Archival Compensation Task Force (Disbanded)

I. Purpose

The Archival Compensation Task Force is responsible for 1) identifying issues related to archival compensation, including benefits, salary negotiations, working conditions, etc.; 2) studying and evaluating archival compensation in its entirety using past, current, and new data generated on the subject; 3) creating and disseminating an archival compensation survey to SAA members; and 4) exploring the feasibility of creating a standing body within SAA to liaise and communicate with non-archival entities (such as O-Net, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Regulatory Affairs Professionals Society, and others) to ensure that SAA continues advocacy efforts and activities, including research and documentation pertaining to these groups.  

II. Selection, Size, and Length of Term

The Task Force is charged for a two-year period beginning in February 2020, with a final report with recommendations due to the Council no later than January 2022. The Task Force will comprise eight SAA members (one of whom will serve as chair) and two non-members (such as compensation and recruitment professionals). Included among the SAA members appointed will be a member of the Business Archives Section, the Committee on Research, Data, and Assessment (CORDA), the Independent Archivists Section, and the Student and New Archives Professionals Section. Task Force members will be appointed by the SAA Vice President/President-Elect.

III. Reporting Procedures

The Task Force will prepare a written status report for the Council’s spring and fall meetings, and will prepare for Council consideration at its fall/winter 2022 meeting a final written report with recommendations. 

IV. Duties and Responsibilities

To fulfill its purpose as described above, the Task Force is charged to:

• Research current best practices and resources for compensation, including conducting a literature review of allied (i.e. library, records management, museums, IT) and non-archives-adjacent professions.

• Conduct an SAA membership compensation package survey.   

• Collaborate with allied organizations to ensure that current or recommended policies and practices reflect varied needs and strategies for cooperation among various archival institutions.

• Create and/or compile material for the SAA website documenting professional policies and best practices for salary-related topics, such as compensation by region/institution, benefits, negotiation practices, labor statistics, etc. 

• Determine whether sufficient need exists to justify the effort and costs associated with establishing a standing body to serve as an Archival Compensation Advocacy Committee. If the group wishes to propose creation of a standing body, its recommendations shall include the following:  1) how such a standing body might be structured, staffed, and governed, with administratively and financially sustainable models for national-, regional-, and state-based structures; 2) how such a standing body might be financed and supported; and 3) how such a standing body might interact with other SAA groups and with external groups.

V. Meetings

The Task Force will carry out its charge primarily via electronic mail, conference calls, online meetings, and face-to-face meetings held in conjunction with the SAA Annual Meeting. Should the Task Force determine that an additional face-to-face meeting would be beneficial, it must apply to the Council (through the Executive Office) for funding.

Approved by the SAA Council, December 2019. Disbanded May 2023