Council
Minutes
August 29, 2000
Adam's Mark Hotel
Denver, Colorado
President H.
Thomas Hickerson called the meeting to order at 8:31 a.m. Present: Vice President
Lee Stout, Treasurer Robert Sink, and Council members Fynnette Eaton, Mark Greene,
Becky Haglund-Tousey, Dennis Harrison, Karen Jefferson, Jane Kenamore, Richard
Pearce-Moses, Helen Tibbo, and Wilda Logan Willis. Also present: incoming Treasurer
Elizabeth Adkins, incoming Council members Thomas Battle, Tom Connors, Jackie
Dooley, and Executive Director Susan Fox. Karen Benedict, SAA's Representative
to the International Council on Archives Section on Professional Associations,
joined the meeting later in the afternoon.
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
Tousey moved
and Tibbo seconded adoption of the agenda. PASSED.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES TO THE JUNE 25-26, 2000 MEETING
Tousey moved
and Stout seconded adoption of the June 2000 minutes. PASSED.
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Jefferson reported
no electronic transactions between Council meetings.
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT
Hickerson recommended
that Council plan its meetings in May and January so that the meetings are not
spaced so closely together. He recommended that new electees to Council be informed
that there are two Council meetings at the annual meeting, particularly the
one held on the last day of the annual meeting.
Hickerson complimented
Council for its work over the past year, especially in grappling with some very
difficult issues. He suggested that Council consider having the outgoing president
serve on the Executive Committee as past president for the year following their
term in order to establish continuity. He and Luciana Duranti had discussed
the issue and would likely present a resolution proposing to change the bylaws
to accommodate this recommendation.
He complimented
Dooley in her capacity as Chair of the Program Committee, and the committee
itself, for an outstanding annual meeting program. He praised Debra Nolan for
her work in organizing the annual meeting. The projected good attendance spoke
well to the health of SAA. He asked Council to make every effort to welcome
new members, not just at the annual meeting but all year long, as they need
to be integrated into all activities. He said SAA needed to work especially
to involve younger members and to make them feel welcome into the Society.
CONFERENCE CALL WITH THE ARCHIVIST OF THE U.S.
Lori Lisowski
apologized for the absence of both John Carlin and his deputy, Lewis Bellardo,
but extenuating circumstances prevented their participation. They would attend
the annual meeting later in the week. Lori would answer questions in their stead.
Stout inquired
about a recent letter sent to John Carlin Stout written by the President of
the Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference (MARAC) expressing concern over
the Census 2000 image files and asking NARA to reconsider the appraisal decision.
The letter cited issues such as the amount of work involved in preserving a
significantly large number of records in various media forms, how many records
were either duplicate information or blank forms, the extent of informational
value of marginal commentary on a census questionnaire. MARAC also questioned
the potentially major cost of making information accessible well into the future.
Lisowski said
that NARA officials were working with the US Census Bureau and with Congress
to sort out the issues, which had been under a microscope especially within
the archival and genealogical communities. The genealogists were especially
concerned about losing access to marginalia in the proposed schedule. The issue
was still under discussion and unresolved. Hickerson asked that SAA be kept
appraised of the issue, because it was one of the tough public issues archival
appraisal had to confront.
Eaton asked what
SAA could do to help the National Historical Publications and Records Commission
(NHPRC) budget authorization move forward. Lisowski said that she understood
that some organizations in support of the authorization had written letters
to Sen. Thompson's committee.
Hickerson asked
about the ramification of the budget delay, especially if reauthorization failed.
Lisowski said that the Commission was reauthorized for another year, so the
immediate ramifications would not be profound. However, because it was an election
year and NHPRC had strong supporters in Congress, it would be better to move
the budget now rather than lose some of that support in the elections.
Hickerson inquired
about recent discussions concerning the proposal to reorganize the International
Council on Archives. Any comments on NARA's position?
Lisowski said
that one of the reasons Carlin was coming to SAA's annual meeting was in order
to attend the Friday session on "The ICA: 2000 and Beyond." He had had a
long discussion with Ian Wilson and Joan Van Albada. NARA disagreed with
ICA's proposal,
but Lisowski thought it better that interested parties discuss the issue directly
with Carlin, who was more familiar with the details of the matter than she.
Hickerson said
he was very pleased that Carlin was coming to the meeting and especially that
the ICA issue was important to Carlin. SAA wanted to become more involved with
ICA generally, and wanted to do so in concert with NARA. He said he would discuss
the issue with Carlin later in the week.
Hickerson thanked
Lisowski for her time and said he and all of Council looked forward to seeing
the NARA management team at the meeting.
REPORT OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
Stout reported
that he had completed 75-80% of his appointments and would complete all of the
appointments by the end of the meeting. He reminded Council of the September
2 meeting, in which an important topic would be to address next steps on diversity.
At that meeting Council would also begin discussion of when and where to hold
the winter meeting and to conduct the vote on whether or not to have 100% Council
participation in fundraising for the Society.
Harrison moved
and Eaton seconded the motion to amend the agenda to include discussion of Council
liaison assignments. PASSED.
REPORT OF THE TREASURER
Sink reviewed
the year end results, which exceeded income projections by 4%. Expenses came
in at 2.69% above budget. He then engaged in general questions and answers with
Council.
Hickerson recommended
shorter Council meetings to help contain costs. The $11,000 contribution to
the reserve fund was good, but still fell short of the goal for the year.
Sink said that
while he recognized that Council was uncomfortable last June adopting an FY2001
budget which contained a $35,000 deficit, the annual meeting attendance figures
were high enough to net an additional $25,000 in revenues. The net ultimately
depended on annual meeting costs. Sink did not recommend, however, revisiting
or voting again on the FY2001 budget.
Hickerson questioned
the recommendation. Did the FY2001 budget misrepresent the statement to membership,
of presenting a $35,000 deficit when in fact Council knew that that would not
be the case in the end? Sink said he did not normally discuss the upcoming budget
in the business meeting, but would do so at this one and would present the information
that the Denver meeting would help alleviate projected deficits.
Council engaged
in a discussion regarding providing more information to membership and the usefulness
of presenting the upcoming budget at the business meeting. Greene supported
giving more information to the membership, and said there were various ways
of disseminating information published after the annual meeting. Jefferson said
that it would be good to provide more financial information as a way to help
justify why SAA cost so much. Hensen issued the caution that since budgets vacillate
there was a need to be careful in presenting data.
Sink discussed
the reserve fund contribution. He said in 1990 Council adopted a policy to build
up the reserve fund by 3% per year in order to establish a six month reserve.
SAA had not always been able to make those annual contributions, but had made
tremendous progress toward that goal. Nevertheless, there had been two strands
of thought on the need for six months' reserve. On the other side, people argued
that today's members were being denied services because of building the reserve
fund, i.e. having the ability to put out a special issue of The American Archivist,
etc. Sink polled former Treasurers, who were divided on the issue. He received
an opinion from the auditors, who strongly endorsed a six month reserve, especially
because of the highly variable revenues gained from the annual meeting, interest,
and investment income. They recommended a $600,000 reserve plus an additional
$200,000 to account for swings in annual meeting and investment income. Sink
said that after taking all these recommendations into account, he did not see
a need to change current policy.
Hensen said one
of the purposes of establishing the Task Force on the Annual Meeting was to
investigate the unpredictability factor of annual meeting attendance. Council
should look into ways to make those swings less unpredictable.
Stout said that
data revealed the best annual meeting attendance occurred in the northeastern
quadrant of the United States, New York, Chicago, DC, but SAA also needed to
circulate to all parts of the country. He suggested that a future Council meeting
should discuss creating an annual meeting schedule which would incorporate a
routine cycle into the northeast.
REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Fox said that
registrations for the 2000 annual meeting exceeded expectations by at least
100 additional participants, which should, as Sink noted earlier, go far to
help eliminate the projected deficit. She said that she had just started advertising
for a new Education Director and that she would form a search committee to help
vet candidates. She hoped to have the search concluded as soon after the annual
meeting as possible. She praised the work of Reneta Webb, who served as Interim
Education Director over the course of the past 18 months. She did an excellent
job in keeping the education program intact and operative during a transitional
period and deserved high praise for her work on behalf of SAA.
Fox said she
hired a new web master/graphic designer, Brian Doyle. She said Doyle was an
extremely talented individual who had already proven his skill and worth while
working with SAA over the last two years on a free-lance basis. She said having
him on staff as a full-time web master would reap many rewards, not least of
which when SAA began offering on-line education.
Debra Nolan joined
the meeting briefly to discuss options for the 2004 annual meeting site. Council
agreed that if a reasonable rate could be negotiated, that the meeting should
take place in Boston in either the first or third week of August.
Fox then reviewed
the annual meeting schedule of events which required Council attendance.
STRATEGIC PLANNING
Greene presented
redrafted goals as previously distributed on the Council listserv.
Hickerson said
it would be important to develop a strategic statement about the Society rather
than trying to come up with a full-blown strategic plan. He thought Council
was moving in the right direction in creating a statement of priorities. He
asked Council if they agreed that the idea of this kind of statement would be
useful. It could provide a basis for Council decision-making and would help
provide guidance to members.
Council consensus
was that this was the direction to take and agreed to change the title of the
document to Statement on Goals and Objectives. Council also agreed that the
document needed minor editing but was essentially sound.
Stout volunteered
to write the framing paragraph and to do the final edit. He said he would share
his work on the Council listserv for final approval.
Sink expressed
concern that Council develop a process that kept goals and priorities on the
agenda. Stout agreed. They saw a need to have a mechanism in place that articulated
goals larger than day-to-day concerns. They would like to see three good
goals
per year, which would represent solid progress. Hensen's experience was that
Council members would be taking a look at the document and assessing progress
along the way. The idea of mechanically revisiting the document every three
years was not appealing, but it would be important to keep it vital. Greene
favored placing focus on "action proposals" that represent a tactical approach
and prioritizing on a sound basis. Such an approach could energize Sections
and Roundtables.
Hickerson summarized
the discussion by noting that it was important to retain resonance with basic
values and goals and to become opportunistic rather than simply moving at an
extremely rapid pace. Therefore it would be important to develop a separate
statement from that of tactical planning, which was a separate issue and would
require a different kind of vehicle.
Greene moved
and Pearce-Moses seconded adoption of the Statement of Goals and Objectives
for SAA, with minor editing to be executed by Stout. PASSED.
NEW BUSINESS
Council Business
Meeting Resolution Committee
Hickerson discussed
the mechanics and scheduling of resolutions from members to be presented at
the annual business meeting. He recommended, and Council agreed, that the three
sophomore members of Council serve on this committee.
SAA Trademark
Fox said that
the SAA trademark was up for renewal, but expressed doubt about the cost involved,
given that the SAA logo had been redesigned since the trademark was first established.
Tousey said she would consult lawyers on a pro bono basis and report back to
Council on the issues to be considered when deciding whether or not to continue
to the trademark.
Organization
of American Historians Adam's Mark Lawsuit
Willis presented
information regarding the Organization of American Historians (OAH) lawsuit
with the Adam's Mark Hotel chain. The Adam's Mark was suing OAH over breach
of contract because OAH chose to conduct its annual meeting off hotel property
during the time the Department of Justice charged the hotel with racial discrimination.
One of SAA's members had inquired whether or not SAA would be contributing to
the OAH defense fund.
Hickerson said
that OAH had a contract with Adam's Mark, just as SAA did, and because they
had no legal terms with which to violate the contract, they would be held to
those terms. On the other hand, the sense was that perhaps all owed some certain
debt to OAH's forceful response to the situation. He did not see it as a legal
issue as much as helping OAH pay their costs. In some fashion those costs reflected
a benefit to all.
Tousey pointed
out that OAH knowingly reneged on the contract. When Council discussed the issue
last winter it was with full knowledge that SAA would be legally liable to the
Adam's Mark if SAA pulled out. Therefore, she agreed that OAH was not in a good
position to fight the lawsuit. She was not convinced SAA was in any financial
position to help OAH. Had OAH asked SAA for help or was it an inquiry from an
individual SAA member?
Willis said the
request came from an individual SAA member.
Hickerson said
since SAA had not been asked for formal help in the position, the Society would
not have an overt obligation. On the other hand, a member was concerned. He
did not see it as a contractual issue, but if OAH had to pay, should SAA make
some kind of contribution out of recognition of the position they took and the
fact that it was of advantage to the Society?
Jefferson suggested
telling the member that Council was monitoring the situation and should OAH
reach out to SAA for support Council would consider the request. She said she
would be willing for SAA to make information about the lawsuit and the fund
available to members and issue a follow-up on the issue after earlier reporting
on the issue. Unless OAH had a specific request for SAA she did not see the
need to act because SAA did not know what OAH wanted.
Greene said he
was not comfortable waiting for a direct request from OAH. Many national organizations
may have benefitted from the OAH action. He was not sure it was reasonable or
fair to assume that OAH would call every organization that received benefit
from their action and ask for support.
Willis said some
people saw the Adam's Mark suit as vindictive.
Hensen said it
was his impression that the OAH annual meeting was also held at one of the more
egregious properties in the Adam's Mark chain.
Sink said OAH
started fundraising very early in the process. He supported Jefferson's suggestion
of publicizing the OAH fund in Archival Outlook. He would also welcome a business
meeting resolution regarding the lawsuit.
Greene suggested
that SAA consider the suit against OAH as an expression of bad faith because
it implied there was no reason for OAH to pull out.
Council agreed
that SAA should publicize the Adam's Mark suit against OAH and the fact that
OAH was seeking voluntary contributions to a defense fund.
Battle said that
he was a member of both SAA and OAH and that he supported the OAH defense fund.
He drafted language for a resolution, which Stout moved and Greene seconded:
Whereas, on August
8, 2000 HBE/Adam's Mark sued the Organization of American Historians for breach
of contract pursuant to OAH's refusal to hold its Spring 2000 meeting at the
St. Louis Adam's Mark hotel;
And whereas the
OAH action resulted from a lawsuit brought against HBE/Adam's Mark in 1999 by
the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Association for the Advancement
of Colored People for discriminatory practices against African Americans;
Therefore be
it resolved that the Society of American Archivists expresses its continued
support for the OAH's continuing efforts to resolve issues related to its differences
with HBE/Adam's Mark. SAA further acknowledges OAH's moral courage which contributed
materially to compelling HBE/Adam's Mark to settle the Justice Department/NAACP
lawsuit with the largest racial discrimination settlement by a hotel in U.S.
history.
PASSED.
NHPRC Reauthorization
Eaton presented
a Call to Commissioners which requested support for NHPRC reauthorization. She
asked Council how she should proceed.
Greene moved
and Kenamore seconded that Council adopt a resolution asking the President to
send letters to the Senate Government Affairs Committee expressing a sense of
concern and urgency regarding NHPRC reauthorization and requesting that Congress
act expeditiously. PASSED.
OLD BUSINESS
Council Liaison
Assignments
Kenamore requested
that incoming Council liaison to SAA units accompany outgoing liaisons as a
way of easing the transition and of facilitating introductions to the units.
Kenamore then read the list of liaisons for the current and coming year.
On-Line Course
Proposal to NHPRC
Pearce-Moses
said he drafted an NHPRC proposal in support of developing an on-line set of
courses. He proposed six courses, and had secured agreement from content experts
to participate in course development and delivery. He would discuss the proposal
with the Committee on Education and Professional Development as well as other
stakeholders, and report back to Council at the September 2 meeting.
Hickerson expressed
concern about the timing of the proposal and the fact that Pearce-Moses and
SAA had such a tight deadline to meet. He said Council was aware when reaching
agreement to develop a proposal that it would be necessary to move quickly in
order to adhere to the October 1 deadline, otherwise SAA would need to wait
another year for the next funding cycle. This was a case of seizing an opportunity.
Once submitted, SAA would receive feedback from the NHPRC staff, which would
quite possibly result in further revisions. He asked how Council felt about
proceeding.
The general consensus
was to move forward and to work with NHPRC feedback on the draft.
ICA PROPOSED
REORGANIZATION OF REGIONAL REPRESENTATION
Hickerson welcomed
Karen Benedict, SAA's Representative to the International Council on Archives
Section on Professional Associations, to the meeting. Benedict presented background
information on ICA's proposed reorganization of regional representation. She
also spoke to the need for additional funding to support SAA's involvement in
ICA activities.
Archives List
Terms of Agreement
Greene presented
revised Terms of Agreement for the Archives & Archivist Listserv. He thanked
Peter Hirtle for his suggestion that they review the HNET wording regarding
copyright. The list manager was also working with John Harlan to create a technical
means of blocking attachments sent to the list.
Eaton noted that
two Council members would be rotating off the Council Archives List Advisory
Committee. Stout said he would appoint two new members at the September 2 Council
meeting.
SAA/ARMA
Willis presented
the SAA/ARMA Joint Committee chair's request for direction regarding long-term
thinking in the area of SAA-ARMA relations. Willis said she would attend the
Joint Committee meeting and obtain further clarification of the request.
Sink read the
To Do list.
The meeting adjourned
at 5:15 pm.
|
