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Nominating Committee

Election Schedule | Committee Information | Sample Letter of Invitation

YALSA Election Schedule

Committees of YALSA

General information and function statements for division committees

Name: NOMINATING

TYPE: Standing

AUTHORIZATION: Bylaws, Article VIII, Section 1 and Article IX, Sections 1 and 2

DATE OF ESTABLISHMENT: 1957

DATE OF COMPLETION: Continuing

MEMBERSHIP: 5 members, including Chair, with one member held over from the previous year's nominating committee, the past-past president, and none of whom is a Board member.

QUALIFICATIONS: YALSA members who must be able to attend both the Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference of ALA. Wide knowledge of personal members of YALSA; an understanding of the Association's structure and its place within the overall ALA structure.

TERM OF OFFICE: One year

FUNCTION: To prepare the slate of candidates for the annual election of YALSA officers and directors, the Margaret A. Edwards Award Committee, and the Michael L. Printz Award Committee, in accordance with the YALSA By-Laws, Article VIII, Section I.

PROCEDURES:

1. The members of the Nominating Committee are selected by the Vice-President/President-Elect, who contacts potential members to determine willingness to serve. The names of the committee members are submitted to the YALSA Board at the Midwinter Meeting.
2. The Nominating Committee presents the names of at least two candidates for Vice-President/President-Elect, four candidates for two Board members-at-large, six candidates for three Margaret A. Edwards Award Committee slots, eight candidates for the Michael L. Printz Award Committee, annually, and two candidates each for YALSA/ALA Councilor and the Fiscal Officer every three years.
3. Job Responsibilities to be Considered in Candidate Selection:
   1. The Vice-President/President-Elect automatically succeeds to the presidency the following year and continues on the Board as past-president the third year
   2. The Board members serve on the YALSA Board for three years, and attend all Midwinter and Annual Conference meetings; they are responsible for making decisions of policy on behalf of the membership and they speak for the membership.
4. Following Midwinter, the newly appointed Chair will send letters to other members of the Nominating Committee as well as the YALSA Board, Officers, Committee Chairpersons and other knowledgeable association members asking them to identify strong potential candidates who could be considered for candidacies. It is recommended that brief statements be written supporting the names of suggested candidates.
5. Before Annual Conference, the Chair will send a complete list of suggested candidates to the members of the Nominating Committee for their information and review.
6. At the Annual Conference, a closed meeting is held by the Nominating Committee to examine and discuss potential candidates. A short list of candidates for each office is compiled in priority order. (Priority candidates should be approached personally and informally during the Annual Conference, if possible, to see if they would agree to run.)
7. Within two months after the Annual Conference, the Chair will send a complete and final list of candidates to the YALSA Executive Director. The YALSA office staff will check the membership status of prospective candidates and notify the Chair of the eligibility of the candidates as quickly as possible, usually within two weeks of receipt of the list.
8. Copies of the "Biographical Information Forms," and "Statement of Concern Forms" (except for candidates for the Margaret A. Edwards and Michael L. Printz Award committees) will be mailed to the candidates by the YALSA office at this time, with an official letter from the Chair inviting them to run. Letters will include directions to return the form(s) to the YALSA office with a deadline return date determined by the YALSA Executive Director. The YALSA timeline for nominations is based on the ALA timeline for elections, which changes each year.
9. The Nominating Committee Chair will report the committee's final slate to the YALSA Board at Midwinter. The Board members have the right and obligation to examine the report, but no authority to alter it. Nominations by petition will be accepted until the ALA deadline. These names are added to make the final slate, which will appear in the Spring issue of Journal of Youth Services in Libraries and on the official ALA ballot.
10. The YALSA Office is responsible for preparing the ballot; the Executive Director is responsible for its accuracy.
11. The YALSA Executive Director will notify all candidates as well as members of the Nominating Committee of election results as soon as the information is made available at ALA Headquarters.
12. The only Nominating Committee records to be retained are suggested lists of candidates, previous slates and previous Nominating Committees. These records will be forwarded to the next Nominating Committee Chair. A copy of the official ALA ballot and the election results will also be retained for the records in the YALSA office, along with the previous slates and previous Nominating Committees.

SAMPLE FORM LETTER
[Use ALA/YALSA letterhead stationery or send by e-mail]

LETTER OF INVITATION TO RUN FOR OFFICE
Dear ___________:

After careful consideration, YALSA’s Nominating Committee is very pleased to invite you to be a candidate for the YEAR election.  We feel that your qualifications, as well as your work with the association, make you a solid choice for YEAR. Before you accept this invitation, we ask that you review your personal and professional obligations to ensure that you have the time to dedicate to this leadership position. In order to help you make your final decision, here are some responsibilities to consider:

President-Elect: This is a three-year commitment. Beginning with the first year the PE is available and prepared to interact with the media, keep in regular contact with the YALSA office and Board, make committee appointments, establish relationships within ALA, attend all meetings of the Executive Committee and Board (travel is not paid for by YALSA), and other responsibilities as needed. These obligations are in addition to those of serving as a Board member. The PE assumes office at the end of the last Board meeting at the YEAR Annual Conference.

Board Members: This is a three-year commitment. Members must prepare for and attend all meetings of the Board of Directors (travel is not paid for by YALSA) as well as meetings and/or programs of committees for which member is a Board Liaison.  Members have a liaison responsibility for selected YALSA committees and are expected to be in regular contact with the committee chairs. Between meetings, members are expected to communicate regularly via the Board’s electronic discussion list.  Elected board members will assume office at the end of the last Board meeting at the 2007 Annual Conference.

Edwards and Printz Committee Members: This is a two-year commitment. Much time is necessary to devote to seeking out books to nominate and to reading (hundreds of books). Committee members are expected to attend all meetings of the committee at Annual and Midwinter (travel is not paid for by YALSA) and to actively participate in all committee discussions throughout the year. Printz and/or Edwards Committee Members may not serve simultaneously on a YALSA award or selection committee and other award or selection committees. For details see YALSA’s Conflict of Interest Policy in the YALSA Handbook (adopted June ’06). The newly elected Printz and Edwards YEAR Committee members will begin their work some time before the YEAR Midwinter Meeting.

Please feel free to get in touch with Nominating Committee members, YALSA’s president, and/or those currently serving in the position for which you’re invited to be a candidate to help give you a clearer picture of what responsibilities you’ll have. Those invited to run for Board and/or President-Elect are welcome to observe Board meetings to become more familiar with Board operations and responsibilities. 

Please contact Beth Yoke (byoke@ala.org or 1.800.545.2433 x4391) by no later than Sept. 15th and let her know your decision about accepting this invitation.  We’re excited to have such a great pool of candidates, and we hope that you will decide to throw your hat in the ring! Thank you for your time and consideration, and please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
YALSA Nominating Committee Chair

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR THE NOMINATING COMMITTEE

Criteria for Selecting Candidates:

1. Anyone who is a current YALSA member is an eligible candidate.
2. Select candidates who have leadership skills.
3. Select candidates with people skills.
4. Select candidates who are adept at collaboration.
5. Select candidates who have no other agenda than that of the Association's
6. Association experience, including Board experience, is useful but not necessary-talent, not tenure is more important.
7. Pick candidates for their ability to think strategically, for their guts to deal with difficult issues, and for their commitment to the organization.
8. Do not select candidates on the basis of their popularity.
9. Base selection on the skills needed for the position, not on geography or organizational politics.
10. Look for "rambunctious" candidates who are unafraid of the political fallout that comes with dissidence.
11. Look for a mix of "old" and "new" members.
12. Select candidates who are not on ALA Council or selection committees-- officers and board members need to focus on the duties and responsibilities of the officers and board members.
13. Candidates for Fiscal Officer need experience with financial plans, worksheets, budgets, etc.

Tips and Timelines

1. Get names of possible candidates contacted by last year's committee from the committee chair and ask who are possible candidates for you to contact again this year.
2. Before Annual, via e-mail, brainstorm possible candidates with your committee.
3. Put out a call for candidates on the YALSA lists before the Annual Conference.
4. Assign leftover possible candidates and new possible candidates to each committee member.
5. Contact the possible candidates at or before the Annual conference and ask if they are willing to run.
6. All nominating committee members should actively seek out other possible candidates at the Annual Conference. Possible locations to use are: Leadership Development for Committee Chairs, YALSA Preconference and Programs, and Printz Program and Reception.
7. When the conference is over, within a month, via e-mail, the committee should establish a shortlist of possible candidates for all the positions that need to be filled.
8. Within two months after the conference, each possible candidate should be contacted and confirmed as a candidate.
9. Send the names to the YALSA office by the September 15; letters and forms will be sent to each of the candidates under the name of the chair of the nominating committee.
10. Do a "selling job" to possible candidates. State the benefits for them - wonderful professional development opportunity, leadership development opportunity, exciting time in YALSA, etc.