Article I. Name

This organization shall be known as the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), incorporated under the General Not for Profit Corporation Act of the State of Illinois, hereafter referred to as the "Association", and in Chinese as 華人圖書館員協會(Hua Ren Tu Shu Guan Yuan Xie Hui).

Article II. Objectives

The objectives of the Association shall be:

1. To enhance communication among Chinese American librarians as well as between Chinese American librarians and other librarians;
2. To serve as a forum for discussion of mutual problems and professional concerns among Chinese American librarians;
3. To promote Sino-American librarianship and library services; and
4. To provide a vehicle whereby Chinese American librarians may cooperate with other associations and organizations having similar or allied interests.

Article III. Membership

Any individual or corporate body interested in the purpose of the Association may become a member upon payment of the dues as provided for in the Bylaws.

Article IV. Official Year

The fiscal and membership year of the Association shall begin on the first day of January and end on the last day of December. The terms of office for all elected and appointed officers, as specified in Article VI of the Constitution, will commence at the first meeting of the Board of Directors held after the annual membership meeting, and shall continue until each of their specific terms of office expires.

Article V. Board of Directors

 

Section 1. Make-up of the Board of Directors

1. The Board of Directors shall consist of the president; vice president/president elect; incoming vice president/president elect for the following year, hereafter referred to as the incoming vice president/president elect; treasurer; executive director; immediate past president; fifteen at-large directors; and all chapter presidents.
2. The president, vice president/president elect, incoming vice president/president elect, treasurer, immediate past president, executive director, and chapter presidents shall serve on the Board of Directors during their respective terms of office.
3. The at-large directors shall each serve a three-year term. Their terms shall be staggered so that one-third of the directors shall be elected each year.
4. The nomination of directors shall take into consideration the geographical representation.

 

Section 2. Powers of the Board

The Board of Directors, hereafter referred to as "the Board", shall be the decision-making body, empowered by the general membership to adopt policies, appoint officers as specified in the Constitution and Bylaws, approve the budget, review the Association's activities and transactions, and determine the participation of the Association in joint programs with other organizations. The Board shall also retain powers not otherwise specified in the Bylaws for the well-being of the Association and its membership.

 

Section 3. Board Meetings

1. There shall be at least two regular meetings of the Board each year.
2. At any regular or special board meeting, the presence of a simple majority of the members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.

Section 4. Executive Committee

There shall be an Executive Committee of the Board, consisting of the president, vice president/president elect, incoming vice president/president elect, treasurer, immediate past president, and executive director. The incoming vice president/president elect is a non-voting member of the Committee. The Executive Committee shall possess all authority of the Board to act between board meetings, except with respect to the following matters:

1. actions requiring general membership approval
2. amendment or repeal of any portion of the Bylaws
3. amendment of any resolution of the Board unless so authorized by the Board

 

Article VI. Officers

 

Section 1. Elected Officers

The elected officers, who must be personal members in good standing, are (1)president, (2) vice president/president elect, (3) incoming vice president/presidentelect, (4) treasurer, and (5) executive director. The terms for the president, vice president/president elect, and incoming vice president/president elect are for one year each. After that, the president becomes the immediate past president, the vice president/president elect becomes the president, and the incoming vice president/president elect becomes the vice president/president elect. They cannot be re-elected for a consecutive term. The treasurer serves a two-year term and can be re-elected for a second consecutive term. The executive director serves a three-year term and can be re-elected for a second consecutive term.

Section 2. Appointed Officers

The appointed officers, who must be personal members in good standing, are (1) journal editor, (2) newsletter editor, (3) web master, (4) committee chairpersons, (5) committee members, and (6) ad hoc committee chairperson and members.

1. Journal Editor. The Board shall appoint a journal editor from the membership of the Association for a three-year term. The journal editor can be re-appointed for a second consecutive term.
2. Newsletter Editor. The Board shall appoint a newsletter editor from the membership of the Association for a three-year term. The newsletter editor can be re-appointed for a second consecutive term.
3. Web Master. The Board shall appoint a web master from the membership of the Association for a three-year term. The web master can be re-appointed for a second consecutive term.
4. Committee Chairpersons. The president, with the advice of the Board, shall appoint all chairpersons of standing committees. The existing standing committees are (1) the Awards Committee, (2) the Conference Program Committee, (3) the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, (4) the Finance Committee, (5) the International Relations Committee, (6) the Membership Committee, (7) the Nominating Committee, (8) the Public Relations/Fund Raising Committee, (9) the Publications Committee, (10) the Scholarship Committee, and (11) the Web Committee.
   1. The chairperson of the Conference Program Committee shall be the vice president/president elect. The chairperson of the Nominating Committee shall be the immediate past president. The chairpersons of the Conference Program Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Awards Committee, and the Scholarship Committee shall be appointed for a one-year term and cannot be re-appointed for a consecutive term.
   2. The chairperson of the Web Committee shall be the web master of the Association. The appointment is for a three-year term and can be re-appointed for a second consecutive term.
   3. All other committee chairpersons shall be appointed for a one-year term and can be re-appointed for a second consecutive term for the same committee.
5. Committee Members. The president, in consultation with each chairperson, shall appoint all committee members from the membership of the Association. The number of members in each committee, including the chairperson, shall be an odd number. The exact number of members in each committee is to be decided by the president.
   
   1.  The treasurer shall be an ex-officio member of the Finance Committee. Chapter membership chairpersons shall be members of the Membership Committee of the Association. The journal editor, newsletter editor, chairperson of the Membership Committee, and web master shall be ex-officio members of the Publications Committee.
   2. Appointments for the Nominating Committee members shall be the immediate past chapter presidents. Appointments for the Membership Committee shall comprise all chapter membership chairpersons. When an immediate past chapter president or a Membership Committee chairperson is unable to serve, the president shall appoint a substitute from that chapter.
   3. The members of the Conference Program Committee, the Nominating Committee, the Awards Committee, and the Scholarship Committee shall be appointed for a one-year term and cannot serve a second consecutive term. The members of the Membership Committee, the Finance Committee, the Publications Committee, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, the International Relations Committee, the Public Relations/Fund Raising Committee, and the Web Committee shall be appointed for a staggered two-year term and can be re-appointed for a consecutive term.
   4. To keep an accurate record of vacancies and re-appointments, chairpersons shall list the term of each member in their annual reports.
6. Ad Hoc Committee Chairperson and Members. The president may appoint ad hoc committees when necessary and stipulate the terms and charges of the chairperson and members for each ad hoc committee.

Article VII. Membership and Program Meetings

 

1. There shall be an annual membership meeting that consists of a program meeting.
2. Special membership meetings may be called by the president, the Board, or by petition of members as provided for in the Bylaws.

Article VIII. Chapters

1. The Board may approve the establishment of a chapter of the Association in any region or well-defined geographic area based on the guidelines specified in the Bylaws.
2. Each chapter shall promote the interests of the Association.
3. Dissolution and reorganization of a chapter may be proposed by the Board or by petition of members as provided for in the Bylaws.

Article IX. Affiliates

The Association is an affiliate of the American Library Association. Upon the approval of the Board, the Association can accept other associations with similar interests and common objectives as affiliates.

Article X. Amendments

 

Section 1

Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed by the Board or through a petition signed by at least twenty-five voting members of the Association. Proposals originating in the Board shall be approved by a two-thirds vote of its members before submission to the general membership. Proposals originating by petition shall be submitted in writing to the Board at least sixty days prior to the next annual membership meeting and shall be presented to the members with the recommendations of the Board.

Section 2

Notice containing the text of proposal shall be sent to each voting member at least fifteen days prior to a vote.

Section 3

Any proposed amendment to the Constitution shall be ratified by a vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the Association present at the annual membership meeting, or, if decided by the Board, by a vote of two-thirds of the voting members of the Association in an electronic or mail ballot.