Bylaws
ARTICLE I. Name
The name of this organization shall be District of Columbia Area Health Sciences Libraries (DCAHSL).
ARTICLE II. Purpose
The purpose of this organization shall be:
- To exchange ideas and discuss problems and issues of concern to health sciences libraries and librarians.
- To promote a more thorough knowledge of health sciences librarianship by instructive programming and sponsorship of continuing education courses.
- To encourage and establish cooperative resource sharing projects among members.
ARTICLE III. Membership
Section 1. All health sciences librarians and other interested individuals, health sciences libraries or information centers which serve academic institutions, hospitals, government agencies, societies, associations, and commercial or industrial organizations in the D.C. metropolitan area may be members.
Section 2. There shall be two classes of membership:
- Individual members - shall pay annual dues and participate in DCAHSL activities.
- Institutional members - shall pay annual dues and shall appoint a representative to participate in DCAHSL activities on its behalf.
Section 3. Dues shall be determined by the Executive Board and shall be approved by the membership at the annual meeting.
Section 4. Failure to pay dues within three months of date due (1st day of January) shall constitute a default and shall result in the suspension of member rights and privileges. Members in default shall be reinstated upon payment of dues for the current year.
Section 5. Individual members and the representative of an institutional member have one vote each, may chair committees, serve on committees, and may be elected to office. (See Article VII, Section 4.)
ARTICLE IV. Officers
Section 1. Officers shall be a president, a vice president/president elect, a secretary and a treasurer.
Section 2. Officers of DCAHSL shall serve for a term of one year or until their successors are elected with the exception of the treasurer, who shall serve a 2-year term and the vice president/president elect, who shall serve one years as vice president/president elect and a second year as president.
Section 3. In order to be eligible to hold office, the candidate must be a dues paying individual member or the representative of a dues paying institutional member.
Section 4. Duties of officers:
- President. The president shall preside at all meetings of DCAHSL and the Executive Board, and shall be an ex officio member of all committees except the nominating committee. The president shall appoint a parliamentarian and the chairs of all standing committees, and shall have the power to create any special committee needed and to appoint the chairs of such committees. The president shall appoint one of the three members elected to the nominating committee to serve as chair so s/he may be empowered to activate the nominating committee when needed. The president shall render an annual report on the activities of DCAHSL at the annual meeting.
- Vice President/President Elect. The vice president/president elect shall perform all presidential duties and exercise all presidential powers in the absence of the president. Should the office of the president become vacant, the vice president/president elect shall fill the unexpired term of the president. In addition, s/he shall chair the program committee and perform such duties as may be designated by the president. The vice president/president elect shall assume the office of president after one year.
- Secretary. The secretary shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings of all DCAHSL meetings and meetings of the Executive Board. The records shall be open to a reasonable inspection by the membership upon request. In the absence of the secretary, a temporary secretary shall be appointed by the president to take minutes of the meeting. In addition, the secretary shall send out notices of general meetings to the membership two weeks in advance and notify the Executive Board when a meeting of that group is called. The secretary shall take care of the general correspondence of DCAHSL, unless otherwise specified by the President.
- Treasurer. The treasurer shall receive all funds paid to DCAHSL, deposit such funds in DCAHSL's name in a designated bank, keep detailed accounts of the assets, liabilities, receipts, and disbursements of DCAHSL in a suitable form; and shall render an annual report to members at the annual meeting. The treasurer's books shall be subject to audit annually, or when ordered by the president.
ARTICLE V. Executive Board
The officers, chairs of standing committees, and thte parliamentarian shall constitute the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall meet at the discretion of the president and shall conduct DCAHSL business in the interim between general meetings whenever necessary. The Executive Board shall set the dates of all general meeting and determine the sites. The Board shall also propose annual dues for the approval fo membership.
ARTICLE VI. Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees. There shall be such standing committees as are necessary to conduct DCAHSL business and programs. The president shall appoint the chairs and members of these committees except for the program committee, which shall be chaired by the vice president/president elect.
Section 2. Special Committees. Special committees may be created by the president. The chairs and members of such committees shall be appointed by the president.
Section 3. Nominating Committee.
- A nominating committee comprised of three members shall be appointed annually by the Executive Board for a term of one year. The president shall appoint a chair from among the three.
- The nominating committee shall prepare a slate of nominees annually for officers and a nominating committee to serve for the next year. The slate shall reflect the diversity of DCAHSL individual and institutional members.
- The nominating committee shall function throughout the year to name candidates for any vacancies that might occur among the officers or the nominating committee. Names of new candidates to fill unexpired terms shall be presented to the Executive Board for their selection. If a vacancy occurs in the office of president, the vice president/president elect shall fill the unexpired term.
Section 4. Annual Reports of Committees. A written annual report shall be submitted by all committee chairs at the annual meeting and a copy of the report shall be sent to the president well in advance of this meeting for preparation of the president's annual report and so that it may be filed with the minutes for a permanent record.
ARTICLE VII. Elections
Section 1. The nominating committee shall present at least one nominee for each office. The slate shall be distributed to members with the announcement of the annual meeting.
Section 2. Nominations may be made from the floor, provided the nominee is present and is willing to accept the nomination or, if absent, has previously given his/her consent to be a candidate, in writing to his/her sponsor.
Section 3. Election shall be by paper ballot at the annual meeting. Absentee ballots may be requested from the secretary prior to this meeting and returned to same before this meeting. Office shall be assumed at the time of election, after the close of the annual meeting.
Section 4. Individual members who are also the representatives of an institutional member shall have one vote.
ARTICLE VIII. Meetings
Section 1. There shall be at least four (4) general meetings a year unless otherwise designated by the president.
Section 2. The president shall call a special meeting of the general membership for the transaction of business when it is deemed necessary.
Section 3. The annual meeting of DCAHSL shall be the last meeting of the calendar year. Elections shall take place at this meeting. The president, treasurer, and chairs of standing committees shall present their annual reports at this meeting.
Section 4. A schedule of meeting dates for the year shall be sent with the announcement of the first meeting of the calendar year.
ARTICLE IX. Fiscal Year
The DCAHSL fiscal year shall begin January 1 and shall end December 31.
ARTICLE X. Amendments to the Bylaws
These bylaws shall be amended by a majority votte of all members present at a general meeting, provided written notice of such change has been mailed to all members one month in advance of the meeting.
ARTICLE XI. Parliamentary Authority
Roberts Rules of Order, Revised shall govern DCAHSL is all cases to which they are applicable. The parliamentarian shall be appointed by the president for a one-year term.
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Copyright 2004
District of Columbia Area Health Sciences Libraries (DCAHSL)