Call for Nominations to the Council Class of 2026

September 9, 2022

The Bibliographical Society of America seeks one new Council Member who will be elected at our Annual Meeting on 27 January 2023. Council Members serve for a three-year term, renewable once. Please consider nominating yourself or other possible candidates! We strongly value the expertise and collegiality of all of our members and especially welcome nominees who represent the racial and ethnic diversity of bibliographical communities in the United States. The Society has defined its goals for equity, diversity, and inclusion in the Introduction of the Equity Action Plan (EAP). The Nominating Committee seeks individuals who are committed to helping the Society fulfill the goals laid out in its EAP and asks all interested candidates to review it carefully.

Council members are the BSA’s current leaders and future Officers: members of the Council gain an understanding of the full picture of the organization. As a body, the Council is responsible for governing the Society in accordance with our mission and values. Duties related to governance include: setting strategic priorities for the short- and medium-term, planning for the future, approving the annual budget, and fundraising. Council Members are also invited to join committees and working groups based on their interests and experience. These smaller groups include Council Members and BSA members at large, and carry out priorities and work identified by the Council and the Executive Committee. We ask that Council members make a financial contribution to the Society to help us meet our goal of 100% participation among the Council in the annual fund, but there is no minimum contribution. Council participation requires attending, virtually or in person, three meetings each year, in (roughly) January, April, and October. 

Being a Council member is a great way to build relationships across a broad professional spectrum and Council service looks great on your CV. Visit the BSA website for a list of current Council members and Officers. Further information about the role of Council Members and our Council orientation packet can be obtained by request from Executive Director Erin McGuirl.

Members of this year’s Nominating Committee are:

  • Barbara A. Shailor, Yale University (Chair)
  • Heather O’Donnell, Honey & Wax Booksellers
  • Todd Pattison, New England Historic Genealogical Society
  • Douglas Pfeiffer, Stony Brook University
  • Curtis Small, University of Delaware
  • Jacinta R. Saffold, The University of New Orleans
  • Heather Wolfe, The Folger Shakespeare Library (Vice Chair)

Please propose possible candidates, including yourself, before October 7 by contacting Vice Chair Dr. Heather Wolfe at nominations@bibsocamer.org.

The Nominating Committee will review the nominations on October 14. Keeping in mind the current needs of the Council, we will speak with potential candidates throughout the fall and announce the slate to membership in advance of the election at the January 2023 meeting. In future years we may transition to an election model that allows members to select among multiple candidates, rather than vote on a single slate; such a change requires a change to the Society’s by laws, which we plan to complete near future.