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Article 1 - NAME

The name of this association shall be the Library Boards Association of Nova Scotia.

Article II - OBJECT

The purpose of this Association shall be the promotion of quality public library service, the provision of a forum for the exchange of ideas and the development of cooperation among all Regional Library Boards within the Province of Nova Scotia and the provision of a vehicle for the presentation of opinion and advice to all bodies responsible for the provision or development of good library service.

Article III - MEMBERS

Section 1

Voting membership shall automatically be granted to all Library Trustees appointed to serve on a Regional Library Board in Nova Scotia.

Section 2

Non-voting membership shall automatically be granted to the Chief Executive Officer of each Regional Library Board in Nova Scotia. Persons holding this membership shall be eligible for the offices of President or Vice-President.

Section 3

Persons holding the office of Provincial Librarian and Co-coordinator, User Services, will be granted ex-offico membership in the Association. Persons holding this membership shall not be eligible to vote or hold office.

Section 4

All membership in the Association shall be contingent upon the member continuing to hold the appointment or position through which he or she became a member.

Section 5

Notwithstanding the above, an honorary membership may be conferred upon any person following the signed recommendation of one member, seconded by a second member and ratified by a three-fourths vote by ballot at the Annual General Meeting. An honorary member shall have none of the obligations of membership in the association, but shall be entitled to ail privileges except those of making motions, of voting and of holding office.

Section 6

There shall be no personal member fees or annual dues. In lieu of these assessments, each Regional Library Board shall pay on or before the 15th of June (pending change to fiscal year) each year a sum of not less than $500. The Treasurer shall notify each Regional Library Board of the amount due two months in advance of the due date.

Article IV - MEETINGS

Section 1

There shall be one regular meeting of the Association each year, known as the Annual General Meeting, to be held in conjunction with the Nova Scotia Library Association annual conference, unless otherwise ordered by the Association or the Executive.

Section 2

The purpose of the Annual General Meeting shall be to receive reports from officers and committees, to elect officers and to conduct business of the association.

Section 3

Special meetings can be called by the President or by the Executive, or upon the written request of ten members of the association. The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call. Except in cases of emergency, at least ten days notice shall be given.

Section 4

Ten members, at least six of whom are voting members, shall constitute a quorum.

Article V - OFFICERS

Section 1

The officers of the Association shall be a President, a Vice-President, the Past- President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, three Directors and a Director at Large. To be eligible for the office of President, a member must have served as an officer of the Association for at least the preceding year. If the Past-President is not able, or eligible to serve, the Annual General Meeting or, dependent on timing, the Executive, shall appoint a trustee to serve in this capacity.

These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these By-Laws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Association. All Regional Library Boards will be represented on the Executive Committee.

Section 2

The term of each Director shall be for three years. Not with-standing the above, at the first election one Director shall be elected for one-year term, one Director shall be for a two-year term, and one Director shall be elected for a three-year term.

Section 3

The officers shall be elected at the Annual General Meeting, serve for one year, unless otherwise specified or until their successors are elected, and their term of office shall begin at the close of the Annual General Meeting at which they are elected.

Section 4

No members shall hold more than one office at a time, and no member shall be eligible to serve more than two consecutive terms in the same office.

Section 5

President:
  • The President shall preside over all meetings of the Association and its Executive Committee, and has day to day supervision of Association affairs.
  • The President shall be ex officio a member of all committees except the Nominating and Auditing Committees.
  • The President, or his or her designate on the Executive Committee, shall represent LBANS on the Board of Directors of NSLA and CLTA.
Past President:
  • The Past-President shall chair the Nominating Committee.
Vice-President:
  • The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President when the President is absent.
  • The Vice-President shall act as liaison member to the APLA Committee.
  • The Vice-President shall chair the Conference Committee.
Treasurer:
  • The Treasurer shall chair the Finance Committee and prepare a fiscal planning document for the coming year.
  • The Treasurer and/or executive secretary shall open a bank account with cheque signing officers being any two of the Treasurer, the President, the Vice-President and/or executive secretary.
  • The Treasurer shall be responsible for the approval of reimbursements for payment for legitimate expenses.
  • The Treasurer shall ensure that records are kept in accordance with recognized accounting principles.
  • The Treasurer shall ensure a financial statement is submitted for approval to the President and Executive at each meeting.
  • The Treasurer shall ensure a yearly financial report is submitted to the Audit Committee.
Secretary:
  • The Secretary shall assist the President in compiling agendas for all meetings.
  • The Secretary shall mail notices and other materials to members as required.
  • The Secretary shall ensure the minutes and records of all meetings are kept.
Director:
  • Directors shall serve as members of the Executive Committee and on designated committees as required.
Article VI - THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1

The officers of the Association shall constitute the Executive Committee.

Section 2

The Executive Committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Association between its business meetings, fix the hour and place of meetings, make recommendations to the Association and shall perform such other duties as specified in these By-Laws. The Committee shall be subject to the orders of the Association and none of its acts shall conflict with action taken by the Association.

In the case of emergency Executive policy decisions made between meetings, a motion ratifying these decisions passed by more than fifty percent of the Regional Library Boards in Nova Scotia will constitute Association approval of the Executive Committee's actions taken or to be taken.

Section 3

Unless otherwise specified by the Executive, a regular meeting of the Executive Committee shall be held prior to the Annual General Meeting of the Association. Special meetings of the Committee can be called by the President, or upon written request of three members of the Committee.

Section 4

Five members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum, provided at least four are voting members.

Section 5

In the event that an officer resigns his or her office or ceases to be a member of a Regional Library Board, whereupon his or her office shall be vacated, and a member of the association may be appointed by the executive committee to fill the vacancy until the next Annual General Meeting.

Article VII - COMMITTEES

Section 1

A Finance Committee composed of the Treasurer, the Past-President, and one Director, shall be appointed by the Executive Committee. It shall be the duty of this Committee to prepare a budget for the coming year. The Finance Committee may from time to time submit supplements to the budget for the current fiscal year. The fiscal year shall be from September 1 to August 31.

Section 2

A Conference Planning Committee composed of the Vice-President as Chair, members of the Executive and a sub-committee for local arrangements shall plan the program for the Association's next Annual General Meeting.

Section 3

An Auditing Committee of two members of the Association shall be appointed by the Executive Committee following each Annual General Meeting, whose duty it shall be to audit the Treasurer's accounts at the close of the fiscal year and to report at the next Annual General Meeting. Officers the Association shall not be appointed to this committee.

Section 4

A Nominating Committee, composed of the Past-President as Chair, and two additional members shall be appointed by the Executive Committee following each Annual General Meeting. It shall be the duty of the Nominating Committee to prepare a slate of officers to be proposed at the next Annual General Meeting.

Section 5

A Resolutions Committee of not more than five members shall be appointed by the Executive Committee following the Annual General Meeting, to hold office for a period of one year. It shall be the duty of the Resolutions Committee to accept and review resolutions for presentation to the Annual General Meeting.

Section 6

The Chair and Chiefs Committee will meet in an advisory capacity, as required. Each Board shall have one vote, to be cast by the Board Chair, a designated trustee from that Board, or the C.E.O..

Section 7

Such other committees, standing or special, shall be appointed by the Executive Committee as the Association or the Executive Committee shall from time to time deem necessary to carry on the work of the Association. The President shall be ex officio a member of all committees except the Nominating and Auditing Committees.

Section 8

The Executive Committee shall have the power to hire staff if such position(s) has/have been included in the budget submitted to the Annual General Meeting.

Article VIII - PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the Association in all cases in which they are not consistent with these By-Laws and any special rules of order the Association may adopt.

Article IX - AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS

These By-Laws can be amended at any Annual General Meeting of the Association by a two-thirds vote of members present, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing to a regular meeting of each Regional Library Board in Nova Scotia or by a two-thirds vote of Regional Library Boards in Nova Scotia.

Approved at LBANS AGM November 3, 1995