History Section Bylaws

Article I. Name

The name of this body shall be the History Section of the Reference and User Services Association of the American Library Association.

Article II. Object

The History Section of the Reference and User Services Association represents the subject interests of reference librarians, archivists, bibliographers, genealogists, historians, and others engaged in historical reference or research. It brings together representatives of history collections in all formats from all types of libraries, archives, and historical societies.

Reflecting the Section’s broad representation, its objectives are to identify common problems and to recommend solutions that can enhance service to all users. The Section, through its programs and projects, helps improve the materials and methods for historical reference and research services.

Article III. Membership

Members of this Section shall be members of the Reference and User Services Association of the American Library Association who designate the History Section according to the American Library Association’s Bylaws.

Article IV. Meetings

Sec. 1. General Meetings

The Section shall hold an annual meeting in connection with the regular meeting of the Association.

Sec. 2. Special Meetings

Other meetings may be called by the Executive Committee and shall be called by the Chair on the request of twenty-five members of the Section. At least one month’s notice shall be given, and only business specified in the call shall be transacted.

Sec. 3. Quorum

Twenty-five members shall constitute a quorum.

Article V. Officers

Sec. 1. Titles

The officers of the Section shall be a Chair, a Vice-Chair (who shall be Chair-Elect), and a Secretary.

Sec. 2. Duties

These officers shall perform the duties pertaining to their respective offices.

Sec. 3. Terms of Office

The Chair and Chair-Elect shall serve a one-year term; the Secretary shall serve for two years.

Sec. 4. Vacancies of Office

A vacancy in the office of Chair shall be filled for the remainder of the term by the Vice-Chair (Chair-Elect). This shall not prevent the Vice-Chair (Chair-Elect) from serving a normal term as Chair the following year. If the offices of both Chair and Vice-Chair become vacant within the same year, the Executive Committee shall appoint one of its members to act as Chair until a Chair is duly elected. At the next election two candidates shall be elected, one to take the office of Chair immediately and to serve for one year, the other to serve as Vice-Chair (Chair-Elect). In case of a vacancy in the office of Secretary, the Executive Committee shall appoint one of its members to serve in the interim until an election.

Article VI. Executive Committee

Sec. 1. Composition

The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers, the immediate past Chair, and three members-at-large elected from the Section for three-year terms, which terms shall overlap so as to insure continuity of policy. The President and Executive Director of the Reference and User Services Association shall be ex-officio members of the Executive Committee, without the right to vote.

Sec. 2. Duties

The Executive Committee has authority over the affairs of the Section during the period between meetings, provided, however, that none of its acts shall conflict with or modify any action taken by the Section. The Executive Committee shall perform action necessary in the interest of the Section between meetings and shall report upon its work at the regular meetings of the Section.

Sec. 3. Quorum

A majority of voting members constitutes a quorum of the Executive Committee.

Article VII. Nominations and Elections

Sec. 1. Nominating Committee

The Chair, with the approval of the Executive Committee, shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three members to arrange for the nomination of candidates for the officers of the Section.

Sec. 2. Nominations

The Nominating Committee shall present two candidates for each office to be filled. The Committee shall file nominations (and the written consent of the nominees) with the Association’s Executive Director, who shall arrange for publication and distribution of the official ballots in cooperation with the American Library Association. No person may be nominated who is not a personal member in good standing of the Section at the time of the nomination.

Additional Nominations

In addition to the slate of candidates presented by the Nominating Committee, other nominations may be made by the membership, provided that such nominations be made by petition signed by at least thirty members of the Section, and submitted to the Executive Director of the Reference and User Services Association at least four months before the Annual Conference of the Association.

Sec. 3. Elections

Elections shall be held by mail ballot in accordance with procedures of the American Library Association. For each office the candidate receiving the largest number of votes cast shall be elected. In the case of a tie vote, the successful candidate shall be determined by lot.

Article VIII. Committees

Sec. 1. Authorization and Discontinuance

The Executive Committee may create and abolish, under such rules as it may adopt for their purpose, standing and special committees.

Sec. 2. Duties

The Executive Committee shall define the duties of all committees that may be created at the time of the establishment; but the Chair may temporarily add any pertinent and relevant duties to any committee that may be needed to carry on the work of the Section.

Sec. 3. Appointments

The Chair shall appoint the members of committees, each of whom shall be a member in good standing of the Section, except that the Vice-Chair and Chair-Elect is authorized to make such committee appointments as will commence at the same time that the Chair assumes the position, that is, at the conclusion of the Annual Conference of the Association.

Unless otherwise determined by the Executive Committee, the members of standing committees shall be appointed for terms of two years and may be reappointed for a second term; in no case shall a person serve on a committee for more than four consecutive years. Appointments shall be made in such a manner as to provide continuity in membership.

Each special committee shall continue in existence until its purpose is accomplished or it is discharged by the Section or by the Executive Committee.

Article IX. Amendments

Sec. 1. Proposals

Amendments to these Bylaws shall be proposed by the Executive Committee or a written petition signed by not less than ten members.

Sec. 2. Notice

The complete text of any proposed amendment shall accompany a mail ballot. In cases where a vote is to be taken at the annual meeting of the Section, the text of any proposed amendments shall be distributed to the membership of the Section not less than one month before the meeting at which it is to be acted upon.

Sec. 3. Voting

A vote to amend the Bylaws shall customarily be taken by mail. Amendments may also be presented for a vote at the annual meeting of the Section with notification as in Section 2 above. Bylaws amendments shall be passed by a majority of those members voting.

Sec. 4. Effective

Unless otherwise specified, amendments to the Bylaws shall become effective when approved by the membership.

Article X. Provisions

Wherever these Bylaws make no specific provisions, the organization of, and procedure in the Section shall correspond to that set forth in the Bylaws of the Reference and User Services Association.

October 10, 1974, Amended June 1984 and July 1988.