Bylaws

Amended by ULA ballot on March 23, 2023

Article 1. Mission

The Utah Library Association cultivates professional development, connection, and inclusivity to promote strong Utah libraries.

 

Article 2. Finances

A. The Utah Library Association’s (hereinafter referred to as, the Association) fiscal year shall be July 1 to June 30. A financial report shall be presented to the membership at the Association’s annual membership meeting at the annual conference. The submission date for all budget requests shall be included in the annual calendar as per Article 7.E.4. 

B. A formal independent review of the financial records will be conducted no less frequently than every three years. An audit of the Executive Treasurer’s financial records may be ordered at the discretion of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to as, the Executive Committee) at any time.

C. The membership year shall be 12 months from the time of initial registration or renewal.  Renewal notifications shall be sent to members approximately one month before their memberships expire.

D. The schedule of amounts payable as annual dues for Association membership shall be determined by the Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to as, the Board) at the September Board Meeting. All dues are paid into the general fund. Dues shall be set for the following categories:

Category I: Students, retirees, Utah Educational Library Media Association members, first-time members, persons employed in library-related work 19 hours or less a week, and the general public.

Category II: Persons employed in library-related work 20 hours or more a week.

Category III: (Free): Library trustees, and members of library “Friends” organizations

ULA/American Library Association Joint Student Membership: A joint membership to both organizations available to current library school students at discounted rates. 

E. Institutional memberships (mentioned in the “ULA Articles of Incorporation”) are no longer offered due to historically low participation; however, conference and advertising benefits are determined and offered annually by the Conference Committee.  

 

Article 3. Rights and Privileges

A. All individual members shall have the right to vote on matters of Association business presented at Association membership meetings and annually for elected officers and ballot measures. 

B. Payment of membership dues entitles a member to affiliate with any and multiple sections and roundtables of the Association without additional dues. 

C. Only individual members in good standing with membership dues currently paid may hold office in the Association and its units. 

D. Members are not eligible for conference member rates if their dues are not currently paid.

E. Memberships that are unpaid for three years will be removed from the membership directory and voting rights will be suspended.  

 

Article 4. Elected Officers and Representatives

A. Unless otherwise specified, a “year,” or when terms of service in a particular office begin and end, is defined as the time between the annual membership meetings of the unit the officer is responsible for as per Article 9.A.

B. The officers and representatives shall be elected prior to the annual membership meetings, as per the nominations and elections procedures of Article 12. All Association and unit officers serve for the term limits designated in their office description and until their successors are elected or appointed.

C. The following Association-elected officers and representatives serve 3-year terms and as voting members of the Board:

  1. The President, Vice-President/President-Elect, and Immediate Past President shall each serve a total of three (3) years as officers of the Association, serving a term of one (1) year in each office.
  2. Board Members-at-Large: The six Members-at-Large shall serve terms staggered such that two positions stand for election each year by the Association membership. Members-at-Large may be re-elected to one successive term.
  3. Mountain Plains Library Association (MPLA) Representative: The MPLA Representative serves as ULA’s representative and voting member on MPLA’s Executive Board; and vice versa. The representative shall serve in accordance with MPLA bylaws and policies. The representative shall be a member in good standing of both ULA and MPLA.
  4. American Library Association (ALA) Chapter Councilor: As per the American Library Association Bylaws, the ALA Chapter Councilor serves as ULA’s representative and voting member in ALA’s Council. They assume office at the close of the ALA annual conference. The councilor shall serve as per ALA bylaws and policies. The councilor shall be a member in good standing of both ULA and ALA.

 

Article 5. Appointed Officers

The following appointed officers serve as non-voting members of the Board:

A. Executive Director & Executive Treasurer

  1. The Executive Director and Executive Treasurer shall each be appointed annually by the Executive Committee with the ratification of the Board, and may be reappointed.  The Executive Committee shall review contract performance annually with the Executive Director and Executive Treasurer.  
  2. For services performed, the Executive Director and the Executive Treasurer shall each receive an annual stipend to be determined by the Executive Committee with the ratification of the Board.

B. Program Board Vice-Chair & Conference Vice-Chair

The Program Board Vice-Chair and the Conference Vice-Chair shall each be appointed by the Vice-President/President-Elect as per Article 6.B.5, with the ratification of the Board, for a three-year (3) term, serving one (1) year as Vice-Chair, one (1) year as Chair, and one (1) year as Immediate Past-Chair. The Immediate Past-Chair serves primarily in an advisory capacity.

C. Recording Secretary, Historian, Parliamentarian, & UELMA Liaison

The Recording Secretary, Historian, Parliamentarian, and Utah Educational Library Media Association Liaison shall each be appointed annually by the Vice-President/President-Elect as per Article 6.B.4. The UELMA Liaison shall be a member in good standing of both ULA and UELMA.

D. USL Liaison

The Utah State Library Division liaison shall be the Utah State Librarian or their designee.

 

Article 6. Duties of Elected and Appointed Officers

A. President

The President shall:

  1. Call, preside, and orderly conduct all Association, Board, and Executive Committee meetings.
  2. Be an ex officio* member of all units except the Nominating Committee.
  3. Fill specified vacancies in elected or appointed offices, and declare and announce election results as per Article 12.
  4. Nominate appointments to ad hoc committees as per Article 14.C.G.
  5. Perform all other duties that usually pertain to the office of President that are not in conflict with the duties and powers granted other officers of the Association.

*ex officio – “by virtue of the office,” has the right, but not the duty, to participate and vote. In the President’s case, they have the right to be a voting member of all the Association’s units except the Nominating Committee. However, they do not count towards the minimum number required to form a quorum in any roundtable’s or section’s voting group. Other officers or positions specified as non-voting ex officio members of a group have no voting rights in those groups.

B. Vice-President/President-Elect

The Vice-President/President-Elect shall:

  1. In the absence of the President, preside over and orderly conduct all meetings the President would conduct and shall perform other duties assigned by the President or the Board.
  2. Chair the Membership Committee.
  3. Oversee the strategic-planning process, including monitoring the implementation of the plan, reporting to the Board and the membership on the status of implementation, and recommending to the Board modifications in implementation efforts as deemed necessary. During the third-year of the current three-year strategic plan, the Vice-President/President-Elect shall appoint a committee to review the strategic plan and recommend modifications to the Board as deemed necessary with due notification of the suggested changes to the membership through the Association’s newsletter and by other appropriate means.
  4. Appoint the Recording Secretary, the Historian, the Parliamentarian, the UELMA Liaison, and the chairs of all Association committees prior to the annual conference at which the Vice-President/President-Elect assumes office as President. The officers and committee chairs so appointed shall begin functioning at the time the Vice-President/President-Elect assumes office as President.
  5. Appoint the Program Board Vice-Chair and Conference Vice-Chair subsequent to taking office as Vice-President/President-Elect.

C. Immediate Past President

The Immediate Past President shall:

  1. Chair the Finance and Nominating Committees.
  2. Perform other duties as assigned by the President or the Board.

D. Board Member-at-Large

A Board Member-at-Large shall:

  1. Be informed about matters to be decided on by the Board and attend and vote at all board meetings.
  2. Serve on board ad hoc committees as needed.
  3. One Member-at-Large shall be elected annually by the Board to serve on the Executive Committee.
  4. Other Members-at-Large shall be assigned annually to serve on the following committees by the President:
    • a. One Member-at-Large on the Awards Committee.
    • b. Two Members-at-Large on the Conference Committee.
    • c. Two Members-at-Large on the Nominating Committee. 

E. Mountain Plains Library Association (MPLA) Representative

The MPLA Representative shall:

  1. Fulfill duties as per the State Association Representatives Section of MPLA’s bylaws.
  2. Accept and complete assignments given by the MPLA board.
  3. Submit written reports to the MPLA board on ULA procedural changes, finances, programs, and other pertinent issues in Utah librarianship.
  4. Prepare a brief written report for the ULA Board prior to their board meetings and receive instructions from the Board at the meeting.
  5. Submit reports of MPLA news and activities to the newsletter editor for publication.

F. American Library Association (ALA) Chapter Councilor

The ALA Chapter Councilor shall:

  1. Fulfill duties as per the ALA’s guides and resources for ALA Councilors.
  2. Confer with the Board about pertinent issues to be discussed at ALA Council and receive instructions from the Board.
  3. Prepare a brief written report for the ULA Board prior to their board meetings. 
  4. Submit reports of ALA news and activities to the newsletter editor for publication.

G. Executive Director

The Executive Director shall:

  1. Serve as a permanent member of the Membership and Advocacy Committees, helping to formulate, organize, and execute strategies for advocacy of the association, libraries, and librarians.
  2. Maintain the ULA membership directory and records and send renewal notices to members as per Article 2.C.
  3. Chair the Web Committee and support the social media managers serving on that committee. The Executive Director may recruit volunteers to serve on the Web Committee.
  4. Develop and manage the ULA website and electronic mailing lists.
  5. Build and maintain relationships with state and local policymakers, officials, and boards in order to advocate on behalf of ULA, libraries, and librarians.
  6. Monitor legislative and other initiatives or activities relevant to ULA, and assist in disseminating this information.
  7. Assist in preparing the annual budget for the Board’s approval.
  8. Assist the Vice-President/President-Elect in reviewing and updating the strategic plan as per Article 6.B.3.
  9. Work with the Nominating Committee to manage election processes as per Article 12.
  10. Update and maintain manuals, bylaws, officer directories, and similar documents in accordance with current Association bylaws, distributing them to all incoming officers and, where appropriate, all ULA members.
  11. On behalf of the Executive Committee, the Executive Director shall submit to the Historian all records, including minutes and annual reports, of all Association units, no later than sixty (60) days following the annual conference.
  12. Assist in additional projects under the direction of the Board.

H. Executive Treasurer

As the Association’s fiscal officer, the Executive Treasurer shall:

  1. Receive and account for all monies due and spent by the Association following documentation and accounting best practices as per the Association Policies and Procedures.
  2. Provide quarterly reports of Association financial transactions to the Board.
  3. Invest and maintain association funds not required for current operations in appropriate financial instruments to obtain the highest return consistent with prudent fiscal policy and security of funds.
  4. Maintain bank signature cards, appropriate insurance policies, ULA’s incorporated and 501(c)(3) status, “ULA’s Articles of Incorporation”, and ULA’s organizational memberships.
  5. Review all Association contracts.
  6. Serve as a non-voting ex officio member of the Finance Committee, under whose direction the Executive Treasurer’s activities are conducted.

I. Program Board Chair

The Program Board Chair shall:

  1. Chair the Program Board and be responsible for all program planning, implementation, and evaluation during their term in office. This includes the programming of the annual conference and the Continuing Education Committee.
  2. Be responsible to select conference sites at least three years in advance and present them to the Executive Committee. Selected sites are then approved by the Board. If an event planner is employed, they assist the Program Board Chair in the selection process.
  3. Direct the fulfillment of Program Board duties and reports as per Article 10 and the Association Policies and Procedures.

J. Recording Secretary

The Recording Secretary shall keep accurate and complete minutes of all Executive Committee, Board, and annual conference business meetings. These minutes shall be distributed as directed by the President.

K. USL Liaison

The Utah State Library Division Liaison shall:

  1. Attend ULA and USL board meetings and report the activities of each organization.
  2. Prepare articles on ULA and USL activities for newsletters and other communications of the two organizations.
  3. Facilitate cooperative initiatives of the two organizations under the direction of the ULA and USL boards.

L. UELMA Liaison

The Utah Educational Library Media Association Liaison shall:

  1. Attend board meetings of both ULA and UELMA regularly and report on the activities of each to the other organization.  
  2. Prepare articles on ULA and UELMA activities for the newsletters of the two associations.
  3. Facilitate cooperative initiatives of the two associations under the direction of the ULA and UELMA boards.

M. Conference Chair

The Conference Chair shall:

  1. Form and chair the Conference Committee as per Article 11.  
  2. Be responsible for all conference planning, implementation, and evaluation during their term in office.
  3. Prepare and manage a conference budget which is approved by the Board before conference registration rates are set.
  4. Be responsible for conference program coordination with the Program Board Chair.

N. Historian

The Historian shall:

  1. Maintain a written and pictorial record of the significant events and activities of the Association as per the Association Policies and Procedures.  
  2. Collect from the Executive Director all Association units’ minutes and annual reports.
  3. Submit all historical records and reports for inclusion in the ULA archive as per Article 15.

O. Parliamentarian

The Parliamentarian shall:

  1. Serve as adviser to Association officers on matters of parliamentary procedure at all Board and public meetings of the Association as per Article 16.
  2. Serve as a member of the Bylaws Committee.

 

Article 7. Board of Directors

A. The fourteen (14) voting members of the Board shall consist of:

  1. the President 
  2. the Vice-President/President-Elect
  3. the Immediate Past President
  4. the six (6) Members-at-Large
  5. the Academic Section Chair
  6. the Public Section Chair
  7. the Special Section Chair
  8. the MPLA Representative
  9. the ALA Chapter Councilor 

B. The Executive Director, the Executive Treasurer, the Program Board Chair, the Conference Chair, the Parliamentarian, the Historian, the Recording Secretary, the USL Liaison, the UELMA Liaison, and committee and roundtable chairs shall serve as non-voting ex-officio members.

C. A quorum of the Board shall be eight (8) voting members. 

D. No ULA voting board member may serve simultaneously in another ULA voting board member office and must resign their previous position if elected to another.

E. The Board shall:

  1. Take the initiative in determining the policies of the Association.
  2. Assume charge, control, and management of all property belonging to the Association.
  3. Approve an annual budget and any subsequent expenditures of the general fund in support of Association activities, operating expenses, publications, and other reasonable expenditures consistent with the purposes of the Association.
  4. Approve an annual calendar of Association meetings, due dates, and major events at the March Board meeting. Changes to the calendar are made by the approval of the Board; or by the Executive Committee and later ratified by the Board if changes must be made before the next regular Board meeting. Units may approve a calendar of their own events in deference to the approved Association calendar.

F. The Board may authorize cooperative ventures with library and non-library organizations which support common interests.

 

Article 8. Executive Committee of the Board of Directors

A. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, the Vice-President/President-Elect, and the Immediate Past President. The Program Board Chair, the Executive Director, the Recording Secretary, a representative from the Members-at-Large who is elected by the Board, and the Executive Treasurer shall serve as non-voting ex officio members.

B. The Executive Committee shall hold meetings as necessary during the year, separate from the Board, as called by the President.

C. The Executive Committee shall act on behalf of the Board to facilitate the business of the Association including:

  1. Making decisions on matters, including budgetary, requiring action before the next board meeting, subject to later review and ratification of the Board.
  2. Acting on matters specifically delegated by the Board to the committee.
  3. Making recommendations to the Board on matters of Association policy, operations, activities, and priorities.

D. Nothing shall be published under the name of the Association without the review and approval of the Executive Committee.

 

Article 9. Meetings

A. Annual Conference Membership Meetings

  1. During the annual conference, the Association shall hold, and each of its sections and roundtables may hold, membership meetings in which annual business may be transacted with the participation of the membership.
  2. Notice of the annual membership meeting held during the annual conference shall be sent to each member at least thirty (30), but no more than sixty (60) days prior to the meeting.
  3. For purposes of transacting business at the annual membership meetings, a quorum shall be those members present at the session at which business is being transacted.
  4. All motions to be presented at the annual membership meetings shall be submitted in writing to the presiding officer before or at the time the motion is made.
  5. Special meetings of the entire Association membership may be called at the discretion of the Board, or upon written request to the Board by ten percent (10%) of the Association members. Special meetings will be convened by the President, and notice of each special meeting and the business to be transacted shall be sent to each member at least thirty (30) days prior to the special meeting.

B. Board & Officer Meetings

  1. The Board shall meet at least quarterly; generally beginning after the annual conference leadership transition, in June, September, December, and March. An annual schedule of the upcoming year’s board meetings will be released to the membership. Regular notice of such meetings shall be published in the newsletter.
  2. Board meetings shall be open to the membership. The membership may submit items to be considered in a board meeting by contacting the President at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting. Groups addressing the Board will be limited to one spokesperson unless otherwise invited by the meeting’s presiding officer.
  3. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President provided that the best practicable notice possible is given to all members of the Board at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance including time, place, and topics to be considered. A majority of the Board must approve holding the meeting. Any action taken at the meeting that was not included in the notice must be ratified in the next regular meeting.
  4. An open meeting may move into a closed session of the Board when a quorum is present, two-thirds of the quorum vote to do so, and the topic of the session is one of the following:
    • a. To discuss the character or competence of an individual.
    • b. To discuss pending or imminent litigation.
    • c. To discuss collective bargaining or real estate agreements.

C. Meeting Contingencies

  1. Association and unit governing quorums may participate through electronic means that allows for interactive dialogue.  Procedures for participation in such meetings are outlined in the Association Policies and Procedures.
  2. The presiding officer, usually the President or unit Chair, only votes to create a majority or to create a tie to defeat a motion.  If the presiding officer is needed to create a voting quorum, they vote on all motions of that meeting.
  3. In the absence of any meeting’s presiding officer and their alternates (President, Vice-President, and Immediate Past President; or Chair and Vice-Chair), the Secretary, or in their absence some other voting member of the group, shall call the meeting to order and the voting members present shall elect a temporary presiding officer (chair pro tempore) for the meeting by the majority vote of the quorum.
  4. In the event of a vote on an issue which would present a conflict of interest for any Association or unit voting member or their employing institution, the member shall recuse themselves from voting on that particular issue.
  5. Any Association member, officer, or non-member engaged in disorderly conduct during any Association or unit meeting may be required to leave the meeting room for the remainder of the meeting by the majority vote of the governing quorum.

 

Article 10. The Program Board

A. The Program Board shall be responsible for planning, implementing, and evaluating all programs of the Association and its units throughout the year. The Program Board shall be responsible for collecting and reporting annually on the accomplishments of all sections and roundtables, which are submitted by the unit chairs. This report shall be presented in writing at the June Board meeting and published on the ULA website after approval by the Board.  Committee goals and reports are collected by the Executive Committee as per Article 14.C.

B. The Program Board shall consist of the Program Board Chair, Vice-Chair, and Past-Chair; the Conference Committee Chair and Vice-Chair; the President, Vice-President/President-Elect, and Immediate Past-President; the Executive Director; and a program representative from each section, roundtable, and committee that conducts programming.  The unit representative may be a unit steering committee member or an appointee of the unit chair.

C. The Program Board shall meet at least quarterly, with additional meetings called as deemed necessary by the Program Board Chair.

D. The Program Board will submit to the Board at its quarterly meeting in September an outline of all programs and goals submitted by all unit chairs–excluding the annual conference–planned for the current fiscal year. Unit chairs submit accompanying budget requests to the Finance Committee to be compiled and approved by the Board as part of the Association’s annual budget. Funding for programs which are developed after the September meeting of the Board may be approved at the next regular Board meeting or, if necessary, by the Executive Committee as per Article 8.C.1.

 

Article 11. Conferences and Workshops

A. An annual conference of the Association shall be held at such time–generally in May to coordinate with election and fiscal deadlines of these bylaws–and place as may be determined by the Program Board Chair and the Executive Committee with the ratification of the Board.

B. A Conference Planning Committee shall be selected to plan each conference and shall be composed of the Conference Chair, Vice-Chair, and Past-Chair; the President, Vice-President/President-Elect, and Immediate Past-President; the Executive Director; the Executive Treasurer; the Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the Program Board, Scholarship Committee, and Awards Committee; the two Members-at-Large as per Article 6.D.4; the Event Planner if utilized; and other members as needed who are appointed by the Conference Chair.

C. Regional conferences and other workshops shall be held at such times and places as may be determined by the Program Board and approved by the Board.

 

Article 12. Nominations and Elections

A. Association Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee shall:

  1. Be formed at the first Board meeting following the annual conference of the Association. 
  2. Be composed of at least the Immediate Past-President presiding as chair, and two (2) Members-at-Large. 
  3. Nominate eligible candidates for offices to be filled the following year as per Article 3.C. The procedure established for the Association nomination and election process shall be followed by all units of the Association.

B. Nomination Procedure

  1. The Nominating Committee shall nominate two (2) or more candidates for the office of Vice-President/President-Elect.
  2. The Nominating Committee shall nominate a minimum of four (4) but no more than six (6) candidates for the two expiring Member-at-Large seats.
  3. The Nominating Committee shall nominate at least two (2) candidates each for the offices of American Library Association Chapter Councilor and Mountain Plains Library Association Representative, from among association members who are also current members of the respective organizations.
  4. The Nominating Committee shall provide a slate of candidates for each office, brief biographical sketches, and statements of the candidate’s goals for the Association and qualifications for the elective office to be included in the ballots.  The nominating committees of each of the sections and roundtables shall provide the same information on their candidates to the Association Nominating Committee by the end of the month preceding the distribution of the ballot.
  5. The Nominating Committee shall submit to the Board the slate of candidates for Association offices for the upcoming year at its regularly scheduled quarterly meeting in December, or at a specially-scheduled meeting to be held no later than ninety (90) days prior to the annual conference if circumstances so require and if approved by the Executive Committee.

C. Ballots

  1. The Nominating Committee shall prepare master ballots of Association, section, and roundtable candidates for the Executive Director to reproduce and distribute. Election of officers shall be by ballot sent to all members by the Executive Director at least ninety (90) days prior to the annual conference.
  2. The ballots shall allow for write-in candidates for Association and unit offices. Members vote for Association officers, ballot measures, and only for officers of units of which they are members.
  3. Completed ballots must be submitted at least sixty (60) days prior to the annual conference of the Association.

D. Election Results

  1. The ballots shall be counted by the Nominating Committee at least forty-five (45) days prior to the annual conference, and the Nominating Committee Chair shall inform the President of the results. The President shall declare those candidates elected who received a plurality of the votes cast and those who ran unopposed and were approved by a majority vote. Tie votes shall be resolved by a coin toss in the presence of the Executive Committee.
  2. The Nominating Committee chair shall inform all candidates of election results at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual conference.
  3. Announcement of the elected officers shall be made by the President at the annual membership meeting as per Article 9.A.
  4. If sections or roundtables had only one candidate for Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect and the majority of votes from the unit’s membership was against the candidate, the nominating committee for those units shall meet again and nominate new candidates for the office, which shall be submitted, no later than thirty (30) days after the annual conference, for a vote of the unit’s membership. Submission to the members shall be by ballot, to be returned to the Executive Director. Should a single new candidate again be voted against by the unit membership, the nomination and ballot process is repeated until a candidate is approved or receives a plurality of votes against another candidate.  Any other section or roundtable offices that had only one candidate and the majority of the votes from the unit’s membership was against the candidate shall be filled by appointment of the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect that is the incoming Chair.

E. Vacancies

  1. Vacancies occurring in any of the elected or appointed offices not addressed in Article 6.B.5, 12.E.3, 12.E.4, 12.E.6, or 12.E.7 before expiration of the regular term shall be filled for the balance of the term through appointment by the President and ratification by the Board.  
  2. Those appointed to fill vacancies in elected offices for less than two-thirds the original term are eligible for election to full terms following the remainder of the vacated term. Appointments to terms two-thirds or more of the original term are considered a full term. 
  3. Any vacancy of the Association, section, or roundtable presiding officers (President, Chair) shall be filled by their alternates (Vice-President, Vice-Chair) who then assumes the role of presiding officer for the remainder of the current term and continues as presiding officer in the following term as previously anticipated. A vacancy in the Vice-President or Vice-Chair offices may be filled by an interim appointment until the next regular election as per Article 12.E.5, and are not appointed as President-Elect or Chair-Elect.  
  4. If the positions of both the presiding officers and their alternates of the Association, sections, or roundtables are vacated, notice of an election of interim (pro tempore) presiding officers and their alternates shall be made in the call for the meeting of the election. The call must be made and approved by the remaining majority of the Board or unit steering committee with at least fifteen (15) days advance notice to the membership to observe the proceedings. At the meeting, the Secretary, or in their absence some other voting member of the governing quorum present, will call the meeting to order and the pro tempore officers will be elected by a majority vote of the quorum present. If a section or roundtable does not have a functioning steering committee, vacancies of the unit’s presiding officer and their alternate will be filled by interim appointment of the President. Elections are then held as per Article 12.E.5.
  5. In the next regular Association, section, or roundtable election two offices must be filled: a one-year term presiding officer to be filled immediately, and a presiding officer-elect as normal that will succeed as presiding officer the following term. Those who were elected pro tempore officers or appointed interim as per Article 12.E.3 or 12.E.4 are eligible for election in the next regular election regardless of the restrictions of 12.E.2.
  6. In the event the Immediate Past-President vacates, the President shall consult with the Past Presidents Committee in selecting nominees from the pool of past ULA Presidents as an interim Past President. The Board shall elect one of the nominees as Interim Past-President by a majority vote. Advance notice of at least fifteen (15) days of the impending election shall be made in the call of the meeting and to the general membership to observe the proceedings.
  7. Any section or roundtable office vacancies besides those mentioned in Article 12.E.3, 12.E.4, and 12.E.5 shall be filled by the unit’s steering committee.
  8. As per ALA Bylaws, an appointed interim ALA Chapter Councilor serves until the next regularly scheduled election or for a maximum of one year, by which time an election shall be held to elect a successor for a full term. 

 

Article 13. Disciplinary Action

A. An officer may be removed from office if they have committed or engaged in any act, omission, or practice which, in the sole discretion of the appropriate governing groups listed below, has been or would be detrimental to the best interests of their group and/or the Association. An individual may be removed from only a particular office, from all offices, or/and as a member of the Association. The individual shall have the opportunity to be heard at the meeting such disciplinary action is determined. Action is taken in the following manner:

  1. Association elected officers by a two-thirds vote of the Board in an open Board Meeting.  
  2. Section and roundtable elected officers by their own steering committee. If the chair of a section or roundtable that has no functioning steering committee requires disciplinary action, it will be handled by the Executive Committee.
  3. Appointed officers by the Executive Committee.

B. The office of a member of the Board may also be declared vacant by the Board upon the absence of the member from two (2) consecutive Board meetings without good and sufficient reason, or upon petition of ten percent (10%) of the Association’s general membership.

 

Article 14. Units

Units of the Association consist of sections, roundtables, and committees. These units are organized to promote the purposes of the Association. The Board shall oversee the activities of the units to ensure proper planning, budgeting, and quality control. The Board of Directors may establish, or be directed by vote of the membership to establish, units of the Association according to the following criteria of this Article for the desired unit type.

A. Responsibilities of All Units

Each unit: 

  1. Participates in the Board of Directors as per Article 7.
  2. Participates in the Program Board as per Article 10.
  3. Holds unit meetings at the direction of their officers as they deem necessary or desirable and shall observe contingencies as per Article 9.C. Chairs shall see that minutes are kept of all meetings, including officer meetings, and submitted to the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors by the date of the subsequent Association Board Meeting.
  4. Establishes and maintains their designated part of the ULA website, under the direction of the ULA Executive Director.  
  5. Submits reports of news and activities of the unit to the newsletter editor and Executive Director for possible publication.

B. Section and Roundtable Specifics

  1. Governance: Sections and roundtables are governed by steering committees in the following manner:
    • a. Each unit’s steering committee shall include a chair, a vice-chair/chair-elect, an appointed secretary, and the option of having one (1) to three (3) members-at-large, at the steering committee’s discretion.
    • b. A vice-chair/chair-elect is elected annually for a two-year term. The first year is served as vice-chair and the second year is served as chair. An outgoing chair may not be successively re-elected as vice-chair. Other members of the steering committee may not serve more than three (3) successive one-year terms on the steering committee. Officers terms or “years” are defined as per Article 4.A. and 4.B. If a steering committee member is elected as vice-chair their third successive year, they may serve as chair for a fourth year. Any member may be re-nominated to the steering committee after one election cycle.  
    • c. If in a particular election cycle multiple calls for unit members to become new steering committee members or to fill the office of vice-chair receive no response, the three-year steering committee service limitation and/or the limitation of a chair being successively re-elected vice-chair may be waived that cycle and officers who have reached either of those limits, but are willing to continue serving may begin a new three-year cycle of service and/or be re-elected as vice-chair.  The Association Nominating Committee verifies the unit’s due diligence in seeking candidates each election cycle that this exception may apply.
    • d. The steering committee shall appoint a nominating committee chair. That chair shall appoint the members of the nominating committee which may include members of the steering committee.  As per Article 12.B.4 the unit nominating committee submits the ballot information needed for the unit officer candidates.
  1. Responsibilities: Sections and roundtables:
    • a. Shall have formal bylaws that are consistent with the Association bylaws and its pattern and that are approved by the Board of Directors.
    • b. Hold unit elections and fill vacancies as per Article 12.
    • c. Hold at least one meeting of the steering committee during the year.
    • d. May hold an annual membership meeting as per Article 9.A.
  1. Separate Purposes & Requirements
    • a. Sections
      • i. There shall be three (3) sections based on type of library–academic, public, and special.
      • ii. Sections shall be concerned with administrative, management, political, or policy issues which relate to a specific type of library.
      • iii. The Academic Section steering committee shall also:
        1. Have at least one representative that is a member of the ALA Association of College and Research Libraries division and currently employed in an academic library. This representative acts as chair of ULA’s ACRL chapter.
        2. Have at least one representative that is able to attend board meetings of both ULA and the Utah Academic Library Consortium regularly and report on the activities of each to the other organization.
        3. Prepare articles on ULA, UALC, and ACRL activities for newsletters and other communications of ULA and UALC.
        4. Facilitate cooperative initiatives of the ULA and UALC under the direction of each respective board. 
    • b. Roundtables
      • i. A roundtable shall promote a specified focus or interest area of library activity which covers more than one type of library.
      • ii. A roundtable must have no fewer than fifteen (15) members.
      • iii. If a roundtable has fewer than fifteen (15) members at the close of the annual conference, the Executive Director will notify the Executive Committee, which in turn will notify the steering committee of the roundtable. If the membership of the roundtable does not increase to at least fifteen (15) before the June Board Meeting after the following annual conference, the Board shall declare the roundtable dissolved. Members of the Association wishing to re-establish the roundtable may not file a petition to do so with the Board until after the close of the next annual conference of the Association.

C. Committee Specifics

The standing committees of the Association are Advocacy; Awards; Bylaws; Conference; Continuing Education; Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion; Finance; Intellectual Freedom; Library Day on the Hill; Membership; Nominating; Past Presidents; Publications; Scholarship; ULA Paraprofessional Certificate Review; and Web.

  1. Purposes & Requirements
    • a. Committees are formed by the Board to provide specialized guidance and support to Association-wide operations.
    • b. Each committee shall have its charge reviewed annually by the Executive Committee before chairs are appointed.
    • c. Each committee shall have a set of guidelines approved by the Board. The guidelines shall not be in conflict with the Association bylaws.
  2. Governance: Standing committee chairs shall be appointed as per Article 6.B.4. Committee Chairs may appoint other committee officers as deemed necessary; and fill vacancies in such offices except for the Program Board Vice-Chair and the Conference Vice-Chair as per Article 6.B.5.
  3. Responsibilities
    • a. Each committee shall submit to the President its goals and objectives for the year. The President shall submit these to the Board. Upon approval they shall be published on the ULA website.
    • b. Each committee shall submit to the Executive Committee an annual report of its activities, including the minutes of its meetings. Upon approval they shall be published on the Association’s website.
  4. Ad-hoc Committees: The Board may establish ad-hoc committees or task forces as needed to accomplish specific tasks.  The President nominates members for appointment to the ad-hoc committees and their chairs. Non-members with expertise to contribute to the committee’s assignments may also be nominated. The Board may approve or veto appointments.

D. Dissolution of Units

The Board may discontinue an Association unit by a majority vote of a quorum, if it considers its usefulness has ceased.  Such action upon sections and roundtables must be approved by a majority of the members of the unit. Roundtables may also be dissolved due to low membership as per Article 14.B.3.B.iii.

 

Article 15. Depository

The University of Utah Libraries are the official depository for Association records.

 

Article 16. 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 the Association may adopt.

 

Article 17. Amendments

A. Proposed amendments to the Association bylaws shall be submitted to the members of the Board and the Bylaws Committee at least thirty (30) days prior to a regularly scheduled board meeting. Proposed amendments to the bylaws as approved by the Board shall be included in the call for a vote sent to the membership at least thirty (30) days prior to the vote deadline. Votes shall be counted independently by both the Executive Director and the chair of the Bylaws Committee, and the results submitted to the President within fifteen (15) days of the vote deadline.

B. Amendments to the bylaws may be adopted by a vote of a majority of Association members voting by ballot, or by a two-thirds vote of members present and voting at a general Association meeting. No amendments may come from the floor except by a four-fifths vote in the assembly.

C. Errors in grammar or cross-references to other documents in the Bylaws are updated by a majority vote of the Board without a general membership vote.

 

Article 18.  Non-discrimination Statement

The Utah Library Association and its units do not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or any other class protected by future law or regulation in any of its activities or operations. These activities include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, provision of services, and protection of membership rights. The Association is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of the Association, its staff, clients, volunteers, subcontractors, and vendors.