries.
Duties Outlined in the Constitution
- Provide a slate of at least two candidates for each office to be filled.
- In addition, place in nomination any member whose candidacy is proposed by at least twenty-five members of the Association.
- Determine willingness of each person to be a candidate.
Specific Activities
- Committee Chair (Past President) calls Committee meetings or sets up conference calls as necessary.
- Solicits names for potential candidates, as necessary, from liaisons or other sources beyond committee members.
- Reviews suggested candidates with specific attention to: their potential; geographic area represented; categories of staff represented.
- Contacts final candidates to determine their willingness to serve after having forwarded copy of relevant office duties.
- Ensures that each candidate completes the online Candidate Information Form on the ALAO Web site.
- Arranges for ballots to be sent to the membership. Valid ballots will be those which are received or postmarked by the date indicated on the election announcement. Elections will be closed ten days after the indicated date.
- Ensures accurate counting of ballots.
- Reports election results to the President. In the event of a tie in an election, the Board will break the tie by a ballot considering the recommendation of the Nominating Committee. The President will make the final decision if the board vote is evenly split.
- Ensures those elected and not elected are officially notified of election results by the President.
- Ensures election results are included in the next Chapter newsletter.
- Ensures distribution of results to the ACRL Liaison and the newly elected board members for publication in appropriate media.
Membership and Length of Term
Past President (Chair), Diversity Committee Chairperson, and other members appointed by the President; responsibilities terminate with reporting of election returns to the President.
Professional Development Committee
Purpose
To promote continuing education and professional development activities among the membership.
Specific Activities
- Identifies the continuing education and professional development needs of the membership and seeks ways to meet those needs.
- Fosters sharing of professional development opportunities among members and member institutions.
- Makes recommendations on financial support for professional development activities among the membership.
- Promotes ALAO within the membership and the library community through encouragement of professional development activities.
- Keeps the membership informed of committee activities and publicizes professional development opportunities on a timely basis.
- Administers awarding of registration vouchers to ALAO-sponsored events each year. (See Continuing Education Grant Program Procedures for specifics.)
- Administers awarding of scholarships that further professional development.
Membership
Membership will consist of Executive Board members at large, from which a committee chair will be selected from the second year members. Additional members may be appointed by the President from the membership at large.
Program Committee
Purpose
To provide continuing education opportunities for the membership based on member needs.
Specific Activities of the Committee Chair (Vice President)
- Recommends to the President names of people for the Committee (President appoints members.)
- Initiates the planning for the fall conference; may delegate the coordination of the conference to a Program Committee member or another ALAO member as appropriate.
- Calls meetings or sets up conference calls with committee members.
- Oversees the Program Committee Contingency Fund.
Specific Activities of the Committee
- Provides opportunities for continuing education activities for the membership in addition to the annual conference, and actively seeks to sponsor worthwhile continuing education activities.
- Assesses member continuing education needs periodically.
- Reviews annually and updates the written workshop procedures as necessary.
- Involve the Interest Group Chairs in the process of selecting the annual conference theme, reviewing annual conference program proposals, and scheduling those sessions to optimize participation of all Interest Groups.
- Follows current Chapter workshop guidelines.
- Meets with incoming Program Committee.
- Reviews and approves Interest Group workshop brochures, dates, and budgets.
- Reviews and approves expenditures from Program Committee Contingency Fund.
Length of Term
Two years; members recommended by the Vice President; appointments made by the President.
Research and Publications Committee
Purpose
The Research and Publications Committee promotes research and publication by ALAO members by connecting them with available resources, and by facilitating inter-institutional research projects.
Specific Activities
- Facilitates the development of members research skills.
- Keeps members informed of research funding opportunities.
- Improves the ability of members to find research partners and mentors.
- Offers an ALAO-sponsored research grant on an annual basis.
- Sponsors a biennial session on a research-related topic (such as grant writing, research design, human subjects protections, project management, publication process, etc.).
- Promotes member publications by announcing them in the newsletter and by including them in the online member bibliography.
- Maintains an online list of funding sources for library and information science research.
Membership
Committee members will serve staggered two-year terms with the option of one additional two-year term. Membership on the committee will be a maximum of seven and a minimum of five.