Mission
A group of art librarians founded ARLIS/NA (The Art Libraries Society of North America) during attendance at the 1972 American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago. The founders of ARLIS/NA drew inspiration from the 1969 establishment of the Art Libraries Society in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Since its founding, ARLIS/NA has sought to professionalize art librarianship, to improve communication and cooperation amongst art librarians, and to provide a national forum for their ideas, projects, and cultural programs.
Members include art and architecture librarians, slide and photography curators, museum librarians, film studio librarians, publishers, students, and anyone with an interest in art librarianship.
The Southern California chapter is one of ARLIS/NA’s regional chapters.
Bylaws
Article I. Name
The name of the organization shall be ARLIS/NA Southern California Chapter, hereinafter referred to as “the Chapter.”
Article II. Purpose
A. The organization shall promote the purposes of the Art Libraries Society of North America (ARLIS/NA), hereinafter referred to as “the Society,” within the Southern California area.
B. The Chapter is organized and will be operated exclusively for charitable and educational purposes within the meaning Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, in order to advance the cause of art librarianship and to promote the development, good management, and enlightened use of all art libraries and visual resources collections. In the furtherance of such purpose, the organization is authorized:
1. to promote the continuing professional education of its members and the general knowledge of the public by sponsoring conferences, seminars, lectures, workshops, and other exchanges of information and materials concerning all aspects of art librarianship and visual resources curatorship;
2. to stimulate greater use of art libraries and visual resources collections by sponsoring, supporting, or publishing resources, directories, bibliographies, inventories, periodical journals, occasional papers, reports and related materials concerning the organization and retrieval of art information;
3. to foster excellence in art librarianship and the use of visual arts by establishing standard for art libraries and visual collections, by promoting improvements in the academic education of art librarians and visual resources curators, by sponsoring awards for outstanding achievement, and by other means to that end; and
4. to engage in any activities conducive to furthering the organization’s purposes, provided that such activities may lawfully be carried on by an organization exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended (or the corresponding provision of any further United States internal revenue law).
Article III. Charitable Activity Restrictions
A. No part of the net income of the Chapter shall inure to the benefit of or be distributable to its directors, officers, or other private persons, except that the Chapter shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services actually rendered and to make payments and distributions in furtherance of the purposes and objects of this organization.
B. No substantial part of the activities of the Chapter shall be carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Chapter shall not participate in or intervene in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.
C. Notwithstanding any other provisions set forth in the Society’s or the Chapter’s Bylaws, at any time during which it is deemed a private foundation:
1. the Chapter shall not engage in any act of self-dealing in Section 4991 (d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or corresponding provision of any subsequent federal tax laws;
2. the Chapter shall distribute its income for each taxable year at such time and in such manner as not to become subject to the tax on distributed income imposed by Section 4942 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or corresponding provisions of any subsequent federal tax laws;
3. the Chapter shall not own any excess business holdings that would subject it to tax under section 4943 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or corresponding provisions of any subsequent federal tax laws;
4. the Chapter shall not make any investments in such manner as to subject the chapter to the tax imposed by Section 4944 or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or corresponding provisions of any subsequent federal tax laws;
5. the Chapter shall not make any taxable expenditures as defined in Section 4945 (d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or corresponding provisions of any subsequent federal tax laws;
6. the Chapter shall not conduct or carry-on any activities not permitted to be conducted or carried on by an organization exempt for tax under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, or corresponding provisions of any subsequent federal tax laws, or by an organization contributions to which are to be deductible under Section 170 (c) (2) of such code or corresponding provisions of any subsequent federal tax laws.
Article IV. Dissolution
A. Upon the dissolution of the Chapter or the winding up of its affairs, the assets of the Chapter shall be distributed exclusively for charitable or educational purposes or to organizations which are then exempt from federal tax under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 or corresponding provisions of any subsequent federal tax laws, and to which contributions are then deductible under Section 170 (c) (2) of such Code or corresponding provisions of any subsequent federal tax laws, and to which contributions are then deductible under Section 170 (c) (2) of such Code or corresponding provisions of any subsequent federal tax laws. Organizations having purposes similar to those of this organization shall be preferred.
Article V. Membership
A. Eligibility. Membership is open to all individual members of ARLIS/NA. The Chapters Liaison of ARLIS/NA is a non-voting, ex-officio member of the Chapter.
B. Dues.
1. The amount of dues shall be determined by the Executive Committee and shall be ratified by member vote.
2. The dues shall be collected by the Treasurer.
3. The membership year shall be for the calendar year January 1 to December 31.
4. Additional fees for special projects recommended by the Executive Committee must be approved by a majority of the Chapter membership voting, either by mail or at a business meeting.
C. Privileges.
1. Members in good standing with the Chapter and ARLIS/NA are eligible to hold office, vote in elections, and serve on committees.
2. All members shall receive announcements of meetings of the Chapter and other notices of general interest to the membership.
Article VI. Officers
A. The elected officers of the Chapter shall be the Chair, the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, the Secretary, and the Treasurer. The Web Editor is a voluntary, non-elected position.
B. Terms of office.
1. The term of office of the Chair shall be one year in that office, and the succeeding year as Immediate Past Chair.
2. The term of office of Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall be one year in that office and the succeeding year as Chair.
3. The term of office of both the Secretary and the Treasurer shall be two years.
4. No officer shall be eligible for more than one consecutive term in the same office, unless no other candidate is willing to serve.
5. Newly elected Chapter officers shall begin their tenure on January 1st in order to coincide with the chapter’s membership year, and shall be installed as soon as possible after January 1st.
C. Duties of Officers.
1. The Chair shall act as chief executive officer of the Chapter, shall assist the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect in the planning of activities of the Chapter, and shall serve ex-officio on all committees of the Chapter, and shall be responsible for drafting annual reports.
2. The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall act as executive officer in the event the Chair is unable to serve, shall act as program chair, and shall be responsible for the sending of all announcements of meetings to the membership.
3. The Secretary shall take minutes of chapter Executive Board and Business Meetings; report on chapter events; forward appropriate documents and reports to the Chapters Liaison and ARLIS/NA headquarters; and distribute and validate election ballots.
4. The Treasurer shall maintain current membership lists and handle all financial accounts of the chapter.
D. Nominating Committee & Nominations
1. Nominating Committee. The Executive Committee shall appoint a Nominating Committee of at least two persons. This committee shall submit in writing a slate of two or more qualified candidates per office.
2. Members of the chapter may nominate themselves or other members for office.
3. Nominations should occur no later than two months prior to the annual business meeting.
4. Nominees must file an acceptance of their nomination in writing with the Nominating Committee.
E. Elections.
1. Officers shall be elected by a plurality of votes.
2. In the event of a tie, the Executive Committee shall choose the winner by lot.
Article VII. Executive Committee
A. The elected officers, the Web Editor, and the Immediate Past Chair of the Chapter shall constitute the Executive Committee. The committee shall meet at the discretion of the officers to discuss Chapter activities, requests, and recommendations of the ARLIS/NA Executive Board.
B. An elected chapter officer may be removed for cause by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the chapter executive committee with voting authority. The chapter officer being considered for removal shall not participate in the voting.
C. Any chapter officer may resign from office at any time by delivering a resignation in writing to the chair of the chapter. If the resigning office is the chair, the resignation shall be delivered in writing to another officer of the chapter. The acceptance of the resignation, unless required by its terms, shall not be necessary to make the resignation effective. The resignation shall be effective when the notice is delivered unless the notice specifies a later effective time.
D. A vacancy in the elected membership of the Chapter officers shall be filled by executive committee appointment. Members so appointed shall serve until the end of the term of the vacated office. The Vice-Chair shall fill the vacancy of the Chair, and will continue as Chair through the following year. The Chair shall fill the vacancy of the Past Chair, and will continue as Past Chair through the following year.
Article VIII. Meetings
A. The chapters shall hold at least one business meeting each year. Additional business meetings shall be called by the Executive Committee as they deem necessary.
B. Announcements of meetings shall be sent to the membership by the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect at least ten days in advance of the meeting.
Article IX. Reports
A. Annual reports shall be drafted by the Chair and shall be approved by the other members of the Executive Committee. Annual reports shall follow the guidelines set by the Executive Board of ARLIS/NA.
B. Chapters shall provide ARLIS/NA, via the Chapters Liaison, copies of all board meeting minutes on a regular basis.
Article X. Special Committees
Ad hoc and standing committees shall be appointed by the Executive Committee. Committee heads shall be responsible for reporting activities to the Executive Committee and the membership.
Article XI. Affiliation with Other Organizations
Affiliation with other organizations in the Southern California area shall be by the discretion of the Executive Board of ARLIS/NA and shall be in accordance with the guidelines supplied by the Executive Board.
Article XII. Amendments
A. Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by any voting member and shall be submitted to the Executive Committee in writing.
B. The text of the proposed amendment shall be distributed to the voting membership at least two weeks prior to a business meeting.
C. The bylaws may be amended after previous announcement by a vote of two- thirds majority.
D. The approval of the ARLIS/NA Executive Board is required to amend these bylaws.
Article XIII. Quorum
A quorum shall consist of twenty-five (25) percent of the membership.
Article XIV. Parliamentary Authority
The Rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised shall govern in all cases to which they are applicable, and where they are not inconsistent with the bylaws or the special rules of order of the National or Southern California Chapter ARLIS/NA organization.
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