The election polls for the 2008 American Library Association’s Elections open March 17, 2008. ALSC members will also have the opportunity to select from the 2008 slate of ALSC Candidates. The ALSC 2008 Ballot will also include proposed changes to the ALSC Bylaws.
The following bylaws change proposals have been published in the March 2008 edition of ALSConnect, our electronic newsletter, and have been sent out on ALSC-L, our association’s main electronic discussion list. Many members have commented about the proposed changes on the ALSC Electronic Discussion List. If you aren’t subscribed and would like to read the discussion threads, you may access the ALSC-L archives through this page. The most comments, so far, have been made in February 2008, so to read those, after selecting ALSC-L Archives, you will need to select the 02 (February) in the 2008 portion of archive box in the top right of the page. Of course, you are welcome to share your thoughts here on the ALSC Blog.
Proposed Bylaws Changes
I. Changes to Nominating Committee
Current wording, ALSC Bylaws X, Sec. 1:
At the Midwinter Meeting of the Board of Directors, the president-elect shall recommend for appointment by the Board a Nominating Committee of not less than three members to select candidates for election the following year. No member of the Board of Directors shall be appointed to this committee.
Proposed new wording:
No later than the Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association, the ALSC Vice President/President-Elect appoints a Nominating Committee of four members plus the chair to select candidates for election the following year. No member of the Board of Directors shall be appointed to this committee. Members may serve more than once on the Nominating Committee, but not more than three times, and not more than once in five years, except for chairs, who may serve a chair term within five years of a term as a member of this committee.
Rationale:
It has been practice for a number of years for the Vice President/President-Elect to appoint the ALSC Nominating Committee; this change codifies that practice into our Bylaws. Also, it is desirable that the pool of candidates for this committee be as wide as possible, including candidates with experience. This bylaws change allows those with experience to serve again, but also encourages the appointment of those who have not had the opportunity to serve by placing a lifetime cap on the number of times a member may serve, and spacing the terms across five-year periods, as is done for the Newbery, Caldecott, and Sibert Committees.
II. Changes to Newbery, Caldecott, Sibert, and Wilder Committees
Current wording, ALSC Bylaws VIII, Sec. 2:
The Newbery Award Committee shall consist of the following fifteen (15) members: Seven (7) members to be elected annually from a slate of no fewer than fourteen (14), a chairperson elected annually from a slate of two (2), and seven (7) members appointed by the president.
The Caldecott Award Committee shall consist of the following fifteen (15) members: Seven (7) members to be elected annually from a slate of no fewer than fourteen (14), a chairperson elected annually from a slate of two (2), and seven (7) members appointed by the president.
The Sibert Award Committee shall consist of the following nine (9) members: Four (4) members to be elected annually from a slate of no fewer than eight (8), a chairperson elected annually from a slate of two (2), and four (4) members appointed by the president.
Proposed changes IN CAPS:
The Newbery Award Committee shall consist of the following fifteen (15) members: EIGHT (8) members to be elected annually from a slate of no fewer than SIXTEEN (16), a chairperson APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT, and SIX (6) members appointed by the president.
The Caldecott Award Committee shall consist of the following fifteen (15) members: EIGHT (8) members to be elected annually from a slate of no fewer than SIXTEEN (16), a chairperson APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT, and SIX (6) members appointed by the president.
The Sibert Award Committee shall consist of the following nine (9) members: FIVE (5) members to be elected annually from a slate of no fewer than TEN (10), a chairperson APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT, and THREE (3) members appointed by the president.
THE WILDER AWARD COMMITTEE SHALL CONSIST OF THE FOLLOWING FIVE (5) MEMBERS: THREE (3) MEMBERS TO BE ELECTED ANNUALLY FROM A SLATE OF NO FEWER THAN SIX (6), A CHAIRPERSON APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT, AND ONE (1) MEMBER APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT.
Rationale
Currently, only four committees have any members at all that are elected rather than appointed: Caldecott, Newbery, Sibert, and Wilder; only three are currently listed in the Bylaws. While the Wilder Committee’s membership statement was changed by the Board in 1998 to indicate that 2 members plus the chair would be elected by the membership rather than appointed by the president, this change never made it into the Bylaws.
In addition, given the special administrative and managerial responsibilities of the award committee chairs, the ALSC Board suggests the appointment rather than election of chairs. The number of total positions voted on by the ALSC membership at large would not change.