Standing Rules

Society of American Archivists
Collection Management Section

STANDING RULES

I. NAME.

The name of the section shall be the Archives Collection Management Section.

II. MISSION AND GOALS. 

A. Mission

The Society of American Archivists's Collection Management Section provides a forum for archivists to innovate collection management practices and the implementation, comparison, analyses, and integration of technology for managing analog and digital archival materials. Topics of interest include:

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  • Promoting efficient and innovative collection management techniques;
  • Comparing software and workflows;
  • Technology used to record description, manage the custody of archival collections, and provide access;
  • Monitoring and prioritizing backlogs;
  • Integrating collection management tools with other systems;
  • Transporting and tracking collections for storage and research access; and
  • Sharing user experiences and case studies.

B. Goals 

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  • Provide a forum for discussion of collection management practices and tools.
  • Share knowledge and expertise among its members to utilize the features and functions of tools to their full potential.
  • Facilitate communication between and among user communities, developers, and service providers.

III. MEMBERS.

Membership in the section shall be determined according to the guidelines established in Section IX. of the SAA Governance Manual.

IV. GOVERNANCE.

A. These standing rules of the Collection Management 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. 

 B. Officers and Duties

The Chair, Vice-chair, and Web Liaison serve as officers of the Section. Only individual members of SAA and the Collection Management Section may hold these positions.

The Chair directs and reports the activities of the section, organizes and conducts the annual meeting of the section, chairs the steering committee, acts as liaison for the section to other bodies, appoints roundtable committees as needed, and is responsible for administrative matters, including, but not limited to, annual reports to the SAA.

The Chair may appoint ex-officio members to the Steering Committee, with approval of the Steering Committee.

The Vice-chair serves as acting Chair in the absence of the Chair and participates as a member of the Steering Committee in all its activities.

A new Vice-chair shall be elected at each annual meeting of the section and shall serve for one year as Vice-chair, succeeding automatically to the office of Chair for the subsequent year.

If for any reason the Vice-Chair is unable to serve his/her term as Chair, a new Chair shall be elected in the annual election for a one-year term.

The Web Liaison manages the section's web presence, including the SAA microsite, by posting meeting minutes, community resources, election information, and any other communication on behalf of the Steering Committee for a two year term.

Per the SAA Governance Manual, Section IX.V.A., no person may serve as the senior leader of a Section for more than three successive years.

B. Steering Committee

The Steering Committee shall be composed of six core members, including the officers (Chair, Vice-chair, and Web Liaison). All Steering Committee members shall have demonstrated experience in utilizing a collection management tool.

The Steering Committee directs and coordinates activities of the section and approves appointments made by the Chair, including ex-officio appointments and when vacancies occur. Committee members help establish projects to work on through the year, and plan the annual section meeting. A member of the Steering Committee shall take minutes at the annual section meeting, and assist the Chair in editing the minutes to be posted on the Collection Management Section website.

Steering Committee members make a commitment to serve for at least two years.

C. Nominations and Elections

The officers shall issue a call for nominations, including self-nominations, for open Steering Committee positions every June to all section members via the section’s official email discussion list and website.  A slate of candidates shall be established by the officers and announced to section members no later than June 15. 

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 Chair to all section members via the section’s official email discussion list and website.

The Steering Committee shall appoint any other vacancies to fulfill unexpired terms of elected positions, after which a normal election shall occur.

If an annual ballot is absent of Chair, Vice-chair, or Web Liaison nominees, those positions shall be appointed by the six-member Steering Committee.

V. MEETINGS. 

The section shall hold a meeting in conjunction with the SAA Annual Meeting and may meet at other times as deemed appropriate by the officers. The time and agenda shall be communicated in advance via the section's official email discussion list and website.

VI. AMENDMENTS.  

To ensure alignment with SAA’s governance documents, any amendments to the section’s standing rules should be reviewed by the executive director (or her/his designee) and the section’s Council liaison by May 1, before they are put forward in a referendum for vote by the section membership. Proposed amendments to the section’s standing rules will appear on the section’s annual election ballot for a final approval by a simple majority of the section’s membership. Any adopted amendments should be posted promptly to the section’s official microsite and be noted in the section’s next annual report to the Council. Any revisions to the section’s name or mission/description must be submitted to the Council for final approval. For more information on amendment procedures, see Section IX. Sections of the SAA Governance Manual.

Updated per the member affinity group transition approved by the Council, August 2016. Revisions approved July 2019.