To maintain and expand the membership of the Association, representing all of the constituent states. To provide a mentoring program that assist in the development an individual's skills and knowledge in the field of library and information science, and the Association.
This committee is composed of one at-large member from each state and the SELA representative from each state. Members may form an individual state membership committee to aid in member recruitment. The appointed chairman shall be that individual's state at-large member of the committee.
The Membership Committee has been active since 1950. A letter from Dorothy Crosland, Acting Executive Secretary, stated, "For the first time in its history, SELA has a membership roll with annual dues." Until 1960, the Membership Committee was chaired by the Executive Secretary; for a time it was made up of the ALA membership chairs in the states who handled both association memberships. Its mission was originally stated, "to increase individual and other membership by direct method, personal approach, or other methods," and to publish the statistics periodically. In 2007, the Membership Committee changed its name to the Membership and Mentoring Committee.
The Southeastern Library Association is proud and honored to have you join their Mentoring Program. As a mentor, you are providing librarians, library science students. or library assistants/support staff/paralibrarians with an understanding of what librarianship is all about. Plus, you are helping them to understand the importance of volunteerism and professional involvement. As a mentee, you are the future of librarianship and the strength of library associations, such as the Southeastern Library Association.
We hope you will enjoy your year* as either a mentor or mentee in the Southeastern Library Association Mentoring Program. The future of the mentoring program is dependent on you. As a mentee, this program will provide experience and guidance from a knowledgeable library professional. As a mentor, the program will provide an opportunity to give back to the profession, model volunteerism, and help guide the future of librarianship.
Both as a mentor and mentee, your involvement in the Southeastern Library Association will bring many benefits to you, your colleagues, and the Southeastern Library Association.
The Vice-President/President-Elect and the Immediate Past President serve on this committee, the latter serving as Board liaison and reporter.
To serve as the overall strategic planning agency of the Association.
This committee was established by the Executive Board in 1958 as an outgrowth of the Resources Committee at the recommendation of the Committee on Committees. Its charge in 1969 was "to suggest to SELA its areas of concern and activity." At one point it was charged with the exploration of possible sources of financial aid; at another it was to work closely with the Legislative Committee so that needed legislation may be enacted. Its name was changed in 1991 from Library Development Committee to the Planning and Development Committee.
To maintain an updated handbook for the use of the officers, Executive Board, committee chairmen and the membership.
The Handbook was created by a special Handbook Committee chaired by Mary Louise Rheay during the 1970-72 biennium, incorporating an operational manual, developed by President Hoyt Galvin and Executive Secretary Ann Cobb in 1963. Afterwards, the committee was called the Handbook Revision Committee. A name change to Handbook Committee and standing committee status were approved by the Executive Board in 1981.
The 1982 Handbook was published and distributed to the entire membership. The 1982 Handbook Committee included a new history that was extensively researched, and sections were revised and expanded to reflect changes made in the 1980 revised Constitution.
The 1988 Handbook Committee updated information and designed a handbook that could be added to without a complete reprinting of the main content. Because of extensive changes and additions in the next few years, another revision was created in 1992, with the same flexibility designed into it.
To promote an ongoing continuing education program for the region.
It was suggested to the Executive Board by the Headquarters staff that policies related to association sponsored workshops were needed in June 1977. There were two workshops in the planning stages at that time and questions had arisen about how the income should be handled. An ad hoc committee was appointed to develop a written policy as to SELA's role in continuing education and to identify areas which might need study. It became a Standing Committee in 1979. This committee has developed guidelines and an application form for approval of proposed programs, made a survey of regional programs being conducted, and is responsible for SELA's membership in CLENE.
To provide guidance if needed to state library associations, libraries, and librarians in the area of intellectual freedom.
This committee was appointed by Hoyt Galvin in 1964. It undertook immediately to see that each state represented in the Southeastern Library Association had a corresponding intellectual freedom committee. In 1967-68 the committee concentrated on getting school and public libraries to adopt a book selection policy approved by the respective governing boards. The committee has conducted some regional workshops on intellectual freedom and has offered conference programs on the intellectual freedom and censorship issues. The committee stands ready to assist the Office for Intellectual Freedom of the American Library Association and the intellectual freedom committees of the state associations.