SC/MLA Nominating Committee Manual

Revised November 1999, By Nancy Clemmons

Timeline 1998-99
November 1998 Get committee appointments approved, prepare committee roster
December/January Gather chronology notes,
Send chronology notes and candidate criteria to Committee
Send candidate criteria to SO-CHAP list (and Southern Expressions, if schedule matches)
January - February Gather suggestions from Committee and membership
March Send suggestions with chapter activities
Check results with SC/MLA Chair
Call candidates to see if willing to run
March 15 Round one - Committee ranks
March/April Continue ranking and paring names
April/May Prepare Slate for Exec Board at MLA Annual Meeting
June Request biographical sketches from candidates
Send samples to candidates and Secretary/Treasurer
July Biographical Sketches due to Secretary/Treasurer
August Ballots (Must go out 9 weeks before meeting)
September Ballots returned. Secretary counts and sends count to me.
October Report to Executive Board and Membership at annual meeting
September Thank you letters to committee members (AHIP documentation)
November Update Nominating Committee Manual and send to next Chair
Send material to Archives


SC/MLA Nominating Committee Factsheet
(Revised 5/95)

Purpose
The purpose of the nominating committee is to prepare annually a slate of officers for:
Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect
Secretary/Treasurer
MLA Nominating Committee Candidate

Every three years, the committee nominates one person each for the office of Chapter Council Representative and Alternate Chapter Council Representative to MLA. Presently, the Nominating Committee prepares a single slate.

Structure
The nominating committee is chaired by the immediate Past-Chair of the Southern Chapter. The Committee Chair, with the advice of the Executive Committee, appoints four (4) chapter members to serve on the committee. Committee membership should be representative of the chapter membership to the extent possible, with members from several different states and types of libraries. The Committee Chair is a non-voting member. The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect is an ex-officio member of the Nominating Committee.

Specific Duties and Time Frames
The committee will be appointed at least nine (9) months prior to the annual meeting (January 1). The slate is submitted to the Executive Committee. Since the ballots are to be mailed no later than nine (9) weeks prior to the annual meeting, the committee should be through with it work by the Annual MLA meeting or soon after. The Committee will assure that the biographical data for the candidates is submitted to the Secretary-Treasurer for distribution with the ballots. Mailing ballots separately from the annual meeting pre-registration packet will result in greater participation from the membership. Ballots are returned to the Secretary/Treasurer who certifies the results.

Selection Guidelines
The chair of the nominating committee will ask for suggestions from the committee members (perhaps 3 for each opening). Chair sends Chronology Notes with names of past officers (from Southern Chapter's Directory) plus candidate criteria to the committee members. The suggestions are then distributed to the committee members along with information about the chapter activities of those suggested. The list is ranked and pared until the nominees are decided upon. The chair of the committee communicates the results with the Chapter Chair for approval and calls each nominee asking if they will serve if elected. If no problems are encountered, Chair of the Committee will submit the results to the Executive Committee by the MLA annual meeting.

The MLA Nominating Committee candidate and the Chapter Council Representative and Alternate are MLA elected positions. Individuals who hold an MLA elected office at the time of nomination may not be nominated for any of these positions unless they give their currently held MLA elected office.

See candidate criteria and relevant sections of the bylaws.

Archives Guidelines
Keep the current year's records plus three years back. Send backfiles to Archives.


Southern Chapter/MLA Officer Candidate Guidelines

The following guidelines should be considered when nominating persons for Southern Chapter officers:
  • All candidates shall be regular members of MLA and current members of the Southern Chapter/MLA.
  • The candidates shall be considered on the basis of achieving at least two of the criteria as described for each office.
VICE-CHAIR/CHAIR-ELECT
  1. Member of SC/MLA (or another MLA Chapter) for a minimum of five years.
  2. Attendance at a minimum of three SC (or another MLA Chapter) meeting in the last five years.
  3. Attendance at a minimum of one MLA meeting in the last three years.
  4. Experience of chairing a SC (or another MLA Chapter) committee or the experience of serving on a minimum of two SC (or another MLA Chapter) committees.
  5. Institutional support for attending SC and MLA meeting during the term of office (includes year as Vice-Chair, year as Chair, and year as Immediate-Past Chair).
  6. Demonstrated leadership qualities (e.g., has served other organizations in positions of leadership).

SECRETARY/TREASURER
  1. Member of SC/MLA (or another MLA Chapter) for a minimum of three years
  2. Attendance at a minimum of two SC (or another MLA Chapter) meetings in the last three years.
  3. Experience of serving on a SC (or another MLA Chapter) committee for a minimum of one year.
  4. Institutional support for attending SC and MLA meetings during term of office.
  5. Demonstrated organizational skills (e.g., has served other organizations or committees as secretary or has demonstrated organizational skills in other ways).

MLA NOMINATING COMMITTEE POTENTIAL CANDIDATE
  1. Regular/institutional member of MLA for a minimum of seven years.
  2. Experience of at least three of the following desirable:
    • Chairing an MLA committee/section
    • Serving on a minimum of three MLA committees
    • Serving as an officer or board member of MLA
    • Serving in some other appointed/elected MLA position
  3. Distinguished member of the MLA Academy or comparable recognition.
  4. No tenure as an MLA Nominating Committee member within the past five years (as per the MLA Bylaws)

CHAPTER COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE AND ALTERNATE
  1. Attendance at a minimum of two SC (or another MLA Chapter) meetings in the last three years.
  2. Experience of serving on the SC Executive Committee for a minimum of one year.
  3. Experience of serving on a minimum of one MLA committee
  4. Member of the MLA Academy
  5. Demonstrated communication skills
  6. Institutional support (monetary and time) to attend meetings of MLA and Southern Chapter (SC pays a portion of the MLA meeting expenses, but not all).

Adopted by SC/MLA Executive Committee, June 1991


Correspondence and Email
  • Example of an initial contact letter with Committee members Word Format
  • Example of letter to Committee members after initial nominations have been made Word Format
  • Example of thank you letter to Committee MembersWord Format
Tally Sheets
  • Example of a table to gather information about nominees Word Format


Copyright ©1997-2005 Southern Chapter/Medical Library Association, Inc.
For questions or comments about this page, contact jroberts@bbl.usouthal.edu
Last modified December 1, 2005