Nevada Library Association Handbook

Board of Trustees
Interest Group

Government Documents Interest Group
(GODIG)

HISTORY
For several years librarians interested in government documents activities gathered informally in hallways or over lunch to discuss their mutual concerns. This same small group usually took the initiative to be sure some documents-related program activity was on the agenda of the NLA annual meeting. In Sparks, 1975, the group announced a formal business meeting at the annual convention to discuss how they might formally affiliate with NLA to assure being contacted about program activities and to utilize NLA funds. Because of the prohibitive structure of NLA at that time, the group decided to formalize its structure parallel to but outside of NLA. It was agreed that the group would meet for both a business and program meeting at the NLA annual meeting, would contribute regularly to the NLA publication Nevada Libraries, but would seek no formal representation on the board of trustees, and would formulate its own dues structure. To encourage members to participate in NLA activities, the dues structure agreed upon was $1.00 for NLA members and $5.00 for non-members. The group also decided to call itself Nevada-Government Documents Round Table or N-GODORT by paying the $10.00 affiliation fee to ALA each year. Only one officer, a president, was to be selected by voice vote at the annual business meeting, and this officer was to submit an annual report to the membership at the end of each calendar year. The first year N-GODORT had 28 members.

In 1977, with an NLA bylaws change, members of N-GODORT petitioned the board to become an NLA interest group. This was approved by the board of trustees. The name was subsequently changed to Nevada Government Documents Interest Group or GODIG. In recent years, GODIG has continued to its outreach and educational function by sponsoring NLA conference programs on electronic governments and the Internet. The national GOVDOC-L listserv is currently sited at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

OFFICERS

• 1975-1976, Joan Kerschner, Nevada State Library, President
• 1977, Toby Sulenski, Clark County Library District, President
• 1978, Alice Brown, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Chairperson
• 1979, Debbie Hunt, University of Nevada, Reno, Chairperson
• 1980, Peggy LeRoy, Washoe County Library, Chairperson
• 1981, Virginia York, Washoe County Library
• 1982, Steve Zink, University of Nevada, Reno
• 1983, Lawrence Calkins, Nevada State Library and Archives
• 1984, John McDonald, Washoe County Library
• 1985, Pat Deadder, Nevada State Library and Archives
• 1986, Teri Conrad, University of Nevada, Reno
• 1987-1988, Duncan Aldrich, University of Nevada, Reno
• 1989, Ken Schott, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• 1990, Ann Jarrell, Clark County Law Library
• 1991, Janita Jobe, University of Nevada, Reno
• 1992, Cynthia Ortiz, U.S. Dept. of Energy, Las Vegas
• 1993, vacant
• 1994, Juanita Karr, Northern Nevada Community College & Ian Campbell, Washoe County Library (co-chairs)
• 1995, vacant
• 1996, Duncan Aldrich, University of Nevada, Reno
• 1997, Kathy Brinkerhoff, Getchell Library, UNR
• 1998, Mona Reno, Nevada State Library & Archives
• 1999, Aimee Quinn, University of Nevada, Las Vegas Dickinson Library
• 2003-2004, Tim Skeers, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• 2005-2009, Stephen Platt , Henderson District Public Libraries
• 2010-2016, Steve Escobedo, College of Southern Nevada
  
• 2016-present, vacant

GOALS
The goals of NLA-GODIG are to:

a. Present a program meeting at each session of the NLA annual convention which is of interest to a wide variety of convention attendees;
b. To sponsor workshops and/or other training activities as requested;
c. To enhance communications among its members and other identified documents users and providers;
d. To promote documents collection building activities.

GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS INTEREST GROUP RULES OF PROCEDURE

ARTICLE I. NAME.
The name of this organization shall be the Government Documents Interest group (GODIG).

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE.
The purpose of this organization shall be:

a. To further the development and usefulness of government documents collections;
b. To increase communication between documents librarians and other librarians; and
c. To contribute to the development and improvement of education and training of documents librarians.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP.
Any personal member of the Nevada Library Association interested in the purpose of the organization is eligible for membership upon application and payment of dues as established by the NLA bylaws.

ARTICLE IV. ORGANIZATION.
GODIG is an interest group of the Nevada Library Association, as defined by Article V, Section 2 of the NLA bylaws.

ARTICLE V. OFFICERS.
Section 1. Any personal member of GODIG is eligible for office.

Section 2. The officer of this organization shall be a chairperson, elected by a majority of the GODIG members and shall:

a. Solicit and transmit information about government documents activities to the editor of the Nevada Libraries;
b. Act as coordinator of all communications of the interest group;
c. Secure appropriate meeting times and places at the NLA annual meeting;
d. Plan a program or appoint a program chairperson for the NLA annual meeting;
e. Initiate or respond to requests for additional training activities during the year;
f. Act as coordinator or designate a coordinator of grant proposals initiated by the interest group;
g. Schedule at least one business meeting per year, preferably at the NLA annual meeting;
h. Submit a written budget request and program justification to the finance committee by December 31st of each year preceding the year for which the budget is requested.

Section 3. The term of office for the chairperson will be for one calendar year.

ARTICLE VI. ELECTIONS/NOMINATIONS.
All members of the interest group, except the incumbent, shall be eligible for nomination to the office of chairperson. The incumbent chairperson shall submit to the membership the name of at least one candidate for the office of chairperson. The election shall be conducted by mail within thirty (30) days following the NLA annual meeting.

ARTICLE VII. MEETINGS.
Section 1. There shall be one meeting coinciding with the NLA annual meeting.

Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the chairperson.

ARTICLE VIII. COMMITTEES.
The chairperson shall appoint committees as necessary to carry out the functions of the interest group.

ARTICLE IX. AFFILIATION WITH OTHER GROUPS.
Section 1. Upon a majority vote of the members and with the approval of the board of trustees, NLA and its constituent groups and committees may affiliate or disaffiliate with national and regional organizations. Delegates to these organizations may be elected by the members of this group.

Section 2. It is a policy of GODIG to formally affiliate with the American Library Association Government Documents Round Table. The chairperson of GODIG will receive the issues of ALA-GODORT's newsletter, Documents to the People, and will route upon request each issue to any GODIG members who do not have a personal or membership copy at their disposal.