Accepted 4/19/2021

Article I. Name

• Section 1. The name of this organization is the Network of Idaho Academic Libraries.

Article II. Mission

• Section 1. The mission of the Network of Idaho Academic Libraries (NIAL) is to leverage the spirit of cooperation inherent in Idaho’s academic library community with the goal of strengthening the library services and resources offered by Idaho’s institutions of higher education. Formalizing collaboration among the academic librarians of Idaho allows for increased exchange of ideas, experiences, and knowledge among these academic professionals to promote projects and initiatives of mutual interest.

Article III. Membership

• Section 1. Membership is open to any academic library associated with an institution of post-secondary education physically located in the state of Idaho. Membership is conferred upon all libraries within a member institution, and each institution is represented by one seat on the Board.
• Section 2. Potential members are required to notify the Chair of the Board in writing of their intention to join. A majority vote of the Board at a regular Board meeting is required to grant membership to an institution.
• Section 3. Members are required to have regular representation at meetings of the Board. There are no membership fees.
• Section 4. Membership may be revoked by a two-thirds or more majority vote of the Board. Membership may be revoked due to consistent lack of participation in NIAL, closure of an institution, or any other reason deemed justifiable by the Board.

Article IV. Board of Directors

• Section 1. The Board of Directors consists of the dean or director of each member library. The State Librarian serves as an ex-officio member of the Board without voting rights.
• Section 2. The officer positions of the Board of Directors consist of a Chair and a Secretary. The same individual may not serve in both positions at the same time.
• Section 3. Both the Chair and Secretary of the Board of Directors are elected by a vote of the Board during the spring meeting of the Board. Both positions serve a one-year term which begins on July 1 of the year of the election and ends on June 30 of the following calendar year.
• Section 4. The duties of the Chair include scheduling meetings of the Board, calling for agenda items and creating an agenda before meetings, and overseeing the agenda during the meeting. The Chair announces a call for self-nominations for board positions and oversees the vote during the spring. The Chair votes and has the same voting rights as other members of the Board.
• Section 5. The duties of the Secretary include ensuring that notes are taken during the meeting and distributed afterward, and ensuring that records are retained from year to year in an electronic format that is immediately accessible to other Board members via the Internet. The Secretary votes and has the same voting rights as other members of the Board.
• Section 6. There is no limit on the number of times an individual may serve as Chair or as Secretary. However, no individual may serve more than two consecutive terms as Chair. There is no limit to the number of consecutive terms for a Secretary.

Article V. Meetings

• Section 1. Regular meetings of the Board are held on a triennial basis loosely corresponding to the academic year. These three periods are defined as spring (January through April), summer (May through August), and fall (September through December). Special meetings may be called by any member of the Board.
• Section 2. Regular meetings are to be scheduled at least four weeks in advance with an accompanying call for agenda items. Special meetings must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance.
• Section 3. The Chair of the Board is responsible for both scheduling regular meetings and securing virtual access for all members. Meetings may be held in a physical location provided that virtual attendance is available for remote participation.
• Section 4. Meetings of the Board are conducted using the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, though relaxed rules of procedure are strongly encouraged and are considered the default. The Chair has discretion to require a formal implementation at any time during a meeting.
• Section 5. A quorum of the Board is defined as at least seventy percent of Board members. A quorum is required for Board votes to be binding.
• Section 6. Board members may send a designee to attend on their behalf when circumstances necessitate a designee, but this should be done sparingly and only when deemed necessary.
• Section 7. Board meetings are open to any employee of a NIAL member library or the Idaho Commission for Libraries, as well as to the general public. If the Board meeting is being held physically, priority seating in the location is given to Board members

Article VI. Initiatives

• Section 1. Initiatives of the Network of Idaho Academic Libraries are defined as services, resources, or other projects that (a) enhance library services to residents and/or students in the state of Idaho, (b) have a statewide impact, (c) originate with one or more members of the Network of Idaho Academic Libraries, (d) have two or more Network of Idaho Academic Libraries members as active participants, and (e) have been recognized by the Board as an official initiative of the Network of Idaho Academic Libraries.
• Section 2. A majority vote of the Board is required to recognize an initiative of the Network of Idaho Academic Libraries.
• Section 3. Initiatives may be officially discontinued as an initiative of the Network of Idaho Academic Libraries with a majority vote of the Board. Reasons for discontinuance include ceased activity on an initiative or an initiative no longer meeting the criteria set forth in Article VI. Section 1.
• Section 4. All current and past initiatives of the Network of Idaho Academic Libraries must be listed on the Network of Idaho Academic Libraries website.

Article VII. Committees and Working Groups

• Section 1. Committees and working groups may be both formed and disbanded by the Board with a simple majority vote.
• Section 2. Committees are ongoing groups formed to sustain the work of the Network of Idaho Academic Libraries and associated initiatives. Working groups are formed for a set period of time to perform a specific task on behalf of the Board.
• Section 3. All committees and working groups must provide the Board with regular updates on their work.
• Section 4. Both committees and working groups may include members of the Board and/or employees of institutions who are members of the Network of Idaho Academic Libraries and/or the Idaho Commission for Libraries.

Article VIII. Amending Bylaws

• Section 1. Recommendation for changes to these Bylaws may originate with the Board. All changes must be approved through a two-thirds or more majority vote of the Board.
• Section 2. The Board may make editorial changes to the Bylaws which do not change their substance or meaning.

Article IX. No Partnership or Joint Venture

• Section 1. Nothing contained herein is intended to or shall form a joint venture or partnership among the member institutions. Nothing contained herein shall form an employment or agency relationship among NIAL, or the member institutions and any individual.