INTRODUCTION to the 1981 Edition
From its initial meeting in 1956 until the twelfth conference in 1967, the Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials (SALALM) existed as an informal organization under the sponsorship of the Organization of American States. In January, 1968 SALALM was incorporated in the District of Columbia as a nonprofit corporation, and at XIII SALALM, held June 20-22, 1968, at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, the Constitution and Bylaws governing the new association were adopted. These, with the Articles of Incorporation, were published by the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States in 1968 under the title Basic Documents of the Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials, Inc. (Cuadernos Bibliotecológicos, 45).
Following a series of amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws (in 1969, 1971, 1974, and 1975), a revised text was issued in 1975 by the SALALM Secretariat, then at the University Library, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. The second edition of the Basic Documents was expanded to include, in addition to the Constitution and Bylaws as amended and the Articles of Incorporation, the "SALALM Committee Regulations" and "Organizational Responsibilities of SALALM Officers and Committees," two independently developed but closely interrelated documents. (Their history is set forth in the Introduction to the second edition.)
At XXI SALALM, held May 2-6, 1976, at Indiana University in Bloomington, the following two resolutions were approved:
"23. That all committees and subcommittees which have not already done so be asked to submit to the Committee on Policy, Research and Investigation by the Midwinter 1977 meeting, a statement of their charge as they understand it, including definition and scope of activities, so that a revised and complete list of committee responsibilities can be prepared by the Committee on Policy, Research and Investigation, and submitted to the Executive Board and membership.
27. That a Supplement to the Basic Documents of SALALM be prepared, including a complete listing of committee responsibilities as soon as this is compiled, and that a third edition of the Basic Documents be published with an index as soon as finances permit."
By 1979 the Committee on Policy, Research and Investigation had completed its review of committee structure and responsibilities as directed by Resolution 23, and its recommendations were accepted by the Executive Board on June 17, 1979, at XXIV SALALM.
In the meantime, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, working on the third edition of the Basic Documents to fulfill Resolution 27, decided to create an "Operational Handbook," which would not only supersede the documents, "SALALM Committee Regulations" and "Organizational Responsibilities of SALALM Officers and Committees," but also include other basic documents produced and approved after 1975. "Duties of Officers and Other Members of the Executive Board," previously a part of "Organizational Responsibilities of SALALM Officers and Committees," was chosen as the first section of the Handbook.
The second section of the Handbook was allocated to "Committees," subdivided into "Regulations," "Structure," (both formerly in "SALALM Committee Regulations"), and "Functions" (formerly a part of "Organizational Responsibilities of SALALM Officers and Committees"). The text of the subsections on committee structure and functions was that originating with the Committee on Policy, Research and Investigation (noted above), which replaced statements adopted in previous documents.
The final two sections of the Handbook were dedicated to a policy statement regarding the responsibilities of host institutions holding annual conferences and one on the SALALM archives.
The "Operational Handbook" was approved in principle by the Executive Board on June 22, 1979, at XXIV SALALM, with the understanding that it would be revised as necessary to reflect the practices, rules, and regulations in force at the time of its publication.
In preparing the present text of the Constitution and Bylaws, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee has incorporated all amendments made to date. Copies of the amendments are on file at the SALALM Secretariat and at the Office of the Recorder of Deeds, District of Columbia.
Jane Garner
Chairman
Constitution and Bylaws Committee
June 1981