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Health Sciences Library Association

Iowa Health Sciences Library Association Bylaws

Article I - Name

The name of this Association will be the Iowa Health Sciences Library Association (hereinafter referred to as the Association), a subdivision of the Iowa Library Association (hereinafter referred to as ILA).

Article II- Purpose

The purposes of this Association will be to promote health sciences library services; to provide a forum for exchange of ideas; to monitor and make recommendations regarding legislation affecting Iowa health sciences libraries; to develop and strengthen relationships with cooperative and network activities within Iowa and the nation; and to be an effective part of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Greater Midwest Region (NN/LM GMR).

Article III– Membership and Dues

Section 1. Membership will be available to personal members of the ILA who are interested in health sciences librarianship. All ILA members who indicate interest on the ILA membership form will be members of the Association upon payment of dues.
Section 2. Each Association member will have one vote.
Section 3. Dues will be determined annually by the Executive Committee. Changes to the dues will be approved by a majority vote of the Association members present at the Annual Business Meeting, and will be payable with ILA dues.

Article IV – Officers

Section 1. The officers will consist of the Chair, Vice Chair (who will be Chair-Elect), and Secretary/Treasurer.
Section 2. Officers will be nominated by the Nominating Committee (see also Article VII). Nominations will also be accepted from the floor at the Annual Business Meeting. Consent of the nominee must be obtained prior to nomination. Election will take place at the close of nominations during the Annual Business Meeting.
Section 3. Officers will serve a one-year term beginning January 1 following the meeting at which they were elected.
The Chair and Vice Chair will serve one elective term; however the Secretary Treasurer may serve two consecutive elective terms.
Section 4. Qualifications for office consist of paid membership in ILA, membership in the Association, and willingness to serve.
Section 5. In the case of a vacancy, the Chair will be replaced by the Vice Chair. Other mid-term vacancies will be filled by appointment of the Executive Committee (see also Article V). Such appointees will complete only the term for which they were appointed. Page 113
Section 6. Duties of the officers will be those normally pertaining to their respective offices.

Article V – Executive Committee

Section 1. The Executive Committee of the Association will consist of:

    1. Chair.
    2. Vice Chair (who will be “chair elect”)
    3. Secretary/Treasurer.
    4. Representative to the NN/LM GMR, appointed by the Chair.
    5. Two Resource Library Representatives, appointed by the directors of the NN/LM GMR Resource Libraries.
    6. Representative from an academic library that is not a resource library appointed by the Vice Chair.
    7. Hospital Library Representative, appointed by the Vice Chair.

All members of the Executive Committee should be paid members of ILA and hold membership in the Association and will serve a one year term beginning January 1.
Section 2. The Executive Committee will meet at the ILA Annual Conference prior to the Annual Business Meeting and at other times at the discretion of the Chair.
Section 3. A quorum will equal the number of members attending the Executive Committee Meeting. A 2/3 majority will decide an issue. The Chair will participate in discussions and will vote on all issues.
Section 4. The Executive Committee may call meetings of the membership in addition to the Annual Business Meeting.
Section 5. The Executive Committee will have the power to act on behalf of the membership of the Association between meetings of the Association. Business may be conducted by e-mail and voting by electronic ballot.
Section 6. The Executive Committee will be responsible for programs, awards and Bylaws revisions.

    1. The Chair-Elect will appoint three members to the Program Sub-Committee immediately following the Annual Business Meeting. The members will serve a one-year term to begin January 1 following the Association Annual Business Meeting. The Program Sub-Committee will develop and organize the educational programs and activities for the ILA Annual Conference and the Association Annual Spring Meeting. The Program Sub-Committee will report to the Executive Committee.
    2. The Chair-Elect will appoint two members to the Awards Sub-Committee immediately following the Annual Business Meeting. The Awards Committee will identify and reward professional achievement of Association members. Awards proposed will include a description and criteria for review and approval by the ILA Awards Committee. The Awards Sub-Committee will report to the Executive Committee.
    3. The Chair-Elect will appoint two members to review the Association Bylaws bi-annually and recommend revisions to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will forward these revisions to the Bylaws and Organization Manual Committee and ILA Executive Board for their approval. All revisions to the Bylaws will be approved by the Association membership at the Annual Business Meeting.

Article VI - Meetings

Section 1. There will be an Annual Business Meeting during the ILA Annual Conference. Special meetings may be called by the Executive Committee provided that notification is sent to the Association membership at least thirty days prior to the meeting as deemed necessary to conduct the business or the programs of the Association.
Section 2. A quorum will equal the number of members attending the Annual Business Meeting or special meeting. A 2/3 majority will decide an issue.
Section 3. Voting for the election of officers, changes to dues and bylaws revisions will take place at the Annual Business Meeting. Other business may be conducted at special meetings, by postal mail, or by email and electronic ballot at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
Section 4. Electronic Voting
The officers or executive bodies of the Iowa Health Sciences Library Association may vote and conduct elections electronically as provided by the Bylaws. Guidelines and procedures are established in accordance with ILA electronic voting policies, subject to review by the ILA Bylaws and Organization Manual Committee, in order to comply with the laws of the State of Iowa.

Votes of the Officers and Executive Committee of the Iowa Health Sciences Library Association

  1. The Association Bylaws allow the executive body to vote electronically (Article VI, Section 3, email).
  2. Electronic voting is permitted for issues that do not require the polling of all Association members.
  3. Any officer or member of the Executive Committee may request an electronic vote for an issue that needs to be approved by the officers only.
  4. Each vote message is to state the voting periods as determined by the circumstances.
  5. Quorum will be as set in the Bylaws of the Association (members in attendance, Article VI, Section 2).
  6. The result of a vote is not valid unless 100 percent of the votes cast are in agreement.
  7. The President/Chair records the vote and reads it into the minutes of the next meeting.

Electronic elections and votes of Association as a whole

  1. Association Bylaws allow for electronic votes/ballots to be cast. In an election of Association officers, the bylaws should include provisions relating to how nominations from the floor and write-in votes will be handled (Article VI, Meetings, Section 3).
  2. Quorum will be as set in the Bylaws of the Association and must be identical or greater than that required at a regular meeting (Article VI, Section 2).
  3. Percentage of approvals required for election/passage will be as set in the Bylaws of the Association and must be identical or greater than that required at a regular meeting (Article VI, Section 2).
  4. The Association email list will be updated prior to sending out the notice that the ballot has been posted to the website. [This can be accomplished by sending out an email to all members and monitoring the bounces. Email lists are available from the ILA office upon request.]
  5. Paper notices are sent to members without email addresses. Ballots are posted on a website capable of handling elections (i.e. with privacy protection, etc.) Paper ballots must be mailed to voters upon request.
  6. Each ballot message is to state the voting period, the number of responses required for a quorum, the percentage of approvals required for election/passage and information about how the winners/results will be announced.

Section 5. The Association may conduct programs at the ILA Annual Conference, planned in cooperation with and approved by the ILA President.

Article VII - Committees

Section 1. The Nominating Committee will consist of the Chair, Vice Chair, and a Member at Large appointed by the Vice Chair. This committee will serve a one-year term. The Vice Chair will serve as the committee chair.
Section 2. Other Association committees may be appointed by the Chair as recommended by the membership or the Executive Committee.

Article VIII – Dissolution

Section 1. The Association may be dissolved by membership vote at the Annual Business Meeting.
Section 2. The Association will be dissolved by the Iowa Library Association Executive Board if it fails to comply with ILA subdivision requirements.

Article IX – Amendments to the Bylaws

The Bylaws may be amended by 2/3 majority vote of the members attending the Annual Business Meeting.
Proposed changes must be submitted to the membership in writing at least 30 days prior to the vote.

Article X – Parliamentary Authority

The rules of order governing the Association will be Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised, in all cases where they are applicable and when not in conflict with the Bylaws of the Association or the Iowa Library Association.

Article XI – Awards

 

 

Adopted October 1985
Revised, October 1993
Amended, October 1994
Revised, May 2002
Revised October 2008
Revised October 2010
Revised February 2012