ROLE STATEMENTS OF THE BOARD

The ASLA Board consists of Office Bearers and Directors, who must be resident in Australia and a financial member of ASLA or of an incorporated school library association recognised by ASLA.

The Office Bearers and Directors of ASLA are elected from the ranks of the membership and appointed at the Annual General Meeting.

President

The President serves as the Board’s spokesperson, as well as:

• Supervises the executive officer and provides guidance and support.
• Chairs regular meetings, facilitates discussion, and monitors the progress of committees and projects
• Fosters an inclusive and collaborative discussion environment where every board member has an opportunity to contribute and to actively participate in the decision-making process.
• Is responsible for tracking organisational progress and evaluating the completion of established goals. (This usually involves a full assessment of organisational needs, reviewing financial statements, and digging deeper into community needs.)

The President has oversight of:

• finances
• vision and mission
• long-term goal setting
• strategic planning

Vice President (Operations)

The VP of Operations assists the President in the following areas:

• Supports the President with the strategic plan, vision and mission of the organisation
• Supporting the President in all operational issues
• Develops and implements a long-term strategy and plan for ASLA’s operational strategies, ensuring alignment to the organisation’s goals and mission
• Works with the Board to align operational goals with ASLA’s overall objectives
• Meets regularly with the Executive Team to ensure the organisation’s finances are in order
• Responsible to meet monthly with the President, Finance Officer and Executive Officer to go over all matters that have arisen from the previous month and set plans for the following month

Secretary

The role of the secretary includes the following key responsibilities:

• Record-Keeping: maintaining accurate records of meetings, decisions, and other important documents. This includes taking minutes during meetings and distributing them to members where applicable.
• Correspondence: handle incoming emails, letters, and other forms of correspondence, as well as drafting responses on behalf of the association.
• Meeting Coordination: organize and coordinate meetings, including scheduling, preparing agendas, and notifying members of upcoming meetings.
• Bylaws and Governance: ensuring that the association operates in accordance with its bylaws and governing documents.
• Support for the Executive and Committees: provides administrative support to other directors and special interest groups within the association, scheduling meetings, preparing materials, and following up on action items.

The Secretary sets agenda and takes minutes of:

• Board meetings
• AGM
• All elections and appointments of Office Bearers and Directors

Directors

Each Member Association shall have the right to elect up to two Directors. Where there is no Member Association membership, Directors will be nominated from and elected by the voting members.

A Director will:

• Work to implement ASLA objects and strategic plan.
• Represent the interests of all members of the association as a whole.
• Work to ensure that ASLA remains the peak body for school libraries and teacher librarianship in Australia.
• Actively participate in Board meetings.
• Assist the President to oversee the work of and provide leadership to ASLA's Strategic Directions.
• Be responsible for at least one Strategic Direction.
• Provide members with accurate and sufficient information on ASLA business especially when seeking support for decisions.
• Present member issues and concerns to the Board as appropriate.
• Represent the association as directed by the Board and provide reports as required.