Society of American Archivists
Council Meeting
August 9, 2010
Washington, D.C.
President Peter Gottlieb called the meeting to order at 8:30 am on Monday, August 9. Present were Vice President/President-Elect Helen Tibbo; Treasurer Aimee Felker; Executive Committee Member Margery Sly; Council members Bruce Ambacher, Scott Cline, Thomas Frusciano, Thomas Hyry, Brenda Lawson, Deborra Richardson, Rosalye Settles, and Diane Vogt-O’Connor; and SAA Executive Director Nancy Beaumont, Publishing Director Teresa Brinati, Member and Technical Services Director Brian Doyle, Finance / Administration Director Tom Jurczak, and Program Coordinator René Mueller. Donna McCrea, Dennis Meissner, and Kate Theimer, elected to begin their Council terms on August 14, and Gregor Trinkaus-Randall, elected to begin his term as Vice President/President-Elect on August 14, also attended the full meeting.
I. COUNCIL BUSINESS
A. Adoption of the Agenda
Gottlieb introduced the agenda as modified by the Executive Committee and welcomed the newly elected Council members. Sly described the proposed modifications and the Council adopted the agenda as modified.
Move: Felker. Second: Ambacher.
PASSED (unanimous).
B. February 2010 Minutes
Gottlieb noted that the minutes were adopted by the Council in July 2010 and posted on the SAA website immediately. SAA members were notified of availability of the minutes via In the Loop and the website.
C. Review of May 2010 “To Do” List
Council members reviewed the items listed on the May 2010 “To Do List” and provided updates on completed and pending action items.
II. ACTION ITEMS
A. Revisions of “Guidelines for a Graduate Program in Archival Studies”
(Agenda Item moved to Discussion Item III.E.)
B. Standards Committee: Best Practices for Working with Researchers / Archives Employees with Disabilities
The SAA Joint Archives Management / Records Management Roundtable Working Group on Diversity in Archives and Records Management created two documents – one addressing best practices for working with archives employees with physical disabilities and one for working with researchers with physical disabilities – and submitted them to the Standards Committee via approved procedures. During its review, the Committee considered whether the accessibility recommendations might be incorporated into “Archival and Special Collections Facilities: Guidelines for Archivists, Librarians, Architects, and Engineers” (approved February 2009). After consultation with the co-chairs of the Technical Subcommittee on Facilities Guidelines, the Committee determined that the accessibility recommendations address issues beyond facilities (such as human resource issues and effective communication) and are most appropriately considered to be best practices: “procedures and guidelines based on experience and research that demonstrate that they are optimal and efficient means to produce a desired result” (http://www.archivists.org/governance/handbook/standards_com2.asp). The Standards Committee recommended approval of the documents as “well-researched, useful, and very important[,]…give[ing] greater awareness to these important accessibility issues.” After some discussion, the Council approved both documents, pending clarification of the federal requirement for aisle width.
MOTION 1
THAT “Best Practices for Working with Archives Employees with Physical Disabilities” (as in APPENDIX 1) be adopted as an official Society of American Archivists best practice; and
THAT “Best Practices for Working with Researchers with Physical Disabilities” (as in APPENDIX 2) be adopted as an official Society of American Archivists best practice.
Support Statement: Adoption of “Best Practices for Working with Archives Employees with Physical Disabilities” and “Best Practices for Working with Researchers with Physical Disabilities” as official SAA best practices will serve to increase awareness of accessibility issues within the broader archives community. Such best practices support SAA’s Code of Ethics for Archivists: “Archivists strive to promote open and equitable access to their services and the records in their care without discrimination or preferential treatment, and in accordance with legal requirements, cultural sensitivities, and institutional policies.”
Fiscal Impact: None.
Move: Cline. Second: Vogt-O’Connor.
PASSED (unanimous).
C. SAA Statement on Diversity
At its May 2010 meeting, the SAA Council reviewed and discussed a draft “Statement on Diversity” prepared by a work group comprising Cline, Settles, and Vogt-O’Connor. Following the discussion, the Council asked the group to make minor modifications in the document and asked the staff to post the document for member comment on the SAA website, with a comments deadline of July 15. The written report introducing this Action Item included the two comments received in response to the call for member comment. The Council discussed feedback included in the report as well as verbal feedback that they had received from members and added two sentences to the statement for clarification.
MOTION 2
THAT “Society of American Archivists Statement on Diversity” be adopted as a policy statement; and
THAT the SAA Statement on Diversity be reviewed in conjunction with the Council’s review of SAA’s Equal Opportunity/Nondiscrimination Policy.
Society of American Archivists Statement on Diversity
As a professional association that benefits from the participation of people from all backgrounds, the Society of American Archivists strives to ensure that its membership, the holdings that archivists acquire and manage, and the users whom archivists serve reflect the evolving diversity of society.
SAA understands diversity to encompass:
- Socio-cultural factors. These factors relate to individual and community identity, and include the attributes mentioned in SAA’s Equal Opportunity/Nondiscrimination Policy.
- Professional and geographic factors. Concern about these factors reflects the Society’s desire for broad participation from archivists working in various locations, repository types and sizes, and professional specializations.
By embracing diversity, the Society speaks more effectively on behalf of the entire profession, serves a fuller range of stakeholders, increases organizational credibility, and becomes a stronger advocate for the archives profession. SAA’s initiatives are focused primarily on achieving socio-cultural diversity. This "living" document will be reviewed every three years in conjunction with the SAA Equal Opportunity / Nondiscrimination Policy.
Commentary:
Diversity is one of three high priorities identified in SAA's strategic plan. To guide and clarify our work in this area, the Council developed the "SAA Statement on Diversity." The Society of American Archivists has long promoted policies of nondiscrimination, identified diversity as a value for the association and the profession, and strived to foster a just and inclusive professional culture that reflects and embraces the diversity of the larger society. (For a review of SAA’s many early actions, see Elizabeth Adkins’s 2007 Presidential Address, "Our Journey Toward Diversity—And a Call to [More] Action.")
In 1992 SAA adopted an Equal Opportunity/Non-Discrimination Policy that is reviewed every three years. But SAA recognizes that simply pledging nondiscrimination is insufficient, and that we must make positive efforts to develop diversity among our membership, our members’ holdings, and our members’ user communities in order to enrich the historical record and achieve professional excellence. In 2006 the SAA Council adopted “Strategic Priorities” that included the following issue statement as the basis for its strategic priority related to diversity:
The relevance of archives to society and the completeness of the documentary record hinge on the profession’s success in ensuring that its members, the holdings that they collect and manage, and the users that they serve reflect the diversity of society as a whole.
The "Strategic Priorities" document, which guides SAA activities, is reviewed and updated annually to accommodate the evolving landscape of professional challenges.
SAA promotes diversity in all of its professional activities with an eye to ensuring effective representation of our members, addressing the concerns of the full range of stakeholders represented within our members’ holdings, and reaching out to archivists’ many communities of users.
Adopted by the SAA Council, August 9, 2010
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Move: Hyry. Second: Lawson.
PASSED (unanimous).
D. Strategic Plan Monitoring
Gottlieb proposed that Council members be assigned to monitor one or more of the desired outcomes in SAA’s Strategic Plan on an ongoing basis to ensure appropriate communication about the status of activities and greater accountability for implementation of the strategic plan.
MOTION 3
THAT the SAA Governance Manual be amended to include the following language regarding the responsibility of Council members to monitor the SAA Strategic Plan:
SAA Council
V. Duties
6. Participate actively in monitoring and reporting on the Society’s strategic plan.
- Serve as a conduit for communication between SAA and the individuals and groups who are assigned to implement activities associated with the plan;
- Maintain contact with these individuals and groups and offer to help solve problems and resolve issues; and
- Collect information about the status of activities and report to the full Council at least annually, and as necessary given an activity’s deadline.
Support Statement: To maintain adequate oversight of work on strategic priorities and to connect this essential work with SAA’s governance structure and processes, Council members should facilitate implementation of the strategic plan. Members’ participation will help to 1) ensure timely implementation or refocusing of activities; 2) improve communication among SAA groups, the Council, and SAA staff about implementation progress; and 3) increase the Council’s continuous involvement in and responsibility for the results of strategic planning.
Fiscal Impact: None.
Move: Vogt-O’Connor. Second: Lawson.
PASSED (unanimous).
E. Revision of EAD Roundtable Mission
The Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Roundtable proposed to revise its mission statement, expanding the scope of the roundtable to “encompass the growing suite of encoding standards for archival description (EAD, EAC-CPF, etc.).” At its August 2008 meeting, roundtable members discussed the possibility of renaming the roundtable and/or shifting its focus to incorporate other encoding standards and 29 of 31 members in attendance agreed that a shift in focus was necessary. The group decided to retain its current name but to propose to the Council a modified mission statement to include all encoding standards for archival description. The Council noted that the Roundtable’s new description overlaps with the descriptions of other SAA groups (such as the Description Section, which may be better poised to explore “description”), acknowledged that encoding tools are broadening and changing and that the EAD Roundtable should participate in this evolution, and suggested that the roundtable consider a different name to match its broadened mission.
MOTION 4
THAT the following revised mission statement of the Encoded Archival Description Roundtable be adopted:
The EAD Roundtable of the Society of American Archivists is intended to promote the implementation and use of encoding standards for dissemination of archival information. To this end, we aim to provide tools and information for use in encoding archival descriptions; discuss and facilitate the use of software for markup, parsing, indexing, and delivery; and monitor and contribute to encoding standard development for archival description.
Support Statement: The scope of the archival encoding community has expanded since the EAD Roundtable was first established in 1998. The public release of Encoded Archival Context (EAC-CPF) schema in 2009-2010 highlights the limited and insufficient scope of the EAD Roundtable’s original mission. The revised mission statement better reflects the current interests of the archival encoding community and provides a logical “home” for roundtable discussion of new and emerging archival encoding standards.
Fiscal Impact: None.
Move: Cline. Second: Frusciano.
Yes: Ambacher, Cline, Frusciano, Hyry, Richardson, Sly, Settles, Tibbo, Vogt-O’Connor.
No: Felker.
Abstain: Lawson.
PASSED.
F. DACS Technical Subcommittee Charge / Timeline (Deleted from the agenda, as no recommendation or report was received.)
G. Other Action Items
No additional action items were brought forward.
III. DISCUSSION ITEMS
A. Institutional Membership
At its May 2010 meeting, the Council voted to rescind Motion 18 from February 2010, which had approved a motion to propose to the membership a constitutional amendment that would allow primary contacts of institutional members to be nominated as Fellows. The Council asked staff to conduct additional research and to report on a variety of questions related to SAA’s institutional membership categories.
Doyle’s report examined the history of institutional membership in SAA and presented two discussion questions: Is the eligibility of primary contacts to hold office appropriate? Is the eligibility of primary contacts to hold office the foremost and/or exclusive reason for recommending extension of Fellowship eligibility to primary contacts? The ensuing Council discussion raised additional questions about the nature of institutional membership in the Society, including who primary contacts are/have been and whether they vote on behalf of the institution or as individuals (or both); whether organizational support of the Society can also include individual support, and if so, how the two are distinguished; the nature and value of the institutional membership category, both to the institutions and to the Society as a whole; whether the benefits and opportunities associated with this membership category should shift or change completely; and which SAA group(s) would most logically examine these questions. The Council charged the Membership Committee to examine the opportunities and benefits of institutional membership, focusing on the appropriate roles and benefits of primary contacts, including Fellowship. The Council recommended that the Membership Committee confer with the Fellows Steering Committee to obtain feedback on the issue of whether primary contacts should be eligible for Fellowship. The Committee should report its findings at the January 2011 Council meeting.
B. Membership Voting Methods for Dues Increases, Other Matters
In a written report, Felker noted: “In my discussion with members about the Council-proposed dues increase that will be put forward at the annual membership meeting on August 14, several SAA members raised concern that the dues increase will be voted on only by those members who are able to attend the membership meeting.” She then posed four discussion questions: Should the SAA Council consider recommending an amendment to the SAA Constitution to expand the voting on dues changes to the entire membership via electronic vote? If the Council wishes to examine this issue, should [it] appoint a task force to assist in the process? If the Council wishes to examine this issue, should [it] also examine the question of whether a certain set of issues – presumably those that would be brought before the annual membership meeting – should be handled via electronic vote of the membership? Finally, should [it] also consider whether there would remain a need for an annual membership meeting held in conjunction with the annual meeting, and thus propose additional constitutional amendments that would do away with the annual membership meeting?
The Council discussed the current structure of voting at the membership meeting, the time frame for and potential financial impact of shifting to electronic voting, which issues would require a vote from the entire membership, and how to support a “debate” function so that voters can benefit from others’ opinions before voting.
MOTION 5
THAT the President appoint an ad hoc subcommittee, consisting of two seated Council members, one Executive Committee member, and one staff member, to consider the voting process for constitutional amendments, dues increases, and other issues of broad interest to the membership, including how any potential changes would be implemented and the resources necessary for implementation, with a report and recommendation(s) to the January 2011 Council meeting.
Move: Felker. Second: Sly.
PASSED (unanimous).
C. DC 2010: Coverage of Component Group Meetings, Council Awards and Resolutions, Council Resolutions Committee, Exhibit Hall Assignments
In preparation for the beginning of DC 2010, the Council reviewed liaison coverage of section and roundtable meetings, Council Exemplary Service Award recipients, and Council Resolutions Committee duties. Each Council member received a list of names of exhibitors to thank and to interview for feedback on the Exhibit Hall.
D. Revised Draft of “Statement of Core Values of Archivists”
In a written report, the Task Force on Developing a Statement of Core Values of Archivists submitted a second draft of the “Core Values of Archivists” statement that incorporated some, but not all, of the Council’s comments on stewardship from May 2010. The Task Force noted that the statement’s focus on what archivists think (rather than on what archivists do or how they do it) is most important. Following incorporation of minor changes recommended by legal counsel and assurance that the draft statement will not conflict with the work of the Committee on Ethics and Professional Conduct on the Code of Ethics, the Council agreed that the draft should be made available for member comment for six weeks.
E. Revisions of “Guidelines for a Graduate Program in Archival Studies” (Moved from Action Item II.A.)
The SAA Committee on Education submitted for Council consideration in May 2010 a proposed revision of “Guidelines for a Graduate Program in Archival Studies” (GPAS) (0510 Agenda Item III.C.). During the Council’s discussion, Tibbo and Ambacher raised concerns about several aspects of the revision (principally the lack of emphasis on digital archives) and were charged to make additional revisions for the Council’s review in August. The Council reviewed their revisions and referred the document back to the Committee on Education for compilation of a final draft (with input from the Archival Educators Roundtable) for Council consideration at its January 2011 meeting.
F. Member Grace Period (Agenda Item added.)
SAA staff sought the Council’s permission to respond to SAA member Jim Cassedy’s post on the Archives & Archivists e-mail discussion list (A&A list) regarding the proposed constitutional amendment to the member grace period (i.e., changing the grace period from 90 to 28 days). The Council gave its permission, and a report of the staff’s findings on the history of SAA membership and the dues grace period was posted to the A&A list on August 9, 2010. The full list discussion is available via the electronic archives of the A&A list at http://forums.archivists.org/read/?forum=archives.
G. SAA and the Archives & Archivists E-mail Discussion List (Agenda Item added.)
The Council discussed SAA’s relationship with the Archives & Archivists e-mail discussion list, considering the percentages of members and non-members who comprise the subscribers, the benefits and pitfalls of list moderation, how the list is used, and whether SAA should be more or less involved in list discussions.
H. Other Discussion Items from Council Members / What Are You Hearing from Members?
In a verbal report, Gottlieb updated the Council on the status of SAA’s involvement with the American Library Association’s Traditional Cultural Expressions initiative, noting that he planned to attend the ALA Task Force’s conference call on August 27 on behalf of SAA.
IV. REPORTS
A. Executive Committee Report
Sly’s written report enumerated actions taken by the Executive Committee and by the full Council since last reported in May 2010. Significant actions included SAA signing an agreement with Public Citizen Litigation Group to seek the unsealing of President Nixon’s Watergate deposition transcript and related papers; approval of a petition to form a student chapter at the University of Arizona; approval of the charge to the Task Force to Develop Policies for Vendor Participation in Society Activities; revision of the SAA Foundation Development Committee charge; and approval by the full Council of the May 2010 minutes.
B. President’s Report
In a written report, Gottlieb summarized his activities since the May 2010 meeting. Among other activities, he represented SAA in testimony on NHPRC’s reauthorization before the House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives; formulated a proposal for Council members to monitor desired outcomes in the Strategic Plan (see Agenda Item II.D.); and communicated regularly with CoSA, NAGARA, and NARA representatives regarding joint annual meeting activities.
C. Vice President / President-Elect
Tibbo described her work since May 2010 in a written report, indicating that much of her time has been devoted to making appointments, participating in 75th Anniversary Task Force Steering Committee activities, and drafting proposed revisions to the Guidelines for a Graduate Program in Archival Studies (GPAS) with Bruce Ambacher (see Agenda Item III.E.).
D. Treasurer
Felker presented a financial review of SAA’s performance for the year ending June 30, 2010. SAA’s total revenues fell short of budget by 4.23% and were behind the previous fiscal year by 10.21%. Year-to-date total expenses were 8.02% less than FY09 and 3.02% under budget. SAA was able to hold the line on spending during FY10, which kept the net loss for the year below $20,000.
E. Staff Reports
1. Executive Director: Beaumont reported on Headquarters activities since the May 2010 meeting, including publicizing the Council-adopted strategic plan, soliciting member comment on the Council’s draft “Statement on Diversity,” and working on a revised campaign for the 2010 American Archives Month that will be based on outcomes from the Council’s facilitated session on public awareness in February. Working with Gottlieb, the SAA office also reached out to various member groups to encourage support of NHPRC reauthorization and helped prepare testimony for Gottlieb’s appearance before the House Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives. In addition, the staff: notified all SAA members of proposed constitutional amendments and a dues increase scheduled for vote at the Annual Membership Meeting, consulted legal counsel on the relationship between a professional association’s code of ethics and the values statement, drafted charges and descriptions for two new task forces, prepared spring meeting minutes and summer meeting materials for the Council, completed staff performance appraisals, completed the summer audit, developed a logo and banner for the 75th anniversary, purchased and deployed the equipment necessary for ongoing oral history interviews in 2010 and 2011, and finalized the Annual Membership Meeting financials and report from the Executive Director.
2. Membership: Doyle reported that since November 2009, membership had returned to modest growth—particularly in the fourth quarter of FY2010. Overall membership grew by 3.68% between June 2009 and June 2010. Month-end figures for May 2010 and June 2010 were 5,657 and 5,691, respectively, and represented new all-time highs for SAA. Bridge-rate membership fell since February 2010.
3. Education: De Sutter summarized the activities of the Education Department, including the scheduling of 58 programs (with one workshop cancelled and four Web seminars and 53 face-to-face programs offered). A total of 1,166 attendees benefited from an SAA offering in FY 2010. In addition 11 new program topics were developed and seven new co-sponsors were secured. Activity highlights since May 2010 included finalizing logistics and production of DC 2010 pre-conference workshops; offering of one Web seminar, “Disaster Planning for Electronic Records” (36 sites with approximately 100 registrants); and continuing outreach to potential hosts for FY 2011 fall and spring workshops.
4. Publications: Brinati’s report on the full publishing program (books and periodicals) indicated that book sales fell short of budget projections but emphasized some bright spots: three books were published and three more were in process; the entire back file of the American Archivist—242 issues—had been digitized and nearly 300,000 users had accessed the site; and SAA members continued to contribute to the association’s intellectual capital with approximately 116 members authoring content for American Archivist, Archival Outlook, SAA books, and ePublications/Proceedings. SAA Book revenues for the 2010 fiscal year end were below budget because of a combination of the economy and the need to refresh top sellers, which account for the majority of sales. According to a distribution agreement SAA signed with ALA in spring 2009, ALA began listing in its catalog and distributing six SAA titles, from which SAA collects royalties. Three publications and a “Book a Month” mini-catalog/calendar were launched during DC 2010, four titles were in various stages of production, and more than a dozen projects were in the pipeline with projected availability across the next several years. In a Web-based survey available from April to May 2010, the American Archivist Editorial Board asked 6,000 SAA members and subscribers to share their opinions about the journal and their reading habits. Respondents expressed overall satisfaction with the journal: preliminary results appeared in the July/August 2010 issue of Archival Outlook and full results will be available from the Editorial Board. A redesign of the newsletter will be implemented by January/February 2011, offering a fresh look to the publication, including enhanced editorial content and graphics. The May 25 issue of In the Loop featured a redesign with graphic elements greatly enhancing its look, a masthead, colorful subject category tabs, SAA’s signature blue color incorporated throughout, links that lead to more information on the SAA website, and an image box as a sidebar inviting members to identify the person(s) in the photo in an effort to bring a community feel to the newsletter, with a considered addition of up to three discreet paid advertisements (in clickable Web banner ads) beneath the photo and along the bottom of the e-newsletter.
5. Annual Meeting: Beaumont provided an update on ARCHIVES*RECORDS / DC 2010, noting that the Service Center had processed 1,504 “full paid” advance registrations; SAA had sold 64 Exhibit Hall booths; four industry partners (Atlas Systems, Ex Libris, Hollinger Metal Edge, and Preservation Technologies) had provided sponsorship support; and that the Onsite Program had been designed to include full descriptions for all education sessions, the rules for the Annual Membership Meeting, and the three items up for membership vote.
6. Content Management System: Doyle explained the status of the development of the new content management system (Drupal), noting that in May the staff had compiled a list of desired development projects with input from various groups and was currently completing a comprehensive “Phase 2” specifications document detailing the desired functions associated with each of the projects. Following staff review and approval of the vendor’s estimates, work will commence in September 2010.
F. American Archivist Editor
In a written report, Editor Mary Jo Pugh summarized activities associated with the American Archivist from May to July, including: the status of proposals submitted for the special issue marking SAA’s 75th anniversary (November 2011); the Editorial Board’s plan to inaugurate the American Archivist Online Occasional Series in Fall 2011 as part of the 75th anniversary; completion of digitization of the back file, making the entire run of the journal available online; the status of the readership survey and analysis of the results; her work on the manuscript review process and other activities since May; the status of the Spring/Summer 2010 volume (just published); and an overview of the Fall/Winter 2010 volume.
G. Editor, Print/Electronic Publications
Editor Peter Wosh provided a written summary of the Publications Board’s ongoing projects, issues, and accomplishments. The Board submitted a grant proposal to the NHPRC for reimagining and retooling of the “Archival Fundamentals” series and anticipates comments in late August or early September; discussed basic administrative decisions about which SAA publications of the 135 digitized by the University of Michigan should be accessible via SAA’s website; launched two new books at DC 2010 and one new Campus Case Study online;reported four manuscripts in various review stages; and approved a proposal for an online publication concerning “Researcher Use of Archives.”
H. Diversity Committee
Committee Chair Terry Baxter’s written report included a summary of Diversity Committee activities from August 2009 through July 2010, including restructuring of the Committee to include representatives of several SAA component groups; review and comment on the Wisconsin Historical Society’s WRAP-IT grant proposal to NHPRC; work with the SAA Council to provide comments on the draft “Statement on Diversity”; a revised charge to incorporate an IMLS grant-funded mentoring project with a broader initiative related to minority student recruitment and retention; provision of comments on ALA’s Traditional Cultural Expressions initiative and its evolving draft statement of principles, "Librarianship and Traditional Cultural Expressions: Nurturing Understanding and Respect”; the status of a proposed survey of SAA members to determine their understanding of diversity issues and desires for diversity action; and provision of comments on the Committee on Education’s revised draft “Guidelines for a Graduate Program in Archival Studies.”
I. 2010 Program Committee
Committee co-chairs Jelain Chubb and Ben Primer reported on the extent to which the DC 2010 program addresses diversity issues, indicating that the makeup of the 2010 Program Committee reflected the constituencies of CoSA, NAGARA, and SAA; maintaining that the process of selecting program sessions with broad appeal to all three organizations worked well; listing sessions that exemplified the program’s successful effort to address diversity issues; and providing comments on the ongoing requirement for a Program Committee report on diversity.
J. 2010 Host Committee
Committee Co-chair Sharmila Bhatia’s report indicated that the Committee met eight times and, with the exception of the first, all meetings were conducted via teleconference; that Committee members represented federal government and academic archives and were diverse in that the following ethnicities were included: Indian-American, Filipino-American, and Chinese-American; and that Committee work concentrated on the all-attendee reception site, the reception at the National Archives, repository tours, sightseeing tours, obtaining photographs for the Preliminary and Onsite programs and Archival Outlook, development of travel information and a dining guide for the conference website, and registration desk duties. Unfortunately several repository tours had to be turned down because of logistics issues, unreasonable expectations of SAA support, and committee member resources. The Committee recommended that another venue be found for the All-Attendee Reception at the 2014 meeting in Washington because the National Museum of American History had hosted both the 2006 and 2010 receptions, and noted that it was very pleased with the diverse vegetarian options at the reception.
K. Joint Task Force on PAHR
According to Committee Liaison Lawson’s report, the PAHR Task Force, in consultation with SAA President Peter Gottlieb and Executive Director Nancy Beaumont, agreed in late May that, given Congress’s reaction to new funding requests, its strategy should evolve to include the possibility of increasing the level of funding for the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) to accommodate state-based formula grants similar to those in the proposed PAHR legislation. Task Force members focused on mobilizing constituents to write to the House Subcommittee members and worked with archives representatives to prepare their oral and written testimony for the NHPRC reauthorization hearing in early June. At that hearing, some Subcommittee members questioned the need to fund NHPRC at any level. An early-July meeting held to vote on the bill included discussion of the merits of the bill as written and allowed for any amendments from Subcommittee members. Although the Task Force was initially hopeful that a Member could be prevailed upon to offer an amendment adding PAHR to the NHPRC reauthorization bill, it rescinded its request because of a concern that it would jeopardize NHPRC’s reauthorization at any level. Subcommittee members voted 6-1 to recommend reauthorization. PAHR legislation remains in play at this point, and the advice from advisors and Congressional staff is to continue pressing for more co-sponsors in both the House and the Senate.
L. 2009-2010 Mosaic Scholars’ Reports
Created by the Council to advance SAA’s strategic priority related to Diversity, the Mosaic Scholarship requires award recipients to submit a 500-word report to the SAA Council upon completion of their second semester. 2009 recipients Janet Ceja (University of Pittsburgh) and Harrison Inefuku (University of British Columbia) reported increased participation in SAA as a result of the scholarship, and both look forward to further involvement in the future. Each indicated that the program has great potential for engaging historically underrepresented groups in the archives profession but requires stronger retention methods; that recipients must be encouraged to envision themselves as ongoing representatives of the archives profession; that awardees should endeavor to do as much as possible to give back to the profession; and that the scholarship program should look to ALA’s Spectrum Scholarship and ARL’s Career Enhancement Program as excellent models for future development.
M. Electronic Voting Trends and Data
Responding to the Council’s request for information on electronic voting trends (including rates of participation, the impact of email broadcasts on ballot submission, and other data points) following its review of the Nominating Committee’s May 2010 report, Doyle summarized 2005-2010 voter participation in SAA elections, detailing the beginning of online voting and of voting for primary contacts of institutional members and concluding that there was no evidence to suggest that online voting has either detracted from or enhanced voter participation. His report included information about e-mail reminders, hybrid balloting, and current and projected license fees to conduct electronic voting.
I. COUNCIL BUSINESS (Continued)
D. Additional Business or Strategic Planning Items
No additional items were discussed.
E. Review of August 9, 2010, To-Do List
Council members reviewed the “To-Do List” from this meeting.
F. Conversation with Beaumont (Executive Session)
The Council did not convene in Executive Session.
G. Adjournment
The Council meeting was adjourned at 4:06 pm.
Move: Vogt-O’Connor. Second: Ambacher.
PASSED (unanimous).
Society of American Archivists
Foundation Board Meeting
August 9, 2010
Washington, D.C.
President Peter Gottlieb called the meeting to order at 4:06 pm on Monday, August 9. Present were Vice President/President-Elect Helen Tibbo; Treasurer Aimee Felker; Executive Committee Member Margery Sly; Board members Bruce Ambacher, Scott Cline, Thomas Frusciano, Thomas Hyry, Brenda Lawson, Deborra Richardson, Rosalye Settles, and Diane Vogt-O’Connor; Foundation Executive Director Nancy Beaumont; SAA Publishing Director Teresa Brinati; SAA Member and Technical Services Director Brian Doyle; SAA Finance/Administration Director Tom Jurczak; and SAA Program Coordinator René Mueller. Donna McCrea, Dennis Meissner, and Kate Theimer, elected to begin their Board terms on August 14, and Gregor Trinkaus-Randall, elected to begin his term as Vice President/President-Elect on August 14, also attended the full meeting.
I. BOARD BUSINESS
A. Adoption of the Agenda
Ambacher moved and Sly seconded adoption of the agenda.
PASSED (unanimous).
B. Reference: Past Actions
Beaumont noted that a written summary of all Foundation Board actions, included in the meeting materials, would be included with the Board’s materials at each meeting.
II. ACTION ITEMS
A. Development Committee: Fundraising Activities for SAA 75th Anniversary
Tibbo gave a verbal update on the work of the Development Committee since appointments were made to the group in June. (The committee now comprises Tibbo, Sly, Beaumont, and SAA members Fynnette Eaton and Carla Summers). The group’s work has focused on development of a fundraising plan to be implemented in conjunction with the 75th Anniversary, as well as a broader plan for Board consideration in January 2011.
III. DISCUSSION ITEMS
A. “Best Practices for Association Foundations”
Responding to a Board request in May, Jurczak prepared a summary of best practices related to association foundations. Emphasized were the importance of keeping the association and foundation separate (different websites, letterhead, bank accounts) but related (with up to 49% governance overlap). The Council discussed the relationship between the c3 and c6, noting staff recommendations and the desirability of a simple governance model.
MOTION
THAT the SAA Foundation staff work with legal counsel to draft articles of incorporation, bylaws, and a governance structure and, by November 1, present the draft to the Board for editing/reaction.
Move: Sly. Second: Vogt-O’Connor.
PASSED (unanimous).
IV. Adjournment
Move: Ambacher. Second: Vogt-O'Connor.
PASSED (unanimous).
The meeting was adjourned at 5:06 pm.
Society of American Archivists
Council Meeting
August 14, 2010
Washington, D.C.
President Helen Tibbo called the meeting to order at 2:40 pm on Saturday, August 14. Present were Vice President/President-Elect Gregor Trinkaus-Randall; Treasurer Aimee Felker; Executive Committee Member Brenda Lawson; Council members Thomas Hyry, Donna McCrea, Dennis Meissner, Deborra Richardson, and Rosalye Settles; and SAA Executive Director Nancy Beaumont; Publishing Director Teresa Brinati; Member and Technical Services Director Brian Doyle; Finance/Administration Director Tom Jurczak; and Program Coordinator René Mueller. Council members Scott Cline, Thomas Frusciano, and Kate Theimer did not attend the meeting.
I. COUNCIL BUSINESS
A. Adoption of the Agenda
Felker moved and Trinkaus-Randall seconded adoption of the agenda. PASSED (unanimous).
II. ACTION ITEMS
A. Items Stemming from Annual Membership Meeting
No action items resulted from the Annual Membership Meeting. Staff members will, in the normal course of business, announce the results of, and implement, the constitutional amendments and dues increase.
B. Contract with MetaPress
Brinati reported that the American Archivist Editorial Board recommended renewing SAA’s contract with MetaPress. The Council discussed SAA’s relationship with MetaPress, ongoing access issues among institutional members and some individual members, and SAA’s two very different relationships with JSTOR and MetaPress (which serve different audiences).
MOTION 1
THAT the Executive Director be authorized to negotiate a contract renewal with MetaPress to host American Archivist Online.
Move: McCrea. Second: Lawson.
PASSED (unanimous).
C. Other Action Items: American Archivist Editorial Board Recommendation to Remove Council Minutes from Future Print Editions of Journal
In response to Editor Mary Jo Pugh’s report in the spring of 2010, which noted that a quarter of the journal’s print pages consisted of Council meeting minutes, the Editorial Board recommended that SAA cease printing the minutes in the journal, citing layout costs and a low rating of the minutes in the journal readership survey. The Council discussed alternative collection methods for the minutes, emphasizing the need to keep all minutes together and favoring a digital access and storage solution. In approving Motion 2, the Council charged staff to ensure that Council minutes remain accessible and in a series.
MOTION 2
THAT SAA discontinue the practice of printing Council meeting minutes in The American Archivist, and
THAT SAA staff develop and implement a plan to ensure that Council meeting minutes are readily accessible in a series.
Support Statement: The percentage of pages in The American Archivist devoted to Council minutes has grown steadily over the years. In the most recent issue (Spring/Summer 2010), 25% of the 400 pages comprised Council minutes. In a readership survey conducted in May 2010 by the Editorial Board, the majority of respondents did not rank the minutes among the most valuable content in the journal. The Council minutes have been published on the SAA website since 1994 in a section devoted to governance and are more immediately and broadly accessible online. The staff is appropriately charged to consider options for ensuring that Council meeting minutes are readily accessible in a series.
Move: Hyry. Second: Lawson.
Yes: Felker, Hyry, Lawson, Meissner, Settles, Trinkaus-Randall.
Abstain: McCrea, Richardson.
Absent: Cline, Frusciano, Theimer.
PASSED.
III. DISCUSSION ITEMS
A. Items Stemming from Annual Membership Meeting
No specific discussion items resulted from the Annual Membership Meeting.
B. Report on Membership Committee Discussion of Institutional Membership
In response to the Council’s request to the Committee to review the nature of institutional membership and primary contacts (080910, Agenda Item III.A.), the Membership Committee requested a formal charge and background clarifying the request. Lawson reported on other issues that were discussed at the August 11 Membership Committee meeting, including: the proposed dues increase, electronic voting, the structure of the annual meeting, governance at the annual meeting, and the joint Diversity Committee and Membership Committee survey that included a question about what is important to members. In addition to considering virtual conferencing (per the Strategic Plan), the Membership Committee would like the Council and staff to consider using a convention center for the meeting.
C. Appointments to Council Task Force on Voting Methods
In follow-up to a Council decision on August 9 to create a Council Task Force on Voting Methods (Agenda Item III.B.), the following individuals were appointed: Felker, Lawson, Theimer, and Doyle.
D. Committee on Education Review of Council-Proposed GPAS Revisions
De Sutter reported that the Committee on Education was grateful for the opportunity to review the revised draft of Guidelines for a Graduate Program in Archival Studies (GPAS) (080910 Agenda Item III.E.). The group plans to conduct a more thorough review in September and to forward the draft to the Archival Educators Roundtable for comment. The Committee will compile comments and forward them for the Council’s consideration via online vote in November or, depending on the timing and complexity of comments, for Council consideration at its January 2011 meeting.
E. Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure Statements
Conflict-of-Interest Disclosure Statements for service as a member of the SAA Council and of the SAA Foundation Board were distributed as required. Completed forms were to be returned to SAA Headquarters as soon as possible.
F. Other Discussion
Council members discussed member feedback during the annual meeting on various topics, including: Internet access in guest rooms, a request from the North American Archival Network of ICA (NAANICA) for an SAA representative, the status of EAC-CPF as an international (i.e., external) standard versus an SAA-developed standard, the future of the Preserving the American Historical Record legislation, a request from the Security Roundtable for guidance about how to proceed with a proposal from RBMS/ACRL for guidelines on security, and plans by the Archives and Archivists of Color Roundtable to create a donor brochure.
I. COUNCIL BUSINESS (Continued)
B. Dates and Locations of 2010-2011 Council Meetings
This agenda item was not addressed. Staff will follow up with Council members to determine the best time for a winter meeting of the Council in Chicago.
C. Additional Business or Strategic Planning Items
This agenda item was not addressed.
D. Review of August 14, 2010, To-Do List
This agenda item was not addressed.
E. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 3:34 pm in order that Council members could attend Plenary IV.
Approved by the SAA Council and Foundation Board of Directors on October 4, 2010.
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