Women Archivists Roundtable

SAA 1998 - Orlando, FL
Women's Professional Archival Issues Roundtable (WPAIR)
Inaugural Meeting, September 3, 1998
 

Meeting Minutes

Laurie A. Baty, Chairperson of the Committee on the Status of Women, called the inaugural meeting of the Women's Professional Archival Issues Roundtable (WPAIR) to order. Baty explained that she would chair this meeting for the purpose of reviewing the proposed bylaws which COSW had prepared as its final official responsibility, voting on the bylaws, and establishing a steering committee to assume responsibility for WPAIR activities.

Following a resume of the metamorphosis of COSW into WPAIR, discussion turned to the bylaws. Lynda DeLoach suggested revised wording in regard to membership recruitment/retention (Section III, Areas of Activity). Susan Davis proposed that amendments to the bylaws be made by majority vote of the Steering Committee (Section VIII, Amendments).

Danna Bell-Russel moved and Jill Jackson seconded the acceptance of the bylaws which were accepted by the membership.
 

Bylaws of WPAIR

I. Mission

The Women's Professional Archival Issues Roundtable (WPAIR) exists to ensure that the Society of American Archivists (SAA) conscientiously deals with issues that affect the status of women within the profession and the Society. The Roundtable also provides a Society-acknowledged forum for individual members to address issues of concern in this area.

II. Statement of Goals and Objectives

WPAIR will:

• Monitor the status of women within the archival profession
• Encourage the participation of women in all phases of SAA business and other activities as well as in the archival profession as a whole
• Monitor gender balance on SAA programs
• Nominate candidates for Fellow in SAA
• Monitor the continuance of day care at the SAA Annual Meeting
• Meet annually in conjunction with the SAA meeting
• Conduct its business in accordance with the SAA's "Guidelines for SAA Roundtables"

III. Areas of Activity

WPAIR activities may include:

• Monitor gender balance on panels at SAA's Annual Meeting
• Conduct surveys among women relating to their work in the profession
• Monitor day care at the SAA Annual Meeting
• Nominate individuals to SAA Fellow
• Work with the Women's Caucus to create a positive environment for women throughout SAA and the profession
• Support and provide input to the SAA Salary Survey
• Provide a report on its activities to council in time for council's mid-winter meeting
• Identify and look for ways to bring women's professional archival issues forward for consideration, to make recommendations to Council, through memoranda or formal papers, an action, or a position the Roundtable believes appropriate for SAA
• Propose program sessions for the SAA Annual Meeting
• Communicate Roundtable activity within the Roundtable and to the Society at large
• Hold networking get-togethers with women archivists
• Conduct workshops on professional issues
• Complete statistical work on salary surveys
• Conduct a survey on women's professional archival issues
• Caucus women about their professional experiences and what they would like to see the Roundtable accomplish
• Promote and coordinate the Navigator program
• Work with the Membership Committee to address the recruitment and retention of women members
• Coordinate other related activities with other roundtables and other SAA units

IV. Governance

WPAIR will have two co-chairs, sharing the leadership of the section. They will be elected for staggered two-year terms. For the first election, one co-chair will be elected for a one-year term and one co-chair will be elected for a two-year term. These individuals must be SAA members in good standing.

There will also be a steering committee comprised of the two co-chairs and from five to seven other individuals. These members may, but are not required to be members of SAA. The steering committee will have broad geographic representation. Working Groups may be established as needed.

V. Meetings

WPAIR will meet at least once during the Society of American Archivists' Annual Meeting and at other times as deemed appropriate by the steering committee.

VI. Communications

WPAIR will submit information to the Women's Caucus newsletter, SAA's Archival Outlook, and the Archives Listserv. The Roundtable will also disseminate information about its work through its World Wide Website.

VII. Roundtable Leadership and Council

As appropriate, WPAIR leadership may meet with Council Representatives to discuss matters of mutual concern.

VIII. Amendments

Amendments to the Bylaws may be made by majority vote of the steering committee.

The twenty-five members of the new SAA Women's Professional Archival Issues Roundtable introduced themselves. Attendees' names are appended to the minutes. Baty asked that individuals willing to serve on the Steering Committee or as co-chair volunteer.

The following five members volunteered for the Steering Committee:

Lucinda Manning, American Federation of Teachers (New York)
Tanya Zanish-Belcher, Iowa State University
Jill Jackson, University of Texas at San Antonio
Katherine Fleming, University of Charleston (South Carolina)
Debbie King, Chicago Historical Society (Illinois)

The volunteers for Co-Chairs were:

Cristina Favretto, Duke University (North Carolina)
Judy Turner, Milwaukee Public Museum (Wisconsin)

Although this initial Steering Committee falls short of the geographic representation specified in the Bylaws, Section IV, Governance, it is a fair reflection of the geographic dispersal of the initial Roundtable membership. Turner took over the chair at this point and thanked Laurie Baty for the tremendous job she had done to ensure the Roundtable got off to a good start.

Continuing a COSW tradition Turner described the results of a her unscientific analysis of the gender balance on the 1998 SAA meeting program - 43% of the session chairs or speakers were women, 51% were men and 6% could not be determined based on first name. A brief discussion of the worth of such a survey followed with a consensus that the gender of the presenters should reflect that of the association's membership. Given that the presentation of a paper frequently equates to funding to attend from one's employer, representation on the program has a real impact on an individuals' ability to attend the annual meeting and participate in a significant way in SAA.

Zanish-Belcher described the successful Navigator Program she has coordinated for the past two years. She distributed a sign up sheet for volunteers willing to act as mentors to first-time attendees at next year's annual meeting.

Jackson asked the membership to identify issues they felt were critical for the Roundtable to address initially. Nancy Marelli stressed the need to follow up on the salary survey conducted by SAA in 1997. Zanish-Belcher reported that she had purchased a copy from the SAA publications office. SAA Council Member Karen Jefferson stressed the potential strength of the Roundtable due to its ability to attract a larger and more diverse membership than an appointed committee could have. Concern was expressed regarding potential meeting time conflicts. The co-chairs will work with Meetings Coordinator Debbie Mills to make sure that this is minimized; failing a perfect no-conflict situation, the possibility of meeting jointly with another roundtable for part of the time slot can be explored.

With no further new business to discuss, the Roundtable adjourned its first meeting. Here's to seeing everyone present at the SAA Annual Meeting in Pittsburgh in 1999.

Respectfully submitted,

Judy Turner
Recorder

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