AkLA Handbook Section V:1-V:3
E-Council/Board Meetings, Annual Meeting, & Elections

Updated: Thursday, 29-Jun-2006 18:55:51 MDT

• Section V:1  E-council/Board Meetings
• Matrix for E-Board and E-Council Vote and Reimbursement
• Section V:2 Annual Business Meeting
• Section V:3 Elections
• Back to the Handbook

Section V:1  Executive Council/Board Meetings

The Executive Council sits for the Association between annual meetings, and shall authorize all expenditures. The Executive Board, composed of the elected officers of the Association shall "sit for the Association between Executive Council meetings." [Article VII] Smooth continuity of Association activities throughout the year is dependent upon as frequent as possible Executive Council/Board meetings. Beginning 1988 the Executive Council met twice a year; at annual conference and one face-to-face meeting in the fall. Beginning in the 1990’s Executive Council meetings are held bimonthly via teleconference with the Executive Board meetings called as needed.

Who Attends?

Article VII outlines the composition of the AkLA Executive Council. Both Council and Board meetings are open meetings and the membership is encouraged to attend where the sites (face-to-face or teleconference) are convenient. Participation in the meeting, however, should be scheduled with the President by members attending in a non-official capacity.

Executive Council Teleconference Meetings

The time of Executive Council meetings is set by the President in consultation with the Council. Once the teleconference meeting is scheduled, Council members are notified of the date, time, and teleconference bridge number. This notification can be by letter, phone, or any electronic mail system that is available to the Council members.

Travel to Executive Council Meetings

See Policy 66. Travel expenses to the Executive Council fall face-to-face meeting will be paid for by AkLA. Board and room are not reimbursed. Travel funds can either be requested in advance from the AkLA Treasurer or may be reimbursed at the meeting. Advance purchase/super-saver air fare will be reimbursed for those traveling by air. Those driving will receive mileage according to the latest rate set by State government.

Full participation in AkLA funded meetings is understood to be attendance at all scheduled sessions. Exceptions must be approved in advance by the President.

Fall Council Meeting (Face-to-Face)

Past practice has been to hold the face-to-face meeting in a central location, in terms of lowest cost of travel for the entire Council. This is usually Anchorage. The Executive Council member who makes the arrangements for space and refreshments shall be reimbursed by the AkLA Treasurer. An attempt should be made to schedule the meeting for a weekend to avoid work conflicts.

Standard Suggested Agenda Items for Meeting Include:

1. Review and approval of minutes.
2. Review of Treasurer's report.
3. Communications.
4. Reports from members of the Executive Board.
5. Reports from other members of the executive council, including Ex-Officio members, Chapter, Roundtable and Committee Chairs. These reports should be posted to the AkLA Executive Council listserve prior to the meeting. The AkLA secretary will include it in the minutes of the meeting. The President may also call for the report to be given orally.

At certain Council meetings, specific agenda items need to be included:

Two Executive Council meetings occur at the annual conference.

First meeting:

Both outgoing and incoming members of the Executive Council are expected to attend.

1. Review of the year’s activities.
2. Identification of carry-over business
3. Review of agenda items and resolutions to be presented at the annual business meeting.
4. Transfer of hard copy Handbook and request updating information.

Annual post-conference council meeting:

1. Orientation of new Executive Council members.
2. Update the conference five-year location plan. Setting of specific conference dates needs to have at least a two-year lead time.
3. Check to be sure all members of the Council and committee chairs have a Handbook.
4. Announce committee assignments.
5. Ratification of signatures on bank accounts as necessary.
6. Report of conference income projection

Fall face-to face meeting:

1. Develop budget for the coming year.
2. Set Legislative priorities for the upcoming session.
3. Report of the Vice-President for Conference on progress of conference plans.
4. Approve exhibitor's fees for the conference
5. Finalize conference budget.
6. Distribute update sheets for the Handbook. For those in attendance the Executive Officer will ensure that they will receive their pages.

Executive Council/Board meetings are governed by Robert's Rules of Order. The President must make sure that all motions, decisions and policies are clearly stated so that they are accurately reflected in the minutes. The Executive Officer will make sure that the policies are updated on the AkLA website.

Alaska State Library Representative

Attendance at Executive Council meetings by a representative from the Alaska State Library is an approved procedure. (See section on Executive Council and Policy 86 and Policy 30.) Liaison between AkLA and the Alaska State Library is vital and is facilitated by this contact. The State Librarian should therefore receive notice of scheduled meetings and be given an opportunity to include agenda items. The AkLA travel budget does not cover the travel expenses of the Alaska State Library representative.

Matrix for E-Board and E-Council Vote and Reimbursement

V = Vote
R = Reimbursement of Travel
RC=Reimbursement from Conference Funds (3/2003)

(6/23/89)

Section V: 2 Annual Business Meeting

Annual business meetings of the Association are held at the annual conference. The annual business meeting is called to order and closed by the president, using the jade gavel which was a gift to AkLA from Isabelle and Bill Mudd in 1975, the year Isabelle was president of the Association.

1. President arranges the agenda and conducts the meeting.
2. President should ensure that the parliamentarian will be available at this meeting.
3. The minutes from last year's meeting are distributed.
4. Annual reports from all members of the Executive Council are distributed.
5. Resolutions at the annual meeting should be given to the secretary in written form. They should be dated, with the intended recipient fully identified. Resolutions passed at the annual meeting should be conveyed by the outgoing secretary (See Secretary section of Handbook) as the outgoing secretary prepares annual meeting minutes, in consultation with the past president.
6. Invitation from the host community for the next year conference.

Section V: 3 Elections

Article IX, Sections 6 & 7 specify that "there shall be an annual election by mail ballot," and that "the Secretary shall mail the ballots by December 1."

To initiate the election process, the nominations committee prepares a slate of candidates and sends the original ballot and biographical sketches to the Secretary for the duplication of the ballots. The nomination committee also asks the President to send a cover letter to the secretary to accompany the ballots. See the section on Nominations committee for details of the slate preparation.

The Secretary secures the mailing labels for current voting members of AkLA from the Executive Officer. In accordance with Article III, Sections B and C, Institutional and commercial members do not vote in AkLA elections.

The AkLA Secretary will prepare the AkLA ballot containing: Name of office, names of candidates, length of term and inclusive dates of term. The reverse side of the ballot should be formatted with the AkLA Secretary’s address with postage affixed to facilitate voting by the members.

The ballot mailing also includes the cover letter from the AkLA President, the candidates biographical information and statement of philosophy. The ballot will be sent out by November 1. Ballots should be returned by December 1.

The Secretary will, with the help of another AkLA member, count the returned ballots, and notify the President of the election results. Results should included the number of ballots sent, number of ballots returned and number of votes cast for each candidate. The secretary will retain the ballots until after the annual conference, at which time they will be destroyed.

The secretary will retain a copy of the complete ballot package and a copy of the results which were sent to the president for submission to the archives.

The President will notify all candidates of the election results. This should be done as soon as possible so that the nominees are aware of the results.

The President, after notifying each candidate and confirming that the winners will be able to serve, prepares an announcement for general distribution. This announcement should include the numbers of ballots sent out, the number of ballots cast and the names of the winners. Specific vote counts should not be announced.

All AkLA Officers, except the ALA and PNLA representatives and the type of library representatives to the Governor’s Advisory Council, serve from the end of an annual conference to the end of another conference. Offices to be concerned with in an election (although not each one each year) are as follows:

President: Elected to a two-year term, one as president and one as immediate past president.

Vice-President for Roundtables And Committees: Elected to a two-year term, one as Vice-President for Roundtables and Committees, and then one year as Vice-President for Conference.

Secretary: Elected to a two-year term on odd numbered years alternating with the Treasurer.

Treasurer: Elected to a two-year term on even numbered years alternating with the Secretary.

PNLA Representative: Elected to a two-year term on odd numbered years from August to August beginning and ending at the end of the PNLA annual conference.

ALA Councilor: Elected to a three-year term beginning and ending at the end of ALA summer conference.

Representatives to the Governor's Advisory Council: Elected to a three-year appointment beginning in January on a rotation basis indicated below.

Article V, Section 4 specifies what happens in the case of a vacancy in an office.

Type of Library Representative on the Governor's Advisory Council on Libraries.
Each year there is a separate ballot mailing for the selection of nominees to serve for the type of library representative from AkLA on the Governor's Advisory Council on Libraries. Each term of office is for three years. This ballot is sent only to those who are affiliated with that type of library.

Procedure:

1. When members pay dues, they should check the type of library designation on the membership form in order to be eligible to vote for a type of library representative. If no category is marked, the Executive Officer will assign one. Categories will be held over yearly unless a specific change is requested.
2. The Executive Officer will send a list of members by designated type to the chair of each roundtable expected to nominate candidates by September 1 preceding the expected vacancy on the Council. Each roundtable will select nominees in accordance with their own procedures. The nominees must be current members of AkLA. The list of nominees and their completed Candidate for Office Biographical Data Form should be sent to the AkLA Secretary by October 20.
3. The Secretary will prepare and mail ballots to members within those roundtables. Mailing labels can be printed from the official membership list maintained by the AkLA Executive Officer.
4. Voting is limited to dues-paying Association members currently working in Alaska and a member of the roundtable in question. Honorary members who are still active participants of AkLA will also be considered voting members.
5. AkLA submits the names of the winning nominees to the Governor’s office with a current resume for official appointment by the Governor.

See the Organization Chart for a list of current officers, chairs, and representatives.

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