BYLAWS
ARTICLE I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the Public Services Section, a Section of the Medical Library Association, Inc.
ARTICLE II. Purpose
The purpose of this Section, in order to better serve the health sciences community in research, education, and patient care, shall be to foster communication and professional growth and development among health sciences librarians engaged in public services activities. These areas include reference and information services, online searching, circulation, interlibrary loan, bibliographic and information management, and operations management.
ARTICLE III. Membership
Section 1. Members
All and only members of MLA may belong to this Section.
Section 2. Rights and Privileges
A. Voting members of this Section shall consist of all members, except that only Voting Members of the Medical Library Association shall be qualified to move or to vote on recommendations to the Section Council regarding MLA policies or actions, and to vote on the selection of a candidate for the MLA Nominating Committee.
B. Officers of this Section shall be Voting Members of the Medical Library Association.
Section 3. Dues
A. Dues shall be determined by a majority vote of those present and eligible to vote at the annual business meeting of the Section. Dues shall be assessed on an annual basis for the period for the calendar year. Section dues may not exceed MLA membership dues for Regular Members.
B. Section dues shall be payable on joining the Section and thereafter at the same time as are Medical Library Association dues.
C. If dues are unpaid prior to the annual business meeting, the dues shall be considered in arrears and without further notice, the member shall be suspended from all rights and privileges.
ARTICLE IV. Officers
Section 1. Officers and Term of Office
A. Elective officers of the Section shall be a Chair, a Chair-Elect, an Immediate Past Chair, and a Secretary-Treasurer.
B. The term of office of the Chair shall be one year as Chair-Elect, one year as Chair and one year as Immediate Past Chair. No one may serve more than two successive terms as Chair-Elect/Chair.
C. The term of office of the Secretary-Treasurer shall be two years. An individual may not serve more than two successive terms as Secretary-Treasurer.
D. The Immediate Past Chair and Chair shall represent the Section on Section Council. The Immediate Past Chair shall be the Voting Member of the Council. The term of office to the Section Council shall be two years, the first year in their role as Section Chair and the second year in their role as Section Immediate Past Chair.
E. Elected officers shall take office at the close of the MLA Annual Meeting following their election, unless they resign, die, become incapacitated, or are removed, until the close of MLA annual meeting at the end of their terms of office or until their successors are elected and assume their duties.
Section 2. Duties
A. The duties of the Chair shall be to preside over all meetings and to represent the Section at all times and on all occasions not in conflict with any other officer’s defined duties and responsibilities, to serve as a member of Section Council, to submit an Annual Report to MLA Headquarters by the date requested, and to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by their parliamentary authority adopted by the Section. A Parliamentarian may be appointed by the Chair to serve a term concurrent with that of the Chair. This person may be reappointed to serve additional terms.
B. The duties of the Chair-Elect shall be to serve as Chair whenever the Chair is not able to do so, to serve as Section Program Chair, and to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws and be the parliamentary authority adopted by the Section
C. The duties of the Immediate Past Chair shall be to represent the Section on the MLA Section Council by attending the meetings of the Council, to represent the Section’s interests during discussions, make motions, debate, and vote on Council issues on behalf of the Section, to transmit to the Council recommendations that have been approved by the Section, to communicate Council business to the officers and membership of the Section, and to chair the Nominating Committee.
D. The duties of the Secretary-Treasurer shall be to be responsible for incoming and outgoing correspondence, to prepare minutes of all meetings, to receive and account for all monies due to the organization, to be responsible for the list of Active Section Members, to submit a list of active members to the Chair of the Membership Committee, to submit Section’s archives to MLA headquarters on an annual basis and to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws and the parliamentary authority adopted by the Section.
Section 3. Nominations and Elections
A. The Immediate Past-Chair shall chair the Nominating Committee and appoint at least two section members to serve on the committee.
B. A slate of one or more nominee(s) shall be prepared annually for the offices to be filled.
C.. Ballots shall be distributed by the Nominating Committee and returned to a member of the Nominating Committee in time for the results to be declared on or before February 15. A majorityvote elects unless there are more than two candidates, then a plurality shall elect. In case of a tie, the election is decided by lot. The lottery will be arranged by the Nominating Committee. The results of the election shall be announced at the Annual Business Meeting.
Section 4. Vacancies
A. A vacancy arising in the office of Chair shall be filled by the Chair-Elect, who shall cease to be Chair-Elect, shall serve out the unexpired term of the Chair, and shall continue as Chair for the full succeeding term to which he or she was elected.
B. When the Immediate Past Chair is unable to attend the Section Council meeting, the Section Chair may vote. When neither the Section Immediate Past Chair nor the Section Chair is able to attend the Section Council meeting, a Section may appoint another Section officer as the proxy who will represent the Section’s interests during discussions, make motions, debate, and vote on Council issues on behalf of the Section. Appointment of a proxy must follow the guidelines developed by the Section’s Board of Directors.
C. A vacancy arising in any other elected office shall be filled by the Executive Board
Section 5. Candidate for the MLA Nominating Committee Membership
A. The name of the one voting member of the Medical Library Association, chosen by election, shall be submitted each year to the Section 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. This 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 a candidate from some other unit of the Medical Library Association; no candidate for membership on the MLA Nominating Committee shall also be a candidate for an elective office of the Medical Library Association, 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 years.
ARTICLE V. Meetings
Section 1. Meetings
At least one meeting shall be held in each fiscal year. One meeting of the Section shall be called the “Annual Meeting.” Additional meetings may be held. All meetings shall be held at a time and place convenient for members. Notice of all meeting shall be disseminated to the membership at least thirty (30) days in advance of the meeting date. The Section’s Business Meeting shall be held during the same period and at the same location as the Association’s Annual Meeting. No Section meetings shall be held at the same time that General Sessions or Business Sessions of the Association’s annual Meeting are conducted
Section 2. Quorum
Eight (8) shall constitute a quorum of this Section.
ARTICLE VI. Executive Board
Section 1. Executive Board
The elected officers of this Section shall constitute the Executive board.
Section 2. Duties
The Executive Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of this Section between its Business Meetings, fix the time and place of meetings, make recommendations to the membership, and shall perform such other duties as are specified in these bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the organization.
ARTICLE VII. Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees
A. The Executive Board shall establish standing committees to consider matters of the Section that require continuity of attention by the members. The Executive Board shall recommend the name and size of each committee.
B. The Chair in consultation with Executive Board shall designate and announce committee members and chairs in advance of the beginning of his or her term of office and when these appointments shall take effect. Unless otherwise approved by the Executive Board, members of standing committees shall be appointed for terms of two years, and may be reappointed for a second term. The Chair shall have the discretion to terminate appointments.
Section 2. Special Committees
The Section Chair may appoint other such special committees as are necessary with the advice and consent of the Executive Board.
Section 3. Committee Chairs
Chairs of committees shall be voting members of the Medical Library Association.
Section 4. Committee Reports
Each committee shall submit an annual report of its activities to the Section Chair prior to the compilation of the Annual Section Report for submission to MLA Headquarters.
Article VIII. Dissolution
In the event of dissolution of this Section, all liabilities and obligations shall be paid or adequate provision made for payment. Remaining assets shall revert to the MLA General fund.
ARTICLE IX. Parliamentary Authority
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern this Section 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 Section may adopt.
ARTICLE X. Amendment of Bylaws.
These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote ballots cast, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing to the membership at least thirty (30) days prior to vote being taken.
Bylaws Revisions:
May 2001
May 2008
May 2009
May 2011