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Sample Bylaws for ACRL Sections

Explanatory Note: The following document, Sample Bylaws for ACRL Sections, has been developed by the ACRL Bylaws Committee to assist ACRL sections in bylaws preparation and revision. This document is a complement to the partnering of ACRL Bylaws Committee members with Section representatives and is intended to provide guidance in the development and revision of bylaws, while still providing each Section with the flexibility to develop or revise bylaws that meet Section needs. Comments and questions regarding this document or the process followed by the ACRL Bylaws Committee should be directed to the chair of the ACRL Bylaws Committee.

Key:

[ ] description of information to be included within the brackets; section should include information relevant to needs of the Section

{ } advisory note

Bylaws of the [Name of the section spelled in its entirety]

[Date of revision]

Article I: Name

The name of the organization shall be the [name of the section spelled in its entirety] ([initialism or acronym for section]) of the Association of College and Research Libraries, hereinafter referred to as the Section.

Article II: Object

The Section is a forum for and advocate of those librarians and others who are . . .

Article III: Membership

Membership in this Section will consist of any personal or institutional member of the American Library Association electing membership in the Association of College and Research Libraries and the Section. Each personal member of the Section has the right to vote and is eligible to hold office and to serve on the committees of the Section.

Article IV: Meetings

Section 1: General meetings. The Section shall hold a membership meeting at the time and place of the Annual Meeting of the American Library Association (ALA).

Section 2: Committee meetings. Committee meetings shall be held during the Annual and Mid-winter Meetings of ALA. All Section meetings, except those dealing with nominations and awards, are open to registered attendees of the Annual and Mid-winter Meetings.

Article V: Officers

Section 1: Officers. The officers of the Section shall be a Chair, a Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, the Immediate Past Chair, a Secretary and a Member-at-Large.

{Note: If a Section has both elected and appointed officers Section 1 should identify which officers are elected and which officers are appointed.}

Section 2: Terms of Office. The Vice-Chair will serve successively for one year as Vice-Chair, Chair and Immediate Past Chair. All other officers will serve a term of two years. All terms of office shall begin at the adjournment of the Annual Conference.

Section 3: Vacancies. Appointments to fill vacancies in the offices of the Section, with the exception of the Chair and Vice-Chair, shall be made by the Executive Committee until it is possible to fill the vacancy at the next annual election.

A vacancy in the office of the Chair shall be filled for the remainder of the term by the Vice-Chair. This succession shall not prevent him/her from serving his/her normal term as Chair of the Section the following year.

A vacancy in the office of Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall be filled by election at the regular annual election.

If vacancies occur in the offices of Chair and Vice-Chair within the same term, the Executive Committee shall elect as Chair one of its members for the remainder of the term. When a regular election is held a Chair and a Vice-Chair shall be elected. The successful candidate for Chair shall then serve a one-year term as Chair and a one-year term as immediate Past Chair.

{Note: Duties of officers may be outlined in the Section manual.}

Article VI: Executive Committee

Section 1: Composition. The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the Section. {Note: Other Executive Committee members may be chairs of all or of specific committees.}

Section 2: Responsibility and Authority. The Executive Committee shall conduct the business of the Section between Annual Meetings. At each Annual Meeting the Chair shall report on the work of the Executive Committee, at which time the work shall be subject to review by the membership of the Section.

Section 3: Meetings. Regular meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held at the times and places of the Annual and Mid-winter meetings of the American Library Association. Special meetings may be called at the discretion of the Chair. Only members of the Executive Committee may vote at Executive Committee meetings, although all Executive Committee meetings shall be open to all members of the Section. If necessary, the Executive Committee may make decisions by electronic mail or by conference call during the periods between regularly scheduled meetings.

Section 4: Quorum. A simple majority of the members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Executive Committee.

{Note: If a Section has an Advisory Council in addition to an Executive Committee an article on the Advisory Council should immediately follow this article on the Executive Committee. This additional article of the bylaws should contain parallel sections regarding Composition, Responsibility and Authority, Meetings and Quorum.}

Article VII: Nominations and Elections

Section 1: The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall appoint a Nominating Committee of at least three members, designating one of the appointees as Committee Chair. The Immediate Past Chair of the Section may be the designated Committee Chair.

Section 2: Statement of Objectives. To assist the membership of the Section in making informed choices, each candidate shall be asked to provide a brief statement of objectives for the Section in time for the statement to be published prior to balloting.

Section 3: Additional Nominees. Nominations other than those of the Nominating Committee signed by no fewer than 20 members of the Section shall be accepted and placed on the ballot if they are filed with the Executive Director of ACRL at least three months before the date on which the ballots are to be mailed. Written consent of the nominees must accompany such nominations.

Section 4: Elections. Elections shall be conducted by mail ballot in accordance with the procedures and deadlines established by ACRL/ALA.

Article VIII: Committees

Section 1: Authorization and discontinuance. Committees of the Section shall be authorized and discontinued by action of the Executive Committee.

Section 2: Standing committees. Standing committees may be established to consider matters of the Section that require continuity of attention by its members. When such a committee is established, its function, name and size shall be determined. Unless otherwise approved by the Executive Committee, members of standing committees shall be appointed for terms of two years and may be reappointed for a second, but not a third consecutive term. In no case shall a person serve on a committee for more than five consecutive years. Appointments shall be made in such a manner as to provide continuity in membership.

Section 3: Ad Hoc committees. Special (ad hoc) committees for the performance of particular assignments may be appointed at any time by the Chair of the Section after consultation with other members of the Executive Committee. No such committee may be continued beyond [specify number] years without review and re-approval by the Executive Committee.

Section 4: Appointments. The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect of the Section shall appoint committee members from the membership of the Section to fill vacancies due to occur during his/her term as Chair. The Vice-Chair may name Committee Chairs or request the Committees to elect their own Chairs. Special appointments to fill vacancies on Committees may be made by the Chair of the Section (with the advice of the Committee Chair).

Article IX: Discussion Groups

Section 1: Establishment. Any group of five or more members of the Section interested in discussing common concerns that fall within the objectives of the Section may form a discussion group upon written petition from the group and upon approval of the Executive Committee.

Section 2: Members. Membership in a discussion group shall be open to members of the Section who are interested in the purpose of the group.

Section 3:  Leadership. Each group shall annually appoint a leader and other positions as appropriate. In addition to the regular duties of the office, the leader shall insure that the group's activities are limited to discussion of common concerns within the purpose of the group and that the Section's bylaws are observed by the group.

Section 4: Dissolution. A discussion group may be dissolved at its request by the Executive Committee of the Section and shall be so dissolved if it becomes inactive (as evident by failure to meet at three consecutive ALA conferences) or fails to comply with the provisions of this article.

Article X: Amendments

Section 1: Proposals. Amendments to the bylaws may be proposed by the Executive Committee, by any standing committee of the Section, or by a petition signed by five or more members of the Section.

Section 2: Procedures. A proposed amendment to the bylaws shall be voted upon by Association members after it has been approved by a majority of the Executive Committee and by the ACRL Board of Directors. Written notice of the text of the amendment shall be provided to members at least one month before consideration.

Section 3: Voting. Amendments may be voted upon by members as specified by ACRL.

Section 4: Adoption. If not otherwise specified, a proposed amendment becomes effective as soon as it has been approved as described above.