A Chapter Of The MEDICAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION, INC.
The name of this organization shall be the North
Atlantic Health Sciences Libraries, Inc. (NAHSL), a Chapter of the Medical
Library Association, Inc. (MLA).
Section 2. Boundaries
The boundaries of the Chapter shall include
the entire New England states—Maine, New
Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.
The purpose of this Chapter shall be to promote
librarianship; to strengthen the delivery of health information services within
the Chapter boundaries; and to actively support the mission and standards of
the MLA.
Section 1. Members
Both members and nonmembers of the MLA may belong to
this Chapter.
Section 2. Rights and Privileges
·
Voting members
of this Chapter shall consist of all members, except that only Voting Members
of the MLA shall be qualified to move or to vote on recommendations to the
Chapter Council regarding MLA policies or actions, to vote on the selection of
a candidate for the MLA Nominating Committee, or to vote on the selection of
the Chapter’s Representative and Alternate Representative to the Chapter
Council.
·
Officers and committee chairs of this Chapter shall be Voting Members of
the MLA and shall live or work in the area contained within the geographic
boundaries of the Chapter.
A. Dues shall be determined by a majority
vote of those present and eligible to vote at an Annual Business Meeting where
dues changes are presented. Chapter dues shall not exceed MLA membership dues
for Regular Members.
B. Dues shall be assessed on an annual basis
for the fiscal year. If dues are unpaid by March 15, the dues shall be
considered to be in arrears, and without further notice the member shall be
suspended from all rights and privileges.
C. The fiscal year of this Chapter shall be
from January 1 to the following December 31.
ARTICLE IV. Meetings
Section 1. Annual Meeting
One meeting, known as the Annual Business Meeting,
shall be held in each fiscal year. Additional meetings at which business may be
conducted may be held, provided notice of such meetings has been sent to the
membership at least thirty (30) days in advance of the meeting.
Section 2. Quorum
Ten percent of the voting members shall constitute a
quorum of this Chapter.
Elected officers of the Chapter shall be a Chair; a
Conference Chair‑Elect; a Chair‑Elect/Conference Chair; a Past
Chair; a Representative to the Chapter Council; an Alternate Representative to
the Chapter Council; a Secretary; a Treasurer; and a candidate for the MLA
Nominating Committee. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by
these bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Chapter.
Section
2. Nominating Committee
The
Nominating Committee shall consist of the Past Chair and two members of the
Chapter appointed by the Executive Board. The Past Chair shall serve as
Committee Chair. This committee shall select annually one or more nominees for
the offices of Conference Chair‑Elect and candidate for the MLA
Nominating Committee, and every third year, or as necessary, one or more
nominees
for the offices of Secretary, Treasurer, Representative to the Chapter Council
and Alternate Representative to the Chapter Council.
The Conference Chair‑Elect position
shall rotate each year among the geographic areas within the NAHSL boundaries.
A. The officers shall be elected by a
majority vote of the members present at the Annual Business Meeting. Where
there are more than one candidate, a plurality shall elect.
B. Elected officers, except the Treasurer,
shall take office at the close of the Annual Meeting following their election
and serve until the close of the Annual Meeting at the end of their terms of
office or until their successors are elected and assume their duties. The
Treasurer shall take office on January I following the elections at the Annual
Meeting and serve until January 1 at the end of the term of office or until a
successor is elected and assumes the duties.
C. The term of office of the Chair shall be,
in succession, one year as Conference Chair‑Elect, the second year as
Chair‑Elect/Conference Chair, the third year as Chair, and the fourth
year as Past Chair. No one may serve more than one successive term as
Conference Chair‑Elect, ChairElect/Conference
Chair, Chair and Past Chair.
D. The terms of office of the Secretary and
Treasurer shall be three (3) years. An individual may not serve more than one
successive term as Secretary or Treasurer.
E. The terms of office of the Chapter
Council Representative and the Alternate Representative shall be three years,
except that if the Representative’s term is made shorter by action of the
Council or the MLA Bylaws, the term will coincide with that action.
A. The name of one Voting Member of the MLA,
chosen by the Nominating Committee and elected at the Annual Business Meeting,
shall be submitted each year to the Chapter Council as a potential candidate
for membership on the MLA Nominating Committee; this submission shall be made
to the Council before its final assembly at the MLA Annual Meeting. The
potential candidate shall prepare a biographical statement and a signed
statement of willingness‑to‑serve if elected as a member of the MLA
Nominating Committee. The statement shall accompany the name submitted.
B. No person shall consent to being a
potential candidate or a candidate for membership on the MLA Nominating
Committee who is already such a potential candidate or candidate from some
other unit of the MLA; no candidate for membership on the MLA Nominating Committee
shall also be a candidate for an elective office of the MLA, or vice versa.
C. No one shall serve on the MLA Nominating
Committee as a voting member for more than one term during a period of five (5)
years.
A. An officer who moves outside the Chapter
boundaries may, with the approval of a two‑thirds (2/3) vote of the
remaining members of the Executive Board, continue to hold that office until
completion of the officer’s term.
B. Vacancies not
covered by these bylaws shall be filled in a manner determined by the Executive
Board.
The elected officers and appointed officers shall
constitute the Executive Board. Each geographical area shall appoint one
representative to serve as a non-voting ex‑officio member of the
Executive Board.
The Executive Board shall have general supervision
of the affairs of the Chapter between its business meetings, fix the time and
place of meetings, make recommendations to the Chapter, and shall perform such
other duties as are specified in these bylaws. The Board shall be subject to
the orders of the Chapter, and none of its acts shall conflict with action
taken by the Chapter.
Section 3.
Quorum
Voting members of the Executive Board present
constitute a quorum.
Two years prior to each annual conference, a
Conference Committee shall be organized and shall consist of the Conference
Chair (elected and designated Chair‑Elect); the respective state
Conference Co‑chair, appointed by the Conference Chair and approved by
the Executive Board; the Chair of the respective State Group; the NAHSL Program
Committee member from the respective state; the NAHSL Education Committee
member from the respective state; the chair of the local Hospitality Committee;
and four ex‑officio members: the NAHSL Chair, the NAHSL Treasurer, the
NAHSL Education Chair and the NAHSL Program Chair. Other members of the
Conference Committee may be appointed as needed by the Conference Chair.
A. The Chair shall appoint such other
standing and special committees as are necessary and shall appoint committee
chairs with the advice and consent of the Executive Board. The Chair shall be an
ex‑officio member of all committees except the Nominating Committee.
B. Each committee shall submit an annual
report of its activities to the Chapter Chair prior to the compilation of the
Annual Chapter Report for submission to MLA Headquarters.
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s
Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Chapter in all cases to which
they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws
and any special rules of order the Chapter may adopt.
These bylaws may be amended by a two‑thirds
(2/3) vote of the membership present at the Annual Business Meeting, provided
that the proposed amendments have been sent in writing to the entire membership
at least twenty‑one (21) days prior to the meeting. This notification may be done electronically via email.
Revised
10/92
10/94
10/95
10/96
01/98
08/2000
2002