Procedure For Announcing and Electing ALA Honroary Members

  1. After nominations for Honorary Membership are received in the Executive Director’s office, they are forwarded to the ALA headquarters Librarian/Knowledge Manager. The Librarian/Knowledge Manager uses appropriate information sources to gather information substantiating (or not) and complementing the information provided by the nominators and prepares a confidential report on each nominee summarizing this information.
  2. Nomination papers and the reports of the Librarian/Knowledge Manager are distributed to the Executive Board at least three weeks prior to the Executive Board Fall meeting. The Executive Board discusses the nominations packets in Executive Session and recommends which names to forward to Council for approval.
  3. Staff releases the names of the Executive Board nominees for ALA Honorary Membership to Council via the Council electronic discussion list two weeks before the start of the ALA Midwinter Meeting. The documents summarizing the nominees’ contributions and accomplishments are included with the announcement. Councilors are directed to send any additional information related to the nominations directly to the Director, Office of ALA Governance.

In order to respect the privacy of the nominees, Councilors are directed not to debate the merits of the nominees on the Council electronic discussion list.

  1. Should additional information relating to a nomination for Honorary Membership be received which suggests the need for further research, staff research the matter to the best of their ability in the time available. They then send the information to the Board via the Board electronic discussion list. Staff report any results of their research in Executive Session at the first Board session at the Midwinter Meeting, and the Executive Board determines at that time whether to reconsider the nomination.
  2. The Immediate Past President presents the nominee(s) for Honorary Membership to Council on behalf of the Executive Board at either Council II or Council III at the Midwinter Meeting.
  3. Council is asked to vote on each nominee one by one. Prior to calling for the vote the presiding officer offers Council the opportunity to discuss each nomination.

If Council indicates that they wish to hold a debate on the merits of any candidate, Council moves into closed session in accordance with ALA Open Meetings Policy 7.4.4, which stipulates that discussion of matters affecting the privacy of individuals be held in closed session.

  1. The newly elected Honorary Members are honored and presented with a plaque at the Opening General Session of the Annual Conference.

Approved by the Executive Board at the 2006 Midwinter Meeting.