I. FUNCTION
Technical Services Law Librarian is an official publication of the Technical Services Section and the Library Systems & Resource Discovery Special Interest Section. Its primary responsibility is to report on the activities of the sections and their members. It communicates news about developments in the two fields. It presents and resolves questions that arise in areas of interest to the members of the sections.
II. EDITORIAL POLICY
The following editorial policy is to be published in the first issue of each volume. The shortened version is to be published in subsequent issues, with reference made to the full form.
Full Version:
Technical Services Law Librarian is a quarterly official publication of the Technical Services Special Interest Section and the Library Systems & Resource Discovery Special Interest Section of the American Association of Law Libraries. It reports on section and member activities, and communicates news on developments in the two sections. TSLL will publish section organizational business such as election results and bylaw revisions. It features columns on specific areas of interest, including those in a question and answer format. TSLL will include short, practical articles on areas of interest to the sections and short implementation reports, but will not publish substantive articles, book review, publication announcements or job advertisements. AALL announcments, forms, and similar information will not be printed if there is reasonable expectation of their being readily available elsewhere.
Any submission may be edited for style and length. Content editing will be done in cooperation with the author. Any person considering the submission of articles or other information is urged to contact the editor regarding appropriateness and style. Publication deadlines are listed in each issue. All statements and opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the American Association of Law Libraries, the Technical Services or Library Systems & Resource Discovery Special Interest Sections, or the TSLL Editorial Board.
Abbreviated Version:
The Technical Services Law Librarian will carry reports or summaries of the convention meetings and other programs of the TS-SIS and LSRD-SIS, act as the vehicle of communication for SIS committee activities, and carry current awareness and short implementation reports. For a full statement of the editorial policy, see the first issue of each volume. Prospective authors are urged to contact the editor for style information. Statements and opinions of the authors are theirs alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the AALL, the TS-SIS or LSRD-SIS, or the TSLL Editorial Board.
Statement to Appear With Either Version:
Subscriptions are provided as a benefit of membership to section members. Non-members interested in separate subscriptions should contact the TSLL Business Manager or the American Association of Law Libraries.
III. EDITORIAL BOARD
Format
The editorial board of TSLL is comprised of six members: two from each of the sections, the business manager, and the editor, who serves as chairperson of the board. The past editor services as the ex-officio member of the board for one year after the appointment of a new editor. The section representatives on the board serve a two-year appointment. Terms of appointment are staggered for continuity. If a section representative is chosen as editor or business manger or agrees to serve as a contributing editor, he or she should resign from the board.
Function
The function of the board is to provide direction to the editor and monitor the newsletter’s adherence to the stated editorial policy. It is responsible for resolving issues concerning editorial policy and its implementation. The board appoints the editor and business manager of the newsletter. It approves the yearly budget submitted by the editor and business manager and determines policies in regard to publication funding such as advertising, commercial sponsorship, section subsidy requests, or subscription charges. The editorial board is responsible for revising TSLL Structure and Policies to reflect decisions made by the board or other changes. The editorial board submits a report annually to each SIS via the editor. The section representatives on the board are responsible to their respective sections and reflect the section’s interests and concerns about the newsletter.
IV. STAFF
A. EDITOR
The editor shall be selected by the editorial board to serve a two-year appointment with the possibility of extension of the appointment for another two years. Selection shall be made from among those members of the sections who have expressed an interest in the position and presented convincing evidence to the board that they have the resources available to carry out the editorship.
The board shall maintain a current position description for the editor position, including responsibilities and qualifications.
The editor is responsible for the following functions:
a. Publication of the TSLL. Such publication shall take place on the schedule dictated by editorial policy and within the budget presented to the editorial board. The mechanics of printing and distribution are to be coordinated with the business manager and the appropriate AALL Headquarters Office.
b. Content of the newsletter under dictates of the editorial policy. In order to control costs and using guidelines established by the board, the editor can omit or shorten material or defer column after consultation with the contributing editor.
c. Soliciting information that he/she feels should be included in the newsletter.
d. Editing a submission to conform to the style manual established by the board. As normal procedure, the editor is not responsible for content once it has been accepted for publication. If such editorial work is necessary, the contributor shall be notified of any changes prior to publication
e. Arranging for the indexing of each volume. The index should be prepared by a section member trained in indexing.
f. Presenting the editorial board’s annual report to each section during their business meetings at the annual AALL meeting. This report is prepared jointly by the editor and business manager.
f [sic]. Conducting an annual board meeting during the annual AALL meeting.
B. BUSINESS MANAGER
The business manager shall be selected by the editorial board to serve a two-year appointment with the possibility of extension of the appointment for another two years. Selection shall be made from among those members of the sections who have expressed an interest in the position and have presented convincing evidence to the board that they have the resources available to carry out the duties of the position.
The board shall maintain a current position description for the business manager position, including responsibilities and qualifications.
The business manager is responsible for the following functions:
a. Managing the mailing list, working with AALL Headquarters for membership rosters and other subscribers.
b. Board determined financing such as advertising, sponsorship and announcing the availability of newsletter subscriptions in AALL and other publications.
c. Keeping the payment and correspondence accounts.
d. Communicating with AALL Headquarters staff about receipt and expenditure records.
e. Coordinating with the editor and AALL Headquarters about the printing and mailing of the newsletter.
f. Preparing an annual report to be presented by the editor at each section’s annual business meeting.
C. CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Contributing editors are appointed by the editor with the approval of the editorial board for a period of two years with no restriction on the number of times the appointment may be extended. Contributing editors shall be section members. Their terms should not coincide with that of the editor, but overlap. A written agreement should be developed between the editor and contributing editors so that there is an understanding between the parties over content and length of the contributing editor’s term. Although a contributing editor can serve as both a contributing editor and editor or business manager, this should be avoided if possible. The editor or business manager should be encouraged to find an interim contributing editor a series of guest columnists for the duration of their term.
The responsibilities of the contributing editors include:
a. The content of the column, as stated in a written agreement between the editor and contributing editor.
b. Adherence to editorial policy.
c. The production of copy according to specification and schedule of the editor.
d. Adherence to the style determined by the editor.
V. FINANCING
The financial structure of the TSLL shall be examined each year by the editorial board in consultation with the business manager. The board determines the necessary funding to allow publication four times a year in a suitable newsletter format. An annual financial report is prepared by the business manager and presented to each section by the editor at their annual business meetings.
VI. FORMAT
TSLL is to be published in an economical format. The physical format should remain constant unless significant reasons exist for change, and then should change only at a volume break. A volume should normally not exceed 200 pages. An annual index for the preceding volume is included in the first or second issue of the new volume. Questions about style, particularly initialisms and their abbreviations, should be referred to the editor. Use of a style manual is encouraged. The editor should be contacted for the preferred manual.
VII. RELATIONSHIP OF THE TS-SIS AND THE LSRD-SIS TO THE TSLL
As the TSLL is an official publication of the TS-SIS and the LSRD-SIS and a benefit of membership to section members, it is the responsibility of the chair of each section to ensure that news relating to the section’s activities are published in TSLL.
VIII. RELATIONSHIP TO THE AALL NEWSLETTER
The TSLL is an official publication of the LSRD-SIS and TS-SIS. It should not be the only method of disseminating news about the sections. News relating to current and future activities of the sections should be placed in the AALL Newsletter, as well as TSLL. This responsibility lies with the chairpersons of the sections.
IX. REVISIONS OF TSLL STRUCTURE AND POLICIES
The periodic review of this document for necessary revisions is the responsibility of the TSLL editorial board. The board members including the immediate past editor act as an ad hoc committee with one member serving as chair. As the board makes policy decisions or circumstances necessitate other changes, affected sections should be rewritten. Drafts of the revised documents should be approved by the editorial board with the final revision presented to each section’s board for acceptance. A revision with substantive changes in TSLL Structure and Policies should be submitted to the members of each section for ratification. The decision to seek membership ratification should be made jointly by the section chair and the editorial board acting as the revision committee.
Adopted June 1989
Revised June 1991