Cleveland Area Metropolitan Library System Bylaws

Article II. Purpose

• The purpose of the Cleveland Area Metropolitan Library System is to help the libraries of the Greater Cleveland area achieve such an effective and efficient sharing of information, resources, and expertise that they become the very best they can be and the area itself flourishes.

  Article III. Organization

• CAMLS is a membership consortium of academic, public, school, special and other libraries and information centers established to provide cooperative information services and programs among its members. Non-member libraries may contract with CAMLS for services.

  Article IV. Membership

• Full voting membership is open to all academic, public, school, special, and other libraries and information centers that are not full voting members of another Ohio Regional Library System at the time their CAMLS membership begins. Full membership is limited to only one Regional Library System.
  1. Libraries selecting full voting membership become members upon written application to and approval of the CAMLS Board of Trustees by a majority vote and payment of membership fees to be determined annually.

  2. Members are eligible to participate in all CAMLS programs, services, and projects appropriate to their needs.

  3. Members' representatives may vote in all committees including the Advisory Council and may serve as voting members of the Board of Trustees.

  4. Members have a responsibility to cooperate in furthering the goals and objectives of CAMLS.

  5. Membership in CAMLS does not preclude an institution or organization from belonging to other information or bibliographic networks, consortia, systems, or organizations.

• Associate Membership is open to all academic, public, school, special, and other libraries and information centers that have full voting membership in another Regional Library System, or that specifically request Associate Membership status.
  1. Libraries selecting associate membership become members upon written application to and approval of the CAMLS Board of Trustees by a majority vote and payment of membership fees to be determined annually.

  2. Associate Members are eligible to participate in all CAMLS programs, services, and projects appropriate to their needs.

  3. Associate Members' representatives may vote in all committees including the Advisory Council and may serve as non-voting members of the Board of Trustees.

  4. Associate Members have a responsibility to cooperate in furthering the goals and objectives of CAMLS.

  5. Associate Membership in CAMLS does not preclude an institution or organization from belonging to other information or bibliographic networks, consortia, systems, or organizations.

• 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.

• Member libraries who are not members of another Ohio Regional Library System may petition the Board to change membership status at the beginning of the next fiscal year, providing that notice of the intent to change has been received at least 90 days prior to the date of change.

• 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.

• 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 evaluation.

• Representatives of all Member and Associate Member libraries shall collectively constitute the Advisory Council.
  1. Responsibilities of the Advisory Council shall include, but not be limited to: election of the CAMLS Board of Trustees; participation in the development and implementation of CAMLS plans, programs, services, and projects; and serving on committees.

  2. The Director of a member library, or a designated person, will serve on the Advisory Council as its library's voting representative. No more than one voting representative shall be allowed from each CAMLS member library.

  3. The Advisory Council shall meet at least twice each year:

     a. In the Winter to approve the budget information of the LSCA application for the coming fiscal year;

     b. An annual membership meeting in late Spring....

     • to elect new members of the CAMLS Board of Trustees. These new members shall be elected by, from, and among the Advisory Council as described in Article VI;

     • to conduct any business which shall be necessary to fulfill the objectives of the organization; and

     • to receive reports from the Board, the Executive Director, and committees when appropriate.

  4. Additional Advisory Council meetings may be called by the Board or upon written request of six or more of the voting representatives. Written notice of such meetings shall be mailed at least two weeks before the meeting. A majority of the membership who shall be present at any regularly called Advisory Council meeting shall constitute a quorum.

  5. Meetings of the Advisory Council shall be subject to all public meeting laws of the State of Ohio.

  Article V. Membership Dues

• A budget shall be prepared to reflect the proposed activities of the organization and an assessment of dues for local support shall be made in accordance with a formula based on the operating budget of each library. The assessment of dues to be paid by each member library shall be determined after the preparation and approval of the budget by the Board of Trustees. Membership in CAMLS shall cover the fiscal year of the organization. Dues are payable in full at the beginning of the CAMLS fiscal year. No dues shall be refunded.

  Article VI. Board of Trustees

• The CAMLS Board of Trustees shall be composed of:
  1. Thirteen full members with voting privileges elected by, from, and among the Advisory Council. They shall be representative of the membership in the numbers listed below:

     Public Libraries (over 500,000 volumes) Academic Libraries (over 200,000 volumes) Public Libraries (under 500,000 volumes) Academic Libraries (under 200,000 volumes) Special Libraries School Libraries At-large Representatives

     2 members 1 member 3 members 2 members 2 members 1 members 2 members

  2. One non-voting member representing libraries with Associate membership.

  3. The Executive Director serving as an ex-officio, non-voting member.

• The election of the CAMLS Board of Trustees shall be as follows:

  1. At the Spring meeting of the Advisory Council, the President of the Board of Trustees appoints a Nominating Committee of two members of the Advisory Council plus the immediate Past President of the Board of Trustees who shall serve as chair. Members are invited to suggest candidates to the Nominating Committee.

  2. The Nominating Committee nominates individuals from the Advisory Council for each open position -- one candidate per opening.

  3. Nominations are presented to members thirty (30) days prior to the Annual Meeting of the Advisory Council.

  4. The Chair of the Nominating Committee presents the slate of candidates at the Annual Meeting. Nominations are accepted from the floor.

  5. After nominations are closed, the slate of candidates is voted on by those present at the Annual Meeting. Each member library gets one vote.

• The CAMLS Board of Trustees shall have the right to exercise all powers pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Section 3375.91.

• An organizational meeting of the CAMLS Board will be held during the first month of CAMLS' fiscal year.

• Terms of CAMLS Board members are for three years and are staggered with some terms expiring each year.

• 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.

• Meetings of the CAMLS Board shall be subject to all public meeting laws of the State of Ohio.

• A minimum of four meetings of the CAMLS Board shall be held each year: in early Fall to approve new members for the coming fiscal year; in late Fall to approve the long-range plan for the coming fiscal year; in Winter to approve the budget and LSCA application for the coming fiscal year; and in late Spring to elect new Board officers for the coming fiscal year.

• 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.

• 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.

• Duties of elected officers.
  1. The President shall preside at all Board and Advisory Council meetings, appoint committees, and be an ex-officio member of all committees, except the Nominating Committees.

  2. In the absence of the President, or in the event of the President's disability, inability or refusal to act, the Vice-President, who shall be the President Elect, shall perform the duties of the President.

  3. The Secretary shall be responsible for the minutes of each CAMLS Board meeting and shall, in the absence of the President and Vice-President, preside at CAMLS Board meetings. The Secretary will monitor the Bylaws annually for conformity with law and practice.

• Officers of the Board of Trustees are elected in the following manner:

  1. The Vice-President/President Elect assumes the duties of the President.

  2. The incoming Board President shall appoint three Board members to prepare nominations for Vice-President/President Elect and Secretary of the Board. These nominations shall be of current or incoming members of the Board, and are to be presented to the Board at its late Spring meeting. Board members will vote at this meeting and newly elected officers will assume their duties at the beginning of CAMLS' fiscal year.

  Article VIII. Committees of the Board

• 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.

• 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.

• 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. Staff

• The Board of Trustees shall appoint staff in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code Section 3375.91.

  Article X. Official Year

• The official fiscal year shall be from July 1 through June 30.

  Article XI. 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 XII. Dissolution of Organization

• The Board of Trustees of CAMLS may dissolve this organization in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code Section 3375.93.

  Article XIII. Amendments

• These Bylaws may be altered or amended by a two-thirds vote of the CAMLS Board after notifying all Advisory Council representatives of the complete proposed alteration or amendment at least 30 days in advance.
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  produced 7/14/96
  

  copyright © 1996 Cleveland Area Metropolitan Library System