NAME, PURPOSE, MEMBERSHIP,
AND DUES
1. The name
of this organization is the Westchester Library Association, Inc., also
known as WLA.
2. Its
purpose is to provide for the exchange of ideas and experiences among
members and to foster library service to all residents of Westchester
County.
3. Any
person interested in joining the Association may do so upon payment of
the annual dues.
4. Changes
to the annual membership dues are proposed by the Board of Directors
and must be approved by the members of the Association by ballot.
5. The
membership year of the Association begins January 1st and
ends on December 31st.
6. The
latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall be the
Parliamentary Authority on all matters not covered by these Bylaws.
OFFICERS
AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS
7. All
officers and other members of the Board of Directors must be members of
the Association in good standing.
8. The
officers of the Association are the President, the
Vice-President/President-Elect, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. Each
of their terms of office shall be for one year, which begins on July 1st.
9. President: The
President is the chief executive officer of the Association and is
responsible for managing the business affairs of the Association and
for enforcing all resolutions of the Board of Directors. The President
shall sign on behalf of the Association all agreements and formal
instruments under the seal of the Association, shall preside at all
meetings of the Association at which she/he is present, and shall
approve all expenditures of monies by the Association. The
President is an ex-officio member of every committee of the
Association.
10. Vice-President/President-Elect: The
Vice-President/President-Elect shall, in the absence or temporary
disability of the President, perform the duties and exercise the powers
of that office. The primary function of the
Vice-President/President-Elect is to arrange the Annual Conference.
11. Secretary: The
Secretary notifies the Board of Directors of meetings, keeps minutes of
the meetings of the Board and the Association, and conducts
correspondence. The Secretary places orders for printing WLA stationery
(letterhead and envelopes) as needed and provides it to the members of
the Board upon request.
12. Treasurer:
The Treasurer receives and deposits in the bank all monies due to the
Association, maintains financial records, disburses all monies as the
Board may direct, presents a current financial report at every meeting
of the Board of Directors and at the Annual Meeting of the members of
the Association. The Treasurer shall direct that the Association books
be audited as required.
13. Grounds
for Dismissal of Executive Officers –
Executive Officers can be removed by a petition signed by one-half of
the Board members and approved by a two-thirds majority of the Board
members.
14. The Board of Directors
consists of the following: The President, the Past President, the
Vice President/President-Elect, the Secretary, the Treasurer,
the Chairs and Co-Chairs of Standing and Ad Hoc Committees, the Chairs
and Co-Chairs of Sections, and representatives from the Westchester
Library System (WLS), the Westchester Academic Library Directors
Organization (WALDO), and from each of the Westchester School Library
Systems (BOCES). These representatives shall be
appointed by their institutions to serve a full year or longer.
15. Each Board member shall have one vote. Voting
may be done electronically provided there is a quorum of at least one
third of the Board or nine Board members, whichever is less. Electronic
voting results will be ratified at the next meeting and entered in the
minutes.
16. Any member of the
Association may attend Board meetings, but only members of the Board of Directors shall have
voting privileges.
17. The Board
formulates and carries out the policies of the Association and is
empowered to act for the Association during intervals between meetings
of the members of the Association.
18. The Board
of Directors shall fill any vacancy by appointing Board member/members
to serve the remaining term.
19. The President shall
hold at least three meetings of the Board of Directors during the term
of office. Board members are expected to make every effort to attend
all meetings. A quorum shall constitute at least one third of the Board
or nine Board members, whichever is less, present at a Board meeting of
the Association.
MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
20. A meeting
of the Association shall be held annually. Additional meetings of the
Association may be called by the Board of Directors or upon a written
petition signed by twenty-five members of the Association and sent to
the Secretary.
21. Members
of the Association shall be notified of the Annual Meeting date at
least 30 days in advance.
22. One fifth
of the Association’s membership shall constitute a quorum at membership
meetings.
23. The
election of officers to the Board of Directors shall take place at the
Annual Meeting. A slate prepared by the Nominating Committee shall be
submitted to the members of the Association and nominations from the
floor are also encouraged. A simple majority is necessary to
elect the officers.
COMMITTEES
24. The President shall
appoint the Chairs/Co-Chairs of the following Standing Committees for
a term of one or more years.
Cooperation Committee recognizes outstanding efforts in school
library/public library cooperation with an award that is presented at
the Annual Conference.
Directory
Committee
compiles, revises, and creates a directory of the Westchester Library
Association every other year.
The
Exhibits Committee is
responsible for organizing the vendor exhibits for the Annual
Conference.
Legislation
Committee keeps
the Association informed of legislative developments, organizes
participation in the Annual Library Legislation Day, and with the
approval of the Board, sends out invitation to legislators for events
sponsored/organized by the Association.
Membership
Committee sends
membership renewal notices each year, maintains a list of current
Association members, and promotes new membership.
Mid-year
Conference Committee plans
and coordinates the Mid-year Conference.
Nominating
Committee,
consisting of the President, Past President, and
Vice-President/President-Elect, is responsible for preparing a slate of
officers to be presented to members of the Association at least thirty
days before the Annual Meeting. It shall be the duty of the Committee
to obtain consent of all the persons they nominate.
Professional
Development Committee, with the
approval of the Board of Directors, makes available one or more awards
to encourage members of the Association in good standing to attend and
participate in upcoming library-related professional development
workshops, courses, events, etc., held locally, regionally, or
nationally. The award is given to cover all or part of the registration
fees, tuition fees, and related travel expenses.
Public
Relations Committee is
responsible for publicizing the events and activities of the
Association to the general public and to interested organizations
through mailings, the media, and the Association’s Website.
The Washington Irving
Committees honor authors of adult
books in alternate years and authors and illustrators of children’s
books in alternate years.
The Washington Irving
Adult Book Awards Committee, established by
the Westchester Library Association, recognizes and honors Westchester
County authors and promotes reading. The Committee compiles a selective
list of high quality fiction and non-fiction books written between
award years by authors who live in Westchester County. The authors of
the selected books are honored at the Annual Conference.
The Washington Irving
Children’s Book Award Committee, established by the
Westchester Library Association and the Westchester Library System,
recognizes and honors Westchester County authors and illustrators of
children’s books. The Committee is charged with planning and hosting a
reception to highlight the recently published works of local authors
and illustrators who have written and illustrated books during the two
year period between events. The event is
co-sponsored by the Westchester Library Association and the Westchester
Library System.
Web
Administration Committee, chaired
by the Web Administrator, shall be responsible for maintaining the
Association’s Website and all its parts. This includes a functional
message board, all appropriate links, and internal E-mail system for
officers. The Committee is also responsible for creating and updating
electronic announcements of Association meetings, events, and
conferences.
25. The Board
of Directors may add or eliminate standing committees at any
time. In addition, the President shall appoint ad hoc committees
as necessary.
SECTIONS
26. A section
is a group whose members have common interests. A section may be
established at the recommendation of the Board. Chairs and co-chairs of
sections shall be appointed by the President. The following sections
have been established:
College
Reference
Support
Staff
Youth
Services
AMENDMENTS
TO THE BYLAWS AND CHANGES IN MEMBERSHIP DUES
27.
Amendments to the Bylaws and changes in membership dues may be proposed
at any time during the membership year.
Proposed amendments/changes should be submitted to the Secretary.
Notice of the proposed amendments/changes shall be sent to all members
of the Association at least thirty days before a vote on the
amendments/changes is taken by ballot. A simple majority of the ballots
returned shall approve or reject the proposed amendments/changes.
Approved by the members of the
Association - (5/2007)
Approved
by the members of the Association – (11/2005)
Approved
by the WLA Executive Board – (10/2005)
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