The name of this organization shall be The History of the Health Sciences, a Section of the Medical Library Association, Inc. (MLA).

Article II Purpose

The purpose of this Section shall be to stimulate interest in the history of the health sciences library collections, strengthen communication and cooperation among libraries with history of health sciences collections and history of health sciences librarians, and provide opportunities for the professional development of our members.

Article III Membership

All and only members of MLA may belong to this Section.

Section 2 Rights and Privileges

A. Voting members of this Section shall consist of all members, except that only Voting Members of the Medical Library Association shall be qualified to move or vote on recommendations to the Section 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 Sections Representative and Representative-Elect to the Section Council.

B. Officers of this Section shall be Voting members of the Medical Library Association.

Section 3 Dues

A. Dues shall be determined by a majority vote of those members present at the Annual Meeting of the Section. Dues shall be assessed on an annual basis for the period of the calendar year. Section dues shall not exceed MLA membership dues for Regular Members.

B. Section dues shall be payable on joining the Section and thereafter at the same time as are the Medical Library Association dues.

C. If dues are unpaid two months after the renewal date, the dues shall be considered in arrears and without further notice the member will be suspended from all rights and privileges.

Article IV Officers

A. Elective officers of the Section shall be a Chair, a Chair-Elect, a Secretary-Treasurer, and a Representative and Representative Elect to the Section Council.

B. The term of office of the Chair shall be two years as Chair Elect and two years as Chair. Chair Elect shall be elected in odd numbered years. No one may serve more than 2 successive terms as Chair-Elect/Chair.

C. The term of office for the Secretary-Treasurer shall be two years, beginning at the end of the Annual Business meeting in odd numbered years. An individual may not serve more than 2 successive terms as Secretary-Treasurer.

D. The term of office of the Representative to Section Council shall be three years, one-year terms as Representative-Elect, and a two-year term as Representative, except that if the Representative's term be made shorter by action of the Council or Bylaws of the Medical Library Association, the term shall coincide with that action.

E. Elected officers shall take office at the close of the Annual Meeting following their election and serve, unless they resign, die, or are removed, until the close of the Annual Meeting at the end of their term of office, or until their successors have been chosen and assumed their duties.

Section 2 Duties

A. The duties of the Chair shall be to preside over all meetings, to represent the Section at all times, and on all occasions not in conflict with any other officer's defined duties and responsibilities, to plan the annual meeting, to assist the Program Chair in planning the program, to submit an Annual Report to MLA Headquarters by the date requested, and to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Section. 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 preside as Chair whenever the Chair is not able to do so, to act as Program Chair for the Section, and to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Section.

C. The duties of the Secretary-Treasurer shall be to be responsible for incoming and outgoing correspondence, to prepare minutes of all meetings, to distribute notices, to receive and account for all monies due the Section, to prepare the Section annual report for the membership and the MLA headquarters by April 1 of each year, and to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Section.

D. The duties of the Representative to the Section Council shall be to represent the Section on the MLA Section Council by attending the meetings of the Council, to transmit to the Council recommendations that have been approved by the Section, to communicate Council business to the officers and members of the Section, to report on Council Activities to the Section Chair, and to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Section.

E. The duties of the Representative-Elect to the Section Council shall be to attend the meetings of the Section 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, and to perform all other duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Section.

Section 3 Elections

A. The Nominating Committee shall prepare annually a slate (of at least one, but more are preferred) nominee(s) for each elective officer whose term expires.

B. Ballots shall be distributed to the voting membership by the Nominating Committee at least sixty (60) days prior to the Section's Annual Meeting and shall be received by the Nominating Committee 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 Section Council shall be filled by the Representative-Elect, who shall cease to be Representative-Elect, and shall serve out the unexpired term of the Representative.

Section 5 Candidate for the MLA Nominating Committee Membership

A. The name of one Voting Member of the Medical Library Association, chosen by the Nominating Committee, shall be submitted each year to the Section Council as a potential candidate for membership on the MLA Nominating Committee; this submission shall be made to the Council before its final assembly at the MLA Annual Meeting. 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 a candidate for membership 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

At least one meeting shall be held in each fiscal year. Additional meetings may be held. At least one meeting of the Section should be called the Annual Meeting. All meetings shall be held at a time or 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. The Section's Business Meeting shall be held during the same period and at the same location as the Association's Annual Meeting. No Section meetings shall be held at the same time that General Sessions or Business Sessions of the Association's Annual Meeting are conducted.

Section 2 Quorum

Fifteen (15) percent of the membership shall constitute a quorum.

Article VI Executive Board

The elected officers of the Section plus the immediate past-chair shall constitute the Executive Board.

Section 2 Duties

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

Article VII Committees

Section 1 Standing Committees

A. The Executive Board shall establish standing committees to consider matters of the Section that require continuity of attention by the members. The Executive Board shall recommend the name and size of each committee.

B. The Chair in consultation with the Executive Board shall designate and announce committee members and chairs in advance of the beginning of his or her term of office and when these appointments shall take effect. Unless otherwise approved by the Executive Board, members of standing committees shall be appointed for the terms of two years, and may be reappointed for a second term. The Chair shall have the discretion to terminate appointments.

C. Standing committees of this Section shall consist of the Executive Board, Nominating Committee, and Membership Committee.

Nominating Committee

The Chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee to prepare a slate of candidates. The nominees must consent to their nomination in writing. The Committee shall mail ballots to Section members no later than ten (10) weeks before the Annual Meeting, and shall conclude the ballot no later than one (1) month before.

Membership Committee

The Chair shall appoint a Membership Committee to develop and implement tactics for increasing membership, and for promoting the renewal of memberships. The Committee shall work from membership lists provided by the Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 2 Special Committees

The Section 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 Section Chair, prior to the compilation of the Annual Section Report for submission to MLA Headquarters.

Article VIII Dissolution

In the event of dissolution of this Section, all liabilities and obligations shall be paid or adequate provision made for payment. Remaining assets shall revert to the MLA General Fund.

Article IX Parliamentary Authority

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

Article IX Archives

A permanent record of all meetings for the preceding two years shall be kept by the Secretary-Treasurer, with duplicates held by the Chair. Yearly deposits of archival materials shall be made to the MLA Headquarters for inclusion in the MLA Archives.

Article X Amendments

These bylaws may be amended or rescinded by two-thirds of members voting at any regular meeting of the Section, provided that the amendment has been submitted in writing to the membership at least thirty (30) days prior to the meeting at which the vote will be taken.

Amended June, 1996
Amended May, 1997
Amended April 2001
Amended March 2005