MIDDLE EAST LIBRARIANS ASSOCIATION
BY-LAWS
Amended 20 November 2002


ARTICLE I. NAME AND NATURE

Section I. Name

The name of the organization shall be the Middle East Librarians Association.

Section 2. Nature

The Association shall be a private, non-profit, non-political organization of librarians and others interested in those aspects of librarianship which support the study of or dissemination of information about the Middle East. The area signified shall be considered to include those countries from Morocco through Pakistan as well as other areas formerly included in the Arab, Ottoman or Mughal empires.


ARTICLE II. PURPOSE


It shall be the purpose of the Middle East Librarians Association to facilitate communication among Members through meetings and publications; to improve the quality of area librarianship through development of standards for the profession and education of Middle East library specialists; to compile and disseminate information concerning Middle East libraries and collections and to represent the judgment of the Members in matters affecting them; to encourage cooperation among Members and Middle East Libraries, especially in the acquisition of materials and the development of bibliographic control; to cooperate with other library and area organizations in projects of mutual concern and benefit; to promote research in and development of indexing and automated techniques as applied to Middle East materials.

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. Membership and Subscribers

A.
Any person who is employed by an institution to service Middle East library materials in a professional capacity (selection, acquisition, cataloging, reference work, administration, and/or preparation of research tools) or any person interested in Middle East library materials (selection, acquisition, cataloging, reference work, administration, and/or preparation of research tools) shall be eligible for Membership.
B.
Organizations and institutions may subscribe to the official organ of the Association.

Section 2. Application to Membership

Prospective members shall apply for Membership to the Secretary-Treasurer. Membership becomes active upon payment of dues.

Section 3. Privileges of Members

A.
Members may attend all meetings of the Association and participate in discussions and programs. Members may attend committee meetings not designated as closed. Only Committee Members may vote in committee deliberations. Members in good standing shall be eligible to serve on committees.
B.
Members shall be entitled to receive all publications of the Association, including:
1.
Minutes of meetings
2.
Notice of meetings
3.
Agenda of meetings
4.
Roster of Members and Committee Members
5.
By-laws and amendments
6.
All official organs
7.
Subscription to MELANET-L listserv
Subscribers shall be entitled to receive only the official organ of the Association.
C.
Members in good standing may serve as officers of the Association and vote in elections and meetings.

Section 4. Dues

Members may be required to pay such annual dues as voted by a simple majority of the Members present at the Annual Meeting. The annual Membership fee shall be due thirty days before the Annual Meeting.

Section 5. Terms of Membership

Membership shall be continuous unless resigned by the Member or revoked in accordance with the provisions of Article III, Section 6. The Membership year begins at the time of the annual meeting.

Section 6. Resignations or Removal of Members

A.
Any member may resign at any time, forfeiting dues paid for the balance of the year.
B.
A Membership may be revoked by:
1.
A majority vote of the Members present at any business session, in which case dues would be returned; or
2.
The Secretary-Treasurer if the Member is more than twelve months in arrears of dues.
C.
Any Member who has resigned from or has been removed from Membership and whose dues are in arrears and has continued receive the benefits of Membership shall pay their back dues before being reinstated as a Member.
ARTICLE IV. ORGANIZATION

Section 1. Officers

The officers of the Association shall consist of the following:
A.
President, whose duties shall include:
1.
Chairing the meetings of the Association and Executive Board
2.
Representing the Organization on appropriate occasions or in correspondence as necessary.
B.
Vice-President, whose duties shall include:
1.
Chairing the meetings of the Association in the absence of the resident
2.
Conducting the Program portion of the annual meeting
3.
Chairing the Program Committee
4.
Carrying out all and any other duties delegated by the President
C.
Secretary-Treasurer, whose duties shall include:
1.
Recording and submitting to all Members, by submission to MELANET-L or for publication in MELA Notes, the minutes of the Annual Meeting and any other meeting of the membership or of the Executive Board
2.
Notify all Members of the date, time, place, and agenda for all meetings of the Association
3.
Publishing the list of Members and the rosters of committees within the Association at least once a year
4.
Carrying on the correspondence of the Association excepting that requiring the signature of the President
5.
Collecting from each Member the dues as are voted by the membership and notifying Members in arrears
6.
Revoking the Membership of any Member more than twelve months in arrears of dues
7.
Paying all invoices charged to the Association
8.
Submitting annually an account of the finances of the Association, either at the annual meeting or by mail, to all Members
9.
Collecting the revenues from non-Member subscribers to the publications of the Association
D.
Editor, whose duties shall include:
1.
Gathering and disseminating news of Members and news of interest to Members
2.
Selecting articles of interest to Members submitted by Members or others
3.
Publishing the aforementioned items and articles at least annually in the official organ
4.
Publishing and editing all other official publications of the Association, unless the President appoints an editor for selected publications of the Association
5.
Maintaining subscription files

Section 2. Executive Board

The Executive Board shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, the Editor, and two Members elected at large from the Membership. It shall meet prior to each business meeting of the Association to prepare the agenda and act on any necessary business, and at any other time at the call of the President or by a majority of members of the Board. Such meetings may be in person or via correspondence. Two-thirds of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum. The Executive Board shall make appointments to all committees not otherwise provided for in these by-laws and appoint interim officers to fill vacancies.
The immediate past President of the Association shall serve as an ex officio Member of the Executive Board.

Section 3. Election of Officers

Election to all Offices shall be held at the annual meeting. Officers shall be elected from among the Members in good standing by a majority of the Members present. Members shall be notified of the candidates for each vacancy sixty days before the annual meeting. The election shall be by secret ballot from a list of candidates for each vacancy, provided by the Nominating Committee with provision for additional nominations from the Membership by mail or during the annual meeting. All ballots will be preserved for a period of sixty days to allow for a recount if called for. After this period, ballots will be destroyed.

Section 4. Terms of Office

The term of office for the President shall be two years. The term of office for the Vice-President shall be one year. The Secretary-Treasurer and the Editor shall serve for a term of three years and may run for re-election to that position at the end of terms of service. The two Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee shall serve for two years with one being elected at each annual meeting.

Section 5. Compensation

Officers serving voluntarily shall not receive compensation for their services. They may request from the Secretary-Treasurer reimbursement of expenses they incur on behalf of the Association. The Secretary-Treasurer may approve amounts up to $100. Expenses beyond that amount must be approved by the Executive Board.

Section 6. Resignation of Officers

Any Officer may resign at any time. The Executive Board may appoint any Member in good standing to serve the remaining portion of a vacant term. If a vacancy occurs in the Office of the President, the Vice-president will assume the office of the President immediately and serve the unfilled portion of the vacated term. The vacancy in the Vice-president's position will be filled by the appointment of an interim Vice-president who shall serve until a new Vice-President is elected at the next meeting of the Association. This appointment will be made by the Executive Board.

Section 7. Additional Officers

The Members may elect such additional officers or appoint such agents or employees, and determine their term of office and compensation, if any, as they may deem advisable.

Section 8. Committees

A.
Program Committee
The Program Committee shall be a permanent standing committee, composed of the Vice-President, as chair, and at least two members appointed for a term of one year by the Vice-President. A Member may serve no more than two terms in succession on the Program Committee. The Committee for the following year shall be appointed at the annual meeting.
B.
Nominating Committee
The Executive Board shall constitute the Nominating Committee. The Nominating Committee shall present to the Membership at least sixty days before the annual meeting candidates for each vacancy to be filled, through an Association mailing (US Postal Service or electronic mail).
C.
Other committees
The Executive Board in session or by correspondence or the Members in any business session may constitute such other committees with such functions, powers and duties as the constituting body shall provide. Each such committee shall enact rules and regulations for its government. The names of the Members of each committee and the terms of office shall be made known to the Members of the Association at least annually by the Secretary-Treasurer.


ARTICLE V. MEETINGS

Section 1. Frequency of meetings

The Members shall meet at least once each year at such places and times as designed by the Executive Board. If possible, the annual meeting shall be concurrent with the annual meeting of the Middle East Studies Association of North America, Inc.

Section 2. Form of Annual Meeting

The annual meeting shall normally consist of two parts: a business session and a program.
A.
Business Session
The business session shall be under the chairmanship of the President, or the Vice-President in the absence of the former. All Members of the Association present at the annual meeting shall constitute a quorum. Other observers may attend this session but may not vote in the business session.
B.
Program
The program shall be under the chairmanship of the Vice-President, or any Member of the Program Committee in the absence of the former. The program shall be open to all interested persons.
C.
Discussion Groups
Discussion groups may be scheduled at the time of the annual meeting whenever a topic meriting discussion by the members is proposed by the Executive Board or by petition to the Executive Board by five or more Members. Discussion groups will normally be confined to topics concerning the practical aspects of Middle East librarianship. Such discussion groups will be open to all interested parties, Members and non-Members, unless designated otherwise.

Section 3. Additional Meetings

If necessary, additional meetings may be held on dates and at places determined by the Executive Board.

Section 4. Notice of Meetings

Notices of all meetings shall be mailed to all Members at least thirty days prior to meetings.


ARTICLE VI. CONDUCT OF MEETINGS

The conduct of all meetings shall be governed by Robert's Rules of Order, Revised.

ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS

Section 1. Proposal of Amendments

Amendments of these by-laws may be proposed by:
A.
The Executive Board in session or by correspondence
B.
Petition signed by one-fifth of all the Members

Section 2. Discussion of Amendments

Discussion of amendments shall be placed on the agenda and discussed at the first annual meeting following their proposal, provided the Members have received copies of the proposed amendments at least thirty days prior to the meeting.

Section 3. Adoption of Amendments

After discussion, all proposed amendments must be submitted to the Members for approval. They shall be considered adopted if a simple majority of the Membership approves:
A.
in person at the annual meeting, by simple majority of members present at the Annual Business Meeting; or
B.
on a ballot, submitted by mail by the Secretary-Treasurer, who shall specify a return-by date decided by the Executive Board, and a majority of votes cast by ballots returned by that date will carry.

Section 4. Effective Date of Amendments

Amendments shall become effective immediately upon adoption, unless otherwise provided for at the time of voting.