Approved by the CARL Board of Directors on May 18, 1998,
and by Vote of the CARL Membership on September 30, 1998.

Amended by Vote of the CARL Membership on April 22, 2003.

Amended by the CARL Board of Directors on September 20, 2004,
and by Vote of the CARL Membership on December 3, 2004.

Amended by the CARL Board of Directors on September 10, 2007,
and by Vote of the CARL Membership on November 9, 2007.

Amended by the CARL Board of Directors on December 9, 2016
and by Vote of the CARL Membership on February 1, 2017.

Amended by the CARL Board of Directors on February 22, 2019
and by Vote of the CARL Membership on July 26, 2019.

Amended by the CARL Board of Directors on December 3, 2021
and by Vote of the CARL Membership on February 9, 2022.

Amended by the CARL Board of Directors on September 16, 2022
and by Vote of the CARL Membership on November 8, 2022.

Amended by the CARL Board of Directors on September 29, 2023
and by Vote of the CARL Membership on December 1, 2023.

Article I: Name

The name of this organization shall be the California Academic and Research Libraries Association (CARL), hereafter referred to as the Association.

Article II: Purpose

CARL is a forum for and an advocate of academic and research librarians and library personnel, and all other information professionals that serve academic and research institutions. The purpose of this organization shall be to: 1) provide opportunities for the professional growth of its members by conducting workshops and arranging programs; 2) encourage the exchange of ideas and information relating to library cooperation and development; 3) disseminate educational information oriented to those working in academic and research libraries and environments; and 4) support and, when appropriate, participate in programs of other regional and local organizations in California and the region in order to promote and improve library and information services to the academic and research community.

Article III: Affiliation

CARL is a chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). It shall be subject to Article XIV (Chapters, Sections, Discussion Groups, & Committees) of the ACRL bylaws, which to the extent that they are applicable, take precedence over the bylaws of this organization.

Article IV: Membership and Dues

Section 1. Members. Any person interested in academic or research librarianship or in academic or research libraries in California or the surrounding region may become a member upon payment of CARL's annual dues and agreement with the organization's Code of Conduct. Institutions shall not be eligible for membership.

Section 2. Rights. Every member of CARL has the right to vote, to hold any office within the Association, to serve on any committee within the Association, to be a member of any CARL interest group or sub-unit, and to receive those publications given as perquisites of membership in CARL.

Section 3. Dues. The amount of membership dues shall be determined by the CARL Board of Directors with the approval of the membership. Approval requires that a majority of those members voting, vote in favor of the amount of dues proposed.

Section 4. Termination of Membership. Membership in the Association, and/or specific membership rights, may be suspended or terminated if a member does not pay the required membership dues, in full, by the due date established by the board, or according to policies adopted by the board. Membership may also be terminated or suspended as a result of violations of the Code of Conduct.

Article V: Membership, Appointive, and Elective Year

The membership, appointive and elective year shall be the calendar year.

Article VI: Elected Officers

Section 1. Elected Officers. The elected officers of the Association shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Membership Director, and four (4) Directors-at-Large. The President, Vice-President and Director-at-Large appointed ACRL Liaison shall be members of ACRL; all elected officers shall be members of CARL.

Section 2. Terms of office. Elected officers are elected by the membership of the Association. A Vice-President shall be elected annually to serve a one (1) year term as Vice-President/President-Elect, a one (1) year term as President, and a one (1) year term as Past-President Ex-officio. The Secretary shall be elected to serve a two (2) year term. The Treasurer and Membership Director shall be elected in alternate years, and each will serve a two (2) year term. The Directors-at-Large shall be elected in alternate years (two [2] per year) and shall each serve a two (2) year term.

Section 3. Responsibility and authority. The elected officers shall perform the duties pertaining to their respective offices stipulated in the Standing Rules and other such duties as defined by the Board of Directors.

1. President. The President shall call meetings and serve as chairman of the Board of Directors, coordinate the statewide activities of CARL, and perform duties necessarily incident to the office of President or as may be prescribed by the Board of Directors. The President shall make appointments to fill positions that become vacant within the organization on behalf of and with the approval of the Board of Directors. The President shall also make appointments to standing and ad hoc committees, develop and maintain master calendars, and submit annual reports to ACRL as requested. The President shall represent CARL within the library and higher education communities, and other appropriate forums, to advance the mission, goals and objectives of the Association.
2. Past President. The Past President shall attend Board meetings and perform duties as defined by the President and the Board of Directors.
3. Vice-President. The Vice-President shall succeed to the office of President after one year of service as Vice-President. The Vice-President shall also perform such duties as are delegated or assigned by the President or the Board of Directors and act for the President in their absence at the discretion of the Board. The Vice-President shall make all appointments to fill vacancies within the organization that are due to occur during the year of their presidency, prepare annual budget requests for the Association as needed, and perform other duties as required.
4. Secretary. The Secretary shall take minutes at all meetings of the Board of Directors and at such other business meetings of the Association as may be required, shall distribute the minutes in a timely fashion, and manage the records of the Association as stipulated in the Standing Rules. The Secretary shall also be responsible for providing the Website Coordinator a list of the names of all members elected or appointed to offices or committees of the Association, and for ensuring that all current or updated organizational policies and procedures, including statements of responsibility, required tasks, schedules, and deadlines, are reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors and documented as appropriate.
5. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate accounting of all CARL funds, prepare and submit financial reports on a quarterly basis, disburse funds for approved activities, and perform other duties as required or as assigned by the President or Board of Directors.
6. Membership Director. The Membership Director shall maintain a database of CARL members. The Membership Director shall also coordinate statewide membership activities, chair the Membership Committee, and perform other duties as required or as assigned by the President or Board of Directors.
7. Directors-at-Large. There shall be four (4) Directors-at-Large who are responsible for representing various constituencies of the membership and other such duties as may be defined by the Board and stipulated in the Standing Rules. Once elected, directors-at-large may not serve as an elected officer of any CARL interest group for the duration of their two (2) year term.

Article VII: Appointed Officers

Section 1. Appointed Officers. Appointed officers of the Association shall include the Interest Group Coordinator, Newsletter Editor, Website Coordinator, Advocacy Liaison, Awards Liaison, ACRL Chapter Delegate, Equity & Inclusion Coordinator and others as designated by the Board of Directors.

Section 2. Appointment. The Interest Group Coordinator, Advocacy Liaison, Awards Liaison, and ACRL Chapter Delegate shall be appointed by the Board of Directors from among those directors-at-large elected to the Board by the membership at large. The appointed Interest Group Coordinator cannot serve as an Interest Group elected officer for the duration of their appointment. The Newsletter Editor, Website Coordinator, and any other appointed officers shall be appointed as needed on an ad hoc basis by the President with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors and serve as ex-officio, non-voting members of the Board of Directors.

Section 3. Terms of office. Terms of office for appointed officers shall be designated by the Board of Directors at the time of appointment, but shall not exceed three (3) years, unless otherwise specified by the Board. Appointed officers may be appointed to consecutive terms upon the recommendation and approval of the Board of Directors.

Section 4. Responsibility and authority. The appointed officers serve the Association at the will of the Board of Directors and shall perform the duties pertaining to their respective offices and other such duties as may be defined by the Board and stipulated in the Standing Rules.

Article VIII: Board of Directors

Section 1. Members. The Board of Directors shall consist of the elected and appointed officers of the Association, and four elected directors-at-large. All elected officers and directors-at-large shall serve as voting members of the Board; appointed officers from the membership and the Past-President shall serve as ex-officio, non-voting members.

Section 2. Responsibility and authority. The governing body of the Association shall be the Board of Directors. The Board shall direct the affairs of the Association, determine its policies or changes therein, actively encourage support for its goals, establish financial policies for the Association and be accountable for CARL assets, and be responsible for the interpretation of these bylaws. The Board may adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of its business as shall be deemed advisable, and may in the execution of the powers granted delegate certain of its authority and responsibility to such agents as it may consider necessary. The Board shall delegate the day-to-day operations of the Association to its elected and appointed officers.

Section 3. Quorum. At any meeting of the Board of Directors a simple majority of the voting members of the Board shall constitute a quorum.

Section 4. Meetings of the Board. A regular meeting of the Board of Directors shall be held no less than twice each year. Additional meetings of the Board may be called by the President or at the request of a majority of the voting members of the Board. Actions of the Board taken at any meeting shall be reported in writing by the Secretary no later than the next Board meeting.

Section 5. Absence. Any elected officer or director-at-large who shall have been absent from two (2) consecutive meetings of the Board of Directors shall automatically vacate their seat on the Board and the vacancy shall be filled as provided in these bylaws. However, the Board of Directors shall consider each absence of an elected officer or director as a separate circumstance and may waive such absence by affirmative vote of a majority of its members.

Section 6. Compensation. No elected officer or director-at-large shall receive any compensation for their service on the Board of Directors.

Section 7. Removal of Members of Board of Directors. Any member of the Board of Directors may be removed for cause at any time by the affirmative vote of a majority of the voting Board of Directors.

Article IX: Membership Meetings

Meetings of the CARL membership may be called by a majority of the voting members of the Board of Directors or by petition of at least twenty (20) CARL members. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the membership shall constitute a quorum of the Association for the transaction of all business conducted at any membership meeting.

Article X: Elections

Section 1. Right to vote. All members in good standing shall be eligible to vote.

Section 2. Elections. Elections to elective positions for the Association as a whole, and for interest groups, shall be by vote. The candidate receiving the largest number of votes shall be elected. In the case of a tie vote, the successful candidate shall be determined by lot.

Section 3. Interest Group Elections. To the extent possible, interest group elections shall coincide with and follow the same procedures as elections for the Association as a whole. When such is not possible or practical, regional and interest groups may establish, with the approval of the Board of Directors, separate elections for elective positions. In such cases, the election of officers shall be reported in writing to the Interest Group Coordinator within thirty (30) days.

Article XI: Committees

Section 1. Authorization. Committees of the Association as a whole shall be authorized by action of the Association or the Board of Directors, except as otherwise provided in these bylaws.

Section 2. Standing Committees. Standing Committees may be established to consider matters of the Association that require continuity of attention by the members. Except as specified otherwise by the Board, standing committee members shall be appointed by the President for a term of one year. Appointments shall be made in such a manner as to provide continuity in membership.

Section 3. Ad hoc committees. Ad hoc committees may be appointed by the President as needed.

Section 4. Committee Members. Members of standing and ad hoc committees must be CARL members in good standing.

Section 5. Discontinuance. A committee of the Association may be discontinued only by the Board of Directors.

Article XII: Interest Groups

Section 1. Establishment of interest groups. Interest groups may be formed by petition of twenty (20) or more CARL members in good standing to the Board of Directors. Interest groups determine their own organizational structure and procedures for leadership succession, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors, and shall regularly inform the Interest Group Coordinator of the names of all officers and committee members. Interest Groups shall also regularly communicate with the Interest Group Coordinator to coordinate program planning, insure adequate financial and logistical support, and report to the membership of the Association on their activities.

Section 2. Dissolution of interest groups. An interest group may be dissolved at its request by the Board of Directors and shall be so dissolved if it becomes inactive for an extended period of time, as determined by the Board, or fails to comply with the provisions of these bylaws.

Article XIII: Publications

The official publication of the Association shall be the CARL Newsletter. Proposals for other publications shall be reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors.

Article XIV: Vacancies

The President, with the advice and consent of the Board of Directors, shall appoint a replacement for any elective or appointive office that becomes vacant. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President or Vice President, the Board of Directors shall appoint a replacement. Such appointee shall serve in the office until the next annual election, at which time the membership shall elect a replacement to fill any remaining portion of the vacated office. Interim appointments must be made within thirty days (30) of the occurrence of any vacancy in an elected or appointed office.

Article XV: Electronic Votes

Section 1. Membership votes. Electronic votes of the membership of the Association may be authorized as needed by the Board of Directors, provided all members are canvassed simultaneously and votes are otherwise conducted as specified in the bylaws. If no time limit is explicitly set, no vote shall be counted unless received within thirty (30) days from the day the text of the matter voted upon was distributed to those entitled to vote.

Section 2. Board of Directors votes. Electronic votes of the Board of Directors may be taken provided they are authorized by the officers of the Association, all voting Board members are canvassed simultaneously and votes are conducted as specified in the bylaws and the Standing Rules. Actions taken by the Board by means of electronic votes shall be confirmed at the next regular meeting of the Board.

Section 3. Committees, regional groups, and interest groups. Electronic votes of duly constituted bodies of the Association may be taken provided such votes are authorized by the committee chair or interest group leader as appropriate. An affirmative vote of a majority of those voting shall be required to take action. Voting options, time limits and procedures shall be the same as specified in these bylaws and the Standing Rules.

Article XVI: Amendments

Section 1. Proposals. Amendments to the bylaws may be proposed by the Board of Directors, by any standing committee of the Association in writing to the Board of Directors, or by a petition signed by twenty (20) or more members in good standing.

Section 2. Board action. A proposed amendment to the bylaws shall be voted upon by the membership of the Association after it has been approved by a majority of the voting members of the Board of Directors.

Section 3. Notice. Written notice of the text of the amendment shall be provided to members at least thirty (30) days before consideration.

Section 4. Voting. Amendments shall be voted upon by the membership and shall be adopted by an affirmative vote of the majority of members who respond to an electronic vote or at any statewide Association meeting, as long as such action was announced at least thirty (30) days previously.

Article XVII: Parliamentary Authority

The parliamentary authority used by this Association shall be the same as that used by ACRL.

Article XIII: Dissolution

The property of this corporation is irrevocably dedicated to educational purposes meeting the requirements of section 214 of the California Revenue and Taxation Code and no part of the net income or assets of the organization shall ever inure to the benefit of any director, officer or member thereof or to the benefit of any private person. Upon dissolution of this corporation assets shall be distributed for one or more exempt purposes within the meaning of Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code or corresponding section of any future Federal Tax Code, or shall be distributed to the Federal government, or to a State or local government, for a public purpose. However, if the named recipient is not then in existence or no longer a qualified distributee, or unwilling or unable to accept the distribution, then the assets of this corporation shall be distributed to a fund, foundation, or corporation organized and operated exclusively for the purposes specified in Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code (or corresponding section of any future Federal Tax Code).