Nominating Committee

Article VI of the Bylaws describes the Committee’s responsibilities as follows:

ARTICLE VI. NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Section 1.

The executive Committee shall appoint a Chair and two others to serve as a Nominating Committee. The members, whose terms shall be for one year, shall not be current officers or candidates at the next election. One candidate shall be nominated for the office of Vice-Chair/Chair-elect and one for the office of Secretary/Treasurer. During the even numbered years there shall be an election for Vice-Chair. During the odd numbered years there shall be an election for Vice-Chair and Secretary/Treasurer. In the event the Vice Chair/Chair-elect cannot assume the duties of Chair, the Nominating Committee shall also submit one name of a candidate for the office of Chair for the term of one year.

Section 2.

The Nominating Committee shall submit the names of candidates together with their written acceptances to the FCIL-SIS Chair by January 15. Nominations also may be made upon written petition of five members. Such petitions, with the written acceptances of the nominees, should be filed with the Nominating Committee no later than January 15. No earlier than February 1, the Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare an official ballot, including nominations by petition. The FCIL-SIS Chair must inform the members of the nominations via publication in the February issue of the SIS newsletter, which may be sent solely in electronic format. If the election is to be held using paper ballots, the procedure outlined in Section 3 of Article VI shall be followed.

Section 3.

The election of officers will be conducted every year by mail or electronic ballot. The Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare an official ballot, including nominations by petition. The professional position of each nominee shall appear on the ballot. In the event paper ballots are used, the newsletter editor shall include a copy of the ballots section in the February issue of the newsletter. The newsletter editor will notify the section members when the newsletter is available and inform the section members that the issue contains the ballot. Ballots shall be marked, sealed in a plain envelope, and returned to the Secretary/Treasurer before March 31, in covering envelopes bearing on the outside the name and address of the member voting. The Secretary/Treasurer shall verify the validity of all votes against a list of individual voting members and shall count and tabulate all votes cast. In the event electronic ballots are used, the details of conducting the election shall first be approved by the Executive Committee. The Committee shall ensure that an election conducted by electronic balloting is fundamentally fair and preserves the right of secret ballot.

The candidates receiving the largest number of votes shall be elected and shall be so reported at the annual meeting by the Secretary/Treasurer. All candidates shall be notified of the results of the election by the Secretary/Treasurer at the earliest possible time. In case of a tie vote, a run-off election shall be held at the annual meeting. Run-off elections shall be by secret ballot. The ballots shall be immediately counted and the candidate with the largest number of votes declared elected, provided there is a quorum. Should the run-off election result in a continuing tie, the candidates shall be named co-officers. In the event the Secretary/Treasurer is a candidate, the Chair shall appoint another member to perform all election-related functions with the exception of the preparation and distribution of the ballot.

Any vacancy occurring after distribution of the ballots and before April 15 shall be filled by a special election. The Secretary/Treasurer shall prepare the special election ballots in the manner described in the first paragraph of this Section. The Secretary/Treasurer shall distribute the special election ballots. The special election ballots shall be returned to the Secretary/Treasurer before May 10, in the same manner as described in the first paragraph of this Section. Any vacancy occurring after April 15 shall be filled by nomination from the floor and election at the annual meeting. The candidates with the largest number of votes shall be declared elected, provided there is a quorum.

Section 4.

If there are no challenges to the results of the election at the annual section meeting, the ballots may be destroyed by the Secretary/Treasurer after the meeting.

DIRECTIVES FOR SELECTING FCIL-SIS NOMINEES

The Nominating Committee believes that it is in the best interests of the FCIL-SIS to secure highly qualified individuals to serve as Officers of the FCIL-SIS of AALL. The nominating committee members have the responsibility of bringing forward the name of the most eligible person for each elected position.

The Nominating Committee must be satisfied that each nominee meets the following minimum qualifications:

The nominee shall demonstrate personal and professional integrity.
The nominee shall demonstrate exceptional ability and judgment.
The nominee’s skills, abilities, and experiences shall be considered in light of other FCIL-SIS officers, and shall lend to the ability to collectively serve and promote the long-term interests and vision of the FCIL-SIS membership.
The nominee shall be accomplished in FCIL librarianship, with relevant credentials and recognition.
The nominee shall have sufficient time and availability to devote to the affairs of the FCIL-SIS, particularly in light of the number of boards on which the nominee may concurrently serve.

Criteria that may be considered during evaluation of potential nominees (non-exhaustive and non-binding):

In circumstances where the nominee was nominated by another member of the FCIL-SIS, consider the strength of the nomination. Consider the credentials and authority of the nominator, as well as the nominator’s professional relationship to the nominee.
Consider the nominee’s professional background including education, employment, and volunteer work.
Consider the level of attendance and participation not only in AALL but also other relevant organizations including but not limited to ASIL and IALL so that the nominee may serve as an ambassador for the FCIL-SIS outside of AALL.