Bylaws
ARTICLE I
The name of this organization shall be the Cornell University Library Academic Assembly.
ARTICLE II
The object and general purpose of this Assembly shall be officially recognized to be twofold.
Section 1. This Assembly shall play a key role in determining the policies and standards by which the Cornell University Library will be administered. It is acknowledged that other groups in the Library and in the University community will share in the determination of those library policies which affect the general interests of Cornell University and its educational program.
Section 2. This assembly shall operate like other academic units with respect to decisions relating to appointments, promotions, tenure, conditions of service and related matters of internal governance.
ARTICLE III
Section 1. The membership in this organization shall comprise all academic staff of the Cornell University Library. In its October, 1975 legislation, designating the library as an academic division of the University, the Cornell University Board of Trustees defined the academic staff of the library as the following: "The academic staff of the University Libraries under the Director of Libraries1 shall consist of the Associate Director,1 and such assistant directors,1 librarians, associate librarians, senior assistant librarians, assistant librarians, archivists, associate archivists, senior assistant archivists, and assistant archivists as may be designated by the president from time to time. Appointments thereto, made by the president, shall be upon recommendation of the Director of Libraries1." (Amended May 10, 1977)
Section 2. Attendance at Assembly meetings shall be open to any staff member of the Cornell University Library when the meeting's agenda is relevant to his or her job. (Amended May 10, 1977)
Section 3. Thirty-Three percent of the membership shall constitute a quorum for any meeting of the Assembly.2
ARTICLE IV
Section 1. The Officers of the Assembly shall comprise a Chair and a Secretary.
Section 2. The Chair shall be the University Librarian.1 It shall be the duty of the Chair to preside at convocations of the Assembly. In the absence of the University Librarian,1 the Acting University Librarian1 shall preside at the convocations of the Assembly.
Section 3. The Secretary shall be elected annually and shall serve from July 1 to June 30. During the year following his or her term as Secretary, that person shall assume the duties of a regular member of the Steering Committee. The Secretary shall not serve successive terms. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to record the minutes of the Assembly, prepare them for distribution to the members, and provide a complete set to the University Archivist at the end of each fiscal year, and to perform such other duties as designated by the Assembly or its Steering Committee. (Amended November 14, 1978; June 7, 1994)
ARTICLE V
Section 1. The Steering Committee shall consist of three regular members, the immediate past secretary, and the Secretary. Regular members shall be elected for staggered two year terms which shall begin July 1. The nominees shall be representative of both statutory and endowed libraries. In the event of a vacancy between elections, the Steering Committee shall appoint a member of the Academic Assembly to fill out the vacant term. Whenever possible this appointment shall be made from among the runners-up of the previous election. (Amended July 13, 1976; November 14, 1978; October 16, 1990)
Section 2. The duties of the Steering Committee shall include:
(i) To assist and advise the Chair in the preparation of the Assembly's agenda and the scheduling of regular and special meetings of the Assembly. (Renumbered November 14, 1978)
(ii) To act as a Committee of Committees, which will appoint members to such Standing and Ad Hoc Committees as may be directed by the Assembly. (Amended February 14, 1978; Renumbered November 14, 1978)
ARTICLE VI
Section 1. Standing Committees are appointed by the Steering Committee. Members appointed to Standing Committees shall serve for two year terms. Terms will be staggered.3 (Added February 14, 1978)
Section 2. The duties of Standing Committees shall be those that are directed by the Assembly. (Added February 14, 1978)
Section 3. Each Standing Committee shall keep records of its proceedings, and transfer them to the University Archivist to be maintained in the Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections. Each Standing Committee shall also prepare an annual report of its activities at the end of each fiscal year, and submit it to the Secretary of the Assembly, who will maintain the annual reports with the records of the Assembly. (Added February 14, 1978; Amended June 7, 1994)
ARTICLE VII
Section 1. Regular meetings of the Assembly shall be held monthly between September and June and once at mid-summer. (Renumbered February 14, 1978 [by implication])
Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the Chair or at the will of the group. (Renumbered February 14, 1978 [by implication])
ARTICLE VIII
The rules contained in the current edition of Roberts' Rules of Order Newly
Revised shall govern the Assembly in all cases to which they are applicable
and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules
of order the Assembly may adopt.
(Renumbered February 14, 1978)
ARTICLE IX
These bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the Assembly by a two-thirds vote of members present and voting, providing notice of such amendment has been given in writing to all members at least ten days prior to the meeting at which the proposed amendment is to be considered for adoption. (Renumbered February 14, 1978)
History
The bylaws of the Academic Assembly were adopted at a Special Meeting of the Cornell University Libraries Academic Assembly on July 13, 1972. One section of the proposed draft was amended on the floor before passage. Additional amendments to the bylaws were made on July 13, 1976, May 10, 1977, February 14, 1978, and November 14, 1978. All known amendments have been incorporated into this 1979 version of the bylaws of the Assembly.
The bylaws of the Academic Assembly, as set out herein, were reaffirmed by the Assembly on June 12, 1979, and updated in January of 1990.
Notes
1By action of the Board of Trustees, effective April 1, 1979, the titles of the positions of Director of Libraries, Associate Director, Assistant Director and Acting Director were changed to University Librarian, Associate University Librarian, Assistant University Librarian, and Acting University Librarian, respectively.
2On October 9, 1984 the Assembly passed the following resolution:
Thirty-three percent of the membership shall constitute a quorum for any meeting of the Assembly.
3On September 12, 1978 the Assembly passed the following resolution:
Members of all standing committees of the Academic Assembly shall serve staggered two year terms which shall begin on July 1 and end on June 30. This schedule shall become effective on July 1, 1979.
Prepared by Robert L. Oakley, Esq.
Associate Law Librarian
April 3, 1979
Updated by Gail H. Fruchtman, Esq.
Public Services Librarian, Law Library
January, 1990
Updated by Anthony Cosgrave
Reference & Computer Services Librarian
Olin•Kroch•Uris Library
August 17, 1994
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