LITA Manual Section 3 Nominations to Division Offices

Appointment of the Nominating Committee
Responsibilities of the Nominating Committee
Duties of the Committee Chair
Calendar for Nominations to Division Offices
Requirements for Candidates for Elected Office
Instructions for the Guidance of All Nominating Committees
Guidelines and Requirements for Appointment or Nomination to Division Boards and Committees

LITA Manual Table of Contents

Appointment of the Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee is appointed by the Vice-President/President-Elect, and approved by the LITA Board of Directors. The committee consists of three LITA members, including one from  a committee, and, one from an Interest Group. An appointee may not be a member of the Board of directors, nor may any Committee member by appointed to a consecutive term.

The Vice-president/President-elect submits to the Board of Directors no later than Midwinter, a list of persons qualified to serve on the nominating Committee, and with the approval of the Board, appoints three members. The Vice-president/President-elect also designates one of the three to serve as chair.

Committee members must be personal members of LITA. The Committee roster, as well as the acceptance forms of the appointees, must be submitted to the LITA Executive Director immediately after the appointments have been made. The term of office is one year, ending in February of the election year.

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Responsibilities of the Nominating Committee

The sole task of the Nominating Committee is to prepare a slate of candidates for the following year's divisional election. The business of the Committee is confidential. Candidates may be nominated for the following LITA elective offices:

  • Vice-president/President-elect: one-year term
  • ALA Councilor: three-year term.
  • Director: three-year term (The LITA Board of Directors is composed of seven members who serve staggered terms to insure continuity of LITA business. In any one year, two or three positions may need to be filled.)

At least two candidates shall be nominated for each office.

The Executive Director will notify the Chair of the Nominating Committee of any vacancies for which nominations are needed. Vacancies occur when a term of office expires, or when the ALA Councilor or any Director cannot complete a term of office.

The committee will obtain a list of LITA members from the Executive Director.

By November 1st, the Committee will select potential candidates for each elective office and vacancy, assuring as broad a representation as possible of different types and sizes of membership.

Alternate candidates will also be selected in case of a refusal. Potential candidates are contacted to determine their eligibility and willingness to be nominated.

By November 1st, the Committee assembles the final slate of nominees for the upcoming LITA election and present it to the Board of Directors. The final slate, including at least two candidates for each office to be filled, will be submitted to the Board during the Midwinter Conference. 

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Duties of the Committee Chair

  1. Arrange with ALA Conference Services for the date, time and place of all Nominating Committee meetings scheduled at the ALA Annual Conference and Midwinter Meeting
  2. Notify Committee members of all meeting times and places.
  3. Preside at all meetings of the Committee.
  4. A self-nomination form is published on the LITA Web site.
  5. Contact all potential candidates to determine their eligibility, invite their candidacy, obtain their consent to be nominated, and clarify the status of the candidacy, whether actual or potential.
  6. Forward the slate to the LITA Executive Director by November 1st 

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Calendar for Nominations to Division Offices

This covers a 12-month period of activity leading up to the mailing of the ballots

DATE ACTION/ACTIVITY RESPONSIBILITY
By Midwinter Nominating Committee Appointed Vice-president
January (Midwinter) Nominating Committee Approved Board
June (Annual) Nominating Committee meets Chair of Committee
November 1 Report of Slate of Candidates to Board of Directors Chair of Committee
Early November Approves Report of Committee Board
Early January Biographical Background and Statements submitted  using online form; photos for LITA web site due in LITA Office Candidates
By Midwinter Candidates Announced on Web site (+Bylaws amendments if any) LITA Staff
January (last day of Midwinter) Deadline for Petition Candidates to file petition with LITA Executive Director Petition Candidates Only
February 3 LITA Ballot Copy Due to ALA LITA Staff
mid-March Polls Open ALA Staff
Early-May Election Results  


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Requirements for Candidates for Elected office

Any candidate for elected office must:

  1. Be willing to serve.
  2. Be a personal member of ALA and LITA by time of assumption of office. A candidate does not have to be a LITA member to be nominated. Failure to join the division will prevent the candidate from taking office.
  3. Be a personal member of LITA throughout term of office.
  4. Not run for any other office in any ALA division
  5. Not hold another ALA office concurrent with the LITA office.
  6. Be able to attend the Midwinter and Annual ALA conference.

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Instructions for the Guidance of All Nominating Committees:

  1. The Vice-president/President-elect should emphasize to the Nominating Committee the importance of having a completed slate in the hands of the executive Director on or before November 1st of the year after the committee's appointment.
  2. The Nominating Committee selects at least two persons for each office to be filled. It also selects alternates in case of a refusal. The division's membership list will be made available by the Executive Director for the Committee's consultation. The Nominating Committee chairperson invites the individuals to be candidates for election and informs them: 1) that they must be members of the division, not only at the time of their election but also during their term of office; 2) that they should not run at the same time for office in any other division; and 3) that if they are currently officers in another division, they may accept nomination only if that term expires before the new term in LITA begins.
  3. The individuals selected as candidates for the various offices must be personal members of ALA and of the division. It is acceptable to select someone who is not a member of LITA, provided that at the time the nomination is accepted, the candidate will join LITA before taking office. If the candidate does not join the division that candidacy is null and void.
  4. The Nominating Committee chairperson should check with each prospective candidate to make sure that he or she has not been approached to run for any other major office in ALA, or its other divisions.

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Guidelines and Requirements for Appointment or Nomination to Division Boards and Committees

Basic Qualifications:

Must be personal member of ALA.

Must be personal member of LITA. If individual is not yet a member of LITA appointment or nomination is contingent upon joining LITA, but this must be done before the person takes office.

Must anticipate attending Annual Conferences and the Midwinter Meetings during term of office and participate in the meetings and activities of the committee or Board.

Must be interested in and able to work via correspondence and via meetings on programs, surveys, reports, studies, etc., related to the mission or concern of the division.

It is especially desirable that officers and chairpersons have had training and /or experience in the area of concern of the specific unit.

ALA Policies:

No person should accept an appointment as chairperson of a committee unless he or she is willing to give some time and attention to the work of the committee, and unless he/she is willing to work with the members of the committee.

No person should accept a position as a member of a committee unless he or she is prepared to assist in the work of the committee and to answer correspondence.

No chairperson of a committee should be reappointed for a second year if the committee shows no sign of activity.

(Approved by the ALA Council, December 27, 1934)

No person shall accept nominations or appointments which could result in simultaneous service in any two or more of the following categories of office: 1. President of a division, 2. President-elect of a division, 3.Chairperson of a Section of a division, 4. Chairperson-elect of a division, 5. Chairperson of an ALA committee.

(Approved by the ALA Council, June 1968)

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