Constitution -
As of April 1998 Under Revision

The Committee on South Asian Libraries and Documentation is organized as a committee of the South Asia Council of the Association for Asian Studies, Inc.

The primary objective of the Committee is the development of North American library resources on South Asia. The Committee shall facilitate library cooperation, collection development, bibliographic control, access and preservation to benefit the use of South Asian research and teaching materials.

Membership on the Committee is open to all who are concerned with South Asian library resources and who are members of the Association for Asian Studies, Inc.

An Executive Board of the Committee shall consist of four librarians elected by the membership-at-large, three faculty members appointed by the South Asia Council and two ex-officio librarian members. The nine member Executive Board shall manage the activities of the Committee.

Officers of the Committee shall consist of a Chairperson and a Secretary. The Chairperson shall submit an annual report to AAS the Association for Asian Studies, shall call meetings and normally preside at meetings. The Secretary will record minutes of meetings and assist in preparing agendas, announcements and other records. The seven members-at-large shall assist actively in CONSALD activities. The ex-officio librarian members of the Executive Board shall be the editor of the Committee's newsletter, and a representative of the Library of Congress.

The executive Board shall elect from among its own nine members a Chairperson and Secretary for one -year term with the possibility of only one successive reelection.

The four librarian members shall be elected to the Executive Board by the Committee membership-at-large at an annual election for two-year staggered terms. Two librarians shall be normally elected at each annual election. Three faculty members shall appointed by the South Asia Council for two-year staggered terms. Each year, a single appointment will alternate with two appointments successively. If any vacancy shall occur, a special election, or appointment in the case of faculty member, shall be held to fill the vacancy for the unexpired term.

The Committee shall hold an annual meeting concurrent with the annual meeting of the Association for Asian Studies. Additional meetings shall be held at the discretion of the Executive Board. Planning and agendas shall be the responsibility of the Executive Board, and meeting announcements shall appear in AAS publications.

Subcommittees as needed will be formed on the recommendation of the Executive Board. The Chairperson shall select persons to head these special committees and they, in turn, shall recruit the members of their committees. Subcommittees shall be reviewed every two years by the Executive Board.

Amendments to these bylaws may be proposed by the Executive Board or by a member of the Committee at regular meetings provided that written notice of the proposed amendment(s) is included in the announcement for that meeting.

Bylaws approved 24 March 1988 by the AAS South Asia Council, San Francisco.