Ontario Association of Library Technicians
Association des bibliotechniciens de l'Ontario

Constitution and By-laws

Chapter Constitution [PDF]

OTTAWA CHAPTER/SECTION D’OTTAWA

CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

APPROVED: June 12, 1974

Amended:

June 11, 1979; March 31, 1981; March 31, 1982; March 30, 1983; March 28, 1984;
February 23, 1988; April 8, 1992; September 22, 1998; November 20, 2001;
April 15, 2004; August 14, 2007; January 2009

Table of Contents:

Preamble
Purpose

ARTICLES:

  1. Name
  2. Objectives
  3. Membership
  4. Organization
  5. Term of Office
  6. Meetings
  7. Quorum
  8. Rules of Order
  9. Amendments

BY-LAWS:

  1. Membership
  2. Fees
  3. Voting
  4. Duties of the Executive
  5. Finances
  6. Attendance
  7. Vacancies
  8. Committees
  9. Meeting Notices
  10. Elections
  11. Definitions
  12. Chapter Year

Preamble to the Constitution

Whereas the graduate, student and retired Library and Information Technicians domiciled in and about Ottawa are desirous of forming a Chapter of the ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF LIBRARY TECHNICIANS/ASSOCIATION DES BIBLIOTECHNICIENS DE L’ONTARIO also known as OALT/ABO and also referred to in the text as the “Association”, be it resolved that the following shall be and are the Constitution and By-Laws of the said formed Chapter.

PURPOSE

The Library and Information Technicians feel the need to join together so as to pool their knowledge and working experience and by so doing promote their status.

Article 1 – NAME

  1. The name of this Chapter of OALT/ABO shall be the Ottawa Chapter/Section d’Ottawa, hereinafter referred to as the “Chapter.”
  2. As the Association operates on the principle of local autonomy, the Chapter shall be responsible for the maintenance and coordination of Chapter affairs.
  3. When possible, all information from the Chapter shall be available in English and in French.

Article 2 – OBJECTIVES

  1. To define clearly the role and duties of the Library and Information Technician and to make this definition widely known.
  2. To publicize and promote the value of Library and Information Technicians.
  3. To advance the status of the Library and Information Technician as both necessary and valuable members of the library staff, and to promote wide understanding and acceptance of this status.
  4. To maintain recognized standards, as defined by the Association.
  5. To work in liaison with related professions and institutions, and to promote effective communication among Library and Information Technicians, their employers, and those involved in educational programmes for Library and Information Technicians, and for others in closely related fields.
  6. To be receptive to and aware of the needs and constant changes in the field of library and information technology and the community.

Article 3 – MEMBERSHIP

  1. Membership shall be open to graduate Library and Information Technicians, students enrolled in a recognized Library and Information Technician Programme, associates and institutions upon payment of annual dues to OALT/ABO as provided for in the Chapter By-Law 1.
  2. Payment of additional Chapter dues will entitle the member to membership in OALT/ABO at both the Association and Chapter levels, subject to the Constitution and By-Laws of both the Association and Chapter.

Article 4 – ORGANIZATION

The Chapter Executive shall consist of:

  1. President
  2. Vice-President
  3. Treasurer
  4. Secretary

and an Ex-officio (a member of a previous Executive) chosen to advise the current Executive.

Article 5 – TERM OF OFFICE

The members of the Chapter Executive shall be elected for a term of one (1) year with the option of re-election. The election shall be conducted by a vote at the Annual General Meeting (see By-Law 9).

Article 6 – MEETINGS

  1. The Chapter Executive shall meet at least four (4) times per year.
  2. The Chapter membership shall gather at least four (4) times per year (see By-Law 9).
  3. The Annual General Meeting (see By-Law 9) shall be the last meeting of the Chapter fiscal year (see By-Law 12).
  4. Special meetings of the membership may be called at the discretion of the Executive.

Article 7 – QUORUM

Only when a quorum is present at any meeting, will a decision be binding on the Chapter (see By-Law 11).

Article 8 – RULES OF ORDER

The rules contained in the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern this Chapter in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these Articles and By-Laws.

Article 9 – AMENDMENTS

  1. Amendments to the Chapter Constitution shall be ratified at the Annual General Meeting.
  2. Notice of resolutions to alter any Article of the Constitution shall be given to the President, in writing, and the wording thereof signed by any five (5) members in good standing (see By-Law 11), at least one (1) month prior to the date of the Annual General Meeting.
  3. Changes to Chapter By-Laws shall be made with a quorum vote (see By-Law 11).

BY-LAWS

By-Law 1 – MEMBERSHIP

  1. The membership year shall be January 1 to December 31.
  2. There shall be the following classes of membership:
    1. Full membership will be given to a graduate Library and Information Technician from a Library and Information Technician Programme that meets the requirements as established by the Canadian Library Association.
    2. Student membership will be given to a Student while enrolled in a Library and Information Technician Programme with a limit of four (4) years. After that time, he/she is asked to pay graduate fees and is granted full membership.
    3. Full membership will be given to retired or unemployed graduate Library and Information Technicians.
    4. Associate membership will be given to an individual interested in the objectives of the Association. At the end of five (5) consecutive years, if he/she wishes to pay graduate fees, he/she will be granted Full membership. This is to be affective retroactively from May 3, 1985.
    5. Institutional membership will be given to an Institution/Organization/Corporation. This membership shall include one (1) copy of any OALT/ABO publication and extends membership privileges to two (2) representatives of the institution for any Chapter activity.
    6. As per By-Law 2a, additional classes of membership may be added.
  3. Any individual or organization ceases to be a member:
    1. when dues are not fully paid by February 1st;
    2. when submitting a written resignation to the Chapter Executive;
    3. when the said member acts in a way detrimental to the Chapter or the Association as decided by the membership. The Chapter will notify said member of their suspension. And a member who has been suspended can only be re-admitted into the Chapter and or Association with the approval of the Ottawa Chapter Executive.

By-Law 2 – FEES

  1. The following amounts are the membership fees levied by the Association:
    1.  $40.00 Graduate Library and Information Technician
    2. $12.00 Library and Information Technician student
    3. $12.00 Retired/Unemployed Graduate Library and Information Technician
    4. $40.00 Associate
    5. $60.00 Institutional (includes two (2) people)
    6. $10.00 additional institutional fee per extra person
  2. Members wishing Ottawa Chapter affiliation shall remit the following additional fees:
    1. $20.00 Graduate Library and Information Technician, Associate, Institutional.
    2. $8.00 Library and Information Technician Student, Retired/Unemployed Graduate Library and Information Technician.
  3. The fees shall be set by the OALT/ABO Executive and ratified by the membership at the Association’s Annual Business Meeting

By-Law 3 – VOTING

  1. Full and Student members (see By-Law 1) in good standing (see By-Law 11) shall be accorded voting rights.
  2. One representative of an Institutional Membership (see By-Law 1) in good standing (see By-Law 11) shall be accorded voting rights.
  3. Associate Members (see By-Law 1) are not accorded voting rights.

By-Law 4 – DUTIES OF THE EXECUTIVE

The President:

  1. is the head of the Chapter;
  2. prepares the agenda for all Executive meetings and the AGM and forwards to the Secretary for distribution to all Executive members;
  3. upholds the ideals and purposes of the Chapter;
  4. in the event of a vacancy in the position of Treasurer, will perform the duties of the Chapter Treasurer;
  5. presents a written report to the membership at the Annual General Meeting which must be submitted for translation at least four (4) weeks prior to the meeting.

The Vice-President:

  1. performs the duties and exercise the powers of the President in the absence or at the request of the President;
  2. acts as the Chapter liaison with the Chapter Coordinator of the Association, including submitting an annual report on Chapter activities and a financial statement;
  3. attends all meetings;
  4. may be appointed chairperson of a special committee by the Executive;
  5. coordinates activities of standing committees.
  6. presents a written report to the membership at the Annual General Meeting which must be submitted for translation at least four (4) weeks prior to the meeting.

The Treasurer:

  1. is responsible for all financial transactions of the Chapter;
  2. maintains complete records thereof and reports fully thereon;
  3. presents a financial statement to the Chapter membership at the Annual General Meeting;
  4. arranges to have the books audited, if requested in writing by five (5) full members in good standing (see By-Law 11) two (2) months prior to the end of the designated fiscal year;
  5. attends all meetings.

The Secretary:

  1. records minutes of all meetings and maintains and is the custodian of the up-to-date Chapter Constitution and By-Laws;
  2. sees that copies of minutes of Executive meetings are distributed to Executive members at least one (1) week prior to the succeeding meeting;
  3. contacts each officer and committee head two (2) days prior to Executive meetings as a reminder;
  4. contacts the President as to the agenda of all meetings and include with the minutes;
  5. distributes notices of the Chapter’s Annual General Meeting or any other business meetings of the Chapter by post to serve the needs of members requiring correspondence in non-electronic format.
  6. contacts each Officer and committee head six (6) weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting as a reminder to ensure that all written reports to the membership are prepared and translated;
  7. attends all meetings;
  8. presents a written report to the membership at the Annual General Meeting which must be submitted for translation at least four (4) weeks prior to the meeting.

By-Law 5 – FINANCES

  1. All Chapter monies shall be deposited in a Chartered Bank, Credit Union or Trust Company under the name of Ottawa Chapter/Section d’Ottawa, ONTARIO ASSOCIATION OF LIBRARY TECHNICIANS/ ASSOCIATION DES BIBLIOTECHNICIENS DE L’ONTARIO (OALT/ABO). An amount to be determined by the Executive is to be kept as petty cash by the Treasurer.
  2. The President or President’s delegate and the Treasurer shall have signing authority, with two (2) signatures being necessary for each transaction.

By-Law 6 – ATTENDANCE

  1. A person who accepts an Executive position is required to attend meetings of the Executive regularly;
  2. Failure to attend on a regular basis (absence from three (3) Executive meetings) would require a review by the Executive of the member in question.

By-Law 7 – VACANCIES

In the event that a vacancy should occur, the Executive may appoint a member in good standing (see By-Law 11) to fulfill the duties of the vacant office until the term expires. A notice of appointment must be sent to all of the membership.

By-Law 8 – COMMITTEES

  1. There shall be such committees as the Executive may from time to time determine.
  2. Standing committees shall be established at the discretion of the current Executive.
  3. The composition and duties of each standing committee shall be set forth by the Executive.
  4. Each committee shall be responsible to the Vice-President.
  5. The Chair of each committee shall be notified of all Executive meetings. Attendance is not required but a progress report should be submitted when unable to attend.
  6. Presents a written report to the membership at the Annual General Meeting which must be submitted for translation at least four (4) weeks prior to the meeting.
  7. NOMINATING COMMITTEE
    1. is responsible for conducting the election;
    2. accepts notification from those willing to stand for any office, as well as nominations for any office up to thirty (30) days before the Annual General Meeting;
    3. The committee shall be composed of no less that three (3) full members in good standing (see By-Law 11), not wishing to stand for nomination;
    4. The Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Executive no later than two (2) months prior to the termination of the Chapter year (see By-Law 12).

By-Law 9 – MEETING NOTICES

  1. Notice of membership meetings shall be distributed at least three (3) weeks prior.
  2. The notice of the Annual General Meeting shall include the agenda. This shall be distributed to all members at least three (3) weeks prior to the Annual General Meeting.

By-Law 10 – ELECTIONS

  1. The voting for the Executive shall be conducted at the Annual General Meeting.
  2. Nominees for Executive positions will consist of those nominated in writing as well as those nominated from the floor at the Annual General Meeting.
  3. To be valid, the vote must consist of fifty (50) percent plus one (1) of the votes of the full members present and in good standing (see By-Law 11) at the Annual General Meeting.
  4. Elections are run by the Nominating Committee.

By-Law 11 – DEFINITIONS

  1. Member in good standing:
    A member in good standing is one who has paid his/her dues by the date set by the Chapter (see By-Law 1).
  2. Quorum:
    1. Annual General Meeting of the Chapter: there shall be a quorum of no less than seven (7) members who are accorded voting rights (see By-Law 3).
    2. Membership meeting of the Chapter: there shall be a quorum of no less than six (6) members who are accorded voting rights (see By-Law 3).
    3. A quorum for an Executive decision shall be three (3) officials, one (1) of which must be the President.

By-Law 12 – CHAPTER YEAR

The Chapter fiscal year shall be January 1 to December 31.

See Also

Duties of the Executive