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HSLANJ – HEALTH SCIENCES LIBRARY ASSOCIATION OF NEW JERSEY
Last Amended: June 2016
ARTICLE I. NAME.
The name of this association shall be the Health Sciences Library Association of New Jersey, Inc.
ARTICLE II. OBJECTIVE.
The objective of this organization shall be to encourage and to promote the utilization of health and wellness information through the collection, organization and dissemination of information; to develop the usefulness and efficiency of health science libraries in support of quality patient care; to promote research in the field of information sciences; to promote high professional standards; to provide its members with channels of communication; to help members in their professional development and advancement.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP.
Section 1. Classifications.
There shall be six classes of membership: Individual Members, Retired Members, Student Members, Institutional Members, Affiliate Members and Honorary Members.
Section 2. Qualifications.
A. Individual members shall be persons who are or were at the time of application
Engaged or interested in healthcare or allied scientific library work; and
Work in a New Jersey health sciences library or who live in New Jersey; and
Shall have paid the required membership fee
B. Retired Members shall be persons who have retired from active library work, have previously been an Institutional, Individual or Affiliate Member in good standing for a minimum of five consecutive or nonconsecutive years and paid the required membership fee.
C. Student Members shall be persons who are enrolled in an accredited library school. Student membership is limited to three consecutive years. Proof of enrollment is required.
D. Institutional Members shall be organizations that support the objectives of the Association. Institutional members must be physically located in New Jersey and there can only be one Institutional Member per Library. An Institutional Membership is required for participation in the New Jersey Health Science Interlibrary Loan Network (NJHSN). Institutional Members shall designate one representative to vote on Association matters on the membership application. Once an organization has named an Institutional Representative, that representative can only be changed under the following circumstances: If the representative leaves the organization, is promoted, or the job changes significantly. Employees of member institutions, other than the designated representative, may participate in Association activities, but must join as an Individual Member in order to vote, hold office or be eligible to register for CE activities at member rates.
E. Honorary members shall be persons who have been nominated and approved by the membership for outstanding contributions to the health sciences library profession.
F. Affiliate Members shall be individuals wishing to support health sciences libraries in New Jersey and the objectives of the Association and who have paid the required membership fee. Affiliate membership is for individuals or organizations not eligible for Institutional, Individual, or Student membership. Such members may reside either within or outside of New Jersey. If multiple individuals of one institution seek membership, separate affiliate memberships are required.
Section 3 Rights and Privileges
A. Voting: All Individual and Retired Members may vote. One designated representative from an Institutional Membership may vote. Affiliate Members, Honorary Members and Student Members may not vote.
B. Office or Committee Appointment: Individual, Institutional and Retired Members are eligible to hold office. Affiliate Members may not hold office on the Executive Board. Individual, Institutional, Retired and Affiliate Members are eligible to be appointed to committees.
C. NJHSN Rights and Privileges: Institutional Members who wish to participate in NJHSN, HSLANJ’s interlibrary loan network, must meet NJHSN membership requirements.
D. Group Licensing Initiative Privileges: Only Institutional members shall receive discounted rates on administrative fees. All other members or non-members must pay non-member rates for administrative fees only.
E. Other Rights and Privileges: Only Individual, Affiliate, Student, Honorary, Retired and Institutional representatives may receive membership discounts at CE activities and have access to the HSLANJ Members Only listserv.
Section 4. Membership Application and Approval.
Application for any class of membership shall be made on appropriate forms to the Board of Directors, the President, or the Membership Secretary. Applicants meeting the requirements set forth in the Bylaws shall be entitled to all rights and privileges of membership from the time dues are paid.
Section 5. Dues.
The dues shall be determined by the voting members of the Association. Changes in the fee structure will be published prior to voting. Retired and Student Members shall pay reduced fees as delineated in the Association directory. Honorary Members shall be exempt. Dues shall be paid by April 1st. Any member who has not paid by this date shall be dropped from the membership.
Section 6. Fiscal Year.
The fiscal year of the Health Sciences Library Association of New Jersey shall be April 1st through March 31st.
ARTICLE IV. MEETINGS.
Section 1. General Meetings.
There shall be one regular general meeting each year which shall be called the Annual Meeting. This meeting shall include the Association’s annual business meeting and the installation of officers. Additional meetings and continuing education programs will be held as necessary.
Section 2. Quorum.
A quorum for the transaction of business shall be the presence of at least twenty-five per cent (25%) of the voting membership.
Section 3. Order of Business.
The order of business at the general meeting shall be at the discretion of the presiding officer and the Board of Directors, but the business can include: Approval of Minutes, Treasurer’s Report, Committee Reports, and other reports from the Board of Directors, Old Business and New Business.
ARTICLE V. OFFICERS, NOMINATING PROCESS AND ELECTIONS.
Section 1. Elected Officers.
The elected officers of the Association shall be a President, a Vice-President/President-Elect, Recording Secretary, Membership Secretary, and Assistant Treasurer/Treasurer.
Section 2. Nominations and Nominating Process.
A. The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Immediate Past President, the Vice- President/President-Elect and two elected members who are active members of the Association. The Immediate Past President shall serve as the Chair of the Committee. Members of the Committee shall not serve more than one successive year on the Committee. This Committee shall meet at least once annually.
Section 3. Qualifications for Nomination.
The nominees for elected positions shall be active members of the association.
Section 4. Elections.
A. The officers of the Association and members of the association’s Nominating Committee shall be nominated and elected as provided for in the Bylaws. Elected officers shall be installed at the close of the Annual meeting. Voting ballots shall be distributed and returned to the Nominating Committee Chair by the designated date appearing on the ballot. The results of the election shall be announced at the Annual meeting.
B. The President and the Vice-President/President Elect shall be elected for a one year term. The Membership Secretary and the Recording Secretary shall serve for two years. The Assistant Treasurer/Treasurer shall serve for four years; the first year as Assistant Treasurer, the second and third years as Treasurer, and the fourth year as Past Treasurer. The second year of the Treasurer’s term shall overlap the last year of the outgoing Past Treasurer’s term. The third year of the Treasurer’s term shall overlap the first year of the incoming Assistant Treasurer/Treasurer’s term. Officers shall not serve more than two successive terms in the same office.
C. The yearly terms of elected officers shall be staggered so that no more than four officers are installed in the same year.
Section 5. Removal of Officers and Board Members
Any Board Member or Officer may be removed by a majority vote of the full membership of the Board if the person is not fulfilling their duties.
ARTICLE VI. DUTIES OF OFFICERS.
Section 1. President.
The President shall be the Chief Elected Officer of the Association and shall serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors. The responsibilities of this office include presiding at all meetings, preparing the annual report and serving as an ex-officio member of all standing committees. The President shall call special meetings as necessary.
Section 2. Vice-President/President Elect.
In the absence of or resignation of the President or at the request of the President, the Vice-President/President Elect shall perform the duties and exercise the functions of the President. The Vice-President/President Elect serves as the Program Chairman. In addition, the Vice-President/President Elect shall serve as Chair of the Education Committee and be a member of the Nominating Committee.
Section 3. Recording Secretary.
The Recording Secretary shall maintain and present the minutes of all general and Board of Director’s meetings.
Section 4. Membership Secretary.
The Membership Secretary shall maintain the membership files and records and perform all duties relating to the application for membership process. Production and distribution of the Annual Membership Directory is also the responsibility of this officer. The Membership Secretary collects dues and maintains a list of members in good standing. Dues notices shall be sent during the month of November. Dues collected shall be turned over to the Treasurer.
Section 5. Assistant Treasurer/Treasurer
For the purposes of clarity, this role shall be referred to as Assistant Treasurer in the first year of their term, Treasurer in the second and third year, and Past Treasurer in the fourth year. In the first year of their term, this officer shall serve as Assistant Treasurer while becoming familiar with the fiscal affairs of the Association. In the absence of or resignation of the Treasurer, the Assistant Treasurer shall perform the duties and exercise the functions of the Treasurer. For the second and third years of their term, this officer shall assume the title of Treasurer. The Treasurer shall conduct the financial affairs of the Association and work closely with the incoming Assistant Treasurer, providing any necessary training for the duties of this office. For the fourth year of their term, this officer shall serve as the title of Past Treasurer serving as a backup treasurer. In the absence of or resignation of the Treasurer, the Past Treasurer shall perform the duties and exercise the functions of the Treasurer until the end of the fiscal year.
Section 6. Resignation.
In the event of the resignation of any officer, other than President, the Board of Directors shall appoint a member to fill the officer, subject to confirmation by vote of the membership, at the next general meeting.
ARTICLE VII. BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Section 1. Membership.
The Board of Directors shall consist of the elected officers and the Immediate Past President. Three additional Directors shall be elected to serve three year terms. The Board may appoint others to serve in an ex-officio capacity.
Section 2. Qualifications.
The elected members of the Board of Directors shall be current members of the Health Sciences Library Association of New Jersey from one of the following categories: Individual, Institutional and Retired Members.
Section 3. Terms of Office.
The elected officers shall be members of the Board of Directors during their terms of office. During years in which there are both a Treasurer and an Assistant Treasurer or there are both a Treasurer and a Past Treasurer, both shall be members of the Board of Directors and have voting rights. The three elected Directors shall serve terms of three years each, one member to be elected annually. In the event of resignation by any of these members, a vacancy in the Board membership shall be filled by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Board of Directors. The interim Board member shall serve until approval by vote of the general membership at the next general meeting.
Section 4. Duties.
The Board of Directors shall generate and maintain written policies and procedures. Long range goals and objectives shall be written and updated annually. The Board shall review all standing and special committee reports on an annual basis and perform other functions as the membership directs. The Board of Directors shall review and evaluate the Bylaws every three years.
Section 5. Meetings.
The Board of Directors shall hold at least four meetings annually, either in person or via conference call. Additional meetings shall be held upon request of the President or upon written request of any three members of the Board. Actions taken by the Board will be highlighted in the President’s Annual Report.
Section 6. Board of Directors Meetings.
All elected officers shall attend the Board of Directors Meetings.
Section 7. Quorum.
A quorum for conducting the business of the Board of Directors shall be no less than four Board members empowered to vote.
ARTICLE VIII. COMMITTEES.
Section 1. Establishment.
The Board of Directors shall establish, by majority vote, any standing and special committees considered useful to furthering the aims and objectives of the Association. The Board of Directors shall prepare charges for each committee.
Section 2. Appointment of Committee Chairman.
The Chair of each committee shall be appointed by the President immediately after installation. The President may terminate appointments at his/her discretion.
Section 3. Standing Committees.
Standing Committees shall consist of at least the following: Education, Information Technology, the HSLANJ Group Licensing Initiative, Communications, and Member Engagement.
Section 4. Special Committees.
Special Committees shall be formulated by the Board of Directors as needed. Upon presentation of a final report to the general membership, the Special Committee automatically ceases to exist. The Nominating Committee shall serve as a Special Committee.
Section 5. Duties of Committee Chairman.
The Committee Chair shall appoint its members and prepare minutes. Minutes and reports shall be submitted to the President prior to the Annual meeting.
ARTICLE IX. FORMATION AND RECOGNITION OF SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
Section 1. Special Interest Groups.
A group based on special interests shall be referred to as a Special Interest Group. Only Association members may organize and function as Special Interest Groups. New Special Interest Groups shall be recognized by the Association provided that the following conditions are met.
A. The stated purpose of the Special Interest Group is consistent with and related to purposes stated in the Constitution and Bylaws and its activities are consistent with these purposes.
B. After considering a petition, the Board will approve or disapprove it. In the latter case, a petition will be referred back to the petitioners for further study and revision. Approval of a petition by the Board shall authorize permanent status, provided the terms of continued recognition are met.
C. Petitions to form a new Special Interest Group shall be signed by a minimum of five of the Association’s voting members, except that the Board may consider a petition with less than five signatures when a smaller number of members are pursuing a specific interest which may justify a new Special Interest Group.
D. A section so requests.
Section 2. Membership.
An Association member may belong to more than one Special Interest Group.
ARTICLE X. PUBLICATIONS.
Section 2. Special Publications.
A. The President’s Annual Report shall include the progress of all committees, incorporated by reference, the written policies and procedures and highlights of the long range plans of the Association and shall be presented at the Annual Meeting and sent out via email to all members of HSLANJ.
B. An Annual Ballot shall be distributed to each voting member of the Association.
C. An Application Form for membership to the Association shall be available from the Membership Secretary and on the Association’s website.
D. The HSLANJ Organizational Manual shall be written, published and updated as needed to serve as an officer’s manual with guidelines to the operation of the Association. The Immediate Past President shall be responsible for reviewing the manual, proposing any needed revisions, and presenting it to the Board.
E. The Association Directory shall be published on an annual basis.
Section 3. Distribution and Dissemination of Publications
A. Costs for distribution of Association Publications shall be assumed by the Association.
B. Special publications may be included as inserts into regular Association publications.
ARTICLE XI. HEADQUARTERS.
The location of the Association Headquarters shall be the institutional employer of the President;
ARTICLE XII. AFFILIATION.
Affiliations with any societies having objectives allied to those of this organization shall be encouraged. Affiliation or disaffiliation may be proposed by the Board of Directors and authorized by a majority vote.
ARTICLE XIII. AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS.
Section 1. Approval.
The Bylaws have been adopted by a majority vote of the membership of the Health Sciences Library Association of New Jersey.
Section 2. Proposed Changes.
Amendments should be submitted to the Immediate Past President. They may be proposed by the Board of Directors, the Immediate Past President, or five voting members of the Association. The Immediate Past President shall be responsible for presenting proposals to the Board of Directors.
Section 3. Notices and Voting.
Notice containing the text of any Bylaws change shall be distributed to the membership. Voting may take place at a general meeting or electronically.
Section 4. Enactment.
A Bylaws Amendment goes into effect immediately upon its adoption unless motion specifies another time for its becoming effective.
Section 4. Role of the Immediate Past President.
The Immediate Past President shall be responsible for insuring the Association’s Bylaws are kept current and procedurally correct, reflecting changes in Association direction and goals.
ARTICLE XIV. LIMITED POWER PROVISION.
Notwithstanding any other provision of these articles, the Association shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on (a) by an association exempt from Federal Income Tax under section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law) or (b) by an association, contributions to which are deductible under section 170(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Service Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Service Law).
ARTICLE XV. DISSOLUTION.
In the event of dissolution of the Association, the Board of Directors shall, after paying or making provision for the payment of all liabilities of the Association, dispose of all of the assets of the Association exclusively for the purposes of the Association in such manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1965, as the Board of Directors shall determine.
ARTICLE XVI. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY.
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws and any special rules of order that the Association may adopt.
(Last update 2008)
(Last review 2010)
(Updated February 2012)
(Updated March 2013)
(Updated March 2015)
(Updated March 2016)
(Updated June 2016)
