Canadian Library Association

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Association canadienne des bibliothèques

 

Constitution

 

Article I            - Name

Article II           - Object

Article III          - Membership

Article IV          - Officers and Executive Board

Article V           - Council

Article VI          - Committees

Article VII         - Sections

Article VIII       - Meetings

 Article IX          - By-laws

Article X            - Amendments to the Constitution

 

 

 

Constitution

of  the

Canadian Library Association

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Association canadienne des bibliothèques

 

 

Article I. Name

 

Sec. 1. The name of this body shall be the Canadian Library Association or Association canadienne des bibliothèques.

 

Article II. Object

 

Sec. 1. The object of the Association shall be:

(a) to promote education, science and culture within the nation through library service;

(b) to promote high standards of librarianship and the welfare of librarians;

(c) to co-operate with library associations both within and outside of Canada and with other organizations interested in the promotion of education, science and culture.

 

Sec. 2. The Association shall be a non-profit, non-sectarian, non-political body.

 

Article III. Membership

 

Sec. 1. Members. An individual, institution or other group approved by the Executive Board may become a member upon payment of the fees provided for in the by-laws. The membership of an individual or an institution may be suspended by two-thirds vote of the Combined Executive Board and Council; a suspended member may be reinstated by a two-thirds vote of the Board and Council in joint session.

 

Article IV. Officers and Executive Board

Sec 1.

(a) The officers of the Association shall be a President, a President-Elect, who shall serve as First Vice-President, a Second Vice-President, an Executive Secretary, and a Treasurer. These officers, with the exception of the Executive Secretary, shall be elected at each annual general meeting of the Association, and, with the immediate Past President, shall constitute the Executive Board.

(b) All library members shall be eligible for election to the Executive Board.

 

Sec. 2. Duties of Officers.

(a) The President, First Vice-President, Executive Secretary and Treasurer shall perform the duties relating to their respective offices.

(b) The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Committees of the Association.

(c)  i. The President-Elect shall serve the first year after election as First Vice-President, the second year as President, the third year as ex-officio member of the Execu­tive Board.

ii. The President-Elect shall, in accordance with the By-laws, designate to the Executive Board for appointment, the five members of the Nominating Committee.

(d)The President, the Executive Secretary and the Treasurer shall report annually to the membership.

 

Sec. 3. Duties of the Executive Board.

(a) The Executive Board shall administer the affairs of the Association during its term of office in accordance with the policies laid down by the Council.

(b) It shall review all membership applications as submitted, and be responsible for their approval.

(c) It shall review the annual estimates, and approve the annual budgets which shall be received by the Treasurer. All budgets shall be within the limit of the estimated income of the Association.

(d) It shall report promptly resolutions adopted by the Executive Board to the Councillors.

(e) It shall fix compensation of all paid officers and employees.

(f) It shall choose and appoint the Executive Secretary. This officer shall be appointed by the Executive Board at each annual Executive Board meeting.

(g) It shall designate the length of terms of appointments to Committees in accordance with the By-laws.

(h) The Executive Board shall authorize votes by mail when required.

(i) It shall fill all vacancies in office. The persons so elected shall serve until the end of the fiscal year.

 

Sec. 4. Term of Office.

(a) The officers and the Executive Board shall serve until the end of the fiscal year.

(b)  i. No person shall serve on the Executive Board for more than three consecutive years.

ii. No person can be returned to the Executive Board after a term of three years, during the three years sub­sequent to the expiration of his term of office.

 

Article V. Council

 

Sec. 1. Membership. The Council shall consist of the following members to be known as Councillors:

(a) Nine members elected by the membership at large.

(b) The members of the Executive Board.

(c) Chairmen of Sections.

Sec. 2. Councillors. Members of the Council shall be Members of the Association in good standing.

 

Sec. 3. Duties.

(a)The Council shall be the Legislative body of the Association.

(b) It shall determine all policies of the Association and its decisions shall be binding upon the Association, its officers, and its constituted bodies.

(c) In the Council shall be vested all powers of the Association not otherwise provided for in the Constitution and By-laws.

(d) It shall inform the Executive Board of all new and revised policies.

(e) The Council shall review the action of officers, Committees and Executive Board of the Association.

(f ) It shall promptly consider questions of professional and public interest referred to it by the membership Commit­tees, or Executive Board, and promptly act upon reports and recommendations made by the Association and its constituted bodies.

(g) It shall report regularly to the Association at the annual meeting.

(h) It shall appoint Standing Committees in accordance with the By-laws.

(i)The members may. set aside any action of the Council by a three-fourths vote at any meeting of the Association or by a majority vote by mail in which one-fourth of the voting members of the Association have voted. Such vote by mail shall be held upon petition of fifty members of the Association.

 

Sec. 4. Terms of Office.

(a) Councillors chosen by the membership at large shall serve for a term of three years except as stated in the By-laws.

(b) No person shall serve on the Council for two consecutive terms.

(c) The Council year shall be the Fiscal Year.

 

Article VI. Committees

 

Sec. 1. Committees shall be appointed in accordance with the By-laws.

 

Sec. 2. All members of the Association are eligible for committee membership.

 

Sec. 3. The President shall be an ex-officio member of all Committees of the Association.

 

Sec. 4. Each Committee shall present an annual report to the Council.

 

Article VII. Sections

 

Sec. 1. Special interest sections may be constituted as provided for in the By-laws.

 

Article VIII. Meetings

 

Sec. 1. Meetings shall be held as provided for in the By-laws.

 

 

Article IX. By-laws

 

Sec. 1. By-laws and amendments to them may be proposed in writing by the Executive Board, by the Council, or by twenty voting members of the Association.

 

Sec. 2. They shall be received by the Executive Secretary and included in the agenda for the annual general meeting.

 

Sec. 3. They may be adopted by a majority vote of the members present and voting at an annual general meeting.

 

Sec. 4. Any By-law may be suspended by a three-fourths vote of those present and voting at an annual general meeting.

 

Article X. Amendments to the Constitution

 

Sec. 1. Amendments to the constitution may be proposed in writing by the Council, by the Executive Board, or by twenty voting members of the Association for consideration by a Con­stitution Committee at least two months before the annual general meeting.

 

Sec. 2. Report of the Constitution Committee shall be received by the Executive Secretary, included in the agenda for the annual general meeting, and mailed to the membership three weeks in advance of the meeting.

 

Sec. 3. Amendments may be adopted by a majority vote of the members present and voting at the annual general meeting.