Proposals for revision of the CONSALD constitution, April 2006

Background: For a variety of reasons (e.g., other library responsibilities, lack of travel funds, limitations on outside projects, participation/membership in other AAS-related agencies which meet at the same time, and, non-replacement upon retirement/departure), the number of librarians able or willing to accept appointment to the CONSALD Executive Board has diminished. The number of ex-officio members of the Executive Board (LC representative, CRL representative, SALNAQ/web editor, immediate past chair) results in a board of eight members or almost one quarter of the membership of CONSALD. These members joined by the SAMP executive board have resulted in a setting in which almost half our membership has some executive position. Most people feel they should have a break of a few years after serving on one of the two boards.

To address this problem we propose the following changes to the CONSALD Constitution, namely "Article Four: Officers and Executive Board" and "Article Five: Elections and Appointments."

1. Article IV.

An Executive Board of the Committee shall consist of three librarians elected by the membership-at-large and two faculty members appointed by the South Asia Council. The Executive Board shall manage the activities of the CONSALD.

Officers of the Committee shall consist of a Chairperson and a Secretary. The Chairperson shall submit an annual report to the Association for Asian Studies, shall call meetings, and normally preside at meetings. The Secretary shall record minutes of meetings and assist in preparing agendas, announcements, and other records. The outgoing chair will serve in an ex-officio capacity and shall assist the current officers in their work.

The Executive Board itself will determine the Chairperson and Secretary; because of the rotating nature of the Board, these appointments will be for one-year terms only, with possibility of renewal.

2. Article V.

One librarian shall be normally elected at each annual election for a three-year term. (If an outgoing Executive Board member was chair in their third year, they would serve a fourth year as ex-officio.) Two faculty members shall be appointed by the South Asia Council for two-year staggered terms. If any vacancy shall occur, a special election, or appointment in the case of a faculty member, shall be held to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term. At the end their three year appointment, librarian members are eligible to stand for re-election.

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