WASHINGTON STATE CHAPTER OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGE AND RESEARCH LIBRARIES
Established in 1980
BYLAWS
Adopted May 9, 1981
Revised May 1983
Revised October 1987
Revised October 1988
Revised July 1989
Revised October 2001
Revised October 2009
Revised November 2010
ARTICLE I:
Name
ARTICLE II:
The name of this organization shall be Washington State Chapter of the Association
of College and Research Libraries, also known as ACRL Washington, or ACRL WA.
Goals
ARTICLE III:
The goals of the Chapter shall be to provide opportunities for the professional
growth of and communication among academic and research librarians; to
encourage the exchange of ideas and information relating to library development;
and to enhance library service to all users of the academic and research libraries in
the state.
Affiliation, Incorporation and Dissolution
Sec. 1
Affiliation. This organization is an affiliate of the Association of College and Research
Libraries, a division of the American Library Association (ALA/ACRL). It is subject to
Article XV of the ALA/ACRL Bylaws and Chapter Two of the ALA/ACRL Guide to
Policies and Procedures.
Sec. 2
Incorporation. This organization was incorporated on August 18, 2000 under the
laws of the State of Washington. Incorporation number: 602 064 155. ACRL
Washington is registered as a non-profit under section 501(c)(6) of the Internal
Revenue Code.
Dissolution. Upon the dissolution of this organization, assets shall be distributed to
the ALA/ACRL so long as they remain exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code at time of dissolution. Failing that, assets shall be distributed for one
or more exempt purposes within the meaning of section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code, or corresponding section of any future federal tax code, or shall be
distributed to the federal government, or to a state or local government, for a
public purpose.
Sec.3
ARTICLE IV:
Membership
Sec. 1
Members. Any person interested in academic and research libraries and
librarianship may become a member by paying Chapter dues.
Sec. 2
Chapter membership is limited to individuals.
Sec. 3
Rights. Every Chapter member has the right to vote, to hold office, and/or to serve
on committees.
Dues and any changes in them shall be proposed by the Board of Directors, and
voted on by members, either via electronic ballot, or by members present and
voting at a Chapter meeting. Proposed changes shall be available for review by
members for at least 21 days prior to an in-person vote or before the tally of
electronic ballots. The dues of ALA/ACRL members shall be less than those of nonmembers.
Meetings and Communication
Sec. 4
ARTICLE V:
Sec. 1
Sec. 2
Sec. 3
Sec. 4
ARTICLE VI:
Regular business meetings shall be held in the fall of each year. Additional business
meetings may be called by the Board of Directors or by petition of ten Chapter
members to the President.
Notification of all business meetings shall be sent to all Chapter members at least
one month prior to the meeting.
Quorum. Ten members shall constitute a quorum for any business meeting of the
Chapter.
Communication. Official written Chapter communication may take place
electronically, utilizing the Chapter web site and the Chapter email list, or utilizing
standard mail.
Officers
Sec. 1
Officers. The officers of the Chapter shall be a President, a Vice-President/PresidentElect, Immediate Past President, a Secretary/Newsletter Editor, and a Treasurer.
Sec. 2
Terms. The officers shall serve for one year or until the successors are elected.
Except that the Secretary/Newsletter Editor and the Treasurer shall serve for two
years. They shall take office on July 1.
Duties. The duties of the officers shall be those which normally pertain to those
offices; except that the President shall serve as the ALA/ACRL Chapters’
Representative and the Vice-President/President-elect shall serve as Chapter
program chair.
Vacancies. In the event of resignation or inability to serve out the term of President,
the Vice President will be appointed to the Presidency, assuming the office early,
and completing the partial term as well as his/her own term as President. The
resulting vacancy in the office of Vice-President/President-Elect shall be filled by
election. A vacancy in the office of Secretary/Newsletter Editor or Treasurer shall be
filled by an appointment made by the Board of Directors.
Sec. 3
Sec. 4
ARTICLE VII:
Board of Directors
Sec. 1
Composition. The Board of Directors shall consist of the elected officers (President,
Vice President/President-Elect, Secretary/Newsletter Editor, Treasurer, Immediate
Past President); the two elected Members-at-Large; and the appointed position of
Webmaster. All members are voting members.
Sec. 2
Terms. The two Members-at-Large shall serve for two years and shall be elected in
alternate years. To initiate the staggered term cycle, at the first election one
Member-at-Large shall be elected for a one-year term. The Webmaster shall serve
three years and shall be appointed by the President.
Sec. 3
Powers and Duties. The Board of Directors shall have responsibility for the direction
of the affairs of the Chapter. It shall conduct all business pertaining to the Chapter,
and shall have authority to make decisions for the Chapter during the periods
between meetings.
Sec. 4
Meetings. The Board of Directors shall hold at least two meetings a year. One is to
be held in conjunction with the Chapter’s fall meeting and the other is to be held in
the spring at a time and venue determined by the President. Other meetings may be
called as necessary. A quorum for the Board shall be five members.
Sec. 5
Vacancies. If a Member-at-Large cannot complete his/her term on the Board, the
position shall be filled by an appointment made by the remaining members of the
Board. A vacancy in the Past President position on the Board will not be filled. A
vacancy in the Webmaster position will be filled by an appointment by the Board.
ARTICLE VIII:
Committees
ARTICLE IX:
Standing and ad hoc committees may be authorized by the Board of Directors. The
name and purpose of the committee shall be specified at the time of its
authorization. The chair and other members of each committee will be named by
the President of the Chapter. Any committee may be discontinued or declared
inactive by the Board.
Nominations and Elections
Sec. 1
Sec. 2
Appointment. The Elections Committee will be chaired by the Past President. Two
current Chapter members may be appointed to the Committee by the Chair at the
Chair’s discretion. If any are appointed, committee members will be announced on
the Chapter email list and posted on the Chapter web site before the call for
nominations goes out to the Chapter membership.
Composition. Elections Committee members must be ALA/ACRL members and
members of the Washington State Chapter of ACRL.
Sec. 3
Sec. 4
Sec. 5
ARTICLE X:
Nominees. All nominees for President-Elect must be ALA/ACRL members; all
nominees must be members of the Washington State Chapter of ACRL and give
written consent of their willingness to serve if elected. The Past President should
send out a call for nominations to chapter members in February.
Slate of candidates. The Elections Committee shall solicit one or more candidates
for each of the offices to be filled. In making its selections the Committee shall keep
in mind the following objectives: that the nominees should be as representative as
possible of the types of libraries represented within the Chapter and the
geographical distribution of its members. The Elections Committee should present
the slate of candidates to the Board for their approval in February.
The Election. The election shall be conducted online. Candidates should be
announced and ballots sent to Chapter members in February or March.. Ballots will
be due 21 days from the opening date and returned to the Chair of the Elections
Committee. Candidates receiving a plurality of votes cast shall be elected. In case of
a tie, the winner will be determined by lot. Election results will be announced on the
Chapter email list and posted on the Chapter web site after all candidates have
been notified of the results.
Ratification and Amendments
Sec. 1
Adoption of these Bylaws requires a two-thirds affirmative vote by ALA/ACRL
members present and voting at a meeting at which they are to be considered. The
quorum required for adoption shall be twenty ALA/ACRL members.
Sec. 2
ARTICLE XI:
Ratification of amendments. The Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds
affirmative vote by members present and voting at a Chapter meeting, or via an
electronic vote by the membership, provided such amendments are consistent with
the ACRL Constitution and Bylaws. Notification of changes which are substantive
must be sent to all members for review 21 days prior to an in-person vote or before
the tally of electronic ballots. .
Years
Sec. 1
Membership year. The membership year shall be the calendar year.
Sec. 2
Administrative year. The administrative year shall begin July 1.
ARTICLE XII:
Rules of Order
The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the Chapter in all cases
to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Bylaws.
ARTICLE XIII:
Temporary Provisions
These Bylaws shall take effect upon the adjournment of the meeting at which they
are adopted.
last updated 27 September 2012