NJASL Bylaws
NJASL Bylaws
Amended December 23, 2024
I. NAME
This organization shall be known as the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, Inc. (NJASL), a non-profit corporation in the state of New Jersey. For clarity, “Association” is used in place of “Corporation” throughout this document.
II. MISSION
The New Jersey Association of School Librarians promotes excellence in school librarianship and advocates for strong school library media programs for all students. Guided by the principles set forth in the Library Bill of Rights and its interpretive statements, NJASL provides school library media specialists with educational opportunities and current information aligned with state and national learning standards to ensure that all school libraries empower students, faculty, and staff to become effective and ethical users and producers of information.
III. MEMBERSHIP
Section A. Eligibility.
1. Any person interested in furthering the purposes and goals of the Association may become a member of the Association.
2. Annual dues will be determined by the Board of Trustees and will include subscriptions and privileges as determined by the Board.
3. If a member has not paid dues by November 1, their status will be changed to lapsed, and all membership benefits will be suspended.
4. The membership year will be from August 1 to July 31 and may be changed by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees.
Section B. Classes of Members.
1. Professional. Professional members are entitled to vote and serve on committees. Professional membership shall be open to:
a. State certified school library media specialists, other librarians, and educators.
b. Any individual interested in supporting school librarianship.
c. Retired school library media personnel.
d. Individuals designated as Honorary or Lifetime members.
2. Honorary. Honorary members may attend meetings and serve on committees, but are not entitled to hold office. Honorary membership may be granted to any nonmember who has made a significant contribution to further school library media programs in New Jersey. Any member of the Association may nominate an Honorary member in writing to the Secretary. The Board of Trustees will vote on nominations for Honorary membership.
3. Lifetime. Lifetime members may attend meetings, vote, and serve on committees. Lifetime membership may be granted to any NJASL member who has made a significant contribution to the organization and the profession. Any member of the Association may make nominations in writing to the Secretary. The Board of Trustees will vote on nominations for Lifetime membership.
4. Student. Student members may attend meetings, vote, and serve on committees. Students who are enrolled in courses leading to certification as school library media specialists are eligible. Student membership is limited to three years.
Section C. Membership Meetings. There will be at least two Association meetings for general membership per year that may be virtual or in-person.
1. Purpose. Association meetings will be held to conduct business and recognize award recipients.
2. Quorum. The members present will constitute a quorum of NJASL for the transaction of business at Association meetings. The act of the majority of members at an Association meeting at which a quorum is present will be the act of that body.
IV. OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section A. Officers. The officers of the Association will be President, President-elect, Vice President, Immediate Past President, Secretary, and Treasurer. These officers and two elected Members-at-Large will comprise the Executive Committee. Officers must be certified School Library Media Specialists and active Professional members of NJASL.
Section B. Election. Officers and one Member-at-Large will be elected by the membership by April 15, except that the President-elect will automatically become President, the Vice President will automatically become President-elect, and the President will automatically become the Immediate Past President without further election.
Section C. Term of office. The term of office will be for one year, with the exception of the terms of Members-at-Large, which will be staggered two-year terms, and with the exception of the term of Treasurer which will be a two-year term. Election of the Treasurer will be in even numbered years. All terms of office will align with the fiscal year of NJASL. Officers shall assume their duties immediately following their installation at the first meeting of the new Board of Trustees.
Section D. Eligibility. Candidates for Vice President and Treasurer must serve on the Board of Trustees, chair a committee or subcommittee of the Board, or be a current or past president of one of the NJASL county affiliates for at least a year before they run for these offices. Candidates for Secretary or Member-at-Large must be active Professional members of NJASL for a minimum of one year before running for that office.
Section E. Duties of Officers and Members-at-Large. These Officers will perform the duties usually pertaining to their offices and other duties as may be outlined in the Bylaws or directed by the Board of Trustees
1. President. It will be the duty of the President to preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Board of Trustees; to appoint chairs of standing committees and subcommittees, to appoint ad-hoc committees, and representatives to affiliated organizations in accordance with guidelines of those organizations and as described in the NJASL Policy Manual; to call special meetings of the Association, the Board, and the Executive Committee; and to be a signatory on all official NJASL documents. The President will serve as an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominations and Election Committee.
2. President-elect. It will be the duty of the President-elect to perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President. The President-elect will work with the Treasurer in the spring to prepare and submit to the Board for approval, a proposed operating budget for the following fiscal year.
3. Vice President. It will be the duty of the Vice President to serve as President in the absence of the President and President-elect. The Vice President may serve as chair of the Ad Hoc Annual Conference Committee and will serve on the Standing Conference Committee.
4. Secretary. It will be the duty of the Secretary to keep a record of the proceedings of all business meetings of the Association and of meetings and online voting of the Board; to keep a record of the membership of all committees and subcommittees; and to keep an official copy of the Bylaws of the Association and of the Policy Manual at all times. Once the minutes have been approved, the Secretary will forward them to the webmaster to be posted to the website and archived. The Secretary will send and receive correspondence for the Association and the Board; will maintain a file of important communications received and copies of those sent; will notify the Board of its meetings; and will distribute copies of the Bylaws, Conflicts of Interest Policy, and Policy Manual to each new Board member. The Secretary will collect and file the signed Conflicts of Interest Disclosure Statements; and assist the Conference Chair in sending thank you notes.
5. Immediate Past President. It will be the duty of the Immediate Past President to serve as advisor to the Executive Committee and as chair of the Nominations and Election Committee.
6. Treasurer. It will be the duty of the Treasurer to receive, deposit, and account for all dues and all other funds of the Association; to disburse funds; and to submit monthly reports. The Treasurer will submit financial records to the auditor in time to meet the fiscal year deadlines for an IRS filing and either a compilation, review, or an audit. Each spring the Treasurer will work with the President-elect to prepare and submit to the Board for approval, a proposed operating budget for the following fiscal year. The Treasurer will also chair the Finance Committee.
7. Members-at-Large. It will be the duty of the Members-at-Large to represent the membership on the Board, to plan the Spring Association Meeting, and to carry out special duties as assigned to them by the President.
Section F. Vacancy. The President, with the approval of the Board of Trustees, will have the power to fill all vacancies in office except those of the President-elect and Vice President. Any person so appointed will serve only until the end of the term of office. If the office of the President becomes vacant, the President-elect will become President and the Vice President will become President-elect. If the office of the President-elect becomes vacant, the President will nominate a candidate to be approved by the Board of Trustees. If the office of the Vice President becomes vacant, the President will instruct the Nominations and Election Committee to conduct a special election. In addition, any Officers so advancing will have the opportunity to serve the terms to which they would have originally succeeded. Any situation not covered by the above will be resolved by a vote of at least two-thirds of the voting members of the Board of Trustees.
Section G. Resignation and Removal. An Officer may resign by submitting their resignation in writing to the President of the Board of Trustees. An Officer may be removed and/or asked to resign for just cause by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the entire Board of Trustees. An Officer whose removal is to be considered will receive one month’s notice of such proposed action and will have the opportunity to address the Board regarding such action prior to any such removal.
V. BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Section A. Powers of the Board. The Board of Trustees shall have full authority to act for the Association.
Section B. Composition. The voting members of the Board of Trustees will consist of the Officers of the Association, one Member at Large serving their second year, the representatives to our Formal Affiliates, and one chair or designee from each of the standing committees. The Secretary will record votes for each meeting via roll call. Standing committees may be renamed, reorganized, or reassigned voting privileges by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees only.
Section C. Voting. Each standing committee has one Board vote. In instances where a committee chair is also a member of the Executive Committee (e.g. Treasurer/Finance Committee Chair), that person has only one vote.
Section D. Emergency Actions. The Executive Committee may act for the Board of Trustees in an emergency.
Section E. Vacancies. The President will have the power to fill all vacancies, except those as specified in Article IV, Section F.
Section F. Eligibility. Trustees must be active members of the organization.
Section G. Resignation and Removal. A Trustee may resign by submitting their resignation in writing to the President of the Board of Trustees. A Trustee may be removed and/or asked to resign for just cause by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the entire Board of Trustees. A Trustee whose removal is to be considered will receive one month’s notice of such proposed action and will have the opportunity to address the Board regarding such action prior to any such removal.
Section H. Compensation. Neither members,Trustees nor Officers will receive any fee, salary or remuneration of any kind for their services in such capacities. However, members,Trustees and Officers may be reimbursed for reasonable budgeted expenses incurred with approval of the Board upon presentation of vouchers.
Section I. Quorum. A majority of the Trustees will constitute a quorum of the Board for the transaction of business. The act of the majority of the Trustees at a meeting at which a quorum is present will be the act of that body. In the absence of a quorum, the Secretary will post the motions and discussions and deadline for voting to the Board electronic discussion list. An email vote will determine the act of the majority.
Section J. Board Meetings. There will be a minimum of five Board of Trustees meetings per year that may be held in person or virtually. All members of NJASL may attend/observe Board meetings. Additional meetings of the Board of Trustees may be called at the discretion of the President or upon written request of a majority of the Board of Trustees.
VI. COMMITTEES
Section A. Establishment of Committees. Standing and special committees may be established by the Board as needed. Duties of such committees shall be determined by the Board.
Section B. Committee Chairs. Chairs of standing committees and subcommittees will be appointed for one year by the incoming President, the appointments to be announced at the summer meeting. The chair of NJASL-R will be elected by the retirees for a two year term. All committee and subcommittee chairs will be active members of the organization. The committee and subcommittee chairs will submit a report to the President prior to each meeting and an annual summary by the end of the fiscal year.
Section C. Committee Membership. Committee and subcommittee chairs will select as many members as are necessary to carry on the work of the committee. All committee members will be active members of the organization. The President will serve as an ex-officio member of all committees except the Nominations and Election Committee.
Section D. Quorum. A majority of committee members will constitute a quorum of the committee for the transaction of business. The act of the majority of members at a meeting at which a quorum is present will be the act of that body.
Section E. Standing Committees. Committees and subcommittees along with their duties are listed in the NJASL Policy Manual, and may be renamed, reorganized, or reassigned voting privileges by a majority vote of the Board of Trustees only.
VII. PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS
Section A. Invited Representatives.Representatives of the State Library of New Jersey, State Department of Education and representatives from other agencies, associations, and educational institutions will be invited to attend Board of Trustees meetings. They shall serve without voting privileges.
The Board may partner with other organizations to work toward shared goals and objectives through formal and informal affiliations.
Section B. Purpose of Affiliation. The goals and objectives of affiliation will be:
1. To ensure mutual awareness of issues and information in librarianship, education, literacy, and technology, and to identify and address areas of mutual concern.
2. To increase membership and engagement in NJASL activities through affiliation with other school library groups, including but not limited to students, retirees, county and regional school librarian organizations.
Section C. Criteria for Affiliation.
1. The purpose of the organization must be compatible with that of NJASL.
2. The organization has defined roles, responsibilities, and reporting relationships.
Section D. Formal Affiliations. NJASL may enter into formal affiliate relationships with other state and national organizations to further mutual goals.
Formal affiliations are partnerships in which there are mutually agreed upon requirements and responsibilities for maintenance of the affiliation. Such requirements and responsibilities will be described in NJASL’s Policy Manual.
The Association, by two-thirds vote of the Board of Trustees, may enter into formal affiliation with such organizations as it deems appropriate.
Formal Affiliates representatives are appointed or elected in accordance with those organizations' Bylaws and/or affiliation agreements with NJASL. In the absence of defined requirements for selection of representatives to formal affiliates, representatives will be appointed by the NJASL President.
NJASL’s formal affiliate representatives serve as voting members of the Board of Trustees.
A formal affiliation may be terminated by a two-thirds vote of the entire Board,
Section E. Provisions.
Affiliation does not require payment of dues to NJASL by the county organization.
Organization affiliation does not permit the use of NJASL’s insurance, Federal tax-exempt status and/or sales tax exemption.
VIII. FINANCE
Section A. Fiscal year. The fiscal year will be from August 1 to July 31.
Section B. Auditor. The Board of Trustees will appoint an auditor to verify the accounts of the Association at the end of each fiscal year.
Section C. Finances and Financial Records. The finances and financial records of NJASL shall be maintained by the Treasurer.
IX. DISSOLUTION
Upon the dissolution of the association known as the New Jersey Association of School Librarians, Inc., the Board of Trustees will, after paying or making provision for the payment of all of the liabilities of the Association, distribute the remaining assets to such organization(s) operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious, or scientific purposes as will at the time qualify as an exempt organization(s) under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provisions of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Board of Trustees will determine, or to a state, federal, or local government for a public purpose. No part of the remaining assets will be distributed to any Trustee, member or Officer of the Association.
X. AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS
Section A. Initiation. Amendments to these bylaws will be initiated by any Trustee in consultation with the President or by a petition submitted by at least ten percent of the membership. Any active member may present a proposed amendment to the Board of Trustees.
Section B. Adoption at a meeting. Bylaws may be adopted and amended by a vote of the majority of the qualified members present and voting at any business meeting, provided that notice of such change has been given in writing at least thirty days prior to the meeting; or
Section C. Adoption by other means. If the vote is by mail or electronic mail, the Bylaws may be amended by the majority of those voting, provided that specific notice of the proposed change has been shared with the membership at least thirty days prior to the announced voting deadline.
FORCE AND EFFECT OF BYLAWS
These Bylaws are subject to the provisions of the New Jersey Nonprofit Corporation Act (the “Act”) and the Certificate of Incorporation as they may be amended from time to time. If any provision in these Bylaws is inconsistent with a provision in the Act or the Certificate of Incorporation, the provision of the Act or the Certificate of Incorporation will govern the extent of such inconsistency.
Passed by the Board of Trustees, August 20, 1997
Voted and passed by the members of EMAnj, October 16, 1997
Passed by the Board of Trustees, August 26, 1999
Voted and passed by the members of EMAnj, October 24, 1999
Revised and passed as printed above by the Board of Trustees, March 12, 2001
Voted and passed by the members of EMAnj, May 31, 2001
Revised and passed as printed above by the Board of Trustees, January 12, 2002
Voted and passed by the members of EMAnj, June 6, 2002
Revised and passed as printed above by the Board of Trustees, August 1, 2002
Voted and passed by the members of EMAnj, June 3, 2003
Revised and passed as printed above by the Board of Trustees, August 20, 2003
Voted and passed by the members of EMAnj, March 13, 2004
Revised and passed as printed above by the Board of Trustees, October 16, 2004
Voted and passed by the members of EMAnj, January 15, 2005
Revised March 14, 2009
Voted and passed as printed above by the members of NJASL, May 2, 2009
Revised for October 3, 2009 Board meeting
Revised and passed as printed above by the NJASL Board of Trustees, October 10, 2009
Voted and passed by the members of NJASL, November 13, 2009
Revised for August 9, 2012; October 20, 2012 Board meeting; October 22, 2012 approved by NJASL Board of Trustees via Email
Voted and passed by the members of NJASL, November 30, 2012
Revised and passed as printed above by the members of NJASL December 5, 2014
Revised and passed as printed above by the NJASL Board of Trustees, October 8, 2016
Voted and passed by the members of NJASL, November 18, 2016
Revised and passed as printed above by the NJASL Board of Trustees via email, February 2017.
Voted and passed by the members of NJASL, March 11, 2017.
Revised and passed as printed above by the NJASL Board of Trustees via email, January 2018.
Voted and passed by the members of NJASL, March 3, 2018.
Revised and passed as printed above by the NJASL Board of Trustees, October 6, 2018.
Voted and passed by the members of NJASL, December 4, 2018.
Revised and passed as printed above by the NJASL Board of Trustees, November 14, 2020.
Voted and passed by the members of NJASL via email, December 21, 2020
EDI Subcommittee name change passed as printed above by the NJASL Board of Trustees, February 6, 2021.
Committees/Subcommittees - Amended by the Board June 4, 2022