SHRAB Bylaws
Article I. Name
The name of this organization is the state Historical Records Advisory Board of North Carolina, known as the SHRAB.
Article II. Organizing Authority
The SHRAB is a state board, appointed by the Governor, under the authority of federal statutes and regulations governing the National Historical Publications and Records commission (NHPRC) program of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), 44 U.S.C. 2501; 36 C.F.R. 1206.
Article III. Mission Statement
The State Historical Records Advisory Board of North Carolina is a central advisory body for historical records planning and project assistance in this state. The SHRAB works on the state level to insure that the purposes and goals of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission are implemented. The SHRAB accomplishes this by serving as a coordinating body to facilitate cooperation and communication among historical records repositories and with other information agencies within the state. Its major tasks are:
1) to solicit, review and assess grant proposals for the NHPRC funding in our state and to offer grant consultation to potential applicants;
2) to conduct studies assessing and defining historical records conditions and needs in our state;
3) to develop and keep current a statement of priorities for historical records programs in our state, identifying particular priorities for board actions and for grant funding; and
4) to serve as an advocate for historical records in North Carolina, promoting and developing programs to raise public awareness of the importance, value and condition of the state's recorded heritage.
Article IV. Membership
The SHRAB consists of at least seven members, appointed by the Governor for three-year staggered, renewable terms. The Director of the Division of Archives and History and the state Archivist of North caro1ina shall both have permanent membership on the SHRAB. The NHPRC regulations require that a majority of the members must have experience in the administration of historical records or in the field of research or activity that makes extensive use of such records. Members continue to serve expired terms until replaced or reappointed.
Article V. State Coordinator
The Governor appoints either the Director of the North Carolina Division of Archives and History or the state Archivist as state coordinator as required by the NHPRC regulations. The state coordinator shall represent the SHRAB in state and national forums, and shall act as meeting convener and the SHRAB secretariat. The state coordinator serves a renewable four-year term. The state coordinator's employing agency shall serve as fiscal agent for the SHRAB. The state coordinator may designate a deputy from the current SHRAS membership to assist in carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the coordinator and to serve as ah acting coordinator at the coordinator's direction or upon the coordinator's resignation or other inability to serve.
Article VI. Definition
The term "record" as Used in these Bylaws includes textual, non-textual, machine-readable, and other documentary materials, regardless of origin, physical form or characteristics.
Article VII. Purpose and Program Scope
The purposes of the SHRAB are to:
1) develop and maintain a statement of goals and priorities for historica1 records programs in North Carolina,
2) serve as a resource to the records community on matters pertaining to collection and preservation of historically significant records, advising on or planning, endorsing and supporting policies, programs and projects that address established goals and priorities;
3) review grant applications and make funding recommendations to the NHPRC concerning applications from institutions and organizations based in North Carolina.
4) promote and publicize the NHPRC grant program, encouraging participation:
5) provide grant consultations assisting grant applicants in preparing or revising proposals:
6) develop grant applications to address historical records issues of statewide concern,
7) conduct studies to better, define historical records conditions and problems in North Carolina, proposing solutions;
8) foster and support cooperative networks for conservation, bibliographic control, public access for historical records, and educational opportunities tor records management and archives:
9) sponsor, develop and/or present conferences, seminars, and workshops on historical records topics;
10) promote programs designed to raise public awareness of historical records values, conditions and needs.
The SHRAB's program scope and interests relate, but are not limited, to records documenting the history and heritage of North Carolina and its people held by the following entities in North Carolina: state government; local governments, business and industry, libraries, members of ethnic groups and organizations, academic institutions, professional associations, religious denominations, historical and cultural organizations.
Article VIII. Grant Application Priorities
The SHRAB places special emphasis on soliciting, supporting and endorsing grant proposals that:
1) identify and preserve endangered historically significant records;
2) create an effective, efficient and systematic records management and archival program for local government or institutional records;
3) develop databases providing access through standard bibliographic utilities (e.g. Online Computer Library Center [OCLC]) to the information contained in archival collections and records;
4) foster comprehensive cost-effective and archival colleges and and governmental records management programs, including those for universities;
5) foster projects and programs that provide direction and expertise for the creation and preservation of archival collections.
Article IX. Recommendations on Grant Applications
The SHRAB shall follow procedures established by the NHPRC for grant application review.
Article X. Conflict of Interest
The members of the state Historical Records Advisory Board of North Carolina (SHRAB) who are staff at an applicant institution bi:' who are otherwise formally involved with a proposed project shall not prepare an individual evaluation or summary of the project grant application.
For purposes of this policy> formal involvement includes anyone in an administrative or policy-making position, such as a member of a board of directors or an administrative officer of a parent institution.
Board members shall declare any conflict of interest publicly and for the record at the Board meeting at which the grant applicant is considered, and shall excuse themselves from that meeting while the Board discusses the merits of the proposal.
In those instances when the state coordinator is involved with a proposed project, the coordinator shall assign responsibility for collection of individual evaluations arid preparation of the summary statement to another member of the board.
The SHRAB shall not review proposals which are submitted in its name or in which it will play an active role. In such cases the NHPRC staff will solicit review from qualified peer reviewers.
Article XI. Meetings and Records
As funds permit, the. SHRAB shall meet at least three times each year to review grant applications and conduct other business. Other meetings may be called at the initiation of the state coordinator or by any two other SBRAB members. All meetings shall be subject to provisions of the North Carolina Open Meetings Law. The SHRAB records shall be maintained by the state coordinator and are subject to
provisions of the North Carolina Public Records Act.
Article XII. Quorum
A majority of the SHRAB members shall constitute a quorum for the purposes of meeting and conducting business.
Article XIII. Committees
The state coordinator shall appoint such committees as are necessary to effect the purposes and program scope of the SHRAB.
Article XIV. Rules of Order
Robert's Rules of Order, latest edition, shall serve as parliamentary authority for the SHRAB, subject to North Carolina statutes and regulations.
Article XV. Amendment to Bylaws
Proposed amendments to these Bylaws must be sent to all the SHRAB members at least thirty (30) days in advance of a scheduled meeting. Discussion of proposed amendments shall appear as a separate item on the meeting's agenda. Passage of amendments shall require a two-thirds vote of the SHRAB members present and voting.