Article I.  Name

The name of this organization shall be the MnSCU Library Advisory Council.

Article II.   Purpose

The purpose of this council shall be to facilitate communication on issues related to library and information services within MnSCU, both laterally and vertically. Such issues may include, but are not limited to: information literacy standards, staff development, staffing, technical processing, ACRL standards, intellectual property and copyright, shared databases, universal library cards, and electronic access.

The Council shall:

a.    Provide a forum for the discussion of issues and the formulation of agreements and policies among the MnSCU libraries.

b.    Provide a forum for the creation of recommendations, policies, and position statements from the MnSCU libraries to the MnSCU administration and/or other entities as appropriate.

c.     Provide a forum for the MnSCU administration and/or other entities seeking the feedback, input, and/or appointment of membership of the MnSCU libraries and/or its members.  

Article III.   Membership

Section 1.  Membership

1. Membership is open to all MnSCU library faculty, staff, and administrators.

2. Each MnSCU institution shall elect one voting representative to the MnSCU Library Advisory Council (see Art. III, Sec. 2).

Section 2.  Election of Voting Representatives

1. Each representative to the MnSCU Library Advisory Council will be elected to a term of 2 years.

2. Elections will be staggered, with half of the member institutions electing a representative each year.

3. Voting representatives to the MnSCU Library Advisory Council will assume their position immediately following election.

4. Representatives may be re-elected to the MnSCU Library Advisory Council and serve an unlimited number of terms.

Article IV.  Meetings

Section 1.  Meetings

1. The MnSCU Library Advisory Council will meet at least once each academic year to address issues pertaining to the effective operation of library services.

2. Meetings are open to all MnSCU library faculty, staff, and administrators, with the full right of participation.  Only the institution’s MnSCU Library Advisory Council representative will cast votes (see Art. IV, Sect. 2).

3. Meetings will be organized and run by the Executive Committee (see Art.V, Sec. 4, para. h.).

4. Additional meetings of the full Council will be called by the Executive Committee as necessary.

Section 2.   Quorum

1. A quorum will be reached when at least 25% of the Library Advisory Council representatives from each institutional type are present.

2. Short of a quorum being reached, the Council reserves the right to conduct binding votes using alternative methods including, but not limited to, polling the elected Council representatives via e-mail.

Section 3.   Voting

3. When a vote on an issue is called, the elected MnSCU Library Advisory Council member will cast the one vote for his/her institution.

4. In cases where the elected Council member is unable to attend the meeting, his/her designated proxy may cast the vote for the institution.

Article V.  Executive Committee

Section 1.   Purpose.

1. The Executive Committee shall be charged with the responsibility of bringing issues and concerns relating to the effective operation of libraries from the general membership to the attention of MnSCU administration. 

2. The Executive Committee shall act as a representative voice of the general membership to the MnSCU administration and other entities on topics relating to the effective operation of libraries.

3. To convene, conduct, and record actions taken at all meetings of the MnSCU Library Advisory Council.

Section 2.  Membership

1. The Executive Committee shall consist of eight representatives elected from the membership of the MnSCU Library Advisory Council and 4 Ex-Officio members.

2. The librarian representatives to the Executive Committee will consist of two representatives and two alternates from each of the four institutional types of libraries that make up MnSCU: state universities, community colleges, technical colleges, and combined community and technical colleges.

3. The Ex-Officio members to the Executive Committee are: Director of MnSCU/PALS, Director of MINITEX, Director of MnLINK, and a representative from the MnSCU Office of the Chancellor.  

Section 3.   Election of Executive Committee Members 

1. Each representative to the Executive Committee will be elected to a term of 2 years.

2. Elections will be staggered within each institutional type, with each type electing one representative and one alternate each year.

3. Members of the Executive Committee will assume their positions at the first Executive Committee meeting following the election of representatives.

4. Members may be re-elected to the Executive Committee and serve an unlimited number of terms.

Section 4.  Duties of the Executive Committee

1. Elect a Chair of the Executive Committee.

2. Set the agenda for all MnSCU Library Advisory Council meetings.

3. Convene all MnSCU Library Advisory Council meetings.  

4. Maintain the minutes of the MnSCU Library Advisory Council and Executive Committee.

5. Maintain the by-laws of the MnSCU Library Advisory Council.

6. Function as the administrative body of the MnSCU Library Advisory Council and meet as needed between meetings of the full Council.

7. Appoint or elect, from the full MnSCU library membership, representatives to serve on ad hoc committees in the state requiring MnSCU library representation.

8. Convene Cooperative Groups to address specific issues as needed (See Section VI).

9. Other duties as assigned by the MnSCU Library Advisory Council .

Section 5.  Chair of the Executive Committee

1. Election of the Chair

                               i.       The members of the Executive Committee shall elect a Chair at their first meeting following the election of representatives.

                            ii.       The Chair shall assume his/her duties immediately following election.

                          iii.       The Chair shall serve a term of 1 year.  

                          iv.       The Chair may only serve 2 consecutive terms as Chair of the Executive Committee.

                             v.       A member may be elected Chair repeatedly, as long as the 2 consecutive terms rule is also applied.

                          vi.       In the event of the election of Co-Chairs, each member serving will have the 2 consecutive terms rule applied. 

2. Duties of the Chair

                        vii.       The Chair of the Executive Committee will set the agenda for all meetings of the Executive Committee.

                     viii.       Convene all meetings of the Executive Committee. 

Section 6.  Recorder of the Executive Committee

a.    Election of the Recorder

                               i.       The members of the Executive Committee shall elect a Recorder at their first meeting following the election of representatives.

                            ii.       The Recorder shall assume his/her duties immediately following election.

                          iii.       The Recorder shall serve a term of 1 year.  

                          iv.       The Recorder may be re-elected indefinitely.

                             v.       In the event that no Recorder is elected, the Chair may appoint a Recorder.

b.    Duties of the Recorder

                               i.       Record the minutes of all Executive Committee meetings.

                            ii.       Distribute the minutes of the Executive Committee meetings to the full MnSCU Library membership.

                          iii.       Record the minutes of all MnSCU Library Advisory Council meetings.

                          iv.       Distribute the minutes of the MnSCU Library Advisory Council meetings to the full MnSCU Library membership.

Section 7.  Meetings

1. Frequency

                               i.       The Executive Committee will meet at least twice each academic year.  Once each semester.

                            ii.       Additional meetings of the Executive Committee will be called by the Chair with the consent of the other members of the Executive Committee.

2. Quorum

A quorum will be reached when at least one representative or alternate from each institutional type (state universities, community colleges, technical colleges, and combined community and technical colleges) are convened.

3. Voting

                               i.       Each library representative shall be allowed one vote.

                            ii.       Only 2 votes per institutional type will be cast.   Alternates may cast votes only in the absence of elected representatives.

                          iii.       Ex-Officio members are non-voting members of the Executive Committee.

Article VI.   Cooperative Groups

Section 1.  Scope

1. Cooperative Groups such as Task Forces or Focus Groups may be established by either the MnSCU Library Advisory Committee and/or the Executive Committee.  The purpose of these Cooperative Groups is to pursue subjects of interest to the MnSCU Library membership at large. 

2. Groups may form to address special topics upon approval from the Executive Committee.

Section 2.  Structure

Each Cooperative Group will elect a Chair and/or Reporter, to coordinate and convene meetings and to report actions, respectively.

Section 3.  Reporting

Each Cooperative Group will report their findings, in print and/or orally, to the establishing body  (MnSCU Library Advisory Council or the Executive Committee).

 Approved – 04/04/2003  

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 Proposed revisions – 02/04/2004              

Proposed revisions to By-Laws - 02/04/2004