Article I Name

The name of this organization shall be the Division of Academic and Special Libraries, a Division of the Montana Library Association. It shall be referred to hereinafter as the Division.

Article II Purpose

The purposes of the Division shall be:

Goal 1: To promote communication among librarians employed in specialized or educational, research, and academic libraries in Montana.

Goal 2: To provide its membership with continuing education in developments which may be utilized by librarians.

Goal 3: To promote a cooperative use of materials and facilities and the exchange of information among its membership.

Article III Affiliation With Other Groups

This Division shall be a Division of the Montana Library Association, subject to its Bylaws. Active members of the Montana Library Association, Academic and Special Library Division may be members of the Montana Chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries. Membership does not confer nor require membership in ALA/ACRL.

Article IV Membership

There shall be four classes of membership: Individual, Institutional, Corporate, and Honorary Life.

Section 1. Individual Members. Any person actively employed by a library of the type described in Article II, Goal 1, may become an Individual Member of this Division by payment of dues to the Montana Library Association. Upon payment of dues, an Individual Member is entitled to all the voting privileges of the Division.

Section 2. Institutional Members. Any library of the type described in Article II, Goal 1, may become an Institutional Member of this Division by payment of dues to the Montana Library Association. Each Institutional Member is entitled to all the voting privileges of the Division. Through a delegated representative, each Institutional Member may have one vote on all questions which come before the Division.

Section 3. Corporate Members: Corporations, except institutions eligible for Institutional Membership, may become a member of the Division by payment of dues to the Montana Library Association. Each Corporate Member is entitled to all the voting privileges of the Division. Through a delegated representative, each Corporate Member may have one vote on all questions which come before the Division.

Section 4. Honorary Life Members. Any person, retired from regular employment, and having been employed by a library of the type described in Article II, Goal 1, may become an Honorary Life Member of this Division according to procedures established by the Montana Library Association.

Article V Officers

Section 1. Number of Officers. The officers of this Division shall be a Chair, a Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, a Secretary, and the Montana ACRL Chapter Chair (a non-voting member).

Section 2. Term of Office. The term of office for officers shall be one year except as provided for in Section 4 of this Article. The term shall begin June 1.

Section 3. Duties of Officers

1. Chair. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Division and of the Executive Board of the Division. (See ARTICLE VI). The Chair shall appoint all standing or ad hoc committees and shall serve as an ex officio member of all committees with right to vote in case of tie. The Chair shall be responsible for the planning of the annual meeting of the Division at which time he or she shall report to the membership. The Chair shall report news and information to the membership through Focus, the official publication of the Montana Library Association. The Chairperson shall prepare a budget for his/her term of office to be submitted to the Montana Library Association Board of Directors, as well as prepare an annual report in writing to the Association President. The Chair shall be a member of the Montana Library Association Board of Directors and be responsible for liaison to other organizations, agencies, and associations. Upon approval of the MLA Executive Committee, the Chairperson may appoint a proxy to represent him or her at MLA Board meetings.
   1. Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect. The Vice-Chair/Chair Elect shall succeed the Chair at the end of the elected one-year term and shall immediately assume the office of Chair if the Chair is no longer able to perform the duties of such office, as determined by Article V, Section 4. The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall, in the absence of the Chair, perform the duties of the Chair. The Vice-Chair shall be responsible for all publicity on behalf of the Division.
   2. Secretary: The Secretary shall:
      1. Attend and take minutes at Division meetings.
      2. Maintain a digital file of Division meeting minutes and agendas.
      3. Provide the Montana Library Association web master with information regarding current and past officers, current committee members, and Division meeting minutes.
      4. Inform Division membership of website updates.
      5. Serve on Publicity Committee to make sure articles of interest to academic and special libraries are in each FOCUS issue.
2. Chair, Montana Chapter of ACRL. The Chair of the Montana ACRL Chapter must be a person with current membership in ALA/ACRL. The ACRL Chair shall serve a term of two (2) years with a Chair-Elect solicited by the ACRL Chair in the second term of his/her office. The position is a non-voting member of the Executive Board as it is not a voted on appointment. The Chair of the Montana Chapter of ACRL shall, in collaboration with the ASLD Chair, pursue ACRL initiatives in support of professional development opportunities for the membership that might not participate at the national level. It is the responsibility of the Montana ACRL Chapter Chair to explain and publicize the activities of the Chapter, ALA/ACRL membership, and to fulfill the requirements of Chapter affiliation as specified in ACRL’s Guide to Policies and Procedures. The Chair is encouraged to attend the annual American Library Association Conference and represent Montana at the Chapter Council meeting.

Section 4. Succession or Replacement of Officers.

1. In the event that the Chair is disabled, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform the duties of the office, the title, duties and obligations of the office shall be assumed by the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, who shall then serve until the end of his/her own term as Chair. A special election shall be held to fill the office of Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect. The new Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall serve the unexpired term of his or her predecessor and shall thereafter succeed to the office of Chair.
2. In the event that the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect is disabled, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform the duties of the office, a special election shall be held to fill the office. The new Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall serve the unexpired term of his or her predecessor and shall thereafter succeed to the office of Chair.
3. Should the office of Secretary become vacant, other than at the end of the term, the Chair may appoint any active member to fill the vacancy for the duration of the existing term.
4. Montana ACRL Chapter Chair. In the event the Chair is disabled, resigns, or is otherwise unable to perform the duties of the office, the ASLD Chair shall solicit a qualified person to serve as ACRL Chair from the Montana Library Association, ALA/ACRL membership. Since the ACRL Chair does not select a Chair-Elect until their second term, vacancy of the ACRL Chair during the first term may require the ASLD Chair to solicit a qualified person to complete the first term of office.

Article VI Executive Board

The administration of the affairs of the Division shall be vested in the Executive Board which shall consist of the officers of the Division and the most recent Past-Chair of the Division, and the Montana ACRL Chapter Chair, a non-voting member. The Executive Board shall conduct all business of the Division which is necessary between meetings of the membership. The Executive Board may caucus the membership on any issue before the Board and may call special meetings of the membership.

Article VII Nominations and Elections

Section 1. Nominating Committee. The ASLD Chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee consisting of two ASLD members and the ASLD Past Chair. The ASLD Past Chair will serve as the Chair of the Nominating Committee. This committee shall nominate members of the Division for each office. If possible, the slate should contain at least two candidates for each office. The committee shall obtain permission from each nominee and shall seek assurance that the persons nominated will be able to perform the duties of office. The nominees will be presented at the Division annual meeting.

Section 2. Regular Elections. Election of officers shall be conducted by mail, email or fax within two weeks after the annual meeting of the Division. The Nomination Committee shall count the ballots and notify the Division Chair of the results. Candidates receiving the highest number of votes in each office shall be elected.

Section 3. Announcement of results and assumption of office. The results of the election shall be announced to the members before May 31 and the new officers shall assume office on June 1.

Section 4. Special Elections. The Nominating Committee shall submit a list of candidates and their resumes to the Chair no later than thirty (30) days after the disability of, resignation by, or removal from office of the Chair or Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect. Special election may be held by mail, e-mail, voice, or fax or at a business meeting, as determined by the Executive Board.

Section 5. Volunteer. The Montana ACRL Chapter Chair shall, after one year of her/his two-year term, solicit from the Montana Library Association ALA/ACRL membership, a qualified volunteer to serve as Chair.

Article VIII Year

The fiscal year of the Division shall coincide with the fiscal year of the parent organization, the Montana Library Association. (July 1-June 30).

Article IX Fiscal

Section 1. Dues. No special dues shall be charged by this Division. Membership shall be determined through payment of dues to the Montana Library Association.

Section 2. Operating Budget. The Executive Board shall submit to the Board of Directors of the Association a tentative budget for the support of that year’s work by the date specified by the President. On the basis of this, and in light of the Association’s financial situation, the Board of Directors of the Association shall allot a definite sum to the Division, notification of the amount to be made to the Division Chairperson following approval of the budget.

Section 3. Special Assessments. The Division may assess fees from participants in Division-sponsored workshops or seminars, provided that such fees be designed only to cover immediate costs of the seminar or workshop, and that gratuities to speakers remain minimal.

Article X Meetings

The annual meeting of the Division shall be held in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the parent organization, the Montana Library Association. Voting at meetings will generally be by voice unless a ballot is required. A majority vote of those present and voting will prevail on all business matters, except that Bylaws amendments shall require a two-thirds vote.

Article XI Quorum

Twenty-five percent of all membership shall constitute a quorum of the Division for the transaction of business.

Article XII Committees

Section 1. Standing Committees. Standing Committees may be instituted should the membership determine and express a need for such. Standing Committees shall report to the membership at the annual meetings.

Section 2. Ad Hoc Committees. The Chair may appoint Ad Hoc Committees at any time. An Ad Hoc Committee shall finish its mission within two years of its formation and shall report to the Chair.

Article XIII Amendment of Bylaws

The Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of those present and voting at the annual meeting of the Division or by two-thirds majority vote of the membership via mail, e-mail, or fax provided that proposed Bylaws changes shall be distributed to the membership at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting or the vote deadline date.

Article XIV Rules of Order

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

(Adopted May 1, 1985)
(Revised May 2000)
(Revised April 2004)
(Revised April 2008)
(Revised April 2013)