Youth Services Section | Our Bylaws

Article I  NAME

Section 1.  The name of this section of the New York Library Association shall be called the Youth Services Section (known as YSS).


Article II  OBJECTIVES

Section 1.  The objectives of this Section shall be to further the development of library services to youth in libraries in the State of New York as stated in the goals and objectives statement adopted by the Board.

Section 2.  Goals and objectives will be evaluated each year.


Article III  MEMBERSHIP

Section 1.  All members of the New York Library Association who are interested in the objective of the Youth Services Section may become voting members of the Section by designating the Section as one of their choices at the time Association dues are paid.


Article IV  OFFICERS

Section 1.  The officers of the Section shall be a President, a Vice-President/President-Elect, a Second Vice-President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.

Section 2.  Two Spring Conference Directors, to be members of the Executive Board, shall be elected by the membership for two year terms, one to be elected each year.  The 2nd Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall be elected by the membership for a 3 year term, one to be elected each year.

Section 3. One YSS Representative to NYLA Council will be elected by the membership for a 3-year term. To be considered for this position, candidates must had served as a YSS official in a prior year. 

Section 4.  The President, First Vice President/President – Elect, Second Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall perform the duties pertaining to their respective offices and such other duties as may be approved by the Board. If an officer of the Board does not fulfill the obligations of the office, they may be removed by a majority vote of the Board.

Section 5.  All officers and all elected members of the Board shall serve until adjournment of the business meeting at the Annual Conference or until November 1 if no annual conference is held that year.  All officers shall have their materials in good order to their successors at the annual conference.


Article V  THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1.  The Executive Board shall consist of the officers of the Section, the immediate Past President and two Spring Conference Directors. These persons shall constitute the voting members of the board. By invitation, Committee Chairpersons, the YSS newsletter editor, the YSS web liaison and the Youth Specialist Consultant from New York State Library Development shall attend meetings of the Executive Board as non-voting members.

Section 2.  The policies and programs of the Section shall be determined by the Board.  It shall have full authority to manage the affairs of the Section. Amendments to the bylaws shall be proposed by the board to the YSS membership for approval.

Section 3.  A vacancy in the elected membership of the Board shall be filled by Board appointment.

Section 4.  A minimum of 5 voting members of the board shall constitute a quorum.

Section 5.  Any action of the Board may be set aside by a 2/3 vote at any membership meeting of the Section.

Section 6.  

  • The Executive Board shall meet once at the time of the Annual Conference.  This meeting shall be a joint meeting between the incoming and outgoing Boards.  During the first portion of the meeting the outgoing Board will conclude its business and then officially disband at the end of the conference.  During the second portion of the meeting, the new Board will officially convene and begin its work.  The Board will meet at least three other times during the year.
  • Any member of the Board who fails to attend two consecutive meetings without excuse by the Board, shall be automatically removed from the Board and a replacement shall be appointed as provided elsewhere in this Article.
  • All meetings of the Board are open to members in good standing.  At the discretion of the Board, any member of YSS who attends the meeting may make comments or ask questions.
  • The Executive Board may also conduct business by electronic communications.  Actions must be verified and made part of the minutes of the next regular meeting of the Board.


Article VI  COMMITTEES

Section 1.  Standing committees whose functions are continuous from year to year may be established by the President with the approval of the Executive Board.  At least a third of their membership shall be appointed by the Vice President/President Elect each year for a term of three years, subject to Executive Board approval.  Special committees may be created and appointed by the President as necessary, subject to Executive Board approval.

Section 2.  Committee vacancies shall be filled by the Vice-President/President Elect, subject to Executive Board approval.

Section 3.  All committee chairpersons shall report annually to the Executive Board, such reports to be presented in writing within one month following the annual meeting or, if no annual meeting is held, by October 1.


Article VII  NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Section 1.  The Nominating Committee shall consist of Past President and all the board members completing their terms in a given year. They shall nominate two candidates for each of the offices to be selected from the general membership of the Section.  In case only one qualified person is willing to run for any office, he/she may run unopposed.  Candidates for the office of Secretary shall be nominated in even numbered years.  Candidates for the offices of Second Vice-President and Treasurer shall be nominated in odd-numbered years.  The Chair of the Nominating Committee shall be the Past President..

Section 2.  The Nominating  Committee shall present a slate of candidates to the Board at its January meeting (or the first meeting of the year).  Should candidates later refuse or withdraw their candidacy and all Board-approved alternatives have been exhausted, leaving an incomplete slate, the section President, First Vice-President, and Second Vice-President together may approve additional candidates as recommended by the Nominating Committee. Nominees must be members of the Section in good standing and have received the by-laws of the Section prior to signifying their acceptance of the nomination.  The nomination is complete when the Secretary receives the nominee’s formal acceptance letter.

Section 3.  The Nominating Committee shall present the slate of candidates to the Section membership in writing via the spring issue of the Section newsletter and the Section’s website.

Section 4.  After an appropriate and publicized date following the presentation of the slate to the membership, any additional nominations, if signed by 2% of the Section membership and filed with the Nominating Committee by the designated date, constitute the official ballot.  The ballot shall be issued by the most efficient and comprehensive means to all members of the Section.

Section 5.  Members must return ballots to the Secretary of the Section by a reasonable and proper date as set by the Board at its winter meeting.  The Secretary will notify all candidates of the results and will report election results to the New York Library Association office.

Section 6.  In the event of a tie, the Executive Board will vote to break the tie.


Article VIII  MEETINGS

Section 1.  There shall be an annual meeting of the Section at the Annual Conference of the Association.

Section 2.  Special meetings of the Section may be called by the Board, or they may be convened by 10% of the voting members who may, in writing, demand the call of a special meeting specifying the date and month thereof, which shall be not less than two nor more than three months from the date of such written demand.  The purpose of the meeting shall be stated in the call and no other business shall be transacted.

Section 3.  Five percent of the total Section members shall constitute a quorum.


Article IX  DUES

Section 1.  The funds allotted to the Section in accordance with the policy adopted by the New York Library Association shall constitute the dues for the Section.


Article X  PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1.  The latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order  shall be the parliamentary authority on all matters not covered by the by-laws of the Section and of the Association.


Article XI  AMENDMENTS

Section 1.  These by-laws may be amended, after approval by a majority of the members of the Executive Board, by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at the annual business meeting or, in the absence of an annual meeting, by a two-thirds vote of those members, provided that notice of the amendment be published in the official paper of record of the Section at least three weeks before the dates set for the final action.

Revised 1978, 1983, 8/18/88
Reviewed 1990
Revised 11/22/91
Revised 10/20/94
Revised  November 2000
Revised 10/18/2007
Revised 4/14/2016
Revised 11/14/2019
Revised 10/28/2021