ASDAL International Bylaws

Article I. Membership

Section 1. Application

All applications for membership shall be in writing to the treasurer of the Association.

Section 2. Voting Rights

All members shall be entitled to one vote. Voting may not be done by proxy.

Section 3. Termination

Membership in the organization may be terminated for non-payment of dues as provided in the Bylaws.

Section 4. ASDAL Acronym Usage

No ASDAL member shall use the acronym ASDAL in a private email address.

Article II. Dues

Each ASDAL chapter shall be responsible for collecting dues from their members at an amount established in their chapter’s bylaws. A portion of these dues shall be remitted to ASDAL International with the amount negotiated between each chapter and the ASDAL International Executive Committee.

Regular members who do not have access to a local ASDAL chapter may pay annual dues to join ASDAL International as determined by the ASDAL International Executive Committee. Retired persons and students pay dues at a discounted rate.

Article III. Membership Meetings

Section 1. Number of Meetings

ASDAL International will host one conference every three to five years at a site selected by the Executive Committee. Other meetings will be called as needed by the Executive Committee of ASDAL International.

Each chapter will regularly host one chapter-specific conference within its geographic region.

Section 2. Quorum

Any reasonable method can be used to determine the quorum at ASDAL business sessions.

Section 3. Electronic Voting

1. Electronic balloting and voting may be used to elect officers and committee members. It may also be used to conduct committee business between international conferences. The deadline for receipt of such electronic votes cast by the members shall be at least two (2) weeks from the date of emailing the balloting materials.
2. A simple majority of voting members shall constitute a quorum.

Section 4. Host Library Staff

Host library staff members whose library responsibilities prevent them from fully participating in the annual conference will be allowed to attend the conference sessions without registering.

Article IV. Officers

Section 1. ASDAL International Executive Committee

Officers of ASDAL International shall be: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Chapter presidents, and the ASDAL Action Editor. These individuals shall serve on the Executive Committee with the immediate past president as ex officio. The President may invite others to meet with the Executive Committee as appropriate.

The executive committee must meet, including chapter presidents, at least once yearly.

Duties of the ASDAL International Executive Committee shall include approval of the agenda for the ASDAL International business sessions, oversight of the publications of the Association in all formats, appointment of the coordinators, and selection of an auditor to review the treasurer’s records. Furthermore, Officers and Committee members shall normally use the email address issued to them by their employing organization for ASDAL business.

Section 2. Qualifications

Any regular member in good standing shall be qualified to hold office. No member shall be both a chapter president and ASDAL International President concurrently.

Section 3. ASDAL International President

The  ASDAL International Association President shall serve from the end of one ASDAL International Conference until the conclusion of the ASDAL International Conference. The President shall provide active leadership in the direction of the stated objectives, goals, and purposes of the organization within their contexts. He or she shall preside at all ASDAL International Executive Committee meetings, except as he or she shall delegate this responsibility, for single occasions, to the vice president or secretary of ASDAL International. He or she approves election results for Association officers. All publicity concerning the Association shall originate with or have the approval of the President before being offered to the press or other news media.

Section 4. ASDAL International Vice President

One member of the ASDAL International Executive Committee will be selected as the Vice President during the first executive meeting. This individual shall serve from the end of one ASDAL International Conference until the conclusion of the ASDAL International Conference. He/She shall act on behalf of the President in his/her absence and will plan the program for the international conference. The Vice President shall render other services as it is agreed, in collaboration with the ASDAL International Executive Committee. 

Section 5. ASDAL International Secretary

The Secretary shall serve for two years, shall record the official minutes of the Association, present them in abridged form for approval at the annual conference, and perform such other functions as are customary for the office of Secretary. The Secretary shall collect all written materials distributed at international and chapter conferences, as well as copies of written reports and presentations as available. With a copy of the approved and corrected minutes these shall be stored in the ASDAL archival collection at the Center for Adventist Research at Andrews University.

The Secretary shall record the minutes of the following international conference and shall prepare the complete minutes of that conference to be distributed to the ASDAL International executive officers before the post-conference issue of ASDAL Action.

Section 6. ASDAL International Treasurer

The term of the Treasurer shall be three years. The duties of the Treasurer shall be to receive dues, dispense ASDAL International Association funds, maintain such financial records of transactions as may be required, and present an annual financial report to the Association. The ASDAL International treasurer shall coordinate with the executive committees of each chapter as necessary. The responsibilities of the treasurer shall further be as follows:

1. All payments must be supported by genuine invoices specifying the services or goods for which payment is requested.
2. All new businesses or vendors must be voted on by the ASDAL International Executive Committee.
3. Normal business above $200 must be authorized by the ASDAL International President via email and face-to-face or videoconferencing.

Section 7. ASDAL Action Editor

The ASDAL Action Editor shall serve a term of two years and shall publish the ASDAL Action three or more times per year. Information regarding international and chapter conferences shall be included when applicable. Conference minutes shall be included in the publication immediately following an international or chapter conference. The ASDAL Action Editor shall have final authority over the content and format of the publication within the budget limits and the purposes of ASDAL International.

Section 8. Chapter Organization and Leadership

Chapters are responsible for establishing bylaws that adhere to the ASDAL International constitution and bylaws; chapters are allowed (and encouraged) to base their constitution and bylaws on those of ASDAL International. Chapter-specific communities can be established at the request of the chapter members.

Each ASDAL chapter will elect an executive committee that includes a president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. The past president will also serve.  The chapter president will serve on the executive committee of ASDAL International.

Section 9. Election of Officers

A slate of candidates shall be presented to the Association by the Nominating Committee in the spring issue of ASDAL Action. The Nominating Committee may nominate one or two individuals for each office or committee vacancy. A candidate is elected upon receiving at least 51% of the vote. The chair of the Nominating Committee shall count the ballots and provide the results to the President. The President formally announces the results at the international conference and/or via email. In a tie, a runoff election will be held.

Section 10. Vacancies

Office of the President vacancy:
If the ASDAL International President resigns before their term is complete, the current Vice President will serve out the remainder of the resigned President’s term. The ASDAL International Executive Committee will appoint a new Vice President.

Other Offices:
Vacancies for other offices shall be filled by the runner-up for that office. If that person is unavailable or there is no runner-up, the position shall be filled by appointment with the ASDAL International Executive Committee.

Article V. Coordinators

International Libraries Coordinator:

The Executive Committee shall appoint a person to coordinate programs to assist Seventh-day Adventist libraries outside North America for a two-year term.

Publicity Coordinator:

The Publicity Coordinator is appointed by the Executive Committee for a two-year term and shall be responsible for public relations, press releases, and publicizing the meetings and services (scholarship, membership, etc.) of the Association. All publicity concerning the Association shall have the approval of the President.

Membership Coordinator:

The Membership Coordinator is appointed by the Executive Committee for a two-year term and shall work with the Treasurer and Publicity Coordinator in preparing and distributing materials to new and prospective members. The Membership Coordinator shall formally recognize new members at the annual conference.

School Library Coordinator:

The School Library Coordinator is appointed by the Executive Committee for a two-year term and shall be responsible for planning sessions at the annual conference devoted to topics related to school libraries either at a pre- or post-workshop, as needed.

Website Coordinator:

The Website Coordinator is appointed by the Executive Committee for a two-year term and shall be responsible for the design and maintenance of the Association’s website.

The Distance Education Coordinator:

The Distance Education Coordinator is appointed by the Executive Committee and shall:

• monitor developments in distance education library services and convey those of interest to ASDAL members
• monitor developments in distance education library services provided by ASDAL member libraries
• liaise with AVLL to ensure library support in online courses
• liaise with ADEC to ensure library support in online course offerings
• maintain DE website
• write or solicit articles for the “From a Distance…” column for ASDAL Action

Listserv Coordinator:

The listserv coordinator is appointed by the Executive Committee and manages the SDA-Librarian listserv.

Article VI. Sections

Special interest groups within the membership of the Association shall constitute a section. The sections shall be governed by a working committee and may form project and other committees as needed.

Section 1. Adventist Resources Section

The Adventist Resources Section is comprised of those members of the Association who are concerned with the collection and preservation of Adventist materials. The section shall elect a working committee comprised of five members.

The working committee shall elect a chair. It shall be the duty of the chairperson to implement work on projects assigned by ASDAL or chosen by the section in session, to plan a one-day session or workshop to convene in connection with the annual ASDAL conference or to provide programming integrated into the international ASDAL conference; to provide to the ASDAL Action editor information for the section’s column in each issue.

Section 2. Archives and Records Management Section

The Archives and Records Management Section (ARMS) is comprised of those members of the Association who are concerned with archives and records management. The section shall elect a working committee comprised of five members.

The working committee shall elect a chair. It shall be the duty of the chairperson to implement work on projects assigned by ASDAL or chosen by the section in session, to plan a one-day session or workshop to convene in connection with the annual ASDAL conference or to provide programming integrated into the international ASDAL conference and to provide to the ASDAL Action editor information for the section’s column in each issue.

Article VII. Standing Committees

The standing committees, including their purposes and memberships, are as follows:

Section 1. Classification Advisory Committee

The purpose of the Classification Advisory Committee is to advise the editor and manager of the “Classification for Adventists and Ellen White” in such matters as changes in the schedules and publication of the scheme. The Classification Editor and Publisher are ex officio members, and there are three elected members representing different institutions which are using the scheme. One member of the committee shall be from Loma Linda University.

Section 2. Constitution and Bylaws Committee

The purpose of the ASDAL International Constitution and Bylaws Committee is to recommend changes to these documents and the standing rules as necessary. This committee has three elected members, plus the ASDAL International President and Treasurer as ex officio members. The committee chair shall update the Constitution, Bylaws, and Standing Rules as voted by the members at each conference. A current copy shall be available on the ASDAL website.

Section 3. Nominating Committee

The purpose of the Nominating Committee is to nominate the officers and committee members of the Association according to the provisions of the Bylaws, Article IV, Section 8. The Nominating Committee shall consist of five ASDAL International members representing different institutions, of which shall include the past president of the association, who shall serve as chair of the Nominating Committee. He or she shall determine procedures and conduct elections for Association officers and committee members, reporting the results to the President.

Section 4. Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI) Advisory Committee

The purpose of the Seventh-day Adventist Periodical Index (SDAPI) Advisory Committee is to govern the SDAPI partnership with the Adventist Digital Library (ADL) on behalf of the Association of Seventh-day Adventist Librarians (ASDAL) in such matters as, but not limited to, confirming the ADL liaison, editorial policy, budget, and marketing. ASDAL partnership with the Adventist Digital Library (ADL) for the creation and maintenance of the SDAPI. It will act on such matters as, but is not limited to, confirming the ADL liaison to the Advisory Committee, editorial policy, budget, and marketing.

The Advisory Committee has six members:

• Library Director of host institution [ex officio] – serves as Chair
  
• ADL liaison – serves as a liaison between ADL and ASDAL, and as the Secretary of the SDAPI Advisory Committee. The liaison is selected by the ADL Administrative Operating Committee for a term of five years.
  
• Loma Linda University Library Director [ex officio]
  
• Three library directors from financially supporting institutions elected by the ASDAL membership. Librarians must be from libraries that financially contribute to the SDAPI. Term of membership is five years.
  

The work of the committee is to:

• Review the Adventist Digital Library (ADL) annual report
• Set SDAPI editorial policy
• Set the annual contribution from SDAPI supporting to the Adventist Digital Library.
• Confirm the ADL liaison.
• Recommend ASDAL members to serve on ADL committees as specified in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between ADL and ASDAL. Recommendations will go to ASDAL membership for a vote. Recommended ADL committee members should be from libraries that financially support ADL via the MOU with ASDAL*, be active in ASDAL, and be willing to meet periodically at the call of the chair. Term of membership is three years.
  • ADL Board (MOU section 4.2)
    • two librarians representing ASDAL
  • Content subcommittee (MOU section 4.4.1.1)
    • two librarians and/or archivists
  • Systems Subcommittee (MOU section 4.4.1.2)
    • one Systems Librarian
  • Committee will meet twice per year: once in connection with the ASDAL annual conference and once in the winter

* These libraries would be those that financially support the SDAPI.

Section 5. Scholarship and Awards Committee

The purpose of the Scholarship and Awards Committee is to recommend recipients for any ASDAL scholarships and awards, particularly the D. Glenn Hilts Scholarship. This committee shall also attempt to raise funds to endow these scholarships and awards. This committee has three elected members, plus the ASDAL President and Treasurer as ex officio members.

Section 6. Statistics Committee

The purpose of the Statistics Committee is to gather and analyze information on librarianship within the Seventh-day Adventist church.  The committee will collect information at the request of the executive committee. This committee has two elected members, who shall be elected to staggered three-year terms. The current ASDAL International Secretary and the chapter secretaries are ex officio members.

Section 7. Site Planning Committee

The purpose of this committee is to recommend sites and dates for future ASDAL International conferences. Recommendations will be presented to the conference members for approval or selection. The committee shall have three elected members with 3-year terms. Conference sites and dates should be approved at least a year in advance. Changes to the site planning schedule should be brought to the ASDAL International Executive Committee.

Section 8. Adventist Library Information Cooperative (ALICE) Council

The purpose of the ALICE Council is to govern the operation of the Adventist Library Information Cooperative (ALICE), a program of ASDAL, according to the ALICE Agreement.

The Council is composed of the directors or empowered representatives of member libraries. Each director or empowered representative must also be a member of ASDAL. The council elects its own chair for a renewable two-year term.  An Executive Committee, composed of the ALICE Chair, Treasurer, Projects Manager, and Recording Secretary, shall conduct the business of the Cooperative between annual meetings. The Council shall meet at least annually, normally in conjunction with the annual conference of ASDAL. A quorum of 2/3 of NAD members shall be necessary to transact business.

At the annual ASDAL meeting, the ALICE Council Chair shall provide to the ASDAL Executive Committee Chair and ASDAL Treasurer, the Projects Manager’s Report and both an Income Statement and Balance Sheet.

A Fiscal Agent shall be appointed by the Council for a five-year term which is renewable.

The Treasurer is appointed by the Council and shall be located at the institution, acting as fiscal agent.

The Council shall appoint a Project(s) Manager whose function it is to coordinate and implement projects, including negotiation with vendors. The Project Manager shall be appointed for a two-year term, which is renewable.

The Council shall appoint a recording secretary for a two-year term, which is renewable.

Articles VIII. Chapters

Chapters of the Association may be formed to represent a local area or region or to meet the needs of a specific cohort in order to facilitate professional discussion and development. The formation of new ASDAL chapters must be approved by the ASDAL International Executive Committee.

Members of these chapters shall be ASDAL members in good and regular standing. These chapters may elect such officers as may be deemed necessary in addition to those officers required by IV.8. Chapters may elect to collect local dues. Chapters are encouraged to regularly send representatives to the ASDAL International conference. Individuals who do not have an active chapter for their region may join ASDAL International.

A list of active chapters will be made available on the ASDAL International website.

Article IX. Programs and Partnerships

Section 1. Adventist Library Information Cooperative (ALICE)

The purpose of the Adventist Library Information Cooperative (ALICE), a program of ASDAL International, is to provide member libraries with enhanced database access opportunities at reduced prices through collective efforts and resource sharing within the cooperative. The Cooperative is governed by the ALICE Council, a standing committee of ASDAL, which acts in accordance with the ALICE AGREEMENT.

SDA institutional libraries which were signatories to the ALICE agreement on September 1, 1996, are inaugural members. Application for membership in ALICE may be made by other SDA institutional libraries. Approval is by ALICE Council. Member libraries are governed by the ALICE AGREEMENT.

Section 2. Adventist Digital Library (ADL) Partnership

The purpose of the Adventist Digital Library (ADL) is to create and maintain a comprehensive online collection of free, digitized, original sources on Seventh-day Adventist mission, theology, history, and culture, in order to strengthen understanding of Adventist identity and faith.

ASDAL partners with the ADL through the association’s SDAPI Advisory Committee.

Article X. Amendment of the Constitution or Bylaws

The Constitution may be amended or rescinded by two-thirds of those voting.

The Bylaws may be amended or rescinded by a majority of those voting.

Article XI. Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised shall govern the Association in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the Constitution and Bylaws and any special rules of order and standing rules the Association may adopt.