WLA Paraprofessional/Support Staff Section By-Laws
Article I - Name
Sec. 1. The name of this body will be the Paraprofessional and Support Staff section of the Wyoming Library Association.
Article II - Purpose
Sec. 1. The purpose of the Paraprofessional and Support Staff Section will be to address the issues and concerns of particular interest to library support staff in Wyoming, in addition to providing opportunities for leadership, continuing education and networking for all Wyoming library staff.
Article III - Membership
Sec. 1. Any person or institution engaged or interested in library work may become a member of the section upon payment of dues as provided for in the by-laws of the Wyoming Library Association and who qualifies in a membership classification as defined in the constitution of the association.
Sec. 2. Individual members may vote in section elections and meetings, serve on section committees, serve as officers, and receive all section mailings. Institutional members receive all section mailings.
Article IV - Officers
Sec. 1. The officers of the section will be a chair, a chair-elect, and a secretary. The chair-elect and secretary will be elected annually and assume office following the annual business meeting of the Wyoming Library Association during an executive board meeting attended by both incoming and outgoing section chairs.
Sec. 2. The chair will preside at all meetings of the section and the section officers. The chair will serve as an ex-officio member of all section committees except the nominating committee, and as a member of the executive board of the Wyoming Library Association. The chair will be responsible for the annual budget of the section. The chair will appoint an ad hoc nominating committee at or before the spring meeting. The chair will be responsible for the optional spring meeting and the section program/meeting at the Wyoming Library Association annual meeting, but may delegate this responsibility to another member.
Sec. 3. In the absence of the chair, the chair-elect will preside at all meetings of the section and section officers and attend the Wyoming Library Association executive board meetings. The chair-elect will serve as chair of the section the year following his/her term as chair-elect.
Sec. 4. The secretary will take the minutes of all meetings of the section, and submit copies to the Wyoming Library Association executive secretary and the Wyoming Library Association historian, and maintain a file copy for the section. He/she will also maintain a list of the members of the section their addresses and positions, in cooperation with the Wyoming Library Association executive secretary.
Sec. 5. If the chair can not complete a term of office, the chair-elect will serve as chair for the remainder of the term and remain to serve the term for which he/she was elected. If the chair-elect can not complete a term, the remaining officers will select a replacement to serve until the next election. Ballots at that time will provide for election of a chair as well as chair-elect and secretary. If the secretary can not complete a term of office, the remaining officers will select a replacement for the vacancy.
Article V - Nominations
Sec. 1. At least three months prior to the Wyoming Library Association annual meeting, the nominating committee will submit a report to the officers of the section nominating at least one candidate each for the positions of chair-elect and secretary.
Sec. 2. A member's consent must be obtained before his/her name can be placed in the nomination report. All ballots will contain a space for write-in candidates for each office.
Sec. 3. The report of the nominating committee and the resultant ballots will be mailed with the call for the annual meeting of the section. The Wyoming Library Association nominating committee or its designee will count the ballots and the results announced at the annual meeting. Individual members will have the privilege of voting. The new officers will be the candidates receiving the greatest number of votes.
Article VI - Meetings
Sec. 1. Annual Meetings. There will be an annual meeting of the section at such place and time as may be determined by the officers of the section. The officers will notify the members of the section at least 10 days prior to the meeting. The meetings of the section will not conflict with annual meetings of the Wyoming Library Association, but may be held during the association's annual convention dates.
Sec. 2. Spring Meetings. The section chair may call a spring meeting of the section for the purpose of conducting business and/or presenting a program.
Sec. 3. Special meetings. Special meetings may be called by the officers provided the membership is given 30 days notice. Business may be conducted by the action of a majority of the attending members.
Sec. 4. Quorum. Fifty percent of the members of the section registering for the annual meeting will constitute a quorum.
Sec. 5. To avoid conflicts with other sections, all meeting dates should be cleared with the association's president.
Article VII - Subsections and Committees
Sec. 1. The chair will appoint two members of the section to serve on the nominating committee.
Sec. 2. The section may create subsections of special interest when necessary.
Sec. 3. The chair of the section will fill vacancies in subsections and may appoint ad hoc committees as necessary, i.e.: By-laws; liaisons to serve special needs within a geographical area.
Article VIII - Finances
Sec. 1. Section officers will set section dues subject to approval by section membership and the Wyoming Library Association executive board. Dues will be collected by the executive secretary of the Wyoming Library Association in conjunction with association dues.
Sec. 2. Funds for financing the activities of the section are derived from section dues and other section activities designed to raise funds.
Sec. 3. The chair of the section will authorize payment of section bills from section funds by the executive secretary of the Wyoming Library Association. The executive secretary of the Wyoming Library Association will maintain the financial records of the section.
Article IX - Amendment of the By-laws
Sec. 1. By-laws may be adopted and amended by vote of the majority of the members voting at any annual meeting, provided the specific notice of any change has been given in the call for the meeting at least 30 days prior to the meeting. Any by-laws may be suspended by vote of the majority of those present at the annual meeting.
Article X - Issues not covered
Sec. 1. Any issue not covered in these by-laws, or found to be in conflict with the by-laws of Wyoming Library Association, will be governed by the Wyoming Library Association by-laws.
Article XI - Dissolution of the section
Sec. 1. Upon recommendation of the executive board, the section may be dissolved by action of the members of the Wyoming Library Association at an annual business meeting provided at least 30 days notice has been given prior to the meeting. The section may dissolve itself by a majority vote of the section membership; formal notification should then be sent to the executive board of the Wyoming Library Association.
Sec. 2. Upon the dissolution of the section, any remaining section funds will be credited to the Wyoming Library Association.