Bylaws

Amended by SRRT ballot, April 2005

I. Name.

The name of this organization shall be the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association.

II. Purpose.

The purpose of the Social Responsibilities Round Table shall be:

• to provide a forum for the discussion of the responsibilities which librarians and libraries have in relation to the important problems of social change which face institutions and librarians today;
• to provide for the exchange of information about library activities among all ALA units with the goal of increasing understanding of current social problems;
• to act as a stimulus to ALA and its various units in making libraries more responsive to current social needs;
• to present programs, arrange exhibits and carry out other appropriate activities.

III. Membership.

Membership will consist of personal members, regular, student, and other, and of affiliate members. In addition, organizational members of ALA may choose to support SRRT and receive communications, upon payment of annual dues to be determined year by year, but shall not be entitled to membership privileges.

• Any personal member of ALA may elect to become a personal member of SRRT upon payment of annual dues, with the right to vote and to volunteer to serve as an officer. A personal member is free to act in three ways: 1) as an individual, through discussion and action at the annual meeting, through volunteering for committees which serve SRRT, through correspondence, publication and other appropriate activities; 2) by working with a Task Force or project group, through studies and surveys with reports and recommendations and other activities; 3) by organizing and working with local affiliate member groups.
• Any group organized regionally, locally, nationally or internationally to work on problems of social responsibilities of libraries or librarians will be welcome to associate with SRRT as an affiliate member. Affiliate membership status will be voted on by Action Council after a written request for status has been made by the group requesting recognition and shall be reviewed every three years with consideration given to the group's representation at SRRT meetings and reporting in the SRRT Newsletter. Affiliate membership shall entitle the group to receive publications of SRRT and to participate by reporting on activities for dissemination to all of the SRRT membership. It shall not entitle members of the group who are not personal members of the Round Table to vote or hold office in the Round Table. An affiliate member group is free to take advantage of SRRT communications via newsletters, and can ask for advice and support or other appropriate activities from the Round Table.

IV. Action Council.

• The coordinating body of the Social Responsibilities Round Table shall be an Action Council consisting of 10 SRRT members (elected by the SRRT membership), 1 designated ALA Councilor (also elected by the SRRT membership), 1 member from each Task Force (selected by that Task Force) and 1 representative from each recognized affiliate.
• The 10 elected members of Action Council shall be elected by mail ballot procedures outlined below and shall take office immediately following the Annual Conference. At the final Action Council meeting of the Annual Conference, the incoming Action Council will meet under the auspices of the outgoing Council to select a coordinator, treasurer, recording secretary, exhibits coordinator, and a membership/recruitment chair. These officers will preferably be elected from the at large members of Action Council, but may be selected from the Task Force representatives or the affiliate representatives. Except in extraordinary circumstances, no single person shall serve Action Council in more than one of the six designated offices.
• All Action Council members must be members of ALA.
• The editor of the SRRT Newsletter shall serve by appointment of Action Council. The newsletter editor shall serve a term of 3 years. The editor shall be considered an ex-officio member of Action Council. An editorial board of 3 members shall also serve by appointment of Action Council. Whenever possible, the editorial board should be selected from members of Action Council. If Action Council members are unavailable to serve, the editor may nominate members from the SRRT membership to Action Council for approval. The term of office for the editorial board shall be 3 years. There will be staggered terms of appointment. The editorial board will advise the editor upon request on matters of editorial policy.
• Action Council shall have the responsibilities of:
  1. Determining the membership program at the annual conference;
  2. Submitting projects or endorsing projects of volunteer Task Forces of SRRT;
  3. Soliciting volunteers and appointing SRRT members to ALA unit positions which accrue to the coordinator ex-officio and to committees to help the Council meet its organizational responsibilities. Such liaisons will serve a 3-year term and may be re-appointed for one additional term;
  4. Coordinating the dissemination of information to the SRRT membership.
  5. Approving the budgets and expenditures of the Round Table and the Task Forces.
• Action Council elections.
  1. terms of office shall be for 3 years, with the right to run for re-election to a second term. Three or four members will run each year to replace the outgoing members.
  2. Action Council coordinator will take responsibility for coordinating SRRT elections. Individual members who wish to volunteer to serve will submit their names, their statement of concerns about policy and action on social responsibilities of librarians, and a short note listing their professional experience to the coordinator of Action Council by the required date. The coordinator will then be responsible for ballot preparation in accordance with the ALA specifications. The names of all volunteers will then be submitted to the SRRT membership for election by mail ballot.
• Members of Action Council are responsible or attending all Action Council meetings. Requests for exemption should be addressed to the coordinator before the Annual or Midwinter meetings. Council members will be considered disqualified from office if they fail to attend 2 meetings during a Conference (either Midwinter or Annual) without notifying the Action Council coordinator. Any Action Council member may be removed from office for misfeasance, malfeasance, or nonfeasance by vote of the Action Council. The proceedings are to be held in executive session. The vote must have a two-thirds majority and be a recorded roll-call. Positions that become available on Action Council shall be filled by the next runner-up in the most recent election, or by appointment from the Action Council.
• Action Council will present an annual report to a scheduled membership meeting at each Annual Conference.
• Action Council is responsible for the scheduling of all meetings of its own sponsorship and of its Task Forces, committees, and project groups. No SRRT meetings can be scheduled to conflict with Action Council meetings, SRRT membership meetings, or other meetings given this status by Action Council.
• A voting quorum for both Action Council and membership meetings will be defined as the number of voting members present at a meeting. Each Task Force and each affiliate member shall receive only one vote on Action Council regardless of the number of coordinators or co-coordinators or representatives which they choose to have present. All members of the Action Council may vote on all issues except financial ones. Only at-large members, elected by the entire Round Table, may vote on these matters.

V. Finances of the Social Responsibilities Round Table.

• The second Action Council meeting of the Midwinter Conference shall be the budget meeting. Each Task Force and project group shall submit an itemized budget request in writing at this time or earlier. Supplemental budget requests may also be submitted to the coordinator at a later date if necessary. The coordinator will then consult Action Council members by phone or mail as necessary concerning these supplemental requests.
• The treasurer of Action Council will be responsible for SRRT financial records.
• Finance of the activities of SRRT will come from dues of the general membership and voluntary contributions to SRRT or to individual groups under its supervision.
  1. Dues for personal and for organizational member shall be required. The dues shall be set by Action Council.
  2. The treasurer is authorized to approve requests for reimbursement and payment of bills on receipt of proper invoices or records of payments by authorized persons out of SRRT funds in the ALA accounts.
  3. Task Forces may not keep funds in outside sources. All funds must be in the appropriate Task Force sub-fund in the SRRT account.

VI. Task Forces and project groups.

• All SRRT members are encouraged to volunteer for groups in which they have an interest. Personal members may choose to join groups or form their own for specific purposes, in line with the goals of the Social Responsibilities Round Table. These groups may be Task Forces (usually long-term) or project groups (usually of a very short duration).
• Organization of a Task Force requires a statement of goals, projected activities and programs, a proposed budget and the names and addresses of 10 members of the Round Table interested in forming such a Task Force. This proposal may be reviewed by Action Council at two successive meetings, or at the Annual and Midwinter meetings successively. The Task Force may be given probationary status during this time. After a review, Action Council must vote on approval of the new group.
• All Task Forces are encouraged but not required to have some form of written by- laws. All such by-laws, and any changes in them, must be approved by Action Council to ensure that there is no conflict between Task Force and Round Table policies. All Task Forces must submit a written annual report to the second meeting of Action Council during Annual Conference. These reports may be used by the Newsletter Editor as information on the Task Force for general dissemination.
• If an established Task Force does not meet for two successive conference meetings (annual and midwinter meetings) it will be considered to be discontinued.
• Project groups may be created for short term actions by Action Council at any time. A short statement of purpose, contemplated work or action, budget, and membership involved shall be submitted by the group to Action Council for its vote of approval. A statement on the duration of the project group and its activities shall accompany the petition.
• Task Forces and project groups are asked to encourage their members who are not SRRT members to join SRRT.

VII. Amendment.

• This statement of Organization may be amended by a majority vote of Round Table in attendance and voting at any annual meeting, provided notice of the proposed revision has been sent to members and/or printed in the SRRT Newsletter and/or American Libraries at least thirty days in advance.
• Proposals for revisions may be sent by any member to the coordinator of the Action Council for its consideration, and published in the SRRT Newsletter for consideration at a membership meeting.
• Any personal member may send a proposal for revision to the editor of the newsletter for printing if accompanied by twenty-five signatures of SRRT members. This constitutional revision will then be published and subsequently voted on.
• Action Council may make such editorial changes in these bylaws as may not change their substance and meaning. Those changes shall take effect upon such action and shall be reported in the next publication of the SRRT Bylaws and announced in the next SRRT Newsletter.