CONSTITUTION OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA ASSOCIATION, FORMERLY KNOWN AS NEW HAMPSHIRE EDUCATIONAL MEDIA ASSOCIATION PRIOR TO JUNE OF 2009.

Adopted: September 25, 1970 at Pembroke, New Hampshire

Revised: October 19, 1973 at Plymouth, New Hampshire

Revised: March 25, 1981 at Concord, New Hampshire

Revised: June 1, 1984 at Concord, New Hampshire

Revised: April 1986 at Hampton Beach, New Hampshire

Revised: March 12, 1993 at Concord, New Hampshire

Revised: March 15, 2006 via mail ballot

Revised:  May 08, 2009, North Conway, New Hampshire

Revised: May 13, 2016, at Concord, New Hampshire

Revised: January 18, 2018 New Hampshire Virtual Meeting

Revised:  August 1, 2021 via electronic ballot

ARTICLE I

Name

Section 1: The name of this organization shall be New Hampshire School Library Media Association (NHSLMA), formerly known as New Hampshire Educational Media Association, a chapter of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).

ARTICLE II

Purpose

Section 1: The purpose of this organization shall be to broaden the professional knowledge, understanding, and experience of its members and to promote the improvement of instruction in the state of New Hampshire through the sound use of educational resources.

Section 2: This Association is organized exclusively for educational and charitable purposes, no part of the earnings of which shall insure to the benefit of any private shareholder or individual. No substantial part of the activities of the Association shall support any political campaigns or candidates for public office.

Section 3: Upon dissolution, all assets, after paying or making provision for the payment of all liabilities of the corporation, shall be distributed to an organization or organizations exempt under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Code) as agreed upon by the Executive Board.

ARTICLE III

Membership

Section 1: All persons affiliated with school library media programsin New Hampshire are eligible for membership in this Association.

Section 2: Members shall be entitled to vote and participate in all activities of this Association.

ARTICLE IV

Officers and Governing Boards

Section 1: The officers of this organization shall be a President, Vice-President, Conference Chair, Recording Secretary, Treasurer, and the immediate Past-President. They shall constitute the Executive Board.

Section 2: The Governing Board shall consist of the officers listed above, the Chairs of the Standing Committees, Ad Hoc Committee Chairs, and at large members appointed by the President. Representatives of the State Department of Education, State Library and other related educational/library organizations may serve as ex officio members. 

Section 3: The election of officers shall be held annually.

Section 4: All meetings of the Governing Board shall be open to the membership. Voting privileges at the Governing Board meetings shall be restricted to Board members.

ARTICLE V

Meetings

Section 1: Meetings of the Association shall be held as provided in the By-laws.

ARTICLE VI

Amendments

Section 1: Proposed amendments to the Constitution and By-laws may be submitted by any member to the Executive Board. Proposed amendments, approved by the Governing Board, shall be submitted in writing to the membership, and voting will remain open for at least thirty days. A two-thirds majority of those votes shall be required to carry the vote.

ARTICLE VII

Parliamentary Authority

Section 1: Robert’s Rules of Order (Revised) in the latest edition shall govern the Association in all cases to which it can be applied and in which it is consistentwith the Constitution, the By-laws, or special rules of the Association.


BY-LAWS OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA ASSOCIATION

Adopted: September 25, 1970 at Pembroke, New Hampshire

Revised: October 19, 1973 at Plymouth, New Hampshire

Revised: March 25, 1981 at Concord, New Hampshire

Revised: June 1, 1984 at Concord, New Hampshire

Revised: April 1986 at Hampton Beach, New Hampshire

Revised: March 12, 1993 at Concord, New Hampshire

Revised: April 12, 1996 at Conway, New Hampshire

Revised: March 15, 2006 via mail ballot

Revised: May 13, 2016, at Concord, New Hampshire

Revised: January 18, 2018 New Hampshire Virtual Meeting

Revised: August 1, 2021 via electronic ballot

ARTICLE I

Dues

Section 1: Annual dues shall be determined by the Governing Board. The membership service shall be rolling and the fiscal year shall be July 1 to June 30. Persons not renewing membership shall be archived.

ARTICLE II

Meetings

Section 1: There shall be an annual meeting at such place and time as determined by the Executive Board. Fifteen percent of the membership shall constitute a quorum and, except for amendments, a majority of those voting shall be required to carry any vote. The Secretary will record the number of members present at the meeting, as well as the outcome of the vote.

Section 2: Special meetings may be called by the Executive Board on the written request of not less than fifteen percent of the membership.  At least thirty days notice shall be given, and only business specified in the call shall be transacted. Fifteen percent of the membership shall constitute a quorum, and, except for amendments, a majority of those voting shall be required to carry the vote.

Section 3: The Executive Board may also call additional meetings as needed. These meetings may not transact any legal business for the Association.

Section 4: Votes may be authorized by the Executive Board between membership meetings. The period during which the votes shall be recorded shall be not less than thirty days. Except for amendments, a majority of those voting shall be required to carry the vote.

Section 5: The Governing Board shall meet at the discretion of the President, but not less than six times annually. The proposed meeting time and place shall be announced to the membership at least ten days in advance. A Governing Board meeting must be convened upon written request to the President of one-third of the members of the Board.

ARTICLE III

Nominations, Elections, Succession

Section 1: The Nominating Committee shall consist of three members appointed by the President. The immediate Past-President shall serve as chairperson of the committee. In the absence of the Past-President’s availability, an alternate designee will be appointed by the President to chair the committee. The Nominating Committee shall present to the governing board in March a slate of officers as necessary for President, Vice-President, Conference Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer with provisions for write-in candidates for each.  No one shall be nominated who has not consented to stand for election and to serve if elected. The name of a member of the Nominating Committee may not appear on any slate of nominations.

Section 2: The election shall be held annually and prior to June 1st. The slate of officers shall be published to the members,and the voting period will remain open for a minimum of thirty days. Fifteen percent of the membership shall constitute a quorum, and a majority of those voting shall be required to carry the vote. 

Section 3: In the case of a tie vote, the Executive Board shall elect one from those who share the tie.

Section 4: Officers shall be elected to one year terms, to begin July 1st. The President and Vice-President shall serve no more than two terms in their respective offices.

Section 5: In the event that an elected office, other than the presidency, needs to be filled, the President will nominate for the vote of the Governing Board, a candidate to complete the term.

Section 6: If the President’s office becomes vacant, the Vice-President will succeed to the office of the President.

ARTICLE IV

Duties of the Officers

Section 1: The President shall preside at all meetings and shall ensure that the instructions of the Governing Board are carried out. It shall be the duty of the President to appoint committee chairpersons and to instruct them in their responsibilities and to turn over to the incoming President all official files. If invited, the President shall serve, or shall appoint an alternate to serve, on the Boards of other professional organizations.

Section 2 : The Vice-President shall carry out other duties as assigned by the President.  In the absence of the President, the Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President.

Section 3: The Conference Chair shall head the program committee that coordinates conferences, workshops, and special events sponsored by the Association.

Section 4: The Recording Secretary shall keep the minutes of all the meetings of the Governing Board and of the Association. A copy of the minutes of each shall be distributed to the members of the Governing Board.

Section 5: The Treasurer shall keep a record of all receipts and disbursements, keep all funds in a depository approved by the Governing Board, and prepare an annual financial statement as well as such additional reports as are requested by the President. The annual financial statement for the fiscal year ending the previous June 30, as well as the current financial status report, shall be presented at the annual meeting.

ARTICLE V

Association operations and committees shall be ledby an appointed chairperson who serves on the NHSLMA Governing Board. It is expected that each committee will contribute to the professional development of members via the Association newsletter, the NHSLMA website, social media, or through a program at an Association sponsored conference. The Chairs include the following: 

Section 1: The Public Awareness Chairshall assume a proactive role in communicating the importance of school library media programs and personnel to the educational and governmental communities and shall keep the membership informed regarding pertinent current and pending state and national legislation. 

Section 2: The Intellectual Freedom Chair shall keep the membership informed regarding matters of intellectual freedom, monitoring regional and national challenges, and keeping an historical record.

Section 3: The Professional Development Chairshall coordinate professional opportunities for the membership such as Library Camp, workshops, meetings, and other professional learning experiences for New Hampshire’s school library community.

Section 4: The Membership Chair shall provide prospective members with appropriate information, issue annual membership notices, and maintain an accurate membership and mailing list.

Section 5 : The Scholarship/Awards Chair shall arrange for appropriate scholarships and awards and shall oversee the selection of recipients.

 Section 6 : The Standards Chair shall guide the educational community in New Hampshire towards the understanding of the commitment of the library program in the schools and the role of the library media professional as expressed in the AASL Standards. The chairperson shall serve as a member of the New Hampshire Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (NHASCD) and communicate focus issues to the board and the members.

Section 7: The Communications Chair shall ensure that news of the Association’s activities is made available to both the membership and the public at large through communication vehicles to include, but not limited to, social media, the Webmaster, and the Listserv Manager.  The listserv is restricted to communications of a non-commercial nature.

Section 8: The Certifications Chair shall assist members and non-members in navigating and maintaining their NH School Librarian certifications.  This person shall also assist the state when the certification standards are to be reviewed.

ARTICLE VI

Ad-hoc Committees

Section 1: The President shall, with the approval of the Executive Board, appoint ad-hoc committees as needed to further the purposes of the Association. Chairpersons of ad-hoc committees shall serve as regular members of the Governing Board.

ARTICLE VII

Affiliations

Section 1: Affiliations with other organizations shall be determined by the Governing Board. All such affiliations shall be reviewed annually for the purposes of re-affiliation or termination. Affiliations may include, but are not limited to, the New Hampshire Society for Technology in Education (NHSTE), NESLA, and NHASCD.

ARTICLE VIII

Continuity

Section 1: In order to assure the active continuation of NHSLMA as an Association of value to our members, we will invite persons to serve as “at large members” in the hope that they will learn the procedures and policies of the Board and potentially serve on the Board in the future.



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