ARTICLE I. Name and Boundaries

Section 1. Name

The name of this organization shall be the Mid-Atlantic Chapter, a Chapter of the Medical Library Association, Inc.

Section 2. Boundaries

The boundaries of this Chapter shall include the District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Western Pennsylvania.

ARTICLE II. Purpose

The purpose of this Chapter shall be to advance health sciences librarianship in its geographical area by promoting continuing education; by encouraging the exchange of ideas; by fostering cooperation among health sciences libraries; and by providing channels of communication between the Medical Library Association and Chapter members.

ARTICLE III. Membership

Section 1. Members

Both members and non-members of the Medical Library Association (MLA) may belong to this Chapter.

A. The membership of this Chapter shall consist of three classes — Active Members (student or regular), Honorary Members, and Retiree Members.
B.Membership is open to individuals outside of the MAC region.

Section 2. Rights and Privileges

A. Voting members of this Chapter shall consist of all Active Members, except that only Voting Members of the Medical Library Association shall be qualified to move or to vote on recommendations to the Chapter Council regarding MLA policies or actions, to vote on the selection of a candidate for the MLA Nominating Committee, or to vote on the selection of the Chapter’s Representative and Alternate Representative to the Chapter Council.
B. Officers of this Chapter shall be Voting Members of the Medical Library Association.

Section 3. Dues

A. Dues shall be determined by a majority vote of those present and eligible to vote at the Annual Meeting of the Chapter. Dues shall be assessed on an annual basis for the period of one year from October 1 to September 30. Chapter dues shall not exceed MLA membership dues for Regular Members.
B. Chapter dues shall be payable on joining the chapter and thereafter by the beginning of October each year.
C. The fiscal year of the Chapter shall be from January 1st to December 31st.
D. If dues are unpaid by October 1, the dues shall be considered in arrears and without further notice the Active Member shall be suspended from all rights and privileges.

ARTICLE IV. Officers

Section 1. Officers and Term of Office

A. Elective officers of the Chapter shall be a Chair, a Chair-Elect, an Immediate Past-Chair, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Representative to the Chapter Council, and an Alternate Representative to the Chapter Council.
B. The term of office of the Chair shall be one year as Chair-Elect, one year as Chair, and one year as Immediate Past-Chair. No one may serve more than 1 successive term as Chair- Elect/Chair/Immediate Past-Chair.
C. The term of office of the Secretary shall be three years. An individual may not serve more than 1 successive term as Secretary.
D. The term of office of the Treasurer shall be three years. An individual may not serve more than 1 successive term as Treasurer.
E. The term of office of the Representative to the Chapter Council shall be three years except that if the Chapter Council Representative’s term be made shorter by action of the Council or the Bylaws of the Medical Library Association, the term will coincide with that action.
F. The term of office of the Alternate Representative to the Chapter Council shall be the same as that of the Representative.
G. Elected officers, except Representative to the Chapter Council, Alternate Representative to the Chapter Council, and the Treasurer shall take office at the close of the Chapter Annual Meeting or following their election and serve, unless they resign, die, become incapacitated or are removed, until the close of the Chapter Annual Meeting at the end of their terms of office or until their successors are elected and assume their duties. The Representative to the Chapter Council and the Alternate Representative to the Chapter Council shall take office at the close of the MLA Annual Meeting, or as stipulated by the Chapter. The Treasurer shall take office at the Winter Board Meeting.
H. Appointed officers of the Chapter shall be the MAC Archivist. The Archivist is appointed by the MAC Chair. The term of office for the MAC Archivist shall be three years with the option of additional three-year terms.

Section 2. Duties

A. The duties of the Chair shall be to preside over all meetings and to represent the Chapter at all times and on all occasions not in conflict with any other officer’s defined duties and responsibilities, to submit an Annual Report to the MLA Headquarters by the date requested, and to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Chapter. A Parliamentarian may be appointed by the Chair to serve a term concurrent with that of the Chair. This person may be reappointed to serve additional terms.
B. The duties of the Chair-Elect shall be to serve as Chair whenever the Chair is not able to do so, to oversee ongoing strategic planning initiatives of the Chapter and to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Chapter.
C. The duties of the Immediate Past-Chair shall be to prepare changes in the Chapter Bylaws, to Chair the Bylaws Committee should one be established, to Chair the Nominating Committee and report the newly elected officers to the Executive Director of MLA, and to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Chapter.
D. The duties of the Secretary shall be to be responsible for incoming and outgoing correspondence, to prepare minutes of all meetings, and to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Chapter.
E. The duties of the Treasurer shall be to receive and account for all monies due to the organization, to be responsible for the disbursement of funds, provided that such obligations have been incurred with the consent of the Chair, to issue a report at the Annual Meeting on the Chapter’s financial status, to consult with the Annual Meeting Chair in meeting budget preparation, and to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Chapter.
F. The duties of the Representative to the Chapter Council shall be to represent the Chapter on the MLA Chapter Council by attending the meetings of the Council, to transmit to the Council recommendations that have been approved by the Chapter, to communicate Council business to the officers and membership of the Chapter, to solicit periodic feedback from the membership on issues related to MLA and its support of the Chapter.
G. The duties of the Alternate Representative to the Chapter Council shall be to attend the meetings of the Chapter Council, to serve as Representative whenever the Representative is unable to do so, to assume the office of Representative and serve out the unexpired term should the Representative become unable to complete the term of office, to assist the Representative with soliciting periodic feedback from the membership on issues related to MLA and its support of the Chapter.
H. The duties of the MAC Archivist shall be to oversee and facilitate the maintenance of the historical material of the Chapter, to serve as liaison between the MAC Executive Board and the institution housing the MAC Archives, and to publish the list of materials to be archived. The Archivist shall serve on the Executive Board as a non-voting ex-officio member.

Section 3. Nominations and Elections

A. The Nominating Committee shall prepare annually a slate of two or more nominees for Chair- Elect and for each elective officer whose term expires.
B. Ballots shall be distributed to the voting membership by the Nominating Committee at least 30 days prior to the Chapter’s Annual Meeting and shall be received by the Nominating Committee Chair by the date previously announced for counting ballots. Candidates shall be declared elected upon receiving a majority of the votes cast. Where there are more than two candidates, a plurality shall elect.

Section 4. Vacancies

A. A vacancy arising in the office of Chair shall be filled by the Chair-Elect, who shall cease to be Chair-Elect, shall serve out the unexpired term of the Chair, and shall continue as Chair for the full succeeding term to which he or she was elected.
B. A vacancy arising in the office of Representative to the Chapter Council shall be filled by the Alternate Representative, who shall cease to be Alternate Representative, and shall serve out the unexpired term of the Representative.
C. A vacancy arising in any other elected offices shall be filled by the Executive Board.

Section 5. Candidate for the MLA Nominating Committee Membership

A. The name of one Voting Member of the Medical Library Association, chosen by election, shall be submitted each year to the Chapter Council as a potential candidate for membership on the MLA Nominating Committee by the date previously announced by the Council. The potential candidate shall prepare a biographical statement and a signed statement of willingness-to-serve if elected as a member of the MLA Nominating Committee. This statement shall accompany the name submitted.
B. No person shall consent to being a potential candidate or a candidate for membership on the MLA Nominating Committee who is already such a potential candidate or candidate from some other unit of the Medical Library Association; no candidate for membership on the MLA Nominating Committee shall also be a candidate for an elective office of the Medical Library Association, or vice versa.
C. No one shall serve on the MLA Nominating Committee as a voting member for more than one term during a period of five years.

ARTICLE V. Meetings

Section 1. Meetings

At least one meeting shall be held in each fiscal year. Additional meetings may be held. One meeting of the Chapter shall be called the “Annual Meeting.” All meetings shall be held at a time and place convenient for members. Notice of all meetings shall be disseminated to the membership at least thirty (30) days in advance of the meeting date.

Section 2. Quorum

30 voting members shall constitute a quorum of this Chapter.

ARTICLE VI. Executive Board

Section 1. Executive Board

The officers of this Chapter shall constitute the Executive Board.

Section 2. Duties

The Executive Board shall have general supervision of the affairs of this Chapter between its Business Meetings, fix the time and place of meetings, make recommendations to the membership, and shall perform such other duties as are specified in these bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the organization.

ARTICLE VII. Committees

Section 1. Standing Committees

A. The Executive Board shall establish standing committees to consider matters of the Chapter that require continuity of attention by the members. The Executive Board shall recommend the name and size of each committee.
B. The Chapter Chair, in consultation with the Committee Chair, shall designate Committee Chair-Elects and members. Committee Chairs will be announced prior to the Winter Board Meeting. Unless otherwise approved by the Executive Board, members of standing committees shall be appointed for terms of 3 years, and may be reappointed for a second term. The Chapter Chair, in consultation with the Committee Chair, shall have the discretion to terminate appointments. Neither the Chapter Chair nor the Chapter Chair-Elect shall serve on or appoint members to the Nominating Committee.

Section 2. Special Committees

The Chapter Chair may appoint such other special committees as are necessary with the advice and consent of the Executive Board.

Section 3. Committee Chairs

Chairs of committees shall be Voting Members of the Medical Library Association.

Section 4. Committee Reports

Each committee shall submit an annual report of its activities to the Chapter Chair prior to the compilation of the Annual Chapter Report for submission to MLA Headquarters.

ARTICLE VIII. Dissolution

In the event of dissolution of this Chapter, all liabilities and obligations shall be paid or adequate provision made for payment. Any assets not so disposed shall be disposed of by consensus of the Executive Board of the Chapter to one or more organizations that at the time qualify under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code (or the corresponding provisions of any United States internal revenue law). No funds shall benefit any individual member of the Chapter. If no consensus is met, remaining assets shall be distributed to the Medical Library Association, Inc. within six months as long as the Medical Library Association, Inc. shall qualify as an organization described in Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Chapter charters shall be returned to MLA Headquarters.

ARTICLE IX. Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern this Chapter in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Chapter may adopt.

ARTICLE X. Amendment of Bylaws

These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing to the membership at least (30) days prior to the vote being taken.

Revised May 2020
Approved September 2020