Standing Rules

Society of American Archivists
Accessioning, Acquisitions, & Appraisal Section

STANDING RULES

I. Purpose

The purpose of the Accessioning, Acquisitions, and Appraisal Section of the Society of American Archivists (SAA) is to provide a forum for discussion of issues and interests pertaining to the accessioning, acquisition, and appraisal of public records, private papers, and other archival or manuscript collections. 

II. Membership

Membership in the Accessioning, Acquisitions, and Appraisal Section (Section) is open to any member of SAA in good standing. 

III. Goals and Objectives
 

• To encourage active participation from archives workers performing all facets of accessioning and acquisitions work, including appraisal, selection and curatorial duties, packing and transportation of collection materials, iterative archival description, legal and financial documentation, donor and bookseller relations, collection stabilization, and space management.
• To increase visibility within the profession for individuals and organizations performing accessioning and acquisitions work.
• To serve as a supportive and responsive community for individuals performing the complex labor and relationship maintenance required to perform accessioning and acquisitions work.
• To create, compile, and promote best practices, tools, scholarship, and other resources that can be used to improve accessioning and acquisitions work for individuals and for the profession at large. 
• To support and engage with members from other SAA sections and with individuals throughout the field.
  

IV. Governance

1. These standing rules of the Accessioning, Acquisitions, and Appraisal Section shall serve as a supplement to the SAA Section Bylaws, which govern all SAA sections. Please refer to Section IX. Sections of the SAA Governance Manual for information on membership, section election procedures, reporting requirements, and more. 
2. Officers
   1. Officers of the Accessioning, Acquisitions, and Appraisal Section consist of a Chair, Vice Chair/Chair Elect, and Immediate Past Chair. A new Vice Chair/Chair Elect is elected each year and serves for one year as Vice Chair, succeeding automatically to the office of Chair for the subsequent year. At the end of the year of service as Chair, the incumbent serves as the Immediate Past Chair.
3. Duties of Officers
   1. The Chair presides at meetings of the Section and the Steering Committee; with other officers, sets the Section's agenda for the year; appoints Section committees as needed; and represents the Section in its relations with SAA in general and with SAA Council and other groups within SAA. The Chair serves a one-year term.
   2. The Vice Chair/Chair-Elect serves as acting Chair in the absence of the Chair; takes minutes at Section meetings; produces/oversees communications with the Section, and organizes the program in conjunction with the Steering Committee for the annual Section meeting The Vice Chair/Chair-Elect serves a one-year term.
   3. The Immediate Past Chair takes minutes at the steering committee meeting held during the SAA Annual Meeting; coordinates preparation of the annual report of Section activities from his or her service as chair and submits report to SAA by the required date; acts as Chair of the Section’s Nominating Committee; and is responsible for publishing electronic ballots and announcing the results of the balloting once the results are received from the online election. The Immediate Past Chair serves a one-year term.

V. Steering Committee

1. The Steering Committee is composed of seven members: the Chair, Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, Immediate Past Chair; and four At-Large Members.
2. At-Large Members each serve terms of two years, with two new members being elected via an online ballot system provided by the SAA staff prior to the annual meeting. Additional members may be appointed by the Section Chair in consultation with the Steering Committee if unexpired terms need to be filled. The election cycle is intentionally staggered for continuity on the steering committee.
3. A member may be re-elected but may not serve more than two terms as an At-Large Member. If a member is filling an unexpired term, the term shall be considered a whole term if its length is more than one year.
4. At the request of the Chair, At-Large members may serve on the Nominating Committee, assist in planning the section meeting program, serve on or chair standing or ad hoc committees, or other responsibilities as assigned. 

VI. Election of Officers and Steering Committee

1. Only members of SAA and the Section may be nominated to serve as officers or steering committee members. Only members of the Section may vote.
2. The Nominating Committee consists of the Immediate Past Chair of the Section (serving as Chair of the committee) and the two At-Large Members of the Steering Committee whose terms are not expiring at the conclusion of the next annual meeting.
3. The Nominating Committee calls for nominations at least one month prior to the SA deadline for submitting ballot information. All persons whose names are submitted to the Committee or proposed by the Committee itself shall be considered nominees if they agree to have their names placed in nomination and are members of SAA and the Section.
4. The Nominating Committee ensures that there is at least one nominee for Vice Chair/Chair-Elect and that the number of nominees for the Steering Committee is not less than the number of positions to be filled. If there is no nominee for Vice Chair/Chair-Elect, write-ins will be accepted during the voting process. If no clear winner emerges, the chair may appoint a Vice Chair/Chair-Elect from the ranks of the Steering Committee.
5. The Nominating Committee announces the nominees through the Section email discussion list and in other forms of communication that will reach all Section members prior to the annual meeting.

6. Elections shall be conducted online with the assistance of the SAA staff and in accordance with guidelines for section elections as specified in Section IX. Sections of the SAA Governance Manual. Availability of the online ballot and deadline for voting shall be announced by the Section's Immediate Past Chair to all Section members via the Section’s official email discussion list and website.

7.  Election winners are determined by the majority of votes cast by the deadline. The Nominating Committee verifies results and the committee chair (Immediate Past Chair of the Section) announces the results at the annual Section meeting. If an election results in a tie, the Committee conducts a runoff election at the annual Section meeting. For the benefit of those unable to attend the annual meeting, results shall also be announced via the Section email discussion list as soon as possible at or immediately after the annual meeting.
8. Elected officers and Steering Committee members assume office by the end of the annual meeting.
9. Vacancies in Steering Committee terms will be addressed in the following ways:
   1. In the case of vacancy in the office of Chair, the Vice Chair/Chair-Elect shall assume the office and duties of Chair.
   2. In the case of vacancy in the office of Vice Chair/Chair-Elect, the office shall remain vacant until a new Chair and Vice Chair/Chair-Elect are elected via an online ballot system provided by the SAA staff. In the interim between vacancy and election, the Chair shall assume the duties of the Vice Chair/Chair-Elect, although the Chair may ask Steering Committee members to assist in fulfilling the duties of the Vice Chair/Chair-Elect.
   3. In the case of vacancy in the office of Immediate Past Chair, the Steering Committee shall appoint a replacement from among its members.
   4. In the case of vacancy of At-Large Members, the Section Chair in consultation with the Steering Committee shall appoint a replacement, who shall serve to the end of the unexpired term. 

VII. Web Liaison and Section Intern

1. The Web Liaison is appointed by the Chair and approved by the Steering Committee, and cannot be a current Steering Committee member.
   1. The Web Liaison serves three years, but the term can be renewed indefinitely until another appointee is identified and approved.
   2. The Web Liaison updates and maintains the Section’s official microsite in accordance with the Uniform Guidelines for SAA Websites and Online Communications. This person also works collaboratively with the Section Intern and Section leadership to update and maintain any additional Section-related communication streams, including social media channels, in accordance with the SAA Guidelines on Component Group Use of Social Media and External Websites.
2. The Section Intern is appointed by the Chair and approved by the Steering Committee.
   1. The Intern may be chosen from SAA's internship applications or from a separate call made by the Section leadership. 
   2. The Section Intern serves one year, but the term may be renewed if another appointee is not identified or approved.
   3. The Section Intern may work collaboratively with the Steering Committee on special projects, in addition to participating in Steering Committee conference calls and/or helping with subcommittee business. Work conducted by the Section Intern should not take more than 10 hours/month and will be mutually agreed upon between the Intern and the Steering Committee.
   4. The Section Intern is encouraged but not required to attend the annual meeting. 

VIII. Subcommittees

1. Subcommittees may be formed by Section leadership for the development of Section projects or activities. 
2. These Subcommittees may be standing or ad hoc. 
3. Determined annually by Section leadership, Subcommittees may be open to the general Section membership; if so, two Steering Committee members will serve as Subcommittee Chairs to guide the work of the Subcommittee. 

IX. Communications

1. The Section will maintain up-to-date information through the Section component group website (microsite) provided by SAA. As per the SAA Governance Manual, Section information on the website will include at a minimum: statement of purpose and current goals, standing rules, duties of Section officers, and current members and activities given in the annual report.
2. The Section will also provide members with communications through the email discussion list provided by SAA, including messages regarding Section election nominations, election results, Steering Committee meeting minutes, and the annual report of the Section producted following the Annual Meeting that is submitted by the SAA deadline. The email discussion list may also be used throughout the year to further communicate to members about Section and SAA activities and projects. 
3. Communications may also be made by the Section through external websites and social media accounts.
4. All communication outlets used by the Section will follow the SAA Uniform Guidelines for SAA Websites and Online Communications, and their management (e.g. passwords) will be held by the Steering committee to be transferred yearly (or on an as-needed basis) to incoming and ongoing officers, committee members, and Web Liaison during the annual meeting.

X. Meetings

1. The Section meets once a year at the SAA Annual Meeting at the time and place scheduled by the SAA executive office. A Steering Committee meeting is usually held during the SAA Annual Meeting.
2. The Steering Committee shall meet at least four times annually.
3. Minutes of meetings are made available to Section members through the component group website as well as communicated through the email discussion list. See also Section VII. Communications. 

XI. Amendment

1. Any member of the Section may propose amendments to these standing rules. Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the Chair.
2. Proposed amendments must be approved by a simple majority of the Steering Committee.
3. Proposed amendments are submitted by the Section Chair to the SAA Executive Director and the Section’s Council Liaison by the deadline set by SAA for review, prior to a vote by the Section membership.

4. Voting by the membership is conducted at the same time as the annual Section election, and proposed revisions to the standing rules are included on the election ballot. Communication regarding voting on the proposed standing rules amendments shall be included in election announcements and follow election procedures (see also Section V. Election of Officers and Steering Committee). Proposed amendments to the standing rules are approved by simple majority vote of the membership.

5. Following the vote, any adopted amendments are updated to the Section’s standing rules available on the component group website as well as documented in the Section’s next annual report to the SAA Council. 

6. Revisions to the Section name or mission/description must also be submitted to SAA Council for final approval. 

7. Procedures for carrying out revisions to the standing rules must be in accordance with the SAA Governance Manual.

XII. Enactment

 The standing rules were most recently updated by Section vote in 2021.

Updated per the member affinity group transition approved by the Council, August 2016.