Call for Expression of Interest - SALALM Secretariat & Executive Director of SALALM

• By: admin
• On: 04/29/2022 11:26:23
• In: News

After sixteen excellent years at Tulane University under the direction of Dr. Hortensia Calvo, the SALALM Secretariat seeks to transition to a new home and a new Executive Director of SALALM. We invite institutions with Latin American and Caribbean Studies programs to express their interest in hosting the SALALM Secretariat and playing a leadership role in shaping the future of Latin American and Caribbean Studies librarianship.

About SALALM

Created in 1956 to improve access to research materials from and about Latin America and the Caribbean, the Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials (SALALM) is an IRS approved 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization that provides a forum for librarians, archivists, book dealers, publishers and scholars to foster collaborative and cooperative approaches for collecting, preserving, describing, and providing access to a wide range of resources important for studying these regions. With personal and institutional membership (currently 251 and 53 respectively) spanning three continents, SALALM constitutes a community of specialists considered essential for leading initiatives important to improve research and teaching opportunities related to Latin American and Caribbean Studies, and thus holds an integral part of scholarly and pedagogical commitments in universities, colleges, and research institutes.

SALALM Secretariat

The SALALM Secretariat functions as the headquarters of the organization and manages all activities related to membership, publications, coordination of the annual meetings, and committees. The current Secretariat is composed of the Executive Director and a Program Coordinator (0.66 FTE).

Duties and responsibilities of the Host Institution

• Providing a professional librarian, curator or archivist to act as Executive Director of the organization. The amount of time required to perform duties typically will not exceed an average of 5-10 hours per week. The appointment will be for three years, renewable for subsequent three-year terms based on mutual agreement with SALALM.
• Designating reasonable and necessary space and equipment required to conduct the administrative activities of SALALM. These needs may be met through alternative remote work arrangements if deemed feasible.
• Access to institutional services such as IT support, mail service, basic office supplies and occasional printing and photocopying, as required to fulfill the duties of the Secretariat.

Secretariat costs shared by SALALM

• Salary and benefits for a 20-40 hours per week Program Coordinator to be hired by the Secretariat to conduct its daily activities.
• Costs and fees associated with the hiring of an accounting clerk if required.
• Costs of hardware, software, materials and services associated with the daily operations of the Secretariat.

Executive Director

We also seek an energetic and service-oriented individual to serve as the Executive Director of SALALM to provide direction to the organization and oversee the activities of the SALALM Secretariat.

Required qualifications:

• Substantial experience in Latin American and Caribbean Studies librarianship.
• Minimum of 5 years of personal membership in SALALM and 3 years attending on-site conferences. Demonstrated engagement as committee chair or as elected member of the Executive Board strongly preferred.
• Fluency in English and Spanish or Portuguese.

Duties and responsibilities of the Executive Director:

• Serving on the Executive Board and codifying the Executive Board decisions with the assistance of appropriate SALALM members.
• Serving on the Conference Planning Committee, overseeing the program and local arrangements of the yearly conference, and collaborating in the preparation of the conference budget.
• Preparation of an annual report on the activities of the SALALM Secretariat.
• Assisting the Finance Committee in the preparation of the annual budget and management of the fiscal activities of the Secretariat throughout the year.
• Collaborating with the Editorial Board to arrange for the production of all SALALM publications.
• Overseeing the preparation and distribution of SALALM organizational materials and announcements of publications.
• Overseeing the maintenance of the master list of committee membership and membership rolls.
• Serving ex officio on the Executive Board, Editorial Board, Finance Committee, etc.

A detailed description of the Executive Director's duties can be found in the SALALM Operational Handbook.

Selection Process

Expressions of interest shall be submitted by email to one or more of the members of SALALM's New Executive Director and Secretariat Task Force. Members of the Task Force will guide interested parties in the preparation of a formal proposal. The Task Force will be responsible for reviewing formal proposals, gathering feedback, and presenting their recommendations to SALALM's Executive Board, who will make the final selection.

Timeline

The period for submitting expressions of interest and subsequent formal proposals opens on May 1, 2022. The selection process will continue until the best proposal is approved.

New Executive Director and Secretariat Task Force

Fernando Acosta-Rodríguez (facosta@princeton.edu), Barbara Alvarez (barbalva@umich.edu), and Peter T. Johnson (ptj4512@gmail.com)