RI COALITION OF LIBRARY ADVOCATES
BYLAWS
TO BE VOTED ON FEBRUARY 12, 2008 (click
here for printable pdf file)
[Purpose] [Membership]
[Meetings] [Board of
Directors] [Directors Meetings] [Officers]
[Executive Committee] [Committees]
[Nominations and Elections] [Review
and Amendments] [Parliamentary Procedure]
ARTICLE I: NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Rhode Island Coalition of Library
Advocates (COLA).
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
The purpose of COLA shall be to improve the quality of life for all Rhode
Islanders by supporting libraries of all kinds. COLA shall work to help improve
library services through advocacy, education, public awareness, the
encouragement of local library-support groups, and other activities.
ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. Membership is open to any person, organization, corporation, or
association interested in joining, upon payment of annual dues.
Section 2. There shall be individual or organizational memberships.
Organizational membership shall be open to any corporation, institution, or
association. Organizational members are eligible to participate and vote,
through their president, Chair, or other authorized representative.
Section 3. All members have equal voting and membership rights.
Section 4. Annual membership dues shall be determined by the Board of Directors.
Members who fail to pay dues for two consecutive years shall be considered to
have resigned. The Board may waive annual dues for members who have made
contributions in kind to COLA, or for other reasons.
Section 5. Honorary memberships may be awarded by the Board of Directors to
people who have made outstanding contributions to COLA or to library service.
ARTICLE IV: MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. An annual meeting of members shall be held each calendar year, at a
time and place to be designated by the Board of Directors. Notice shall be given
to all members at least ten days before the meeting.
Section 2. Other meetings of the membership may be held at the call of the Chair
or a majority of the Board of Directors.
Section 3. Special meetings shall be called by the Chair, at the request of a
majority of the Board of Directors, or upon written request of 10 per cent of
the membership (but not fewer than 10 people).
Section 4. One-tenth of the total paid-up membership, but not fewer than 10
people, shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business. If a quorum is
present, the majority of members present shall decide a question. The Chair may
vote on any question.
ARTICLE V: DIRECTORS
Section 1. The activities of COLA shall be managed by a Board of Directors.
Section 2. The elected Board of Directors shall consist of five officers and at
least 10 and no more than 12 members. These Directors shall be elected by the
membership. No more than four elected members of the Board shall be professional
librarians.
Section 3. In addition to the elected Directors, the Board shall include one
representative each of 1) Association of RI Health Sciences Librarians (ARIHSL),
2) Consortium of RI Academic and Research Libraries (CRIARL), 3) RI Educational
Media Association (RIEMA), 4) RI Library Association (RILA), 5) Special
Libraries Association (SLA), 6) URI Graduate School of Library and Information
Studies (URI GSLIS), 7) White House Conference on Library and Information
Services Taskforce (WHCLIST), to insure representation from different library
constituencies. Each library organization shall be represented by its president
or Chair or appointee; the organization shall accept or decline the opportunity
to be represented, and shall name its representative, by February 1. The
appointee shall be authorized to speak and vote for the organization. No vote
shall be delayed pending such authorization.
Section 4. The term of office for elected members of the Board of Directors
shall be two years. No elected Director may serve more than two consecutive
terms. Every effort shall be made to stagger terms.
Section 5. The term limit of a Director shall not apply while the Director is
serving as an officer; however, service before and/or after the Director holds
office shall be included in the calculation of term limits of Directors other
than officers.
Section 6. All members of the Board of Directors shall be paid-up members of
COLA.
ARTICLE VI: MEETINGS OF THE DIRECTORS
Section 1. The Board of Directors shall meet at least six times a year, upon at
least one week’s notice. Additional meetings may be held at the call of the
Chair.
Section 2. Seven members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.
ARTICLE VII: OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers shall be a Chair, Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, Recording
Secretary, Corresponding Secretary, and Treasurer.
Section 2. The Chair shall preside over the activities of the organization and
shall appoint the Chairs of all committees. S/he shall serve ex-officio on all
committees except the Nominating Committee. S/he shall report to the membership
on the activities of COLA at its annual meeting.
Section 3. The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall preside in the absence of the Chair,
and shall perform any other duties delegated by the Chair. S/he shall become
Chair of COLA when his/her predecessor's term is over or upon the resignation of
the Chair.
Section 4. The Recording Secretary shall keep minutes of meetings and other
records of the organization, and shall see that Board members receive adequate
notice of meetings. S/he shall perform any other functions delegated by the
Chair or appropriate to the office.
Section 5. The Corresponding Secretary shall be responsible for mailing all
general membership notices. S/he shall perform any other functions delegated by
the Chair or appropriate to the office.
Section 6. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the funds of the organization
and keep accurate records of all transactions. S/he shall report on the finances
of the organization to the Board of Directors and to the membership at their
meetings.
Section 7. Except for the Treasurer, each officer’s term shall be one year. The
Treasurer's term shall be two years. No officer may serve in the office to which
s/he was elected for more than four consecutive years.
ARTICLE VIII: THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
The five officers of COLA shall constitute an Executive Committee, which shall
act on behalf of the Board of Directors between its meetings. Actions of the
Executive Committee shall be reported at the next regular meeting of the Board
of Directors for review.
ARTICLE IX: COMMITTEES
Section 1. There shall be seven standing committees:
1) Nominating; 2) Membership; 3) Advocacy; 4) Friends’ Group Relations; 5)
Program; 6) Public Relations; and 7) Fund-Raising.. Each committee shall have a
specific charge to be developed by the Board of Directors.
Section 2. Other committees may be established by the Chair with the approval of
the Board of Directors.
Section 3. The Chair of COLA shall appoint the Chairs of all committees, except
the Nominating Committee, either from the Board or from the membership, with the
approval of the Board of Directors.
Section 4. Except for the Nominating Committee, each standing committee Chair
shall recruit at least two members. Every effort shall be made to draw committee
members from the general membership.
ARTICLE X: NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1. A Nominating Committee, including a Chair, shall be elected at the
annual meeting. At least two members shall be drawn from the Board of Directors.
At least one member of the Committee shall have served on the previous year’s
Nominating Committee.
Section 2. Each year, the Nominating Committee shall select a slate of 1)
officers, 2) Directors, and 3) members of the next year’s Nominating Committee,
including the Chair of the Committee, with their consent. At least ten days
before the annual meeting, the Committee shall mail its recommended slate to the
membership.
Section 3. The slate shall be voted on by a majority of members present and
voting at the annual meeting. Nominations may be made from the floor by any
voting member.
Section 4. Vacancies in office, on the Board of Directors, and on the Nominating
Committee shall be filled by the Board until the next regular election.
ARTICLE XI: REVIEW AND AMENDMENTS
These bylaws may be amended or repealed by the vote of two-thirds of the
membership present and voting at an annual meeting. Notice of proposed bylaws
changes must be sent to the membership no fewer than ten days before the
meeting.
ARTICLE XII: PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
In the absence of other directives, the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of
Order shall prevail.