Sustainability Round Table Community

BYLAWS: Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT)

I.             Name:

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

II.          Purpose:

The Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT) shall exist as a professional forum and to develop programs to aid in the development of programs and resources of particular interest to the library community from all types of libraries and all forms of library service. including but not limited to: formal opportunities for continued involvement and learning; a variety of leadership training; professional involvement development (?) and networking; and, active engagement in the American Library Association and library community. The Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT) will provide the following:

• A professional forum vehicle for ALA members to exchange ideas and opportunities regarding sustainability in order to move toward a more equitable, healthy and economically viable society.


• Resources for the library community to support sustainability through curriculum development; collections; exhibits; events; advocacy, communication and library buildings and space design.


• Professional development and leadership training opportunities.
  

III.        Membership

A.      Any member of the American Library Association may become a member of the Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT) upon payment of ALA and SustainRT dues. 
B.      The Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT) includes both individual members and organizational members.  
C.      Only individual members of SustainRT are eligible to vote or to hold elective office or committee appointments.  
D.      Dues shall be determined by the SustainRT Board of Directors.

IV.          Board of Directors 

A.      The Executive Board shall consist of seven members: the Coordinator, Coordinator-Elect, Immediate Past Coordinator, Secretary, Treasurer, and two Members-at-Large.  Each shall have one vote.
B.      In the event of a tie vote of the Board of Directors, the President shall be the deciding vote.
C.      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 Board of Directors.
D.      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.
E.      The Board shall report on its activities to the members of the Sustainability Round Table.
F.      All meetings of the Board of the Sustainability Round Table shall be open except for discussion affecting the privacy of individuals or institutions.
G.      A majority of the Board (4 out of 7)(?)  Board members shall constitute a quorum. Quorum can be met by both physical and virtual attendees of meetings. (?)
 

V.            Officers

The officers of the Sustainability Round Table shall be Coordinator, Coordinator-Elect, Immediate Past Coordinator, Secretary, Treasurer and two Members-at-large. All officers must be personal members in good standing of ALA and SustainRT. 

A.      The Coordinator-elect will be elected for a three-year term and serves one year of that term as Coordinator-elect, one year as Coordinator, and one year as Immediate Past Coordinator.
B.      The Coordinator shall chair the Board of Directors and shall preside at meetings of the Round Table.   The Coordinator shall appoint the Nominating Committee, to be chaired by the Immediate Past Coordinator, for the next election cycle. The Coordinator shall identify actions of interest to the SustainRT and recommend such actions to the Board.
C.      The Coordinator-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 Coordinator, except the Nominating Committee.  If a vacancy occurs in the office of Coordinator, the Coordinator-elect will assume the duties of the Coordinator.
D.      The Immediate Past Coordinator shall chair the Nominating Committee.
E.      The 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.               
F.      The Treasurer will be elected for a two-year term? and shall review and approve all expenses, coordinating with the ALA staff liaison, and prepare reports and a proposed budget for each fiscal year beginning September 1.
G.      Members-at-large will serve for two-year, staggered terms.  Members shall be eligible for election to a second consecutive term. {How are we handling this first board--will one of us have a three-year term?}
H.      The SustainRT Councilor will be elected for a term as defined in the ALA Bylaws.
 

VI.          Nominations and Elections
 
A.      A special Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Board for each election and chaired by the Immediate Past Coordinator.
B.      All members of the Nominating Committee shall be members in good standing of the Sustainability Round Table.
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 self-nominated.  All nominees must consent in writing or electronically via email to the nomination.
D.      All nominees shall be members in good standing of the Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT) and shall be members in good standing at time of election. 
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.
                 

VII.       Committees

A.      The Executive Board may establish committees and prescribe their purpose and composition. 
B.      All persons appointed to SustainRT committees must be members in good standing of SustainRT.
C.      Committee appointments are for two-year terms, renewable once (for another 2 years? or one year? It's a bit confusing) , 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.
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 {Where is this? What is this?}, following a period in which the Coordinator or other officer, as delegated by the Coordinator, provides the Chair with a written warning including a statement of expectations and timeframe for improvement.
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 Coordinator.
F.      Appointments to vacancies to chair and to committee vacancies in standing committees are made by the SustainRt Coordinator-elect.  Appointments to special committees and task forces are made by the Coordinator at the time the special committee or task force is created.
 

VIII.     Meetings

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.

B.      Special virtual membership meetings may be called by the Board and shall be called by the Coordinator.  At least thirty (30) days notice shall be given and only business specified in the call to meeting shall be transacted.
C.      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 within a week before or after the ALA conference.  

IX.          Calendar

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

X.            Amendments

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.
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.
C.      The Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the entire membership participating in the vote? voting, to be conducted by electronic ballot. This is unclear to me.

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.

XII.       Dissolution

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