STS Manual: Functions, Responsibilities, and Duties of Officers

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STS Section Chair

STS Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect

STS Past-Chair/Liaison to ACRL Board

STS Secretary

STS Publicity Officer

STS Member-at-Large

Revised December 2013

STS Section Chair

1. Serves as an officer of the section and assists in advancing the goals and objectives of the section in accordance with ACRL strategic directions and priorities.

2. Oversees the development, implementation, and reporting of the section's contribution to, and support of, the ACRL goals and strategic directions.

3. Chairs all meetings of the section Executive Committee at Annual and Midwinter Conferences.

4. Attends the STS All Committees meeting at Midwinter and Annual.

5. Establishes or dissolves both special and standing committees with the approval of the Executive Committee.

6. Oversees section program at Annual Conference; chairs annual meeting of section, which may follow, precede, or be separate from the program.

7. Meets deadlines for requests for payment and reimbursement, according to the budget submitted.

8. Schedules all of the section's committee meetings and programs for Midwinter and Annual Conference after consulting committee chairs. Completes meeting request Web forms for all committees and programs.

9. Submits reports to the ACRL Board on section activities for distribution to the ACRL Board.

10. Responds to inquiries from members and non-members regarding section interests and activities.

11. Chair co-represents with vice-chair/chair-elect the section on ACRL Communities of Practice Assembly. Presents oral and written reports on division events and plans to STS Council.

12. Fills committee vacancies during term in office.

13. Represents the section at the division level in accordance with ALA policy.

14. Arranges to have minutes taken for each meeting and ensures copies are sent to ACRL staff.

15. Conducts all meetings in accordance with ALA's "Open Meeting" policy.

Source: ALA Policy 7.4.3

16. Attends and participates in ACRL Communities of Practice Assembly sessions (usually held Friday afternoons at the ALA Midwinter and Annual Conferences).

17. Organizes food and beverages offerings for all STS events that have food and beverages for both the Midwinter and Annual conferences, in collaboration with ACRL staff liaison.

In addition to the functions and responsibilities listed above, the Chair should consult the STS Master Calendar.

STS Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect

1. Serves as an officer of the section and assists in advancing the goals and objectives of the section in accordance with ACRL strategic directions and priorities.

2. As a member of the Executive Committee, attends meetings of the committee at Annual and Midwinter Conferences, including those at the Annual Conference immediately preceding the taking of office.

3. Appoints a Nominating Committee that is responsible for producing a slate of candidates for section office. The STS Past-Chair will serve as the Chair of the Nominating Committee, and recommends members to the Vice-chair to appoint to the Committee. The section vice-chair may not be a member of the Nominating Committee (see ALA Bylaws, Article III, Section 1.a).

4. If a program is planned, a Conference Program Planning Committee and chair should be appointed that is responsible for planning the section's program at the Annual Conference during year as chair. May serve as a member of the committee according to section bylaws.

5. Makes appointments to all other section committees for terms beginning when term as chair begins.

6. Submits section's budget requests for year as chair by deadline.

7. Responds to inquiries from members and non-members regarding section interests and activities.

8. Serves on the ACRL Conference Program Planning Committee. Reports to ACRL vice-chair at meeting of the committee on section program being planned for Annual Conference during the year as chair.

9. Vice-chair co-represents (with section chair) the section on the ACRL Communities of Practice Assembly.

10. Appoints co-chairs of ongoing and newly formed discussion groups.

11. Attends and participates in ACRL Communities of Practice Assembly sessions (usually held Friday afternoons at the ALA Midwinter and Annual Conferences).

In addition to the functions and responsibilities listed above, the STS Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect should consult the STS Master Calendar.



STS Past-Chair / Liaison to ACRL Board

1. Serves as an officer of the section and assists in advancing the goals and objectives of the section and ACRL.

2. Serves as a member of the Executive Committee; attends meetings of the Committee at Annual and Midwinter Conferences.

3. Chairs the Nominating Committee beginning in the year of their term as past-chair.

4. Serve as ACRL Liaison. Brings forward concerns from section and represents the section at ACRL Board meetings at Midwinter and Annual conferences.

5. Reports ACRL Board issues and activities to the STS Executive Committee.

6. Other tasks according to the section Governance Procedures or as assigned by the section Executive Committee.

In addition to the functions and responsibilities listed above, the STS Past-Chair/Liaison to ACRL Board should consult the STS Master Calendar.

STS Secretary

1. Serves as an officer of the section, and assists in advancing the goals and objectives of the section and ACRL.

2. Prior to the Annual and Midwinter meetings, reviews STS Manual and Governance Procedures. As a member of the Executive Committee, attends and takes minutes at STS Council meetings and Executive Committee meetings during Annual and Midwinter Conferences. Reminds Council members to send copies of any reports for inclusion in the Council meeting minutes. If possible, also attends STS Council meetings at the Annual Conference immediately preceding taking office. Prior to Annual and Midwinter meetings creates and distributes table signs, displaying full name and STS positions held, for all Council members and known guests for the Council I and II meetings. Also creates table tent signs for committee names for those that take place in the All-committees meeting. Takes responsibility to insure that committee name signs are in place on tables in the venue of the All-committees meeting a minimum of 10 minutes before the meeting, to assure ease of location of their tables by committee co-chairs and members. This responsibility can be delegated to a meeting attendee.

3. Takes attendance at STS Council and Business meetings by creating and circulating a sign-in sheet including name, institutional affiliation, e-mail address and phone number of Council members. Requests necessary corrections to sign-in sheet. Guest attendees should be invited to add information to the sign-in sheet and to indicate whether attendee is an STS member or if he or she is interested in serving on an STS Committee.

4. Distributes minutes to: STS Council members, ACRL Office, any other interested persons requesting them. Posts Council minutes on ALA Connect pages for STS membership and Council.

5. Track applications for virtual meetings, set up virtual meetings for Council with the ACRL staff liaison, and serve as resource for virtual STS committee meetings.

In addition to the functions and responsibilities listed above, the STS Secretary should consult the STS Master Calendar.

STS Publicity Officer

1. As a member of the Executive Committee, attends meetings of the committee and STS Council at Annual and Midwinter conferences.

2. Solicits STS program, event and activity information, and communicates this information to the STS Signal editor, to STS-l and to other relevant electronic mailing lists.

3. Generates internal contact list in order to facilitate dissemination of information to appropriate discussion lists.

4. Coordinates preparation of publicity materials for the STS conference program events and reception in cooperation with the STS Signal Editor, the STS Member at Large, and the STS Conference Program Planning Committee.

5. Establishes and implements an STS social media communication plan.

6. Prepares list of Sci-tech vendors who exhibit at ALA for use by members of the section.

7. Support the publicity efforts of all STS committees in cooperation with the STS Signal editor, providing advice and assistance.

In addition to the functions and responsibilities listed above, the STS Publicity Officer should consult the STS Master Calendar.

STS Members-at-Large

1. Serves as an officer of the section and assists in advancing the goals and objectives of the section in accordance with ACRL strategic directions and priorities.

2. As a member of the Executive Committee, attends meetings of the committee at Annual and Midwinter Conferences, including those at the Annual Conference immediately preceding the taking of office.

3. Attends meetings of the STS Council.

4. Assists the chair with preparations for the STS All Membership Meeting & Breakfast, as needed, at the Annual Conference.

5. Helps Chair, upon request, organize food and beverage offerings for all STS events that have food and beverages, for both the Midwinter and Annual conferences.

6. Organizes, in consultation with the STS chair, the STS Dinner for Midwinter and Annual Conferences.

7. At the request of the chair, coordinates responses to ACRL activities, such as the Environmental Scan.

8. At the request of the chair or vice-chair, represents STS leadership at meetings when the chair and vice-chair are unable to attend.

9. At the request of the chair, assists with fundraising for STS programs and events for both Midwinter and Annual conferences.

10. Assumes duties as delegated by the chair or vice-chair of STS.

In addition to the functions and responsibilities listed above, the STS Members-at-Large should consult the STS Master Calendar.

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STS IS A SECTION OF THE ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE & RESEARCH LIBRARIES, A DIVISION OF THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.