BYLAWS

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this group shall be the Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan and the Bronx Health Sciences Librarians.  The acronym will be BQSI/MB.  In electronic formats where the slash cannot be used, the acronym will be BQSIMB.

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The purpose of BQSI/MB is to bring together persons of this constituted geographic area engaged in providing professional health sciences library services for the following objectives: furthering their specialized knowledge; exchange of information; improvements and developments of resources; identifying special needs and coordinating all library services and activities with existing area groups, libraries and programs.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1:  Individual Membership

Individual membership is open to persons who are actively interested in providing professional library and information services to the health science professionals of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Manhattan and the Bronx.

Section 2:  Retired Membership

Retired membership is open to individuals who have maintained continuous membership in BQSI/MB for five years prior to retirement.  Retired members are granted free membership with all of its privileges.  These members shall be known as “Emeritus” members.

Section 3:  Dues

Dues shall be determined by the Executive Board and voted upon by the members.  The fiscal year runs from May 1st through April 30th of the following year.  If dues are not paid by June 30th of the membership year, the dues shall be considered in arrears.  After June 30th, the member shall be reminded once and their dues must be received within 30 days of the notice, or their membership will be cancelled, and the member will be removed from the roster.  Only dues paying and emeritus members shall have a vote.

Section4:  No Membership

Membership is not offered to representatives of any commercial vendors.

ARTICLE IV:  OFFICERS

Section 1:  Executive Officers

The executive officers shall be a President, Vice-President / President-Elect, Immediate Past President, Secretary, Treasurer and three Executive Board Members.

Section 2: Election and Term of Office

The officers shall be nominated and elected as provided in the Bylaws.  Each officer shall take office at the close of the Spring meeting at which elected, and shall serve until a successor shall have been chosen or until resignation.  Should an officer not perform satisfactorily the functions of the office, the Executive Board has the authority to ask for a resignation or vote the individual out of office by a majority vote.  A new officer will be appointed until the next election is held.  Officers shall not serve for more than two consecutive terms.  Officers cannot hold more than one elected position at the same time.

Section 3:  President

The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of BQSI/MB and serve as Chair of the Executive Board.  The President shall be a member ex-officio, without vote, of all committees except the Nominating Committee.  A term of office shall be two years.  The President shall be responsible for maintaining and updating the BQSI/MB Policy and

Procedure Manual.

Section 4:  Vice-President / President-Elect

In the absence of, or at the request of the President, the Vice-President / President-Elect shall perform the duties and exercise the functions of the President.  A term of office shall be two years.  If the President is unable to complete the term of office, the Vice-President / President-Elect shall become Acting President.  The Vice-President/President-Elect shall be Chair of the BQSI/MB Program Planning Committee.

Section 5:  Secretary

The Secretary shall keep the minutes of all meeting, conduct the official correspondence and retain copies of all communications received and written on behalf of BQSI/MB.  The Secretary shall perform any related duties assigned by the Executive Board.  A term of office shall be two years.

Section 6:  Treasurer

The term of office of the Treasurer shall be three years.  The Treasurer shall direct the financial affairs of BQSI/MB; shall be responsible for all monies and funds belonging to BQSI/MB; shall collect dues and maintain a list of members in good standing and shall provide the Publicity/Website Committee with this information.  Approval for expenditures will be reimbursed by the Treasurer upon approval of the President.  In the absence of the President, the Vice-President/President-Elect shall approve expenditures.

Section 7:  Immediate Past President: The term of office of the Immediate Past President is two years immediately following his or her term as President.  The Immediate Past President serves as the Chair of the Nominating Committee.

Article V: EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1:  Membership

The Executive Board shall consist of the four Executive Officers, the Immediate Past President, and three additional elected members.

Section 2:  Term of Office

The three elected members of the Executive Board shall serve terms of three years each, one member to be elected annually.  A vacancy in the membership shall be filled by a majority vote of the remaining members of the Executive Board.

Section 3:  Duties

The Executive Board shall have the power and authority to manage BQSI/MB's property and to regulate and govern its affairs.  The Executive Board shall determine policies, take actions necessary to carry out objectives of BQSI/MB and perform such other functions as the membership may direct.

Section 4:  Meetings

The Executive Board shall hold at least one meeting annually and additional meetings upon the request of the President or upon written request of any three members of the Executive Board.

ARTICLE VI:  NOMINATIONS and ELECTIONS:

Section 1:  Nominations

The Nominating Committee shall consist of the Immediate Past President, who will chair the committee, and two other active members.  The Nominating Committee shall notify the membership of one nominee for each office.  The slate of nominees shall be distributed to the membership at least 30 days prior to the Spring meeting.  Members of the Nominating Committee shall not nominate themselves.

Section 2:  Elections

Elections shall be by mail ballot.  Each nominee must be elected by a majority vote.  Ballots shall have a provision for a write-in candidate.  Ballots shall be returned to the Nominating Committee Chair.  The results of the election shall be announced at the Spring meeting.  If a nominee has not been elected, any name proposed at least three (3) times on the ballot will be put to a vote.  If there are in sufficient write-in names, or the write-in name is voted down, additional nominations will be called for and voted on at the Spring meeting.

ARTICLE VII:  COMMITTEES:

Section 1:  The President shall appoint the following Committee Chairs: Archives, Bylaws, Political Action, Program Planning, Publicity/Website, Shared Resources, Welcoming / Membership, and any other committees considered useful to further the aims and objectives of BQSI/MB.  Committee Chairs shall hold office for the duration of the President's term.

Section 2:  Standing Committees:

    Part 1:  Archives Committee 

Purpose:  To collect, file and preserve the records of BQSI/MB.  This may include minutes, publications, reports, correspondence, photographs that represent the history, actions, and ideas of the organization.

    Part 2:  Bylaws Committee

Purpose:  To review, revise, and formulate rules and regulations that may serve as the basic guide to fair and orderly transaction of BQSI/MB business in conformity with its established aims and goals.  Members:  A minimum of three (3) members.

    Part 3:  Cooperative Purchasing Committee

Purpose: To recommend databases and other cooperative agreements for purchasing by member libraries, to construct special pricing arrangements for site licensing, and to initiate cooperative purchasing programs and services.  Members: A minimum of two members.

    Part 4:  Nominating Committee

Purpose:  To prepare a slate of officers when elections are called and to conduct elections.  Members:  A minimum of three (3) members.  The Immediate Past President serves as Chair.

    Part 5:  Political Action Committee

Purpose:  To keep track of legislation that affects medical / health science libraries, to inform the membership of political activities related to librarianship and libraries, to promote the cause of libraries and librarians.

    Part 6:   Program Planning Committee

Purpose:  To further specialized knowledge, to identify specialized needs, to plan educational activities (seminars and workshops), to prepare and distribute meeting notices through the website and the listser at least 30 days before a meeting.  Members: A minimum of two (2) members.

    Part 7:  Publicity/Website Committee

Purpose: To exchange information, to report activities, to maintain the BQSI/MB website (www.bqsimb.org), to maintain a paid and retired membership roster on the website, to maintain the BQSI/MB listserv.  Members: a minimum of two (2) members.  One member will be the Website Coordinator.

    Part 8:  Shared Resources Committee

Purpose:  To develop mechanism for sharing resources, to act as BHSL Network Coordinator, to coordinate projects, review and evaluate requests for new projects, prepare and initiate cooperative projects.

    Part 9:  Welcoming / Membership Committee

Purpose:  To maintain contact with members, to maintain and distribute updated mailing labels to membership upon request, to provide personal ID tags at all meetings, to prepare certificates for officers and committee chairs/members.

ARTICLE VIII:  MEETINGS

Section 1:  Meetings 

At least two General Membership meetings shall be held annually;  One in the Spring and one in the Fall.

Section 2:  Special Meetings

At any time in the interval between regular meetings a special meeting may be called by the Executive Board or by ten members, upon written request to the Executive Board.

Section 3:  Quorum

A quorum for the transaction of business shall be the presence of ten members.

Section 4:  Days of Meetings

Meetings will not be held on Federal, New York State, or New York City holidays.  Preference will be given to days when there are no major religious holidays or library organizational activities.

ARTICLE IX:  AFFILIATION

BQSI/MB may affiliate with any society having objectives allied with those of this organization.  Affiliation may be proposed by the Executive Board and authorized by a majority of returned ballots.

ARTICLE X:  PUBLICATIONS

BQSI/MB may publish a newsletter and other publications as the Executive Board authorizes.

ARTICLE XI:  ADOPTION and AMENDMENTS

    Section 1:  Adoption

The Bylaws have been adopted by a majority vote of the membership of BQSI/MB.

    Section 2:  Amendments

The Bylaws shall be amended at business sections of the meetings by a majority vote of members present.  An announcement of the proposed amendment(s) shall be mailed to all members at least three weeks prior  to the meeting at which the amendment(s) is to be voted upon.

    Section 3:  Robert's Rules of Order

Anything not covered by these Bylaws will follow Robert's Rules of Order.

ARTICLE XII:  Relationship to the NY-NJ CHAPTER of MLA, Inc.

In the event of dissolution of BQSI/MB, the assets of the organization, after satisfaction of all liabilities and obligations thereof, shall be given to the New York / New Jersey Chapter of MLA, Inc.

Bylaws last amended October 19th, 2007