RBMS Manual / Organization / Executive Committee

Composition
Planning
Budget
Information exchange meetings
Officer Responsibilities
Officers

The Executive Committee is the only elected body of RBMS. The membership of the section-at-large elects the officers of the section by ballot in the annual ALA elections held in the spring of the year. The officers of the section are the chair, vice chair/chair-elect, past chair, the secretary and three members-at-large. The officers of the section compose the Executive Committee. The chair of the section, the vice chair/chair-elect, and the past chair serve a one-year term. The vice chair/chair-elect automatically becomes chair of the section after a year as vice chair/chair-elect; and the chair of the section automatically becomes past chair after a year as chair. The secretary serves a two-year term. The members-at-large each serve a three-year term. One member-at-large is elected each year. Year of office begins with the adjournment of the Annual Conference and ends with the adjournment of the succeeding Annual Conference.

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2. Planning

The RBMS Section Planning Committee (ad hoc) report and recommendations approved by the RBMS Executive Committee, 25 June 1993, specified that the responsibility for section planning resides with the RBMS Executive Committee. The report recommended that RBMS planning efforts should take into account the goals stated in the ACRL Strategic Plan and to the extent possible initiate and maintain activity in all areas identified as goals for the division.

The Executive Committee assumed responsibility for long-range preconference planning and site selection on 27 June 1994; site selection responsibilities formerly fell to each year's vice chair/chair-elect. The Committee will make its decisions based on recommendations of the Conference Development Committee.

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3. Budget

RBMS receives a basic services funding from ACRL; the level of funding is based on the size of the section's membership (for 2007-2008 the amount for RBMS was $1,500). ACRL funds section newsletters separately from section budgets.

Working in conjunction with the ACRL meeting planner, the vice-chair/chair-elect must submit a preconference budget for ACRL Board approval approximately 18 months before the preconference. Thereafter, the ACRL meeting planner keeps the ACRL executive director and ACRL Board informed of budgetary updates and changes. For more information about the [add: preconference] budget process, see the section on the budget in the Preconference Planning Manual.

The Chair is responsible for any fund raising necessary for the annual preconference.

On 7 February 1994 the Executive Committee adopted the following resolution: "An RBMS committee or other unit which is considering seeking external funds should inform the RBMS Executive Committee and consult with the Budget and Development Committee for advice." All donations to RBMS also must be formally reported to and acknowledged by ACRL.

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4. Information exchange meetings

RBMS holds a scheduled meeting during the ALA Midwinter Meeting and ALA Annual Conference for the reporting and discussion of timely RBMS and RBMS-related information and to foster the exchange of information among the RBMS membership. The meeting is organized and chaired by the second-year member-at-large. Information exchange meetings offer members the opportunity to hear reports on official RBMS work, to learn of information that is not presented at the RBMS Executive Committee meetings due to time constraints, and to present information of interest to the RBMS membership (e.g., collections acquired, exhibitions opened, publications of interest, etc.). The meetings consist of informal reports and announcements presented by RBMS officers, committee chairs, liaisons, and membership. Each report usually lasts no longer than two or three minutes. RBMS Committee, Task Force, and Discussion Group Chairs must send written versions of their announcements within three weeks to the RBMS Secretary for inclusion in the Executive Committee Minutes.

The meeting is scheduled after most RBMS meetings at ALA Midwinter Meetings have been held and as the concluding component of the RBMS conference program at ALA Annual Conferences (traditionally scheduled on Sunday afternoon). This allows for timely reports to the RBMS membership and/or provides an opportunity for questions or concerns to be brought to the membership.

Information Exchange meetings formerly were organized by the RBMS Information Exchange Committee. This committee was disbanded by the RBMS Executive Committee on 27 June 1994 and this responsibility assigned to the second-year member-at-large.

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5. Officer responsibilities

The Executive Committee shall conduct the business of the section during the period between annual membership meetings (RBMS Bylaws, Article VI, Section 2).

Responsibilities of officers are from the ACRL Guide to Policies and Procedures and the RBMS Section Planning Committee (ad hoc) report, and from recommendations adopted by the RBMS Executive Committee at the 1993 Annual Conference, which designated specific committee liaison responsibilities for Executive Committee members. In 2006, the Executive Committee modified the Member-at-Large liaison duties, so that each Member-at-Large serves as liaison to a single group of committees throughout that person's term of office. Liaison responsibilities include attending committee meetings, monitoring progress of committees in meeting goals, reviewing committee charges, and acting as liaison to the section chair for issues relating to the committee.

Chair
Vice Chair/Chair-Elect
Past Chair
Secretary
Members-At-Large

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a. Chair

Responsibilities:

Serves as an officer of the section and assists in advancing the goals and objectives of the section and ACRL.
Oversees the development, implementation and reporting of the section's contribution to, and support of, the ACRL strategic plan.
Makes appointments as needed for the ongoing terms of office, of chairs of committees (Standing, Recurring Ad Hoc, Task Force), Discussion Groups, Liaisons, and committee members, with the active assistance of committee chairs.
Compiles and distributes agendas for the meetings of the Executive Committee held during the ALA Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference, and presides at the meetings.
Attends meetings of section committees where possible.
Oversees program planning activities for programs held during term as chair (Conference Program Planning Committee, Preconference Local Arrangements Committee, Preconference Program Planning Committee, and Seminars Committee), serves as an ex officio member of the Preconference Local Arrangements and Program Planning Committees, and on the ACRL Conference Program Committee for the Annual Conference during the year as chair. Chairs the annual RBMS membership meeting.
Meets deadlines for requests for payment and reimbursement, according to ACRL procedures.
With the assistance of ACRL staff, schedules all of the section's committee meetings and programs for Midwinter and Annual Conference after consulting with committee chairs and completes meeting request forms for all committees and programs.
Reports to the ACRL Board on section activities.
Responds to inquiries from members and non-members regarding section interests and activities.
Co-represents RBMS, with vice chair/chair-elect, on ACRL Sections Council. Presents oral and written reports on section events and plans to the Council.
Revises the roster of section officers, committee chairs and liaisons, and has it posted to the RBMS Web site.

Deadlines: See the "Resources for Working with ACRL" at http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/aboutacrl/resourcesforwork/resourcesworking.htm for up-to-date information on deadlines for section chairs.

Coordination: Within RBMS: with all committee chairs; editor of the RBMS Newsletter; editor of RBM; officers, especially the secretary, vice chair/chair-elect, and past chair. Within ACRL: with the headquarters staff, president, and Board.

Experience recommends: Consult frequently with recent past chairs. The chair of the section has an important role to play in encouraging members to participate not only in RBMS but ACRL as well.

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b. Vice chair/chair-elect

Responsibilities:

Serves as an officer of the section and assists in advancing the goals and objectives of the section and ACRL.
As a member of the Executive Committee, attends meetings of the Committee an Annual and Midwinter Conferences, including those at the Annual Conference immediately preceding the taking of office.
Appoints a Nominating Committee and chair, which is responsible for producing a slate of candidates for section office. The section vice chair may not be a member of the nominating committee (see ALA Bylaws, Article III, Section 1.a).
Oversees program planning activities for programs held during term as chair (Conference Program Planning Committee, Preconference Local Arrangements Committee, Preconference Program Planning Committee, and Seminars Committee and ACRL National Conference); serves as an ex officio member of the Preconference Local Arrangements and Program Planning Committees and on the ACRL Conference Program Planning Committee. Reports to ACRL vice-chair at meeting of the committee on section program being planned for Annual Conference during the year as chair.
Makes appointments to all other section committees (Standing, Recurring Ad Hoc, Task Force), Discussion Group Chairs, and Liaisons as for terms beginning when term as chair begins, with the active assistance of committee chairs.
Submits section's budget requests (section and preconference) for year as chair by deadline.
Responds to inquiries from members and non-members regarding section interests and activities.
Co-represents RBMS, with section chair, on ACRL Sections Council.

Deadlines: See the "Resources for Working with ACRL" at http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/aboutacrl/resourcesforwork/resourcesworking.htm for up-to-date information on deadlines for section chairs.

Coordination: With all other officers, with committee members, liaisons, and often members of RBMS, with ACRL Headquarters, and on occasion with members of the ACRL Board.

Experience recommends: Useful advice is to be gained from the section chair and his/her predecessors.

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c. Past Chair

Responsibilities:

Serves as an officer of the section and assists in advancing the goals and objectives of the section and ACRL.
Serves as a member of the Executive Committee, attends meetings of the Committee at Annual and Midwinter Conferences.
May be appointed to represent the section at the Activity Sections Council.
Section activities liaison: Provides Executive Board liaison to the Archivist/Records Manager, the Nominating Committee, Budget and Development Committee, and Conference Development Committee.
Revises the RBMS Manual and sends revisions to section webmaster once a year after the Annual Meeting. Sends a hard copy to the section archives after the revisions have been made. Notifies ACRL office of revisions.
Traditionally serves as chair of the Nominating Committee.

Deadlines: Revises and distributes the RBMS Manual as noted above (Fall).

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d. Secretary

Responsibilities:

Serves as an officer of the section and assists in advancing the goals and objectives of the section.
Serves as a member of the Executive Committee and attends meetings of the Committee at Annual and Midwinter Conferences.
Prepares minutes of the meetings of the Executive Committee held during the ALA Midwinter Meetings and Annual Conference, incorporating with them Information Exchange reports; distributes draft minutes to the members of the Executive Committee, committee and discussion group chairs, and liaisons and editors; sends approved minutes to ACRL, to the RBMS Archivist/Records Manager, and to the RBMS Web Editor for posting to the RBMS web site.
Receives and distributes to Executive Committee members and ACRL staff minutes and Information Exchange reports from the chairs of committees, task forces, and discussion groups.

Deadlines: Distribute the minutes of Executive Committee meetings in a timely fashion (ACRL specifies within one month of meetings) and minutes of other section committees as noted above.

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Members-at-Large

Responsibilities:

Serve as officers of the section and assist in advancing the goals and objectives of the section.
Serve as members of the Executive Committee and attend meetings of the Committee at Annual and Midwinter Conferences.
Provide Executive Committee liaison to certain RBMS committees for the full three year-term.
Liaison duties are divided among the three members-at large as follows:
1. Publications Committee, RBM Editorial Board, Newsletter Editorial Staff, Webmaster, Exhibition Awards Committee, and ACRL Liaisons. (2006-2009, 2009-2012, 2012-2015, etc.)
2. Membership and Professional Development Committee (including Scholarship Subcommittee), Diversity Committee, and Discussion Groups. ( 2007-2010, 2010-2012, 2013-2016, etc.)
3. Bibliographic Standards Committee, Security Committee, and any task force committees charged with preparing or revising standards and guidelines, and will also serve as liaison to the ACRL Standards and Accreditation Committee to facilitate smooth passage of RBMS standards and guidelines. (2005-2008, 2008-2011, 2011-2014, etc.)
The Executive Committee may also appoint Members-at-Large to serve as liaisons to ask forces and ad hoc committees, as necessary.
During the second year of the three-year term chair the Information Exchange Meeting at each ALA Midwinter and Annual conference (see Information Exchange Meetings).

Experience recommends: members-at-large should not hold chairs of RBMS Committees during their terms of office. [Recommendation of RBMS Exec., at Midwinter Meeting 2000.]

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