Section X: Roundtables
Guidelines for SAA Rountables
Descriptions of SAA Roundtables
Frequently Asked Questions
Guidelines for SAA Roundtables
I. MISSION STATEMENT
A. Serve as Advocate for Interest Around Which the Roundtable Is Formed
Roundtables focus attention on and give voice to the concerns that form the Roundtable’s particular areas of interest. Roundtables function as communities of interest engaged in generating ideas and meeting the intellectual interests of the membership in areas of topical interest. They focus expertise and interest in the professional functions and responsibilities to carry out the archival profession’s mission to identify, administer, and promote the use of records of enduring value.
B. Encourage and Provide Communication
Roundtables provide a forum for members to discuss matters of interest within the body. They also provide channels of communication from the Roundtable to the membership of the Society and to the Council on matters of concern to the Roundtable. As Roundtables may exist as online communities, communication may take place in the form of Roundtable electronic discussion groups.
C. Perform Work
Roundtables provide mechanisms for members to initiate activities of common interest and also review material referred to them by the Council for comment or action. Roundtables can formulate specific projects, for which task forces would be created to execute the projects. Roundtables give and institutionalize opportunity for members to focus, on a longer term basis and in a national forum, on specific matters of practical interest.
D. Integrate New Members
Roundtables provide a vital mechanism for new and prospective SAA members to become active in the work of the Society and for meeting members with common interests. Roundtables provide new members a chance to participate and to contribute to the work of the group and the Society.
Although it is expected that the core of a Roundtable is composed of Individual members of SAA, anyone may belong to a Roundtable. Because of this, Roundtables play a unique and significant role in recruiting new members to the Society. Roundtables are therefore required to compile records of attendance at the Annual Meeting on forms provided by the SAA Executive Office; these will be used by the SAA Executive Office for outreach purposes and to monitor the overall effectiveness of Roundtables in attracting new members to the Society.
D. Develop Leadership
The Roundtables offer opportunities to their members to take leadership in working with and for their colleagues. Through the years, a considerable number of the elected and appointed positions within SAA have been filled by persons who began their leadership roles in Roundtables.
II. GOALS AND AREAS OF ACTIVITY
Roundtables are charged to be active in four areas.
- They identify and consider issues in which a significant number of members have an interest. Members may investigate different facets of the issues, then report and discuss their findings during Roundtable meetings and through Roundtable mailings or electronic communications.
- They recommend to the Council, through memoranda or formal papers, an action or a position the Roundtable believes appropriate for SAA. The Council remains the policy-setting body for SAA, and only it can promulgate a formal position for SAA or any of its constituent bodies.
- They suggest program sessions for the SAA Annual Meeting and, with the advice of the executive director, plan Roundtable meetings for the SAA Annual Meeting. Representatives of the Program Committee will visit Roundtable meetings to present their early plans for the next meeting; to explain the program-building process, the pre-conference workshop possibilities, and the Roundtable endorsement process; and to advise Roundtables on how to submit well-crafted program proposals in collaboration with other SAA units.
- They communicate Roundtable activity within the Roundtable and to the Society at larg
III. RECOGNITION AND STANDING
A. The Council may establish Roundtables upon submission of a group’s application. The Council will consider the merits of each request in light of existing SAA groups and the specific statement of intent and goals of the applicant group.
B. New applications for recognition shall be submitted no later than January 1 for Council action before the next Annual Meeting.
C. Application shall be made by petition to include signatures of at least 50 SAA members, a publishable statement of purpose and goals of the Roundtable, and a statement indicating why a separate Roundtable would be advantageous to the Society.
D
. Roundtables that do not maintain an official membership level of at least 50 members and meet annual reporting requirements may be dissolved as an official SAA Roundtable after due notice and an opportunity for Roundtable officers to appeal.
E. Should a Roundtable decide that a more formal structure and greater degree of activity are necessary to carry forward its work, it may petition the Council to become a Section. Such petitions should indicate a plan of work for specific projects that can be carried out more effectively through the Section structure.
IV. MEMBERSHIP
SAA members may join up to two Roundtables in order to establish an official list of Roundtable members. The SAA office will maintain and report on the official list of Roundtable members as an aid in allocating resources and tracking member services. Participation in electronic discussion lists is open to nonmembers of the Society.
V. GOVERNANCE
A. Roundtables will annually elect an SAA member as the convener, who may also be known as the chair. This person must be a member of SAA. No person may serve as convener of a Roundtable for more than three successive years. Only SAA members are eligible to vote for Roundtable conveners or other officers.
B. The leaders of the Roundtable are expected to notify the SAA Executive Office promptly of newly appointed or elected leaders so that the official SAA leadership list (“saaleaderlist”) can be updated and mailings can be circulated properly.
D. Roundtable conveners will take office at the close of the SAA Annual Meeting.
E. It was never the desire in creating Roundtables to establish bodies that spend more time on the structure of doing business than on the discussion of archival issues within their fields of activity. Roundtables may operate as formally or informally as suits their needs; they are not required to draw up bylaws.
VI. ANNUAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
A. Roundtable conveners are required to report the name(s) of their convener(s) for the coming year to the SAA office within 14 days of the close of the Annual Meeting. Conveners are required to complete and file SAA’s standard annual report form within 90 days of the close of the Annual Meeting, regardless of whether the Roundtable convenes in conjunction with the Annual Meeting. (Download the report form.)
B. Failure to complete and file an annual report within six months of an Annual Meeting places the Roundtable in a probationary status and may result in a loss of Roundtable privileges. Failure to file an annual report within one year of the close of the Annual Meeting will result in a notice from the president of the Roundtable’s dissolution. Roundtables receiving such notice may file an appeal with the Council.
D. Roundtable annual reports, including the update of purpose and activity statements, will be published by the SAA office on the main SAA website.
E. Roundtable conveners will be asked to acknowledge annually that they understand and will comply with the responsibilities of their position. The president or designee will contact Roundtable conveners annually by e-mail to request a response that they have read pertinent sections of the Council Handbook regarding their duties. The convener is responsible for acknowledging receipt and compliance with the annual notice of leadership responsibilities and for contacting the Council regarding all other issues of concern to the Roundtable’s members.
VII. ROUNDTABLE MEETINGS
The Society invites Roundtable leaders to work collaboratively and creatively with the Council and staff to allocate limited meeting space by suggesting alternative ways of gathering within and outside of the conference hotel. All Roundtables will be guaranteed either shared or dedicated meeting space at the Annual Meeting. Roundtables may be required to meet certain conditions in order to secure dedicated rooms and other resources, especially equipment, that may be available during the Annual Meeting.
A. Conveners will receive an annual notice from the SAA office on the availability of meeting rooms for Roundtables, with deadlines for responding. Roundtables that request a meeting room may be allocated shared meeting space at the Annual Meeting. The following criteria, among others, may be used to determine the allocation of shared space.
1. The SAA office receives a request for space by the deadline established by the executive director.
2. All reporting requirements for the previous year have been met.
B. Roundtable requests for a dedicated meeting room and/or equipment at an SAA Annual Meeting will be evaluated and determined by the executive director, in consultation with the SAA president as appropriate, from among the following criteria:
- The convener submits a timely request before deadlines published by the SAA office,
- The Roundtable has organized a special presentation or program that advances the Society’s strategic priorities,
- The Roundtable is engaged in a collaborative exercise with another Roundtable or Section,
- The historical and expected attendance are large enough to warrant dedicated space in order to accommodate members, and/or
- All annual reporting requirements for the previous year have been met, including the convener’s acknowledgment of leadership responsibilities.
C. New Roundtables are eligible for a dedicated meeting room at the SAA Annual Meeting for their first organizational meeting after approval by the Council.
D. Roundtables that are allocated dedicated meeting space at one Annual Meeting will not receive priority over other Roundtables requesting dedicated space at the next Annual Meeting.
E. Roundtables that do not meet at one Annual Meeting but that wish to reserve space at a subsequent meeting may request allocation of space without penalty.
F. SAA staff will report annually to the Council on Roundtable meeting attendance, the allocation of space and other resources at the SAA Annual Meeting, the official membership numbers of the Roundtables, electronic list subscribers and activity, compliance with annual reporting requirements, and other activity that will assist the Council in regularly assessing the status of Roundtables.
VIII. CONSULTATION WITH THE COUNCIL
A. The president will extend an invitation to Roundtable conveners to attend the annual Leadership Forum. Attendance for Roundtable conveners will not be mandatory.
B. Roundtables may submit requests directly to the Council through the SAA executive director. The Council is responsible for addressing Roundtable matters, making recommendations about Roundtable matters, and communicating actions concerning Roundtables to the conveners.
IX. COMMUNICATIONS
A. Electronic Lists
The Society will support Roundtables with multiple electronic lists, websites, and other communication vehicles as they become available.
1. The SAA office will host and manage electronic discussion and announcement lists for all Roundtables.
2. Roundtable conveners will coordinate communication with the SAA office and the Council and will forward appropriate messages from the SAA leader announcement list (“saaleaderlist”) to members.
3. Although members may join only two Roundtables officially, they may subscribe to an unlimited number of Roundtable electronic discussion lists. The SAA staff and Council liaisons will monitor lists to identify issues of wider importance and to assess the unit’s effectiveness. The number of subscribers will be maintained and reported by SAA staff.
4. Participation in an unlimited number of Roundtable electronic discussion groups will be open to nonmembers of the Society.
B. Roundtable Websites
SAA staff will maintain on the Society’s main website (www.archivists.org) broad information on the goals, leadership, and activities of SAA Roundtables.
1. Conveners are responsible for updating information maintained on the main SAA website (www.archivists.org).
2. Although SAA staff will host Roundtable websites and create templates for posting data, the content and design of the websites will be the responsibility of the Roundtable and its convener.
3. Roundtables may create websites and additional electronic lists on file servers that are not located within SAA, provided that they follow all SAA policies, register these publications with the SAA office, use the uniform SAA logo, and establish links to the SAA website. Roundtable leaders should be aware that data maintained outside of the SAA servers cannot be easily archived or validated.
C. Other Communications
1. Any mailings or electronic communications from Roundtable leaders to their members should also be distributed to the Council and the SAA Executive Office.
2. Announcements of employment opportunities shall appear only in SAA’s Archival Outlook and the online Employment Bulletin, not in any other Roundtable publication or electronic communication. In this way the Society is able to fulfill its legal and fiscal responsibilities to 1) review and, if necessary, edit or refuse announcements that include discriminatory statements inconsistent with principles of intellectual freedom or the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its subsequent amendments; and 2) provide the services contracted for by the institutions and organizations that place ads and announcements in SAA publications.
3. The SAA office will contact conveners, in time for publication in the Annual Meeting program book, to request information on plans for the Roundtable meeting at the Annual Meeting.
X. FUNDING FOR ROUNDTABLE ACTIVITIES
A. SAA’s fiscal year extends from July 1 to June 30. Budget requests from Roundtables will be submitted as part of the annual report due to the Council within 90 days of the close of the Annual Meeting. A form is provided on which the Roundtable leadership describes the activity planned for the Roundtable and proposes a budget sufficient to accomplish it. The deadline will be strictly adhered to; budget requests received after the deadline will not be considered.
B. Funds allocated to a Roundtable during one fiscal year are not automatically carried over to the next fiscal year. If an allocation needs to be deferred to the next fiscal year, the Roundtable must formally request the carryover in its annual report.
C. Otherwise, in pursuing its work, a Roundtable (with the exception of its limited appropriation) is not authorized to spend any monies or commit any monies to be spent without specific authorization from the Council. Although exceptions can be made, the Council expects to appropriate money for activities of Roundtables through the regular budget process.
D. Roundtable conveners may submit special funding requests directly to the Council through the executive director.
E. If a Roundtable wishes to seek resources (whether in cash or in kind) from any source outside SAA, Executive Committee approval must be obtained in every instance before approaching the source. Proposals should be routed through the executive director, with sufficient time for consideration by the Executive Committee, which will respond within 30 days.
XI. USE OF SAA NAME, LOGO, AND AUSPICES
The use of SAA’s name, logo, and auspices for publications, meetings, mailings, and other activity is available only through specific provision of the Council. Roundtables, although they are within the SAA structure, are not empowered to take action in the name of SAA, or request money in the name of SAA or the Roundtable itself, without specific prior authorization of the Council. This firm rule is required to protect SAA and its members from potential legal complications.
Revised: March 2007
Description of Roundtables
Architectural Records: Provides a forum for members to discuss issues
related to access and management of architectural records and related fields.
Archival Educators: Facilitates the exchange of information
about archival education programs throughout the United States and Canada and
provides a forum for the discussion of issues relevant to those who teach courses
and workshops in archival administration and related topics, in both academic
institutions and other settings.
Archival History: Stimulates interest among archivists in the profession's
own past and suggests ways of studying its history.
Archives Management: Addresses the identification and consideration of management and leadership issues that are important to archivists and archival institutions and brings together archivists from dissimilar institutions who share these interests.
Archivists and Archives of Color: Provides a forum to identify and discuss concerns facing racial minorities; encourage exchange of ideas by archivists with diverse racial backgrounds; promote wider participation of minorities within the archival profession; ensure the preservation of archival materials pertaining to minorities; support development of archival services and programs to minorities; and seek funding for scholarships for minority students in library/information science master’s degree programs.
Congressional
Papers: Provides a means for discussion of archival issues involved in the acquisition, processing, and administration of the papers of members of the United States Congress.
Encoded Archival
Description: Supports the implementation, use, and ongoing development of this international encoding standard for finding aids.
Issues & Advocacy: Dedicated to finding news of, and formulating
possible responses to archives and records related issues and events, for SAA
Council's consideration.
International Affairs: Identifies and addresses issues and concerns
of archives and archivists throughout the world; provides a forum for discussion,
dissemination and promotion of issues related to international archival affairs.
Labor Archives: Promotes communication among archivists and institutions concerned with records in the field of labor and develops cooperative strategies and guidelines to ensure comprehensive documentation of the labor movement.
L.A.G.A.R. (Lesbian and Gay Archives
Roundtable): Archivists concerned with ensuring that the archival record includes documentation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history and culture; ensuring that LGBT archival issues are identified and visible within SAA; and serving as liaisons between independent LGBT archives and SAA.
Local Government Records: Provides dialogue among archivists concerned with the administration, organization, and care of records of local government.
Lone Arrangers: To provide education, stimulate communication, and
encourage support between archivists working in "lone arranger" settings.
The term "lone arranger" includes those working alone or in very
small staff situations.
Metadata & Digital Object Roundtable: Promotes discussion, education, and collaboration among archivists who are interested in digital archival objects and the metadata that enables their access, management, and preservation.
Native American Archives Roundtable: Serves as a forum to educate archivist on the complexities and beauty of Native American archives of the western hemisphere and as a source of communication and inspiration for archivists working with Native American collections.
Performing Arts: Encourages the exchange of information on historical and contemporary documentation of music, dance, theater, and other performance media.
Privacy & Confidentiality: Provides
a forum for the discussion of privacy and confidentiality issues and their
legal and ethical implications for archival practice.
Recorded Sound: Serves as a forum for discussing the role, needs,
and care of sound recordings in archival collections.
Records Management: Encourages discussion of current issues in records and information management and promotes better understanding of the importance of collaborative efforts between archivists and records managers.
RLG Roundtable (Research Libraries Group): Promotes discussion and exchange of information about current RLG program initiatives and research projects affecting the archival community.
Science, Technology & Health
Care: Provides a forum for archivists with similar interests or holdings in science, technology and health care, including medicine, and provides an opportunity to exchange information, solve problems, and share successes.
Security: Focuses
on issues relating to the prevention of theft in archival and manuscript repositories.
Visual Materials Cataloging & Access
Roundtable: Provides a forum for archivists with visual collections
to discuss cataloging and access issues.
Women Archivists Roundtable: Monitors
the status of women in the archival profession, and promotes the participation
of women in all phases of SAA's activities and the profession as a whole.
Women's Collections: Promotes the preservation and research use of records documenting women and networks archivists with holdings concerning or created by women.
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