Libraries

The Library Faculty Handbook can be found in its entirety here, in either Word or PDF form.

History:
The library faculty first approved the formation of a Library Faculty Study Committee at a meeting held on March 9, 1971. The Study Committee was renamed the Library Faculty Affairs Committee on February 26, 1974, by the assembled library faculty.

Role:
The Library Faculty Affairs Committee serves as a representative body of the library faculty to monitor, study, and report on matters of Library or University policy related to the library faculty.

Membership:
LFAC is composed of five library faculty members (elected at large) who serve staggered two-year terms. No member may serve more than two consecutive elected terms. At least two members of LFAC shall be tenured members of the library faculty at the time of their election, and at least two members of LFAC shall be non-tenured members of the library faculty at the time of their election.

Governance:
The Library Faculty Affairs Committee meets regularly and reports to the library faculty; agendas and minutes are distributed via the libfaculty email distribution list. LFAC has the power to elect its own officers, determine dates of its meetings, and enact its own rules of procedure. All task forces or other committees established by LFAC are composed of at least one LFAC member to serve as liaison.

LFAC selects a chair and a recorder from within the LFAC membership. The Chair facilitates the LFAC portion of each library faculty meeting, and serves as a liaison to the Dean of Libraries.

Elections:
Elections will be held at the library faculty meeting closest to April 15 of a given calendar year. Two weeks prior to the election, the Nominating Committee, composed of one member of LFAC and two members of the library faculty recruited by LFAC, will submit in writing to the library faculty a ballot of nominees for the vacancies to be filled July 1. There must be at least two nominees for each vacancy. If a member of the Nominating Committee is nominated for a vacancy and accepts the nomination, that person shall resign from the committee and be replaced by another member of the library faculty. It is the responsibility of the Nominating Committee to ensure that there are appropriate numbers of tenured and non-tenured nominees on the ballot to fulfill the LFAC membership quotas in each category.

The Nominating Committee must verify willingness of all nominees to serve. The ballot will include space for write-in candidates. Absentee ballots will be accepted in advance of the meeting.

If there are unanticipated vacancies from the previous year, the Nominating Committee will also submit at least two nominees for each such vacancy. Between elections, vacancies on LFAC will be appointed by the LFAC Chair. This appointment is temporary and has no bearing on succession.

If for any reason a member of LFAC is inactive from the work of the committee for 3 or more consecutive months, the LFAC Chair may appoint a replacement at his or her discretion. A member who anticipates an absence of a year or more shall resign so that the vacancy may be filled at the annual election.

Specific Charges:

• To address questions or concerns regarding the impact of Libraries or University policies as they relate to library faculty.
• To investigate matters affecting the library faculty.
• To call meetings of the library faculty and appoint members of the library faculty to aid its efforts.
• To update the Library Faculty Handbook as needed. .

(Approved by the Library Faculty, 12-14-98; Revisions approved by the Library Faculty, 11-18-03)