BAISL Bylaws

ARTICLE I. Name and Regional Jurisdiction

This organization shall be known as Bay Area Independent School Librarians (BAISL). The regional jurisdiction of this organization is Northern California.

ARTICLE II. Purpose

The purpose of BAISL is to further the professional growth of its member librarians, to support the improvement of non-public school libraries, and to foster co-operation with other libraries.

ARTICLE III. Membership

To join BAISL, one must be a non-public school librarian. A non-working or retired member may request to cease paying BAISL dues and become a non-voting member of the organization.

ARTICLE IV. Meetings

Meetings of BAISL shall be held at least three times a year with at least one being an all-day meeting held alternately in each of the Bay Area communities, i.e., North Bay, East Bay, South Bay, and San Francisco. At least one meeting each year shall be held in San Francisco.

A meeting in which a vote is taken will require a quorum. A quorum shall consist of one-quarter of the dues paying membership

ARTICLE V. Officers

Section 1. The President shall preside at meetings and by the first meeting shall appoint committee chairs. The President shall act as spokesperson for BAISL and shall prepare an annual report for reading at the first meeting of the year. At the Winter Meeting, the President shall convene the three-member Nominating Committee.

Section 2. The Vice-President shall serve as program chair perform the duties of the President during the absence or disability of the latter, and perform such other duties as may be assigned by the President.

Section 3. The Membership Director shall maintain a directory of members that will be published after the Fall Meeting each year with updating as needed.

Section 4. The Secretary shall maintain a true and accurate record of all meetings of BAISL, prepare and keep copies of all correspondence, and establish and maintain a filing system for the records of the organization.

Section 5. The Treasurer shall collect dues, make authorized payments and keep complete records of receipts and expenditures on a fiscal year basis beginning July 1 and ending June 30 of each year. Additionally, the treasurer shall present a financial report at the Spring Meeting.

ARTICLE VI. Committees.

Section 1. The Nominating Committee shall consist of three members as follows: one member of the BAISL Council of Past Presidents, one current officer and one member to be appointed by the President from the membership. The Nominating Committee shall meet at least one month before the Spring Meeting. At the Spring Meeting, the Nominating Committee shall present to the membership a slate of nominees for the offices of President and Vice-President in odd numbered years; other officers in even number years. The Nominating Committee shall strive to include both elementary and high school librarians in this slate of candidates.

Section 2. The Web Committee shall be responsible for the design and maintenance of the BAISL website and other online features. The Web Committee shall consist of a committee chair appointed by the President. The Chair shall ask for volunteers from the membership to serve on this committee as needed. At least one BAISL officer shall be a member of this committee.

Section 3. The BAISL Council of Past Presidents (BCPP) shall consist of past BAISL presidents with the current President as an ex officio member. The BCPP acts in an advisory capacity to the officers and serves as a collective memory for the organization. The BCPP meets at least bi-yearly.

Section 4. The Bylaws Committee shall be responsible for reviewing the BAISL Bylaws and recommending amendments and revisions to the membership for approval. The Bylaws Committee shall consist of a committee chair appointed by the President. The Chair shall ask for volunteers from the membership to serve on this committee as needed.

Section 5. Other committees may be formed at the discretion of the President.

ARTICLE VII. Election of Officers

Section 1. The election of officers shall be held during the business portion of the Spring Meeting. To be elected as an officer, a nominee must receive a majority vote of a quorum of the membership. Election may proceed only with a quorum in attendance. The officers shall be elected to serve for two years or until their successors are elected, and their term of office shall begin at the close of the Spring Meeting. The election of President and Vice-President shall take place in odd numbered years. Election of other officers shall take place in even numbered years. No member shall hold more than one office at a time, and no member shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office. If any vacancy occurs among the officers, the Nominating Committee will select a replacement to fill such a vacancy for the unexpired term. This selection must be approved by a majority vote of a quorum in attendance at the next meeting.

ARTICLE VIII. Amendments and Revisions

These Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of BAISL members at a meeting where a quorum is present, provided the changes have been communicated to the general membership in writing at least ten (10) days before the meeting.

Article IX. Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the organization in all cases to which they are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with the Bylaws of BAISL.

Bylaws as revised and approved January 2008 BAISL.

Page last updated: Monday April 28, 2008