CONSTITUTION OF THE

PENNSYLVANIA SCHOOL LIBRARIANS ASSOCIATION

 

Article I: Name

 

The name of this organization shall be the Pennsylvania School Librarians Association, hereinafter referred to as the ?Association.?  The Association is incorporated in accordance with the provisions and requirements of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania?s ?The Nonprofit Corporation Law of 1972.?

 

Article II: Purposes

 

The Primary Purposes of the Association shall be:

 

1.                    To provide educational opportunities and information for the improvement and development of its members and to provide information to the public on school library media programs.

 

2.                    To provide school librarians/media specialists with educational activities and current information through publications, workshops, seminars, and conferences.

 

3.                    To advance a high standard of librarianship and library media programs in the public, private, and parochial schools of Pennsylvania.

 

4.                    To act as an interpreter of school library media programs to all educators.

 

5.                    To cooperate with state and national organizations to improve all aspects of education.

 

6.                    To encourage administrators, teachers, and librarians/media specialists to provide the best possible library media experiences for the children and young people in the schools of Pennsylvania.

 

7.                    To support the inherent right of the individual to have access to ideas and to information.

 

Article III: Membership

 

Section 1.              Members.

 

Any person, library, or other organization interested in library service and librarianship may become a member upon payment of the dues as voted upon by the membership.

 

Article IV: Organization and Government

 

Section 1.              Board of Directors

 

a.                    Authority.

There shall be a Board of Directors hereinafter referred to as the ?Board? that shall have power and authority to manage the Association?s property and to regulate and govern its affairs.  The Board shall determine policies of the Association and shall take such actions as it considers necessary to carry out the purposes of the Association.

 

b.                   Members

The Board shall consist of: the President, the Vice President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, the Immediate Past President, and four elected Directors.

 

c.                    Residency.

All members of the Board shall be residents of Pennsylvania who are active members of the Association.

 

d.                   Chairperson.

The President shall serve as Chairperson of the Board.

 

Section 2.              Officers, Elected.

The elected officers of the association shall be the president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, and immediate past president.  The vice president shall be president-elect.

 

Section 3.              Executive Committee

 

There shall be an Executive Committee of the Board, to consist of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Immediate Past President, with all of the powers of the Board to act between meetings of the Board except where prohibited by the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

 

Section 4.              Advisory Council

 

a.                    There shall be an Advisory Council to assist and to advise the Board in conducting the business of the Association and to act as liaison between their constituents and the Board.

 

b.                   The Advisory Council may consist of the following members: the officers, the Directors, chairpersons of standing and special committees, the Executive Secretary, the appropriate representative(s) of the school library media arm of the state government and the representatives of other appropriate library media related organizations.  Other interested groups may be invited by the President to send representatives.

 

Section 5.              Executive Secretary

 

An Executive Secretary may be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board for the duration of the President?s term of office.

 

Article V: Meetings

 

There shall be at least one general meeting of the membership each year for the purpose of conducting business.  This meeting shall hereinafter be referred to as the ?Annual Business Meeting.?  Additional meetings may be held at the discretion of the President or the majority of the Board.  All Association meetings shall be held on dates and at places approved by the Board.  Notice shall be sent to all members at least thirty days in advance of the meeting.

 

Article VI. Voting

 

Voting privileges shall be exercised by active members only.

 

Article VII: Fiscal Year

 

The fiscal year of the Association shall be July 1 to June 30.

 

Article VIII: Amendments

 

Section 1.              Proposals. Amendments to the Constitution may be initiated by:

 

a.                    the Board

 

b.                   a recommendation to the Board from the Constitution and Bylaws Committee

 

c.                   a written petition to the Board signed by 25 active members

 

Section 2.              Notice

 

Proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be mailed with a board statement of purpose to the membership at least thirty  days prior to the date of voting.

 

Section 3.              Voting. The Constitution may be amended by either of the following methods:

 

a.                    A 2/3 majority of those active members present and voting at any regular meeting of the Association.

 

b.                   A 2/3 majority vote of the active members voting on a mail ballot.

 

Article IX: Assets of Dissolution

 

In the event of dissolution, the assets of the Association, after payment of debts and obligations, shall be given to a nonprofit educational organization(s) with federal tax exemption.  The donee(s) shall be voted by the Board.