ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. CLASSIFICATION OF MEMBERSHIP

There shall be four (4) classes of membership:

(a) ACTIVE MEMBERS

Any person interested in law librarianship and either [1] currently, or within the last seven (7) years, employed by a law library or by a separately maintained law section within a general library; or [2] providing professional librarian services to law libraries may become an active member of this association upon the payment of dues. Such membership cannot not be transferred or assigned. One (1) person is allowed only one (1) vote.

(b) ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

Any person other than those persons falling within the definition of “active members” may become an associate member upon payment of dues. Such membership cannot be transferred or assigned.

(c) LIFE MEMBERS

The Association may, at any annual meeting by a two-thirds vote of those present, elect to life membership those who have retired from active library work.

(d) STUDENT/UNEMPLOYED MEMBERS

Any person enrolled in a Graduate School of Library Science may be a student member upon payment of dues. Membership dues may be waived for any librarian who is unemployed. Membership cannot be transferred or assigned.

Section 2. DUES, RIGHTS, AND PRIVILEGES

(a) Dues for each class of membership shall be determined by the Board of Directors subject to approval by two-thirds (2/3) of the members present and voting at any annual meeting of the Association, provided that a written notice and explanation of proposed dues change shall have been mailed to the members at least ten (10) days in advance of the meeting.

(b) The annual dues of active and associate members shall be thirty dollars ($30.00) payable in January of each year. The annual dues of student members shall be fifteen dollars ($15.00) payable in January of each year. Life members shall be exempt from payment of dues.

Five dollars ($5.00) of each dues payment shall be allocated to the ALLUNY Grants committee for the purpose of adding to the amount of and/or increasing the number of educational grants sponsored by ALLUNY.

Members failing to pay dues after receiving an email written reminder shall be dropped from membership on March 31st. Suspended members may be reinstated at any time upon payment of the full current year’s dues.

(c) The fiscal year of the Association shall begin on October 1st.

(d) The right to hold office shall be restricted to Life and Active Members. Voting is restricted to Life and Active members.

ARTICLE II. MEETINGS AND REPORTS

Section 1. ANNUAL MEETINGS

An annual meeting of the Association shall be held at such time and place as the Board of Directors or the President may determine.

Section 2. SPECIAL MEETINGS

Special meetings may be called by the President, the Board of Directors, or at the written request of ten percent (10%) of the active membership addressed to the Secretary, but the time and place of such meeting shall be determined by the Board of Directors, as proposed by the President.

Section 3. QUORUM

A quorum at any meeting of the Association shall consist of the members present.

Section 4. PROCEDURE

Robert’s Rules of Order, current edition, shall govern the conduct of meetings of the Association and the Directors.

Section 5. VOTING

Except where otherwise prescribed in the By-Laws, decisions shall be made by majority vote. Voting by proxy will be permitted.  Pursuant to Section 609 of the NPCL, a member’s authorization of another person or persons to act for the member as proxy may be made by transmitting or authorizing the transmission of an electronic transmission to the person who will be the holder of the proxy or to a proxy solicitation firm, proxy support service organization or like agent duly authorized by the person who will be the holder of the proxy to receive such transmission, provided that any such electronic transmission will either set forth or be submitted with information from which it can be reasonably determined that the electronic transmission was authorized by the member.  Unless otherwise specified by majority vote of the Board of Directors at a meeting occurring at least [60] days before a meeting of the members, all proxies submitted in connection with meetings of members shall be irrevocable.  Proxies shall count toward a quorum only for those items which are specified in advance on the agenda or in the proxies.

Section 6. REPORTS

The Board of Directors shall present at each annual meeting of the Membership a report, verified by the President and Treasurer or by a majority of the directors, showing in appropriate detail the following:

(a) The assets and liabilities, including the funds, of the Association as of the end of the twelve-month (12) fiscal period of the Association terminating not more than six (6) months prior to said meeting.

(b) The principal changes in assets and liabilities, including trust funds, during said fiscal period.

(c) The revenue or receipts of the Association both unrestricted and restricted to particular purposes, during said fiscal period.

(d) The expenses or disbursements of the Association, for both general and restricted purposes, during said fiscal period.

(e) The number of members of the Association as of the report, together with a statement of increase decrease in such number during said fiscal period, and a statement of the place where the residence of the current Members may be found. Such report may be filed with the records of the Association and a copy or an abstract thereof shall be entered into the minutes of the annual meeting at which the report is presented.

ARTICLE III. OFFICERS, BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND COMMITTEES

Section 1. OFFICERS

The President must be a member of the American Association of Law Libraries. The American Association of Law Libraries dues for the President and Vice President/President Elect will be paid for by the Association if necessary.

Section 2. TERMS OF OFFICE

(a) PRESIDENT

The President shall hold office for one (1) year. The Vice-President/President-Elect shall automatically become President after the first (1st) year.

(b) VICE-PRESIDENT/PRESIDENT-ELECT

The Vice President/President-Elect shall assume office at the close of the annual meeting immediately following his/her election and shall serve a term of one (1) year.

(c) THE SECRETARY AND TREASURER

The Secretary and Treasurer shall serve two (2) year terms and shall assume office at the close of the annual meeting immediately following their election and shall serve until their successors are elected.

(d) THE DIRECTORS

The Directors shall hold office for two (2) year terms and shall assume office at the close of the annual meeting immediately following their election.

(e) BOARD OF DIRECTORS

The Board of Directors shall consist of the current officers, the last retired President, the Newsletter Editor, and three (3) other members elected on staggered terms with two one year and one the next. To the extent practicable, the three elected members should each represent one of the following classes of ALLUNY membership: (i) academic law librarians, (ii) court or state law librarians, and (iii) firm or independent law librarians. The Board of Directors shall meet prior to the annual business meeting and at other Board meetings as called by the President.

(f) VACANCIES

In the event that the office of the President becomes vacant, the Vice President/President-Elect shall automatically succeed to that position. If the Vice President/President-Elect is unable to do so, the position will be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors. All other offices which become vacant shall be filled by appointment by the Board of Directors.

Section 3. DUTIES

The duties of the Officers and Directors of the Association outlined in this section are described in more detail in the ALLUNY Operating Manual. These duties, within the limitations imposed by this section, may be reallocated or changed, temporarily or permanently, by amendments to the text of the Manual. Such amendments may be adopted by majority vote at meetings of the Board of Directors.

(a) The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board of Directors and the Secretary shall act as Secretary of the Directors.

(b) The duties of the Board shall be those ordinarily assigned to such offices in similar associations in addition to the duties assigned to them by this Association.

(c) The President is authorized to call upon or obligate the Treasury for not more than fifty dollars ($50.00) in any one (1) year, for any purpose not here enumerated, without the previous consent of a majority of the Board of Directors.

(d) The Treasurer shall submit a detailed annual report for the publication to the Board of Directors prior to the annual meeting. The Treasurer shall submit a budget to the Board of Directors at the Spring/Summer Board meeting.

(e) The Secretary’s minutes of the annual meeting shall be submitted for publication in the next scheduled issue of the ALLUNY Newsletter.

(f) Meetings of the Board of Directors shall be called and the time and place for them set at the direction of the President. Members of the Board of Directors may conduct Chapter Business via e-mail. Such actions need a majority vote of the Board of Directors and should be reported to the Membership in the next issue of the Newsletter.

(g) The Board of Directors may conduct business and vote by any means authorized by New York statute.

(h) An audit of the Association books shall be performed by two (2) members to be appointed by the President and the Board midway through the Treasurer’s elected term. This audit and the audit for the annual report from the Treasurer shall be submitted to the Board of Directors at the Spring/Summer meeting.

Section 4. COMMITTEES

The duties, members, and procedures of committees shall be specified in the ALLUNY Operating Manual.

ARTICLE IV. NOMINATIONS

Section 1.

Not later than two (2) months after taking office, the incoming President shall appoint a nominating committee of three (3) members, no one of whom shall be a candidate for office or the Board of Directors at the succeeding election. This committee shall nominate candidates for the offices of Vice-President/President-Elect, Secretary if that officer’s term is ending, Treasurer if that officer’s term is ending, and any Director(s) whose term is ending.

Section 2.

The duties, members, and procedures of the Nominating Committee shall be further specified in the ALLUNY Operating Manual.

ARTICLE V. DISCRIMINATION

Neither membership, nor full participation in the activities in this Association, shall be denied to any person on account of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identification.

ARTICLE VI. ASSOCIATION AND AALL

Section 1.

As a chapter of the American Association of Law Libraries, this Association is subject to the Constitution and By-Laws of the American Association of Law Libraries relating to chapters.

Section 2.

Amendments to these By-Laws shall be submitted to the American Association of Law Libraries Committee on Constitution and Bylaws by the Secretary upon adoption by the membership of the Association.

ARTICLE VII. STANDING RULES

Standing Rules of this Association may be amended in any dollar amount by a majority of the Board of Directors.

Section 1.

This Association will provide a sum for the incumbent President to attend professional law library meetings as per the ALLUNY Operating Manual.

Section 2.

American Association of Law Libraries or Chapter memorials, if any, shall be of the value of not more than fifty dollars ($50.00) and be given to the Scholarship Fund of the American Association of Law Libraries or any other established Memorial Fund. Memorials will be limited to the memory of Librarians, or members of ALLUNY, and be made by the President on the recommendation of a member of ALLUNY, and approved by the Board of Directors.

Section 3.

The following grants and awards are available to qualifying members as defined by the criteria of each grant and award:

(a) Ernest H. Breuer Memorial Grant
(b) Anthony P. Grech Memorial Award
(c) AALL Annual Meeting Grant
(d) Miscellaneous Program Grant
(e) Library Studies Student Grant
(f) Katie M. Deveau Volunteer Spirit Award

The criteria and procedure for awarding these grants and awards shall be adopted by the membership of the Association and published in the ALLUNY Operating Manual.