Sustainability Round Table Community

*There is a newer draft version available for editing*

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BYLAWS: Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT)

1. I.                   Name:

      The name of this organization shall be the Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT).

1. II.                Purpose:

      The Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT) shall exist as a professional forum and to develop programs of particular interest to the library community from all types of libraries and all forms of library service, including formal opportunities for continued involvement and learning; a variety of leadership training; professional involvement and networking; and, active engagement in the American Library Association and library community.

Do we want/need to include these aspects of the Mission Statement:

"...to exchange ideas and opportunities regarding sustainability in order to move toward a more equitable, healthy and economically viable society."  -- Yes. (MA), Yes (KMK), YES (BFW), Yes (ABJ) yes (ble)

"Resources for the library community to support sustainability through curriculum development; collections; exhibits; events; advocacy, communication and library buildings and space design." -- Yes. (MA), Yes (KMK), YES (BFW), YES (ABJ), yes -- Is "programming" outdated/redundant to add here? I think we all get the point. (ble)

1. III.             Membership

      Any member of the American Library Association may become a member of the Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT) upon payment of ALA and SustainRT dues. 

1. A.                The Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT) includes both personal members and organizational members.  (Who are organizational members? - MA) ... check this out:
   http://www.ala.org/membership/memberbenefits/benefitsorg, this is how another group I belong to works, both individual and institutional members (ie my library is an institutional member, therefor myself or anyone else from my library can participate...I had no idea ALA did this, I think allowing organizational members is good, the more the merrier yeah? (ABJ)


2. B.                 Only personal members of SustainRT are eligible to vote or to hold elective office or committee appointments.  


3. C.                Dues shall be determined by the SustainRT Board of Directors with the approval of the membership.


4. D.                The membership, conference and fiscal years shall be the same as those of the American Library Association.

1. IV.             Board of Directors (Who makes up the Board of Directors and who are on the Executive Board?  Are they the same? - MA) - I *think* its terminology meaning the same thing. Board is definitely larger if not, including the treasurer and president? and the exec board sounds like everyone but these two (and ALA Councilor perhaps too)  ?? -  (BFW), If they are the same thing, should we pick one term and stick with it, instead of using both interchangeably, like in 3B below? (ABJ)
   


2. A.                The Board of Directors shall consist of 10 members, the President, Vice-President/President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, and four Directors-at-Large and an Assistant Treasurer/Treasurer elect.  Each shall have one vote, except the Assistant Treasurer/Treasurer-elect, who shall be a non-voting member of the Executive Board, and the President, who shall vote only in the event of a tie vote of the Executive Board (??).


3. B.                 At such point as the SustainRT meets the minimum membership requirements for election of an ALA Councilor, the SustainRT Councilor shall also be a member of the SustainRT Executive Board.


4. C.                The Board of Directors shall have the general supervision of the affairs of the SustainRT, within the policies of the American Library Association and the Sustainability Round Table.


5. D.                The Board shall report on its activities to the members of the Sustainability Round Table.


6. E.                 All meetings of the Board of the Sustainability Round Table shall be open except for discussion affecting the privacy of individuals or institutions.


7. F.                 A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum.

1. V.                Officers


2. A.                The officers of the Sustainability Round Table shall be the President, Vice-President/President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer. All officers must be personal members in good standing of ALA and SustainRT. 


3. B.                 The Vice-President/President-elect will be elected for a three-year term and serves one year of that term as Vice-President, one year as President, and one year as Immediate Past President.
   
   
   1. The President shall chair the Board of Directors and shall preside at meetings of the Round Table.   The President shall appoint the Nominating Committee, to the chaired by the Immediate Past President, for the next election cycle. The President shall identify actions of interest to the SustainRT and recommend such actions to the Board.
   
   
   2. The Vice-President/President-elect shall appoint the chair of each standing committee and members to fill vacancies in such committees, for terms beginning with his/her year as president, except the Nominating Committee.  If a vacancy occurs in the office of President, the Vice-President/president-elect will assume the duties of the President.
   
   
   3. The Immediate Past President shall chair the Nominating Committee.
   
   
   4. C.                The SustainRT Secretary will be elected for a two-year term and shall be responsible for the general correspondence of the Round Tables and the minutes of board and general membership meetings. The Secretary, coordinating with the ALA staff liaison, shall arrange for preservation of the SustainRT archives.
   
   
   5. D.                The Assistant  Treasurer/Treasurer-Elect will be elected for a three-year term and serves one year of that term as Vice-Treasurer (non-voting) and two years as Treasurer.
      
      
      
      1. The Assistant Treasurer/Treasurer-Elect shall have no fiscal authority but be responsible for learning ALA and SustainRT budget and report-writing policies and processes.
      
      
      2. The Treasurer shall review and approve all expenses, coordinating with the ALA staff liaison, and prepare reports and a proposed budget for each fiscal year.
      
      
      3. E.                 The SustainRT Councilor will be elected for a term as defined in the ALA Bylaws.
      
      
      4. F.                 Directors-at-large will serve for two-year, staggered terms.  Directors shall be eligible for election to a second consecutive term.
      
      
   
   

1. VI.             Nominations and Elections


2. A.                A special Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Board for each election and chaired by the Immediate Past President.


3. B.                 All members of the Nominating Committee shall be members in good standing of the Sustainability Round Table. 


4. C.                Following the meeting of the Nominating Committee and at the ALA Annual Conference preceding the regular election of the American Library Association, the Nominating Committee Chair will submit a slate of one or more nominees for each office to be elected, to be approved by the SustainRT Executive Board. An individual not slated by the Nominating Committee may be nominated by petition of at least fifteen (15) members *what is our current membership? (ble)of SustainRT.  All nominees, slated or petition, must consent in writing to the nomination.


5. D.                All nominees shall be members in good standing of the Sustainability Round Table and shall be members in good standing at time of election. 


6. E.                 In case of death, disability or resignation of a member of the Executive Board, the Board may appoint a successor, if succession is not otherwise provided, to serve until the next regular election.

1. VII.          Committees


2. A.                The Executive Board may establish committees and prescribe their purpose and composition. 


3. B.                 All persons appointed to SustainRT committees must be members in good standing of SustainRT.


4. C.                Committee appointments are for two-year terms, renewable once, except for the initial appointments to a new committee which may be staggered.  Committee chairs are appointed for one-year terms from among the membership of the committee.  Committee chairs may be appointed for an additional one-year chairmanship.


5. D.                The Executive Board may remove a Committee Chair if the Chair fails to carry out his/her duties as outlined in the SustainRT Handbook, following a period in which the President or other officer, as delegated by the President, provides the Chair with a written warning including a statement of expectations and timeframe for improvement.


6. E.                 Committees shall maintain records of their proceedings and shall report on their activities at the annual meeting and at such other times as they may be directed to do so by the President.


7. F.                 Appointments to vacancies to chair and to committee vacancies in standing committees are made by the SustainRt Vice-president/President-elect.  Appointments to special committees and task forces are made by the President at the time the special committee or task force is created.

1. VIII.       Meetings


2. A.                The annual meeting of the SustainRT membership shall take place during the annual meeting of the American Library Association. Members may also attend virtually.


3. B.                 Special membership meetings may be called by the Board and shall be called by the President upon the written request of 25 members of SustainRT.  At least thirty (30) days notice shall be given and only business specified in the call to meeting shall be transacted.


4. C.                A quorum shall consist of 1% (one percent seems low for a quorum - MA) of the membership of the SustainRt. (Do we know what percentages other groups use? ABJ)


5. D.                There shall be a midwinter meeting of the Executive Board of SustainRT when deemed necessary.  It will be held in conjunction with the midwinter meeting of the American Library Association... OR Virtually with a week before or after the ALA conference. (BFW) (Yes, ABJ) 


6. E.                 Executive Board meetings will occur as deemed necessary by the Executive Board.


7. F.                 SustainRt shall follow the same parliamentary authority as the American Library Association.

1. IX.             Calendar


2. A.                The member service or conference year shall be from the close of one annual conference of the American Library Association to the close of the next annual conference.


3. B.                 The membership year shall correspond with the ALA membership year.


4. C.                The budget (fiscal) year shall be the same as that of the American Library Association, September 1 through August 31.

1. X.                Amendments


2. A.                Amendments to the Bylaws shall be proposed in writing and may be introduced by the Executive Board, Governance Committee, or by any twenty-five (25) members in good standing of SustainRT.


3. B.                 Printed notice of proposed amendments shall be published to the membership at least thirty (30) days and no longer than ninety (90) days before presentation of the amendments to the membership for ratification.


4. C.                The Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the entire membership voting, to be conducted by mail ballot.  <chk language – re. electronic ballot> (Do we want to also change this wording to electronic ballot? - ABJ)


5. D.            No letter D.  (MA)

1. XI.             Limitation

The Sustainability Round Table is an approved entity of the American Library Association, which is a 501(c)(3) organization incorporated in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and operates within the policies of the American Library Association.

1. XII.          Dissolution

                  Upon dissolution of the Sustainability Round Table all assets derived from SustainRT dues, products and services remain within the American Library Association.