MLA ByLaws

ARTICLE 1: MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

1.1.       Classification of Membership.

1.1.1.    Membership in the Association shall consist of: Active Members, Life Members, Affiliate Members,

            Institutional Members, and Sustaining Members.

 

1.1.2.    Active Members: Any person who is a: Librarian/Library employee, Retired Librarian/Library

            Employee, Trustee, Friend/MALF/Layperson, Student [currently enrolled full-time in a library science,

            library media, or information management program]

 

1.1.3.    Life Members: Any person who has: (1) paid a life membership fee before January 1, 1971 ; or, (2)

            received the Librarian-of-the Year Award or the Trustee-of-the Year Award prior to 1991; or,

            (3) completed the three-year term served by presidents of the Association on the Board of Directors

            prior to 1991.

 

1.1.4.    Affiliate Member: Any person who is a member in good standing of:

            Minnesota Educational Media Organization (MEMO),

            Minnesota Chapter of the Special Library Association ( SLA ),

            Minnesota Chapter of the American Society of Information Science (ASIS),

            Minnesota Association of Law Libraries, (MALL)

            Health Sciences Libraries of Minnesota (HSLM)

            Twin Cities Chapter of the American Society of Indexers (ASI)

           

1.1.5.    Institutional Members: Any library, library agency, library association, or educational institution. 

 

1.1.6.    Sustaining Members: Any company or organization having an interest in libraries of the activities of

            the Association.

 

1.2.       Dues.

 

1.2.1.    Dues for each classification of membership shall be proposed by the Board for approval by the

            membership at the annual meeting of the Association.  A change in dues and dues structure shall

            require approval by two-thirds of the Active and Life Members in good standing present and voting at

            the meeting.  The current dues and dues structure shall be listed in Appendix A to these Bylaws.

 

1.2.2.    Dues are payable annually by January 1.

 

1.2.3.    The membership year shall be from January 1 through December 31.

 

1.2.4.    Membership shall cease if dues remain unpaid by April 1 of the following year.

 

1.2.5.    Dues schedules are in Appendix A.

 

1.3.       Rights and Privileges of Members.

 

1.3.1.    Any member may join a Subunit upon payment of Subunit Dues as set forth in Appendix A - Dues

            Structure. Active and Life members shall be entitled to free membership in one Division of the

            Association.

 

1.3.2.    All members shall receive the MLA Newsletter and other Association publications as the Board may

            authorize for general distribution.

 

1.3.3.   Active and Life Members shall have the right to vote in business meetings, elections, and referenda

            of the Association.  Active, Life, and Affiliate Members shall have the right to vote in business meetings

            and elections of any Subunit in which they hold membership.

 

1.3.4     Active and Life Members shall have the right to hold an elective office of the Association.  Active,

            Life and Affiliate Members shall have the right to hold an elective office in any Subunit in which they

            hold membership.

 

1.3.5.    Active, Life and Affiliate Members shall be entitled to participate in conferences, workshops, and other

            activities of the Association and its Subunits at member rates.

 

1.3.6.    Institutional and Sustaining Members shall have the right to a preferential rate for programs and

           

 

ARTICLE 2: OFFICES

 

2.1.       The officers of this Association shall be a President, a Vice-President, President-Elect, a secretary,

            and a Treasurer, elected according to the provisions of these Bylaws, all of whom shall be Active or

            Life Members in good standing of the Association.

 

2.2.       The Vice-President/President-Elect, the Secretary, and the Treasurer shall take office at the beginning

            of the fiscal year following their election.  The President shall take office at the beginning of the fiscal year

            following the term as Vice-President/President-Elect.

 

2.3.       President

 

2.3.1.    The President shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Board and shall enforce all

            laws and regulations relating to the administration of the Association.

 

2.3.2.    The President shall call meetings of the Board.

 

2.3.3.    The President, upon authorization of the Board, shall sign contracts and agreements in the name

            of the Association.

 

2.4.       Vice-President/President-Elect

 

2.4.1.    The Vice-President/President Elect shall serve the first year after election as Vice-President and as

            Vice-Chair of the Conference Program Committee, the second year as President, and the third year

            as Past President and as Chair of the Conference Program Committee.

 

2.4.2.    In the temporary absence of the President, the Vice-President/President-Elect shall assume all the

            powers, prerogatives, and obligations of the President for the period of such absences.

 

2.5.       Secretary

 

2.5.1.    The Secretary shall perform the usual duties of the office, serve as Chair of the Bylaws and Policy

            Committee and such other duties as may be assigned by the Board.

 

2.5.2.    The Secretary shall be elected for a two-year term in even-numbered years.

 

2.6.       Treasurer

 

2.6.1.    The Treasurer shall perform the usual duties of the office, serve as Chair of the Budget and Finance

            Committee and such other duties as may be assigned by the Board.

 

2.6.2.    All disbursements of the Association funds within the approved budget must be authorized for payment,

            initially by the Executive Director, and ultimately by the Treasurer at the time of actual disbursement

            of funds.

 

2.6.3.    At the annual meeting of the Association the Treasurer shall report to the members on the financial

            status of the Association.

 

2.6.4.    The treasurer shall be elected for a two- year term in odd-numbered years.

 

2.7.       Past-President

 

            The Past-President shall serve as Chair of the Awards Committee and Chair of the Conference

           

ARTICLE 3: BOARD OF DIRECTORS

 

3.1.       Membership.  The Board of Directors shall consist of the officers of the Association, the MLA/ALA

            Chapter Councilor, the Member-at-large, the Chair of the Legislative Committee, the Past President,

            and the Chairs of the Divisions of the Association. The Executive Director shall be a no n-voting

            ex-officio member of the Board.

 

3.2.       MLA/ALA Chapter Councilor.  The MLA/ALA Chapter Councilor shall be elected for a four-year

            term in accordance with the Bylaws of the American Library Association.

 

3.3.       Member-at-Large.  A Member-at-Large elected by the membership for a two-year term in

            even-numbered years shall serve as a channel of communication from the membership and as Chair

            of the Intellectual Freedom Committee.

 

3.4.       Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect of the Legislative Committee. A Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect of the Legislative

            Committee shall be elected by the membership each year.

 

3.4.1.    The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect of the Legislative Committee shall serve the first year after election as

            the Vice-Chair of the Legislative Committee, the second year as the Chair of the Legislative

            Committee and the Association's liaison with the Minnesota Legislature, and the third year as

            Past Chair of the Legislative Committee.  The Chair will also be responsible for informing the

            membership of legislative action.

 

3.5.       The Member-at-Large and the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect of the Legislative Committee shall take office

            at the beginning of the fiscal year following election.  The MLA/ALA Chapter Councilor shall take

            office at the end of the summer conference of the American Library Association following election.

 

3.6.       Duties.  The duties of the Board shall include the following:

 

3.6.1.    It shall act for the Association in intervals between meetings.

 

3.6.2.    It shall authorize all expenditures of Association funds.

 

3.6.3.    Except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, it shall appoint the chairs of all Association

            Committees.

 

3.6.4.    It shall appoint the members of the Nominating Committee, and the Library Planning and

            Development Committee.

 

3.6.5.    It shall provide advice and consent on all other committee appointments.

 

3.6.6.    Except as otherwise provided in these Bylaws, it shall fill vacancies on the Board until

            successors can be chosen through no rmal election procedures.

 

3.6.7.    It may hire an Executive Director and such other assistance as necessary to perform such

            administrative and clerical duties as the Board shall specify, at a stipend to be set by the Board.

 

3.6.8.    It shall serve as the central management and coordinating body of the Association, keeping in

            close touch with the Subunits and Committees of the Association, to which it may recommend

            activities and from which it shall require written reports at least once a year and personal representation

            at Board meetings as needed.

 

3.6.9.    It shall keep the membership informed of the activities of the Association, its Subunits, and Committees.

 

3.6.10.  It shall annually review and adopt a procedures manual as a guide to the Subunits and Committees

            of the Association in carrying out their responsibilities.

 

3.6.11.  It shall call meetings of the Association.

 

3.7        Executive Committee of the Board.  The Executive Committee shall be chaired by the President and

            consist of the President, Vice-President/President-Elect, the Past President, Treasurer and Secretary.  

            The Executive Director shall be a no n-voting ex-officio member.  The Executive Committee shall act on

            behalf of the Board of Directors on matters requiring action before the next scheduled board meeting.  All

            actions of the Executive Committee shall be reported to the Board at the next scheduled meeting.

 

ARTICLE 4: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

 

4.1.      The Executive Director of the Association shall have such qualifications and duties as the Board shall

            determine and shall serve at the discretion of the Board.

 

4.2.      The Executive Director shall be directly responsible to the President.

 

4.3.      The Executive Director shall serve as a no n-voting ex-officio member of all Association Committees.

ARTICLE 5: SUBUNITS

 

5.1.       The Subunits of the Association shall be:  Divisions, Sections, and Round Tables.

 

5.2.       Only Active, Life, and Affiliate members of the Association may be members of a Subunit.

 

5.3.       Each Subunit shall be governed by the Bylaws of the Association.

 

5.4.       A Subunit shall have the authority within its own field as defined by the Association to determine

            its own policies and to develop its own programs provided these do no t conflict with the established

            policies and programs of the Association.

 

5.5.      Each Subunit may adopt a distinctive name and shall adopt bylaws, but no t in conflict with those of

            the Association.  Copies of the bylaws and by-laws amendments shall be filed with the Secretary

            of the Association.

 

5.6.      Minutes of the Subunit and an annual report shall be filed with the President and Executive Director.

 

5.7.      A Subunit may issue policy statements in the name of the Subunit, but it may no t commit the

            Association on any policy without proper approval of the Association.

 

5.8.       A Subunit may establish committees and subordinate groups as may be required to discharge its

            responsibilities, except that it may no t establish a committee to operate in the field of an association

            committee, unless it be established as a subcommittee of the larger committee.

 

5.9.       A Subunit may impose a registration fee for any meetings held separately from the conference of the

            Association.  A 25% minimum difference may be imposed for all no n-members attending MLA events. 

            The registration fee for no n-members attending the annual conference shall be at least 50% higher than

            member fees.

 

5.10.     Subunits shall no tify the MLA Office of forthcoming meetings and programs of the units.

 

ARTICLE 6: DIVISIONS

 

6.1.       The purpose of a Division is to promote the development of libraries, library services, library

            governance, and librarianship within and for a particular type of library.

 

6.2.       The Divisions of the Association shall be:

 

            (1)        Academic and Research Libraries Division;

            (2)        Public Libraries Division; and,

            (3)        Minnesota Library Trustees Association.

 

6.3        Additional Divisions may be created by the Association upon petition from no t fewer than 100 members,

            provided these represent service in a particular type of library no t included in any existing Division.

 

6.4        Should the membership in any Division fall below 100, it may be discontinued as a Division by the

            Association.

 

6.5        Division may no t establish a subdivision to operate in the field of any Association Section.

 

ARTICLE 7: SECTIONS

 

7.1.      The purpose of a Section is to promote the study and development of a particular function or aspect

            of librarianship which has relevance for more than one type of library.

 

7.2.       A Section may be established by the Association upon petition of no t fewer that 50 members

            representing two or more Divisions, providing the activity it is proposed to promote is clearly

            interdivisional in nature.

 

7.3.      The Association may discontinue a Section when the membership in to Section has fallen below 50,

            or in response to a petition signed by a majority of the Section's members. 

 

ARTICLE 8: ROUND TABLES

 

8.1.       The purpose of a Round Table is to promote the development of types of libraries and aspects of

            librarianship whose representatives among the Association's members are too few to form a Division

            or a Section.  Round Tables also may be established to discuss areas of library philosophy and concern.

 

8.2.       A Round Table may be established by the Association upon petition of no t fewer than 10

            interested members.

 

8.3.      The Association may discontinue a Round Table when the membership in the Round Table has fallen

            below 10, or when the membership of the Round Table has failed to elect officers in a membership year.

 

ARTICLE 9: COMMITTEES

 

9.1.      Committees of the Association shall be:

 

            (1)        Standing Committees;

            (2)        Special Committees;

            (3)        Ad Hoc Committees;

            (4)        Joint Committees.

 

9.2.       Only Active, Life, and Affiliate Members of the Association may be members of a Committee.

 

9.3.       Committees may be established by the Association or by the Board.

 

9.4.       Committees may be discontinued by the body that established them.

 

9.5.       Committees of the Association are responsible to the Board.

 

9.6.       Each Committee