Orientation for Board Members

Serving on the LITA Board of Directors requires familiarity with: past activities and work; the LITA Bylaws and Manual; and other particular duties.

Past Activities & Work

Annual Reports, agendas and minutes from both Board of Directors and Executive Committee meetings are posted on ALA Connect. These documents will provide an overview of previous LITA activities, the work of the Board and Executive Committee. Only the last six years of the following documents are maintained online. Contact the LITA Office for older documents.

• Annual Reports
• Board Meeting Agendas & Minutes
• Executive Committee Agendas & Minutes
  

Bylaws & Manual

The LITA Bylaws and LITA Manual contain specific Board responsibilities and information about issues that often arise.  Board members should be familiar with all of the Bylaws and Manual, particularly the following sections:

• Bylaws - Article V: Board of Directors
  Addresses the composition, power and duties, vacancies, terms of office, etc.
  
• Bylaws - Article IV: Officers, Terms of Office, and Duties
  Provides an overview of the duties of LITA Officers and Board members.
  
• LITA Manual Section 12 - Policies
  States the policies regarding surveys and questionnaires, use of paid consultants, etc.

Other Responsibilities

Board members are expected to attend all Board meetings. Meetings take place at ALA Annual Conferences and Midwinter Meetings on Saturday mornings and Monday afternoons. Specific meeting times and locations will always be published in the ALA event schedule. The Board usually has an informal dinner on the Friday night of Annual Conferences and Midwinter Meetings. Attendance is optional. Members are notified in advance about the time and location of the dinner. The LITA office and/or the Executive Committee may notify the Board about specific events or meetings members should attend during Annual Conferences and Midwinter Meetings.

Liaison Responsibilities

Board members will act as a liaison to at least one LITA Committee. As a liaison, you should:

• Attend committee meetings whenever possible.
• Exchange information with the committee chair when you cannot attend.
• Participate in any committee deliberations via email.
• Provide the committee with any helpful background information from the Board that will guide them in their activities.
• Provide the Board with any helpful background information from the committee as appropriate to the issues.
• Relay requests from one body to the other as specified by the committee chair and/or LITA President.
• Provide other advice or assistance as needed.

The following links provide useful information about LITA committees:

• Bylaws - Article VII: Committees and Representatives
  Includes the official statement on the responsibilities of committees.
  
• LITA Committees
  A description of all of the LITA committees and the committee members with contact information.  If using this near Annual Conference, you may want to check with the LITA Office or the incoming President to verify the information is correct.
  
• LITA Manual Section 7 - Publishing and Publication
  Depending upon the committee charge, it might be helpful to coach a committee to communicate via a LITA publication.
  
• LITA Manual Section 10 - Programs at ALA Annual Conferences
  LITA Manual Section 11 - Institutes, Preconferences, and Special Events
  Depending upon the committee charge, it might be helpful to guide the committee through the program guidelines.