Proposed merger of PLMS and RLMS

The Preservation and Reproduction Sections of ALCTS are proposing to
merge into a single section based on a significant degree of overlap in
their memberships and interests.

Merger has been discussed for several years, and the two Executive
Committees have held a joint meeting for the past year.  At the Annual
Meeting in New Orleans a plan for a merger was presented and adopted by
the combined Executive Committees.  The plan merges duplicate bodies
(e.g. the two Policy and Planning Committees) and realigns others with
similar charges.  It does not eliminate any body with a unique charge.

The plan was presented to ALCTS Board at the Annual Meeting, but was
rejected in light of the pending vote on ALCTS reorganization.  Since
the reorganization was voted down, the merger plan will again be
presented to ALCTS Board at the Midwinter Meeting in Los Angeles.

A task force consisting of the two Vice Chairs and Chairs of each
section's Policy and Planning Committee has been formed to draw up a set
of bylaws for the proposed section.  It will also be necessary to map
how membership of merged or altered committees would be handled during
the transition year, and create an implementation plan and timetable.
Details will be posted in AN2 before the Midwinter Meeting, and
distributed in paper form at the meeting.

An open session will be held for all interested RLMS (Reproduction of
Library Materials Section) and PLMS (Preservation of Library Materials
Section) members, on Sunday, February 6, from 2-4 pm in the Biltmore Los
Angeles, Gold Room.

Based on that meeting, the two Executive Committees will meet jointly
Sunday evening and take a final vote whether to move the merger proposal
at ALCTS Board on Monday.  If approved there, the merger would then go
to the full RLMS and PLMS memberships for vote as part of the spring
election ballot.  If approved, it would take effect immediately after
Annual 1994.

Because the vote on the reorganization would be simultaneous with voting
for new officers, PLMS and RLMS will each be presenting full separate
slates for new officers in the spring elections.  If the merger is voted
down, the new electees would take office as usual and RLMS and PLMS
would continue to function as separate sections.  If the merger is
approved by the membership, the implementation plan mentioned above will
specify how to move from two sets of officers to one set for the new
unified section.

Please keep an eye out for further information in AN2, and please pass
this and other messages on to any PLMS and RLMS members who may not have
online access.  If you will be at Midwinter, please try to attend the
open meeting on Sunday.

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                  Conservation DistList Instance 7:48
                 Distributed: Thursday, January 6, 1994
                        Message Id: cdl-7-48-003
                                  ***