Approved by the CAMLS Board of Trustees on January 24, 2001
Article I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the Cleveland Area Metropolitan Library System, here after referred to as CAMLS.
Article II. Organization
CAMLS is a membership consortium of academic, public, school, special and other libraries and information centers.
Article III. Purpose
The Cleveland Area Metropolitan Library System is a multitype library cooperative assisting member libraries to better meet the needs of their customers by creating opportunities to accomplish services and programs beyond individual capabilities and resources. CAMLS facilitates the work of member libraries through membership driven services, professional development and responsible fiscal management.
Article IV. Membership
A. Full voting membership is open to all academic, public, special, and school libraries and other cooperative ventures as defined in the Ohio Revised Code (3375.90 A) that are not full voting members of another Ohio Regional Library System. Full membership is limited to only one Regional Library System.
B. Associate Membership is limited to all academic, public, special, and school libraries and other cooperative ventures as defined in the Ohio Revised Code (3375.90 A) that have full voting membership in another Regional Library System.
C. A membership may be terminated at the end of the CAMLS fiscal year, providing that notice of the intent to withdraw has been received at least eighteen months prior to the date of withdrawal.
D. Member libraries who are also members of another Ohio Regional Library System may petition the Board to change membership status at the beginning of the CAMLS fiscal year, providing that notice of the intent to change has been received at least eighteen months prior to the date of change.
E. Continued membership and its privileges are contingent upon the prompt payment of fees. The CAMLS Board of Trustees may remove from membership any library for reasons including, but not limited to: non-payment of fees, failure to appoint a representative, and failure to submit required reports and evaluations.
F. Representatives of all Member and Associate Member libraries shall collectively constitute the Advisory Council.
Article V. Membership Dues
A budget shall be prepared to reflect CAML's proposed activities and an assessment of dues for local support shall be made in accordance with a formula, developed by the Finance Committee and approved by the CAMLS Board of Trustees.
The operating budget for multiple libraries within one institution will be the sum of the operating budgets participating in that membership.
The CAMLS Budget will be developed according to the following schedule:
Membership in CAMLS shall cover the fiscal year July 1 through June 30. Dues are payable in full at the beginning of the CAMLS fiscal year. No dues shall be refunded.
If a member library fails to pay its total current year Membership Assessment by August 31 (within 61 days after the start of the fiscal year), CAMLS will levy the following finance charges against the account of the member library.
If a member library fails to pay its current Membership Assessment by October 31, the Board of Trustees will vote at its next meeting to suspend its membership privileges, effective immediately. The suspension of a library's membership privileges will be lifted upon the full payment plus finance charge of its Membership Assessment.
Article VI. Board of Trustees
A. The CAMLS Board of Trustees shall be composed of:
Public Libraries (over 100,000 volumes) Public Libraries (under 100,000 volumes) Academic Libraries Special Libraries School Libraries At-large Representatives |
3 members 3 members 2 members 2 members 1 member 2 members |
B. The election of the CAMLS Board of Trustees shall be as follows:
C. The CAMLS Board of Trustees shall have the right to exercise all powers pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 3375.91.
D. An organizational meeting of the CAMLS Board will be held during the first month of CAMLS' fiscal year.
E. Terms of CAMLS Board members are for three years, with the following exception: If the Vice-President/President Elect is elected to this position for the third year of his/her term, this persons term shall be extended for a fourth year; upon completion of the fourth year, that Board seat is opened for election for a three-year term. Terms of Board members are staggered with some terms expiring each year.
F. If a vacancy occurs on the CAMLS Board, the President shall fill the unexpired term through appointment; however, the appointee must be representative of the same library type as the original member. An "at large" representative shall be replaced by another "at large" representative.
G. Meetings of the CAMLS Board shall be subject to all public meeting laws of the State of Ohio.
H. A minimum of six meetings of the CAMLS Board shall be held each year.
I. Special meetings of the CAMLS Board may be called at the direction of the President, or at the request of three Board members, for the transaction of business as stated in the call for the meeting with one week's notice required. Notices should provide reply forms for the Board members to indicate their plans for attendance.
J. A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of a simple majority of the members of the CAMLS Board.
Article VII. Officers
The elected officers of the Board of Trustees shall be a President, Vice-President/President Elect, and Secretary. The officers of the Board of Trustees shall also act as officers of the Advisory Council.
A. Duties of elected officers.
B. Officers of the Board of Trustees are elected in the following manner:
Article VIII. Committees of the Board
A. The following shall be the Standing Committees of the CAMLS Board: Finance, Personnel, and Planning. The members of the Standing Committees shall be appointed by the President at the beginning of the term. There shall be Board representation on all Standing Committees, but all Advisory Council members are eligible to serve. Nominating Committees, designated in sections VI-B and VII-B will be appointed as required. A Bylaws Committee will be appointed as needed.
B. The President shall appoint other committees of two or more members each for specific purposes as the business of the CAMLS Board may require. These committees shall be considered to be discharged upon the completion of the purpose for which they were appointed and after their final reports are made to the CAMLS Board.
C. Search Committees for the positions of Executive Director and Clerk Treasurer will be appointed as needed. Each committee will establish operating procedures in accord with appropriate statutes.
Article IX. Non-Members
Non-Members may contract with CAMLS for service.
Article X. Staff
The Board of Trustees shall appoint staff in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code Section 3375.91.
Article XI. Official Year
The official fiscal year shall be from July 1 through June 30.
Article XII. Parliament Authority
Meetings of both the Advisory Council and the CAMLS Board of Trustees will follow parliamentary procedures as outlined in Robert's Rules of Order newly Revised, current edition, when consistent with CAMLS Bylaws or the Ohio Revised Code.
Article XIII. Dissolution of Organization
The Board of Trustees of CAMLS may dissolve this organization in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code Section 3375.93.
Article XIV. Amendments