Approved April 1985
Amended 1987, 1991, 1999, 2007, 2011, 2012, 2020

Purpose of CAMP

The purpose of the Cooperative Africana Materials Project (CAMP) is to acquire copies in digital, microform, and any other format of unique, scarce, rare, and/or unusually bulky and expensive research material pertaining to the field of African studies; and to preserve deteriorating printed and manuscript materials of scholarly value. Another goal of the CAMP project is to assist African institutions in acquiring copies of relevant archival materials and out-of-print publications.

1. Governance
   1. CAMP membership consists of institutions interested in Africa who agree to subscribe to one of the membership categories.
   2. CAMP is governed by a committee composed of the representatives of each member institution. Each member institution is entitled to one vote on all questions put by mail ballot and, if represented, to one vote on each question put during CAMP meetings.
   3. The CAMP Committee elects an Executive Committee to implement the wishes of the membership.
   4. CAMP is administered by the Center for Research Libraries (CRL), which owns the materials purchased with CAMP funds. Should CRL dissolve, all CAMP materials would revert back to CAMP with the CAMP Executive determining the location of CAMP materials.
2. The CAMP Committee
   1. Work of the CAMP Committee
      1. The CAMP Committee meets twice yearly, in the fall and spring. The Fall Meeting is normally held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the African Studies Association.
      2. The CAMP Committee considers and formulates the policies and procedures governing the project.
      3. The CAMP Committee considers and makes decisions on the financial status of the project as represented in the financial report presented by CRL.
      4. The CAMP Committee suggests, reviews, and votes upon materials to be added to the collection, both original filming projects and commercial purchases.
      5. The CAMP Committee elects an Executive Committee which will act according to the guidelines given to it by the membership.
      6. The CAMP Committee periodically requests production of an updated CAMP catalog by CRL.
      7. The CAMP Committee may extend CAMP Affiliate Status to individual Affiliate institutions sponsored by a CAMP member, subject to review by the Executive Committee every three years with input from the sponsor.
   2. Membership & Affiliation Categories
      1. Membership - available to institutions worldwide that pay annual dues as specified in Appendix I.
      2. Affilate Status - available to the BRICS (excluding Russia) and the Global South academic and research institutions that have a collaborative relationship with CAMP or a CAMP member (See Appendix I).
      3. The Executive Committee is charged with deciding on membership category in cases of dispute.
   3. Dues
      1. The CAMP Committee decides and votes upon a schedule of membership dues based on the recommendation of the Executive Committee in consultation with CRL.
      2. Schedule of dues (See Appendix II).
   4. Membership Privileges
      1. Member institutions participate in elections to the CAMP Executive Committee, and their representatives may stand for election to the CAMP Executive Committee.
      2. Member institutions participate in decisions taken regarding the acquisition of new materials.
      3. Borrowing Privileges
         1. Members may borrow all CAMP-funded material.
         2. All members of CRL, whether members of CAMP or not, may borrow all CAMP-funded material.
         3. Overseas members may borrow CAMP material, provided that the institution opens a deposit account with CRL to cover outgoing air mail postage, and agrees to return the material by airmail.
      4. All member institutions may purchase positive copies of CAMP-funded negative microforms at cost, plus a small service charge.
      5. All member institutions may suggest suitable titles for original filming, digitization, or purchase from commercial sources to the CAMP Committee for consideration.
      6. Member institutions may request that CAMP acquire “on demand” any appropriate item costing not more than an amount determined by the Executive Committee. (See Appendix III)
      7. All member institutions receive each CAMP routine mailing and every edition of the CAMP Catalog.
      8. Member institutions may suggest amendments to the CAMP bylaws, and vote on the bylaw changes.
      9. Member institutions may act as sponsors for individual Affiliate institutions by submitting proposals to extend to them affiliate status, and vote on the same. Sponsoring members are expected to play a continuing role as liaison to the sponsored affiliate institution.
   5. Affiliate Privileges
      1. Affiliate institutions have access to digital CAMP resources through the CRL catalog and via IP-range authentication.
      2. Affiliate status may be extended as an element of reciprocal resource-sharing arrangements, or other concrete partnerships with CAMP or its members in which mutual benefit is, or has been, realized.
   6. The Executive Committee
      1. Composition - The CAMP Executive Committee is composed of both elected and ex-officio members.
         1. Elected members of the Executive Committee are: five librarian representatives of member institutions, and two faculty representatives. The five librarian representatives shall consist of: one secretary, one member-at-large, one Vice-Chair/Chair-elect, one Chairperson, and one immediate past chair.
         2. Ex-officio members of the Executive Committee are: the Director of CRL or a representative, the Chief of the Library of Congress African/Middle Eastern Division or a nominee, and the current chairperson of the Africana Librarians Council (ALC) of the African Studies Association.
      2. Term of Office
         1. The term of office for both elected and ex-officio positions is two years, except for the ALC chairperson, whose term is one year. The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect serves for two years, followed by two years as Chair, and two years as past-Chair. Re-election is permitted, and ex-officio members may be renamed
         2. Should a member of the Executive Committee be unable to serve out the term, the Chairperson will appoint a replacement to serve until the next election. Should the Chair be unable to complete the term, the Vice-Chair will assume the office of Chair, and a new Vice-Chair will be elected at the next scheduled election.
         3. No member institution of CAMP shall have more than one librarian member on the Executive Committee at one time, unless the other person is the current ALC Chairperson.
      3. Election of the Executive Committee
         1. Executive Committee elections are held once a year for the vacant positions. Positions become vacant on a staggered basis. (In alternate years, the member-at-large, the secretary, and one faculty representative; following year: the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, and one faculty representative.)
         2. The Chairperson of the CAMP Executive Committee appoints a Nominating Committee at the Spring Meeting.
         3. The Nominating Committee calls for nominations at the Spring Meeting. The Nominating Committee composes a slate of candidates, obtains their agreement to serve, and forwards the slate to the Chairperson, who informs CRL.
         4. Nominees for the CAMP Executive Committee must come from member institutions, except in the case of faculty representatives whose nomination can be accepted at the discretion of the Chairperson.
         5. CRL conducts the Executive Committee elections by mail ballot of member institutions within three months following its receipt of the slate of candidates. CRL forwards the election results to the Chairperson.
         6. Any ties will be broken by the vote of the incumbent Executive Committee.
         7. The Chairperson informs the successful candidates before the Fall Meeting and announces the election results at the Fall Meeting.
         8. Elected members begin their term of office at the Fall Meeting, immediately after the CAMP Business Meeting.
      4. Duties of the Executive Committee
         1. Members of the Executive Committee attend meetings of the CAMP Committee and the CAMP Executive Committee. The Executive Committee discusses and decides issues as directed by the membership and advises the Chairperson on the agenda and other matters.
         2. The Executive Committee considers proposed amendments to the CAMP By-Laws and presents its recommendation to the CAMP Committee.
         3. The Executive Committee arranges for periodic membership drives and provides CRL with the appropriate publicity materials.
      5. Duties of the Chairperson
         1. The Chairperson arranges for the time and place of the semi-annual meetings, prepares an agenda, chairs the meetings, and ensures that minutes are taken and distributed to the members.
         2. The Chairperson appoints a Nominating Committee, announces the slate of candidates to the membership, forwards the slate to CRL, and announces the election results.
         3. The Chairperson sends a copy of any proposed amendment of the CAMP By-Laws to CRL for a mail ballot, announces the results of the balloting to the members, and ensures that any adopted amendments are included in the official copies of the CAMP By-Laws.
         4. The Chairperson undertakes correspondence for the CAMP Committee and reports upon responses received.
         5. The Chairperson handles "demand purchase" requests from member institutions for items within a price range to be determined from time to time by the Executive Committee. (See Appendix III for current amounts)
      6. Duties of the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect
         1. The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect attends the meetings of the CAMP Committee and the CAMP Executive Committee, and assists the Chairperson as needed.
         2. The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect may represent the Chair at meetings and in other functions when the need arises.
      7. Duties of the Secretary
         1. The Secretary attends all the meetings of the CAMP committee and the CAMP Executive Committee and records the minutes for the membership.
         2. The Secretary submits the minutes to the Chairperson, who forwards them to CRL. CRL sends the minutes to all CAMP Members and updates the CAMP Web site.
         3. The Secretary copies and inserts any adopted bylaws amendment into the official copy of the bylaws and forwards the amended copy to the Chairperson.
      8. Members of the CAMP Executive Committee make arrangements to cover the expenses of attendance with their own institutions.
   7. Center for Research Libraries (CRL)
      1. A CRL representative attends both semi-annual meetings of the CAMP Committee and serves as an ex-officio member of the CAMP Executive Committee.
      2. CRL bills and receives membership subscription fees for CAMP.
      3. CRL arranges for the making or purchase of negative and positive microform prints in accordance with the regulations of the Project and the decisions of the CAMP Committee.
      4. CRL arranges for the timely processing of all materials received and provides an accessions list at least once a year.
      5. CRL pays all authorized expenses of CAMP from the CAMP account.
      6. CRL reports on the financial status of CAMP at each semi-annual meeting.
      7. CRL accepts and processes “demand purchases” in accordance with current CAMP Committee policy.
      8. CRL conducts the CAMP Executive Committee elections by mail ballot to member institutions. CRL counts the ballots and reports the results to the Chairperson before the Fall Meeting.
      9. CRL conducts a mail ballot on proposed By-Law amendments to member institutions. CRL counts the ballots and reports the results to the Chairperson.
      10. CRL undertakes all routine CAMP mailings including agendas, minutes, purchase ballots, financial statements, accessions lists, and publicity materials. In addition, CRL maintains the CAMP mailing list.
      11. At the direction of the CAMP Committee, CRL produces and disseminates the CAMP catalog.
      12. At the recommendation of the CAMP Executive Committee, CRL undertakes mailings for periodic membership drives.
      13. CRL maintains and updates the CAMP Web site.
   8. Amendment of the CAMP Bylaws
      1. Representatives of member institutions may submit written copies of proposed amendments to the CAMP Bylaws to the CAMP Executive Committee.
      2. The CAMP Executive Committee discusses any proposed amendment and makes plans to place it before a properly constituted meeting of the CAMP Committee with or without a recommendation.
      3. The Executive Committee passes a written copy of the proposed amendment to the Chairperson who forwards it to CRL.
      4. CRL includes a copy of the proposed amendment in the agenda mailing for the next regularly scheduled semiannual meeting.
      5. The CAMP Committee considers the proposed amendment and hears the Executive Committee’s recommendation, if any. The CAMP Committee votes on whether to place the proposed amendment on a mail ballot directed to member institutions. A simple majority vote ensures the placement of the proposed amendment on a mail ballot.
      6. CRL conducts a mail ballot on the question of the proposed amendment, counts the ballots, and reports the results to the Chairperson, who announces them at the next semi-annual meeting.
      7. If the proposed amendment receives a two-thirds affirmative vote from voting member institutions, it is considered adopted.
      8. The Chairperson and the Secretary arrange to add the adopted amendment to the official copies of the bylaws.

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   Appendix I: Global South here generally refers to countries in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America, and the Middle East.

   Appendix II: Schedule of Fees - July 2012

   1. US and Canadian Members
      • Nonmembers of CRL: $1,300 per year
      • CRL members: $800
   2. Overseas Members - Outside North America (excluding Africa)
      • $200 per year
   3. Affiliates
      • Free

   Appendix III: Schedule of Demand Purchase Expenses

   1. Items costing up to $200; requests go directly to CAMP administrator at CRL who processes the request.
   2. Items costing $200–$600: requests go to the CAMP Chairperson who acts upon the request following the guidelines of CAMP policy. The Chairperson forwards the request to the CAMP administrator at CRL for processing.

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   Appendix IV: Statement of Support for Damaged Archives in Africa

   Within its capacity and observing any copyright restrictions, CAMP will seek to provide copies of CAMP-held materials to replace material lost from African archives through war, conflict and natural disasters.  This is a statement of general principle with specific details to be developed and voted upon by the CAMP membership on an individual basis.