Council Minutes
February 7-8, 2004
Arlington, Virginia
President Tim Ericson called the meeting to order at 8:30 am. Present: Vice
President/President-Elect Rand Jimerson, Treasurer Fynnette Eaton, and Council
members Danna Bell-Russel, Frank Boles, Elaine Engst, David Haury, Kathryn
Neal, Megan Sniffin-Marinoff, Peter Wosh, and Joel Wurl. Council member Christopher
Ann Paton did not attend. Also present was SAA Executive Director Nancy Beaumont.
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
Sniffin-Marinoff presented proposed changes in the agenda, as well as estimated
times for completion of each agenda item, per an Executive Committee discussion
on February 5. Eaton moved and Boles seconded adoption of the agenda as amended.
PASSED.
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES
Engst moved and Bell-Russel seconded approval of the August 19, 2003, Council
meeting minutes as amended. PASSED.
Eaton moved and Bell-Russel seconded approval of the August 23, 2003, Council
meeting minutes as amended. PASSED.
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Sniffin-Marinoff reported that the Executive Committee, on the recommendation
of the Working Group on Intellectual Property, had agreed to sign on to a letter
expressing opposition to H.R. 3261, Database Collections of Information Misappropriation
Act. The letter to F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin), of the Committee on
the Judiciary, and W.J. "Billy" Tauzin, of the Committee on Energy and Commerce,
was prepared by Markham Erickson of NetCoalition and signed by the American
Library Association, the Association for Research Libraries, the American Association
of Law Libraries, Yahoo!, and others. We have not received a response.
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
Ericson reported on a wide variety of items:
Committee on Ethics and Professional Development: He had approved a
May 2004 meeting of the Committee on Ethics and Professional Conduct for the
purpose of drafting a revised Code of Ethics. The revision will be submitted
to Council at its June meeting, issued for public comment in mid- to late June,
and discussed at a public forum at the Annual Meeting in August. To ensure
widespread distribution and public comment, staff will include announcements
about the draft document and the comment period in Archival Outlook,
on the Web site, and in email messages to members. Council will review a draft
at the June meeting.
Committee Appointments. He had completed appointments to committees
and task forces, and had a few more appointment letters to write. He indicated
that, due to the complexity of the appointments process, he would forward to
Jimerson a complete list in order to help him get an early start on the process.
2003 ARMA International Meeting. He reported on his very positive experience
representing SAA at the ARMA meeting in Boston in October 2003, indicating
that SAA's presence generated both good visibility and goodwill and that ARMA
had been gracious in its hospitality. A number of attendees had approached
him for membership information because they wished to have access to SAA's
mentoring program, as they may have some small responsibility for archives
and want to be able to speak with someone about their questions. He expressed
his hope that SAA's presence would be enhanced at future meetings by way of
booth presentation and representation from SAA.
SAA/ARMA Joint Committee Meeting: He indicated that much of the committee's
discussion at its October 2003 meeting (held in conjunction with the ARMA meeting)
had focused on a draft public relations plan prepared by several committee
members. He had shared Council members' reservations about the plan, and learned
that other committee members had similar concerns. He will send a letter to
the Committee that distills the Council comments.
NAGARA Session: He had received an invitation from National Association
of Government Archives and Records Administrators (NAGARA) President Terry
Ellis to prepare an "SAA session" for the NAGARA meeting in Phoenix in July.
NAGARA has offered complimentary registrations to both Ericson and Jimerson.
He will solicit Council members' ideas for content of the presentation.
Midwest Archives Conference (MAC) Plenary Session in October: He reported
that his plenary session, addressing the importance of following and commenting
on current issues that should be of concern to archivists, went well. Wurl
indicated that the spring meeting of MAC would highlight sessions on the A*CENSUS
project and on advocacy.
Clark Atlanta University Archives Program: He reported that letters
to the president and dean of Clark Atlanta University on behalf of continuing
the archives program had apparently had no impact; the program was discontinued.
Program Chair Karen Jefferson had sent a note indicating the faculty's gratitude
for SAA's efforts on their behalf.
National Coalition for History (NCH) Policy Board Meeting: Thomas Battle
had attended the December 2003 meeting of the NCH Policy Board meeting, as
SAA representative Jim O'Toole was unable to attend. The board received information
about, and soon would be voting on the purchase of, a Web-based software program
("CapWiz") that aids in grassroots advocacy efforts. Ericson expressed his
gratitude to Battle for representing SAA at the meeting.
Database Protection Legislation: He reported that H.R. 3261, Database
Collections of Information Misappropriation Act, to which SAA had expressed
opposition in an October 2003 letter, had nevertheless passed by a vote of
60-7. He suggested that SAA keep a close eye on the implications of the legislation
by way of NCH.
SAA Annual Meeting: He indicated that his presidential address at the
annual meeting would be an historical overview of access to public records.
He had selected Nadine Strossen, president of the American Civil Liberties
Union, to be the keynote speaker at the Opening Plenary session. Because the
session has the potential to attract media attention, he encouraged staff to
be a bit "edgy" with promotion to members and the media. Sniffin-Marinoff suggested
that staff communicate with Mary Ide at WGBH in Boston about media opportunities.
Ericson then discussed a number of complaints received from sections and roundtables
about the 2004 Program Committee's session selection process. Over the years,
many attendees have complained that there have been too many sessions, and
the program committees have consciously tried to cut back to 50 to 75 sessions.
This has resulted in greater competition for session space. The "Archives Unplugged"
sessions have been very successful, and seven sessions in Boston were reserved
for "Unpluggeds." Ericson had reserved six "Presidential" sessions in order
to provide forums for various groups and sessions to be presented by the SAA/ARMA
Joint Committee and by the ALA/SAA/AAM Joint Committee. This left the 2004
Program Committee with about 50 slots to fill. The committee co-chairs had
decided to increase section/roundtable involvement by asking for not just endorsements,
but also rankings of their recommendations. The co-chairs realized after the
fact that it had not been made clear that this request for ranking did not
imply that sessions ranked as number 1 by a section or roundtable were not
necessarily a "sure thing." The Program Committee had certainly considered
those recommendations, but in the context of balancing them with other priorities.
Wurl indicated that the Visual Materials Section had suggested to him that
the Program Committee have a mechanism to feed back to sections/roundtables
that a proposal has not been adopted. Sniffin-Marinoff said that the problem
may be a lack of standard criteria regarding how to rank sessions. Wosh (who
had received negative comments on this issue from the Electronic Records Section)
recommended that the Program Committee end the process of endorsements, as
he thinks the procedure needlessly complicates the selection process. Council
members agreed that ranking presents problems, and that the Program Committee
traditionally does an excellent job of balancing sessions. Ericson indicated
that he would provide feedback to the 2004 and 2005 Program Committee co-chairs.
Boles expressed his concern that the practice of reserving "presidential"
sessions may send a mixed message to members regarding the "openness" of the
session selection process. Haury suggested that the Program Committee might
post all sessions to a restricted portion of the Leader List to allow all to
comment.
Action Item List: Ericson then reviewed his assignments on the Action
Item list and reported as follows:
- Appointed Peter Hirtle to the Shared Legal Capability Group.
- Appointed a Council Working Group to review criteria for appointment of
a new Archivist of the United States. Jimerson will chair, with Haury, Paton,
and Wurl serving on the group. He indicated that Council should also consider
setting up a system for recommending a replacement for Bob Martin at IMLS.
- He will mail to Diversity Committee Chair La Nina Clayton a list of 12
possible tasks for the committee that had been developed by Thomas Connors.
- He will send a follow-up letter to Health and Human Services Secretary
Tommy Thompson regarding SAA questions about HIPAA. Because Thompson is a
former governor of Wisconsin, Ericson will write his letter on University
of Wisconsin-Milwaukee letterhead.
LIAISON REPORTS
Science, Technology, and Health Care Roundtable: Sniffin-Marinoff reported
that the Science, Technology, and Health Care Roundtable had adopted a resolution
in support of the International Union of the History and Philosophy of Science
for undertaking a project to create an Online Dictionary of National History
and Science Bibliographies and Archival Sources to link existing online national
sources and to help computerize non-digital national sources. The Roundtable
had formally requested that the SAA Council endorse the Roundtable's resolution
and/or support the project.
MOVED THAT The Society of American Archivists supports the efforts
of the Division of History of Science of the International Union of the History
and Philosophy of Science to create an Online Dictionary of National History
of Science Bibliographies and Archival Sources to link existing online national
sources and to help computerize non-digital national sources. [Moved by Wosh,
seconded by Haury] PASSED.
Ericson will write a letter to the Secretary General of the Division of History
of Science to notify him of SAA's support.
Research Libraries Group Roundtable: Neal reported that Roundtable
Chair Dennis Meissner had indicated that it is likely that a request to de-constitute
the roundtable will be forthcoming.
Visual Materials Section: Wurl reported that the Section had had its
second annual mid-winter meeting, and that it encourages Council liaison attendance
at its meeting. The Section had expressed concern to Wurl that SAA activities
(eg, publications, workshops) related to visual materials are not passed on
to the Section. The Section also had queried the Council about protocols related
to section/roundtable fundraising efforts. Council discussed this item at its
February 5, 2004, planning session and appointed a task force to develop criteria.
(See Minutes of that meeting.)
TREASURER'S REPORT
Council members reviewed the Auditor's Report and Management Letter for fiscal
year 2003-2004. Two items of interest had been brought forward in the Management
Letter: 1) a suggestion that close attention be paid to the percentage of public
support for the Special Projects Fund, and 2) a recommendation that the Society
return to its policy of accruing amounts expended for the annual meeting rather
than expensing nonmaterial amounts in the previous year. The group agreed to
discuss the Special Projects Fund in more detail at its June 2004 meeting,
and determined that the executive director would make decisions regarding the
advisability of prepayments.
Eaton summarized the July 1 Æ December 30, 2003, Financial Review Report and
led a brief discussion of variances described in the report. Council members
agreed that Eaton and staff should look at the costs of servicing Sustaining
Members to ensure that dues amounts are still adequate. The group also agreed
that the presentation of information about the Special Projects Fund should
be streamlined, and that Council members and staff would benefit from a report
that summarizes how each fund was developed, restrictions (if any) on each
fund, accounting policies that apply to each, etc.
Haury and Wurl then raised the issue of the pros and cons of investment strategies
involving independent investing versus mutual funds. Eaton and Beaumont agreed
to provide a report and discussion points for the June 2004 Council meeting.
VICE PRESIDENT'S REPORT
Jimerson led a Council discussion of ideas for an SAA-led session to be presented
at the 2005 American Historical Association annual meeting in Seattle, the
theme of which will be "Archives and Artifacts." The deadline for session proposals
is February 16. Possible topics suggested by Council members: Access, cultural
memory/history/archives concept, and advocacy. Jimerson and Wosh agreed to
contact various archivists with the goal of proposing three or four sessions.
Jimerson reported that he had met on the morning of February 7 with Washington,
D.C., Archivist Clarence Davis and had briefly toured the Municipal Archives
and Records Center. Davis had shared with him a recent letter from a District
of Columbia government official regarding plans for enhancing staffing and
facilities. Davis indicated that letters written by SAA and other archival
organizations, as well as a Washington Post article and a letter to
the editor (from Ericson) describing the plight of the Municipal Archives,
had made a big difference in his efforts to gain the attention of the Mayor's
office to the critical state of the Archives. Jimerson reinforced that this
is more than a local problem, as the DC Municipal Archives collects items that
are relevant to our national heritage.
In a discussion of next steps that will ensure further action by the District
government:
- Jimerson indicated that he would send a follow-up letter to the Secretary
of the District that includes a query regarding the timeline for action and
that he hoped to return to the District in May and would attempt to meet
with the Secretary or District Commissioner at that time.
- Ericson said that he would prepare his March/April Archival Outlook column
on this issue, and that he would send a thank you note to Washington Post
writer Sewell Chan, copying him on the DC Secretary's letter to Davis.
- Council discussed the possibility of placing the opening reception of SAA's
2006 annual meeting in the renovated DC Municipal Archives facility as a
means of drawing attention to the power of advocacy and to the need for timely
action on the part of the DC government.
Sniffin-Marinoff suggested that SAA might consider contacting archivists in
the communities that host the Annual Meeting in order to determine what sorts
of issues their dealing with and indicating that the Annual Meeting draws a
large group of archivists that may have influence in resolving some of those
issues.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT
Council members reviewed staff reports addressing Headquarters Operations,
Education, Annual Meeting, Web Site, and Publications. They agreed that staff
should provide the complete Publications Sales Report just once per year (in
June) as it is a very staff-labor-intensive report that is best viewed at year
end. [Note: In order to meet the requirement of providing fiscal-year-end figures,
this report will best be presented to the August Council meeting.]
APPOINTED GROUP REPORTS
Electronic Publishing Working Group
Working Group Chair Rob Spindler had prepared a report updating Council on
progress made on Task Force on Electronic Publications recommendations. Boles
urged the Working Group to consider the appraisal aspects of preservation of
section newsletters, and to deal with the tough question of whether all merit
permanent preservation. Wurl agreed to report back to the EPWG Council's concern
about the posting of all papers nominated for the Pease award. Upon further
reflection of this TFEP recommendation (G-1), Council recommends that this
not be done.
Membership Development Task Force
Council members reviewed a Membership Development Action Plan for January
to December 2004 prepared by the Membership Development Task Force, and agreed
that the Task Force should proceed with implementing the plan as outlined.
Wurl will pass along to the Task Force the Council's thanks for its work.
Diversity Committee
Wurl reported that the Diversity Committee would be meeting at SAA Headquarters
in May to officially begin its work. Per Council charge, the first task of
the newly constituted group will be to draft a functional description for the
Committee. Wurl will provide to Committee Chair La Nina Clayton a draft functional
description that had been prepared by the Diversity Task Force in 2003. He
will also suggest to Clayton that the Committee meet again in August in conjunction
with Boston 2004.
Council agreed that the Diversity Committee will be placed on its agenda for
all meetings for the foreseeable future.
Committee on Education and Professional Development (CEPD)
Council members had an extensive discussion of the need for a focused plan
that would help define the Society's goals and objectives in relation to education,
the need for development of archival continuing education guidelines, and the
role of the Committee in relation to the SAA Education Office. Because archival
education is such a broad area, the group discussed the idea of creating two
committees—one on graduate education and the other on continuing education—in
order to make the tasks of each more focused and more manageable. Because there
is strong interest in the creation of new continuing education guidelines to
replace the "PACE Guidelines," Council suggested that this be a top priority
of a CEPD task force. Further, Council members reflected on the need for a
strategic action plan that would help focus SAA activities to meet highest-priority
needs in the next 2 to 3 years. Jimerson agreed to follow up with CEPD Chair
Bill Landis and Task Force on Education Office Chair Beth Yakel to get their
thoughts on these issues and on the matter of how best to proceed with development
of Archival Continuing Education (ACE) Guidelines.
OLD BUSINESS
SAA Statement on USA PATRIOT Act
Council members reviewed the draft statement provided by the Manuscript Repositories
Section, the Reference, Access, and Outreach Section, and the Privacy and Confidentiality
Roundtable, as well as a revised statement prepared by Immediate Past President
Peter Hirtle, and discussed what issues they believe a statement should address.
Boles indicated that Tim Pyatt of the Privacy and Confidentiality Roundtable,
who had submitted the original draft, had expressed his support of the Hirtle
revision. Ericson indicated that he would distill Hirtle's comments into a
one-page position statement and reissue it to Council members for review, discussion,
and approval via email.
Joint Statement on e-Bay
Boles briefly reviewed the history of the development of the draft statement.
MOVED THAT The following joint statement by the Council of State Historical
Records Coordinators, the National Association of Government Archives and Records
Administrators, and SAA regarding sale of historical records on e-Bay be adopted:
Historical records of government
agencies document actions taken by governments from the local level to the
national in conducting the public's business. They represent the essential
information by which all citizens may understand the consequences of decisions
made by public agencies. They allow the governed to hold those who govern accountable.
To that end, these documents should remain where they are available for public
inspection.
As documents of all types have
become increasingly collectible, the number of official government records
appearing for sale through online venues such as eBay has grown. Their disappearance
into private hands deprives the public of access to important historical details
concerning the development of property rights, taxation, judicial actions,
and community growth, as well as the enduring impact of human beings upon their
surrounding environments.
To protect the integrity of
the public record and to ensure continuing public access to necessary historical
documents, we respectfully request eBay's assistance in alerting its users
to the ramifications of the sale of historical public records. We propose that
notices be posted on its site at appropriate locations identifying the legal
issues involving public records and directing potential buyers and sellers
to a Web site created and maintained by the Council of State Historical Records
Coordinators (COSHRC). This Web site will provide links to definitions of public
records, to laws that govern their disposition and to state and federal agencies
that have responsibility for them. It will help eBay customers to distinguish
the kinds of records that should not be handled by private parties and will
provide them with access to expert advice to answer questions about public
documents.
The on-going loss of portions
of our documentary heritage risks nothing less than erasing part of our national
memory. As representatives of those professions charged with protecting that
documentary heritage, we look forward to working with eBay through this or
other appropriate action to help preserve and provide broad public access to
America's historical public records.
[Moved by Boles, seconded by Jimerson] PASSED.
Council members also noted that:
- The Web site should provide a series of specific definitions of official
public records within the federal, state and local contexts in order to fulfill
its stated role of helping the buyer and seller recognize what to avoid.
NARA's "Personal Papers of Executive Branch Officials" (Management Guide
Series, 1992) offers the following basic statement: Federal records are "all
documentary materials, regardless of physical form, that are made or received
by an agency of the U. S. Government under Federal law or in connection with
the transaction of public business, and preserved or appropriate for preservation
as evidence of agency activities or because of the value of the information
they contain." (page 4) The pamphlet then goes on to offer various qualifications.
Other definitions will vary from state to state and should appear on each
state's specific site.
- The site should offer direct links not only to the relevant parts of NARA
and federal legislation, but also to as many state archives/historical records
commissions or related bodies as possible, especially in those states that
have specific guidelines about the disposition of public records.
- The state Web sites should also include examples of documents sold illegally
to serve as illustrative case studies.
Joint Annual Meeting with NAGARA and COSHRC in 2006
NAGARA President-Elect Tim Slavin joined the Council meeting to present his
ideas about the benefits of a joint SAA/NAGARA annual meeting in Washington,
D.C., in 2006. COSHRC would also be involved in the meeting, as a substantial
supporter but with limited numbers of attendees due to small membership numbers.
He indicated that the goal of the joint meeting would be to unite the archival
profession for one week in a way that benefits both organizations. He noted
that he had worked with Ericson and Beaumont to develop several scenarios reflecting
possible business agreements between the two organizations, and that a list
of 12 issues had been discussed and substantially resolved. He suggested that
each organization identify one representative to negotiate the business aspects
of the joint meeting agreement if Council adopted the idea on principle.
MOVED THAT SAA hold a joint annual meeting with NAGARA and COSHRC in
Washington, DC, in 2006. [Moved by Jimerson, seconded by Eaton] PASSED.
Beaumont was authorized by Council to negotiate the business details of the
joint meeting.
Nominating Committee Procedures
Nominating Committee Chair La Nina Clayton and Beaumont had identified some
minor issues associated with the flow of communication between the Committee
and candidates as well as the procedures for publication of the slate of candidates.
Ericson will draft revised language for the Council Handbook to address these
issues. In an attempt to institutionalize the flow of historical information,
he will include in the guidelines a requirement for the Nominating Committee
to provide a summary of who was asked to serve and to indicate if those individuals
do not wish to be contacted again.
Privacy Statement on Web Site
MOVED THAT The word "interim" be removed from the Privacy Statement
on the SAA Web site, and that no other changes be made at this time. [Moved
by Engst, seconded by Bell-Russel] PASSED.
Statement on Survivor Privacy
The Privacy and Confidentiality Roundtable had proposed that SAA develop a
policy statement on the issue of survivor privacy. Council was somewhat unclear
about the scope of what such a statement might address, and questioned whether
there should be a legal principle that privacy should be extended after death.
Boles will contact Roundtable Chair Tim Pyatt and ask the Roundtable to write
a succinct document that specifies the issues currently being considered by
the Supreme Court. Wurl recommended that a draft statement be circulated for
comment to the SAA Leader List.
Student Chapters
MOVED THAT The University of South Carolina petition for a Student
Chapter be approved. [Moved by Boles, seconded by Wosh] PASSED.
MOVED THAT The University of Kentucky petition for a Student Chapter
be approved. [Moved by Boles, seconded by Wosh] PASSED.
Student Chapter Visits
Eaton will distribute an updated list of Student Chapters to Council members
in order that they may indicate which chapters they will visit in the coming
months.
Student Chapter Communications
Former Treasurer and Student Chapter Liaison Elizabeth
Adkins had prepared for Council review suggested changes in the Council Handbook
related to communication with Student Chapters. Along with a number of small
technical changes and stylistic corrections, the major changes proposed were
the following:
- Enhancement of the annual reporting requirements to ensure that the SAA
office receives updated contact information for each chapter every year.
- A specific deadline (either December 31 or May 31) must be met for submission
of the annual report, to make it easier for staff to administer the solicitation
of the annual reports and to provide a common understanding of when they
are due. A choice of dates is given in order to provide flexibility in accommodating
differences in each chapter's structure and calendar year.
- At minimum, the chief officer(s) and the faculty advisor of each chapter
is required to subscribe to the SAA Student Listserv in order to facilitate
communication among the office, the Council liaison, and the student chapters.
Any messages from the SAA office or the liaison should be forwarded to chapter
members.
MOVED THAT The Council Handbook be revised to reflect the changes in
procedures for student chapter communication proposed in the Adkins report.
[Moved by Eaton, seconded by Boles] PASSED.
The meeting was adjourned for the day at 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, February 8, 2004
OLD BUSINESS (CONTINUED)
Journal Editor Evaluation
Council members reviewed the journal editor performance appraisal conducted
by Beaumont and Journal Editor Philip Eppard in December 2003 and January 2004,
including the appraisal form (developed by Beaumont with input from a variety
of current and past Editorial Board members and leaders), Eppard's self-appraisal
form, and a shared "Goals and Measurement Standards" form. Council members
agreed that the new performance appraisal tool and schedule, developed by Beaumont
with the advice and assistance of a subcommittee of the American Archivist Editorial
Board, is appropriate and helpful. They suggested a broadening of participation
in the comments process.
Beaumont then discussed her view that the Journal Editor should report not
to the executive director but directly to the SAA Council, in recognition of
the critical importance of the position to the Society and the profession it
serves. She cited the nearly unanimous use of this model in professional associations.
MOVED THAT Effective immediately, the responsibility for selecting
and overseeing the American Archivist Editor be that of the SAA Council.
[Moved by Jimerson, seconded by Engst] PASSED.
In recognition of this transition,
MOVED THAT Philip Eppard be offered a one-year extension on his current
contract, to extend the contract through December 31, 2005. [Moved by Jimerson,
seconded by Sniffin-Marinoff] PASSED.
Ericson appointed Boles, Neal, and Bell-Russel to serve on a group to propose
revisions to the Council Handbook, outline a review process, determine the
specifics of appointment of the journal editor, and develop a request for proposal
to recruit a journal editor whose term would begin effective January 1, 2006.
NEW BUSINESS
Section/Roundtable Annual Reports
Council members discussed the apparent breakdown in compliance with procedures
associated with preparation and dissemination of section and roundtable annual
reports. Although such reports are required of sections and roundtables, few
groups complied in 2003. Council members and staff agreed that this may be
due in large part to the fact that no reminder was sent to section and roundtable
leaders, and that this is a critical step in that volunteer leaders cannot
be expected to remember the compliance date or to pass along to successors
the requirements for reports. Beaumont agreed to develop a schedule for reminding
component leaders of this deadline.
The Council further discussed the value of section and roundtable annual reports,
and agreed that more could be done in terms of guidance to make the reports
more valuable in the association's governance process. For example, many Council
members appreciate the extent to which section and roundtable chairs share
plans for upcoming priorities and events. Ericson asked Sniffin-Marinoff and
Engst to develop a template and/or checklist that will be shared with section
and roundtable leaders to aid them in preparing annual reports
North American Archival Network of the International Council on Archives
(NAANICA)
Council members discussed a proposal prepared by Bryan Corbett for formation
of a North American Archival Network of the International Council on Archives
(NAANICA). The Organizational Statement had resulted from a meeting of representatives
of the Association of Canadian Archivists, Academy of Certified Archivists,
Association of Moving Image Archivists, Genealogical Society of Utah, National
Archives of Canada, and Society of American Archivists at the SAA Annual Meeting
in Los Angeles on August 24, 2003. Ericson and Immediate Past President Peter
Hirtle represented SAA at that meeting.
The objectives of this "virtual roundtable" will be to: 1) serve as a central
clearinghouse of ICA information and issues to the North American archival
and information management communities; 2) encourage the members to respond
to ICA requests for input; 3) make ICA aware of North American information
and issues; and 4) represent North America in the ICA governing structure.
Membership will be open to all North American Category A members of ICA and
to all national and international archival associations based in North America.
Members will elect an individual to serve as a North American representative
to the ICA executive committee. That representative will be expected to serve
for a minimum of two years. There will be no annual dues to NAANICA, but funding
may be sought to support the work of NAANICA. Members will meet at least once
a year at the annual meeting of either the ACA or the SAA. Other meetings will
be conducted "virtually." The Association of Canadian Archivists will serve
as the initial secretariat for NAANICA.
MOVED THAT SAA become a member of the ICA/NAANICA. [Moved by Eaton,
seconded by Engst] PASSED.
Harold T. Pinkett Scholarship Fund
Council members discussed the Harold T. Pinkett Minority Scholarship Fund
and the merits of setting up the fund as an endowment. Bell-Russel described
the critical need to "jump start" the scholarship fund and to publicize it
far more broadly than in the past. Several Council members suggested the idea
of a "quasi-endowment" that would allow SAA to use the principal for purposes
related to the fund. Ericson indicated that no general fundraising letter had
been sent to the membership in November 2003 due to other priorities, but that
the next fundraising letter would highlight the Pinkett Fund.
Committee to Select Fellows
Council is charged with selecting three fellows to serve on the Committee
to Select Fellows. These fellows join the five most immediate past presidents
of SAA in performing this task. Council vote resulted in the selection of Jackie
Dooley, Ellen Garrison, and Waverly Lowell to serve on the committee.
Annual Meeting Resolutions Committee
Traditionally the three newest members of Council serve as the Annual Meeting
Resolutions Committee. Therefore, Kathryn Neal, Christopher Ann Paton, and
Peter Wosh were nominated to serve.
MOVED THAT Kathryn Neal, Christopher Ann Paton, and Peter Wosh serve
as the SAA Annual Meeting Resolutions Committee in 2004. [Moved by Engst, seconded
by Eaton] PASSED.
Follow-Up from February 6 Joint Meeting with COSHRC and NAGARA
In follow up to the Joint Meeting with the COSRHC and NAGARA boards on February
6, Council members had a brief discussion of the critical need to support advocacy
efforts to ensure reauthorization of the National Historical Publications and
Records Commission and to seek additional funding legislation for the agency,
and also discussed alternatives for creation of infrastructure within SAA to
support these enhanced efforts.
The group concluded its discussion with a general agreement that, whenever
possible, the SAA Council should attempt to meet with the COSHRC and NAGARA
boards every year for the purpose of discussing common interests.
Brief Amicus Curiae in Support of Respondents Sierra Club
and Judicial Watch, Inc., Re: National Energy Policy Development Group
SAA had been approached by the American Library Association regarding its
willingness to join in a "friends of the court" (amici curiae)
brief concerning the request by the Sierra Club and Judicial Watch for disclosure
of who, outside of the government, participated in Vice President Richard Cheney's
National Energy Policy Development Group. Vice President Cheney had refused
to disclose any information about the group. Ericson and Beaumont indicated
that the current estimate of the cost to participate in the brief would be
$2,000, although that number could rise depending on the number of participants
in the brief. Council members agreed that this issue is critically important
to SAA's significant interest in open government laws, including the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (FACA), and that SAA should sign on and should publicize
its involvement broadly to the SAA members as an example of its proactive stance
on critical advocacy issues.
MOVED THAT SAA join in the amicus curiae brief concerning the request
by the Sierra Club and Judicial Watch for disclosure of who, outside of the
government, participated in Vice President Richard Cheney's National Energy
Policy Development Group, and provide $2,000 to help fund the preparation and
filing of the brief. [Moved by Jimerson, seconded by Bell-Russel]
MicroMARC
Boles reported that MicroMARC chair Fred Honhart had notified him of the desire
to disband the roundtable.
MOVED THAT the MicroMARC Roundtable be disbanded. [Moved by Boles,
seconded by Sniffin-Marinoff] PASSED.
Distribution of 2002-2003 Net Revenue
For a number of reasons related to staffing, funding of the executive director
recruitment process, and good control of expenditures, the Society's operating
budget for FY2002-2003 had yielded net revenue of $39,000. Council members
discussed how those funds should be allocated to the reserve and/or the operating
budget. The group charged Eaton and Beaumont to do additional research on this
issue, determine an appropriate split based on a review of current and proposed
budgets, and report their findings to the Council at its June meeting.
Following a brief review of Council members' opinions about newly implemented
processes for preparation and electronic distribution of Council materials,
Ericson adjourned the meeting at 12:00 p.m.
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