Constitution of the Virginia Association of Law Libraries
Adopted October 12, 1983
Amended January 9, 1985
Amended January 15, 1986
Amended June 1, 1986
Amended April 23, 1994
Amended July 11, 2006
ARTICLE I. NAME
The name of this association shall be Virginia Association of Law Libraries (the Association).
ARTICLE II. OBJECT
The Association is established to develop and increase the usefulness and efficiency of law libraries. It shall be conducted as a non-profit corporation to promote librarianship and to foster a spirit of cooperation among members of the profession.
ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP
Any person or institution interested in law libraries may become a member of the Association by complying with the provisions of the Bylaws.
ARTICLE IV. MEETINGS
Meetings shall be held as provided in the Bylaws.
ARTICLE V. OFFICERS COMMITTEES
AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS
Section 1: Officers. The officers shall consist of a president, vice-president/president elect, secretary, and treasurer. The vice-president/ president-elect shall be elected annually by the Association. The vice-president/president-elect shall automatically become president after one year and shall so serve during the second year following his election.
The secretary and treasurer shall each serve two-year terms. Elections for each office shall occur in alternate years. The president, the vice-president/president-elect, secretary, and treasurer shall serve without compensation.
Section 2: Duties of Officers. The president, vice-president/president-elect, secretary, and treasurer shall perform the duties usually pertaining to their respective offices and other duties as may be assigned by the Executive Board.
Section 3: Committees and Other Organizations. There shall be such committees and other organizations as the Executive Board shall create or shall be created by a majority vote of those present and voting at any meeting of the Association.
Section 4: Appointments. The president shall appoint all members of committees and other organizations unless the Association shall otherwise direct.
Section 5: Terms of Office. All officers and members of the committees and other organizations shall serve until their successors are elected or appointed and qualified, or they are removed from office.
ARTICLE VI. EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1. There shall be an Executive Board of seven, consisting of the officers named in Article V, Section 1, the last retiring president, and two members who will be known as directors. Each director shall serve a two-year term. Each director will be elected in alternate years by the Association. The duties of the Executive Board shall be those usually assigned to such boards in similar associations.
Section 2. The Executive Board shall have the power to fill any vacancy in elective offices except that of president. The person so elected by the Executive Board shall serve the unexpired term. In the case of the death or resignation of the president of the Association, the vice-president/president-elect shall become president and shall serve until the end of his own elected term.
ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS
Amendments to this constitution may be proposed by the Executive Board or by a petition signed by 10% of the voting members of the Association. Proposed amendments shall become effective when approved by two-thirds of the members voting in a ballot conducted by mail or electronically, in the manner provided in the Bylaws.
ARTICLE VIII. BYLAWS
Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by any voting member of the Association.
Proposed amendments shall be submitted to the secretary, who shall send notice, either electronically or in paper, to the voting members 30 days prior to the meeting of the Association at which they will be presented for discussion.
At such meeting, a proposed bylaw amendment may be amended, provided that the amendment is consistent with the original proposed bylaw amendment.
If approved by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting at the meeting, the final version of the amendment shall be adopted.
Bylaws of the
Virginia Association of Law Libraries
Amended on July 13, 1988
Amended on April 23, 1994
Amended on July 12, 1994
Amended on January 20, 1995
Amended October 17, 1997
Amended November 2, 2002
Amended May 19, 2006
ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: Classification of Membership. Members of the Association shall consist of:
(a) Individual Members: Upon payment of the annual dues the following persons in Virginia may become an individual member of this Association:
(1) Any person connected with a law library;
(2) Any person with past law library experience; and
(3) Any person connected with a non-law library or working as a consulting librarian, interested in law librarianship.
(b) Institutional Members: Any law library in Virginia may become an institutional member upon payment of annual dues. Persons designated under an institutional membership shall be in all respects the equivalent of individual members.
(c) Associate Members: A person not directly connected with a law library or other library, located in the state of Virginia, may become an associate member of this Association with the approval of the Executive Board and upon payment of annual dues.
(d) Student Members: An individual who is enrolled in a library school or a law school may become a student member upon payment of annual dues.
(e) Honorary Members: The Association may, at any regular business meeting, by a two-thirds vote of those present, elect honorary members. An honorary membership will last for the lifetime of the honorary member. The Association shall not have more than 10 honorary members at any time.
(f) Lifetime Members: The Association may, at any regular business meeting by a vote of two-thirds of those present, elect to life
membership those who have been members of the Association for at least 10 years, but who have retired from active library work.
(g) Sustaining Members: Any company or institution supporting the goals of the Association may become sustaining members with the approval of the Executive Board and upon payment of annual dues.
The Executive Board has the authority to determine the classification of new applicants in unclear situations.
Section 2: Rights and Privileges: The following rights and privileges shall accrue to all members of the Association.
(a) The right to hold the offices of president or vice-president/president elect shall be restricted to individual members and to designated members under an institutional membership who are also individual or institutional members, in good standing, of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL).
(b) The right to hold other Association offices (secretary, treasurer, and director) shall be restricted to individual members and to designated members under an institutional membership without regard to AALL membership.
(c) The right to vote shall be restricted to individual members, to designated members under an institutional membership and to student members.
(d) The right to receive all publications of the Association will be shared by all members, unless otherwise directed by the Executive Board.
Section 3: Dues. The dues to be paid shall be as follows:
(a) Individual Members: The annual dues of individual members shall be $20.00.
(b) Institutional Members: The annual dues for institutional members shall be based upon the number of persons designated by the institution for membership. The institution shall pay $20.00 for each person on its staff who is designated. Such persons for whom the institutional member has paid $20.00 each as an annual dues shall be entitled to active membership in the Association without the payment of individual dues. Institutional designations are transferable at any time to other institutional employees.
(c) Associate Members: The annual dues of associate members shall be $25.00.
(d) Student Members: The annual dues of student members shall be $7.50.
(e) Honorary Members: No dues
(f) Lifetime Members: No dues.
(g) Sustaining Members: The annual dues of sustaining members shall be $50.00.
Section 4: Year. The year for dues shall begin on June 1, and the fiscal year of the Association shall begin on June 1. The dues of members joining between January 1 and May 31 shall be one-half the annual dues for that fiscal year.
Section 5: Suspension of Membership. Members failing to pay dues by August 1st, and after due notice by the treasurer, shall be suspended from the membership by the treasurer. Suspended members may be reinstated at any time upon payment of the full current year’s dues.
ARTICLE II. MEETINGS
Section 1: Business Meetings. Business meetings shall be held quarterly.
Section 2: Other Meetings. Educational or other special meetings may be held at such times as the president or Executive Board may elect.
Section 3: Quorum. A quorum for a business meeting of the Association shall be ten voting members.
Section 4: Notice. Notice of meetings shall be sent, either electronically or in paper, to each member at least fourteen days before the business meeting.
Section 5: Procedure. Robert’s Rules of Order, in the latest edition, shall govern all the deliberations of the Association when not in conflict with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Association.
ARTICLE III. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
Section 1: Nominating Committee. There shall be a Nominating Committee appointed by the Executive Board, to consist of three members, no one of whom shall be a member of the Executive Board, and no one of whom shall be a candidate for office at the succeeding election. Each member of the committee shall serve for a term of one year. The chair of the committee shall be designated by the Executive Board.
The Nominating Committee shall solicit recommendations from the membership for nomination. No member may be nominated for the office of vice-president/president-elect who is not a member, in good standing, of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL). At least one, and not more than three, candidates for various offices shall be presented. Names of the candidates shall be presented to the membership at the first quarterly meeting of the calendar year.
Further nominations may be made as a motion by any voting member present at the first quarterly meeting of the calendar year, provided that the motion is seconded and approved by the majority of the voting members present.
Section 2: Elections. The president shall appoint an individual who shall have charge of the annual election, and the counting and tabulation of all votes cast.
Elections may be conducted using either electronic or paper ballots. Ballots are to be marked and returned to the individual in charge of the election no later than 10 days prior to the second quarterly meeting of the calendar year. Candidates receiving the largest number of votes shall be declared elected. In case of tie vote, the successful candidate shall be determined by repeated ballots until one candidate receives a majority vote.
Elected officers shall take office at the second quarterly meeting of the calendar year.
ARTICLE IV. BALLOT UPON
AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION
Proposed amendments to the constitution shall be submitted to the secretary, who shall send notice, either electronically or in paper, of the proposed amendments to the voting members 30 days prior to the meeting of the Association at which they will be presented for discussion.
At such meeting, a proposed constitutional amendment may be amended, provided that the amendment is consistent with the original proposed constitutional amendment.
If approved by two-thirds of the members present and voting at the meeting, the final version of the amendment shall be promptly submitted to the entire membership for final decision by ballot.
Ballots, along with a summary of the discussion of the proposed amendment, shall be distributed, either electronically or in paper, to the voting members.
The Executive Board shall specify the time for closing the balloting, but in no case shall it be less than 30 days after the mailing of the ballots. The secretary shall have charge of counting and tabulation of all votes cast in balloting on amendments to the constitution.
Proposed amendments shall become effective when approved by two-thirds of the members voting in a ballot conducted by mail or electronically.
Amendments shall be submitted to the American Association of Law Libraries for review upon adoption by the membership of this Association.
ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1: Purpose. The property, business, and affairs of the Association shall be managed by the Executive Board which shall be composed of the officers of the Association, the last retiring president, and two directors of the Association who are not officers. The VALL Newsletter editor will serve as an ex officio member of the Board. The Executive Board shall have the power to fill any vacancy in elective offices except that of president. The person so elected by the Executive Board shall serve the unexpired term.
In the case of death or resignation of the president of the Association, the vice-president/president-elect shall become president and shall serve until the end of his or her won elected term.
Section 2: Meetings. The Executive Board shall meet once each year at a place and time to be designated by the president of the Association, and at such other times and places as the president or a majority of the Executive Board may direct.
ARTICLE VI. COMMITTEES
OTHER ORGANIZATIONS, AND REPRESENTATIVES
Section 1: Removal of Officers. Officers of the Association, as defined by the Constitution, may be removed for failure to perform their duties. An officer may be removed by a two-thirds vote of the Executive Board
Section 2: Committees. The committees of the Association shall be of two classes; standing committees and special committees. Standing committees shall be those established for purposes requiring the continuous attention of the Association. Special committees shall be those established for a stated period to accomplish a specific purpose. At the end of the stated period, the continuation of every special committee shall be decided upon by the Executive Board.
(a) Committee Membership. Members of standing committees shall be appointed for terms of one year beginning at the second quarterly meeting of the calendar year.
(b) Appointments. The vice-president/president-elect shall appoint the committee members for the terms provided by the Bylaws and designate the chair or co-chair of each committee to serve during his or her presidency, except the Nominating Committee.
The president may make committee appointments during his or her term of office. Committee members shall be chosen from those members who have the right to vote.
(c) Term Limitation. No committee chair shall serve more than five years without the unanimous approval of the Executive Board.
Section 3: Outside Representation.
Association representatives to other organizations, agencies, joint boards, and joint committees; and to meetings of other associations, may be appointed by the president or vice-president/ president-elect and shall report to the Executive Board.
Section 4: Authority to Spend. No committee or representative shall incur expenses on behalf of the Association except as authorized by
the Executive Board, nor shall any committee or representative commit the Association by any declaration of policy.
ARTICLE VII. ANTI-DISCRIMINATION
Membership in the Association or participation in any activity of the Association shall not be denied to any individual, or abridged on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or sexual orientation.
