Standing Rules

I. Membership 

Membership in the Reference, Access and Outreach Section of the Society of American Archivists is open to any member of SAA who has an interest in reference, access and outreach issues.

II. Governance

These standing rules of the Reference, Access and Outreach 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.

III. Officers 

The officers of the Reference, Access and Outreach Section shall be the Chair, the Vice Chair, the Communications Liaison, and the Web Liaison. Only members of SAA and the Reference, Access and Outreach Section may serve as officers of the Section.

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 succeed to the office of chair, a new chair shall be elected following the same procedures as for election of the vice chair.

The Communications Liaison shall be appointed by the Chair, with the advice of the Steering Committee, for a term of two years, which may be renewed indefinitely. The Communications Liaison and two other members (appointed by the Chair from the RAO membership) shall form a Communications Committee. The Communications Committee members shall serve for a term of two years, which may be renewed indefinitely.  The Communications Committee is responsible for issuing at least one newsletter annually to the Section membership. The Communications Committee is also responsible for using various communication modes, such as the RAO blog, Section listserv, Facebook, and Society of American Archivist publications to communicate with the Section membership about news and events.

The Web Liaison shall be appointed by the chair, with the advice of the Steering Committee, for a term of two years, which may be renewed indefinitely. The Web Liaison is responsible for maintaining and updating the Reference, Access and Outreach Section microsite as well as creating new content as needed. The Web Liaison collaborates with the Communications Committee to distribute information to the Section.

IV. Steering Committee  

The Steering Committee shall consist of the officers and four members. The members shall serve two- year terms, two members being elected at each annual meeting with additional members elected if for any reason unexpired terms need to be filled. The Steering Committee shall serve in an advisory capacity to the chair and its members may be assigned specific responsibilities by the chair. The Steering Committee shall plan each annual meeting of the Section.

V. Election of Officers and Steering Committee

There shall be a Nominating and Elections Committee consisting of the immediate past chair of the Section (serving as chair of the Committee) and the two Steering Committee members whose terms are not expiring at the conclusion of the next annual meeting. Utilizing an announcement issued by the Section chair, this Committee shall solicit from Section members the names of volunteers or persons recommended for the positions to be filled in the next election. 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. The Committee shall be responsible for ensuring that there is at least one nominee for the position of vice chair and that the number of nominees for membership on the Steering Committee is not less than the number of positions to be filled. The Nominating and Elections Committee shall distribute information about the nominees to the membership of the Section at least 45 days before the Annual Meeting.

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.

A simple majority of the votes cast shall be required for election to vice chair. Members of the Section may vote for as many nominees for member of the Steering Committee as there are positions to be filled and the nominees receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected. Elected officers and Steering Committee members shall assume office at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting of the Section.

VI. Meetings 

The Reference, Access and Outreach Section shall meet once a year at the annual SAA meeting at the time and place scheduled by the SAA program committee and executive office. Additional meetings of the entire membership or the Steering Committee may be scheduled by the chair if needed to carry out the business of the Section.  

VII. Amendments 

Any member of the Reference, Access and Outreach Section may propose amendments to these standing rules. Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the chair at least 60 days prior to the Annual Meeting. The chair shall publish proposed amendments at least 45 days prior to the Annual Meeting and voting on the proposed amendments shall be in the same manner as the election of officers. A two thirds majority of votes cast shall be required to amend these standing rules.

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.

VIII. Enactment

These bylaws shall be distributed to the membership of the Section with a mail ballot for their approval or rejection. They shall become effective immediately if approved by a majority of the votes cast by the deadline set for the return of the ballots.

Created in 1996 and revised in 2009 and 2010. Bylaws were approved by the SAA Council on November 19, 2013.  Updated per the member affinity group transition approved by the Council, August 2016. Revised by the section membership in July 2017.

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