Article I. Name
The name of this organization shall be the Sharing and Transforming Access to Resources Section (STARS) of the Reference and User Services Association of the American Library Association.
Article II. Objectives
Section 1. Purpose.
STARS addresses the interests of librarians and library staff involved with interlibrary loan, document delivery, remote circulation, access services, cooperative reference, cooperative collection development, remote storage, and other shared library services as well as providers of products and services which support resource sharing.
Section 2. Responsibilities.
The responsibilities of the section are to:
a) Provide education and training opportunities which develop the professional skills and knowledge of librarians and library staff engaged in resource sharing;
b) Facilitate communication and foster collaboration among such librarians and library staff;
c) Encourage, plan, and develop programs of study and research in the field;
d) Monitor developments in resource sharing methods, services, and products, identify issues of common concern, and recommend solutions which enhance services for all users;
e) Monitor licensing and copyright concerns as they affect all aspects of resource sharing;
f) Maintain liaisons and collaborate with all ALA units that have a bearing on resource sharing concerns;
g) Provide a discussion forum for, and foster collaboration between librarians, library staff, and providers of products and services which support resource sharing;
h) Develop and promote programs, guidelines, and best practices to meet the needs of resource sharing practitioners;
i) Maintain liaisons with, provide a discussion forum for, and foster collaboration between librarians, library staff, and vendors which support resource sharing activities;
j) Serve as an advisory body to the RUSA Board on issues affecting resource sharing.
Article III. Membership
Members of this Section shall be those members of the Reference and User Services Association of the American Library Association who choose to join STARS according to American Library Association Bylaws.
Article IV. Officers and Duties
Section 1. Officers.
The officers of the Section shall be a Chair, a Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, and a Secretary.
Section 2. Terms of Office.
The term of office for Chair shall be one year. The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall serve one year as Vice-Chair and shall succeed the Chair at the end of that year. The term of office for Secretary shall be two years. All officers shall serve until the adjournment of the annual conference at which their successors are announced.
Section 3. Duties.
The duties of the officers shall be those customarily performed by such officers as specified in Sturgis’ Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure unless otherwise specified by vote of the Section.
Section 4. Vacancies of Office.
a) Chair. A vacancy in the office of Chair shall be filled by the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, who will then complete the unexpired terms for both offices.
b) Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect. In the case of a vacancy in the office of Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, the Executive Committee (defined in Article V) shall appoint a STARS member to serve until the next regular election.
c) Chair and Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect. In the case of simultaneous vacancies in the offices of both Chair and Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, the Executive Committee shall appoint a STARS member to act as Chair until a new Chair is duly elected. The Vice-Chair office shall remain vacant until the next election. At the next election two candidates shall be elected, one to become Chair and the other to become Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, both of whom shall serve immediately upon election until the conclusion of the Annual Conference of the following year.
d) Secretary. In the case of a vacancy in the office of Secretary, the Executive Committee shall appoint a STARS member to serve until the next regular election.
Article V. Executive Committee
Section 1. Composition.
The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers, the Immediate Past Chair, and three Members-at-Large elected by and from the Section for three-year terms. The section Webmaster, the editor of the Section’s column in the Division’s newsletter, and the President and Executive Director of the Reference and User Services Association shall be ex-officio, non-voting members of the Executive Committee.
Section 2. Duties.
The Executive Committee shall act for and by the authority of the Section during the period between meetings, take action if necessary in the interest of the section, and shall perform such other duties as needed for the section. It shall report on its work at the meetings of the Section and publish a summary of Executive Committee actions in the Section’s column in the Division newsletter.
Section 3. Members-at-Large.
a) Terms. Members-at-Large shall be elected by and from the Section for three-year terms, which terms shall overlap so as to ensure continuity of policy.
b) Duties. Members-at-Large represent the interests of the entire STARS membership, and participate in Executive Committee work contributing to its deliberations and discussions.
Section 4. Terms and Duties of Appointed Positions.
a) Appointments and Terms. The Webmaster and Column Editor shall be appointed by the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect for a term of two years, commencing immediately following the Annual Conference at which their appointment is announced, and concluding at the end of the Annual Conference two years thereafter. Both positions may be reappointed for a second term.
b) Webmaster. The duties of the Webmaster shall be to maintain the STARS website and all electronic records concerning the section and its activities.
c) Column Editor. The duties of the editor are to solicit, gather, write, and edit copy for the Section’s column in the Division newsletter.
d) Liaisons. Liaisons with other associations and agencies shall be appointed and/or recognized by the Executive Committee as it deems appropriate. These liaisons may freely communicate, participate, and disseminate and convey information with any STARS committee.
Section 5. Meetings.
The Executive Committee shall host a virtual meeting during or within seven days of the beginning/ending of both the Annual Conference and the Midwinter Meeting of the American Library Association. If a meeting space for the Executive Committee is made available for the Annual Conference and/or the Midwinter Meeting, an in-person meeting will be held in place of a virtual meeting.
Section 6. Quorum.
A majority of voting members shall constitute a quorum of the Executive Committee.
Section 7. Vacancies of Office.
In the case of a vacancy in the Executive Committee not provided for in Article IV, Section 4, the Executive Committee shall appoint a member of the Section to fill the vacancy until the next regular election.
Article VI. Nominations and Elections
Section 1. Nominating Committee.
The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall appoint a Nominating Committee of three members to present a slate of candidates for election as officers of the Section and Members-at-Large of the Executive Committee. No member of the Executive Committee may serve on the Nominating Committee.
Article VII. Committees
Section 1. Authorization and Discontinuance.
The Executive Committee or the membership of the Section may create or dissolve any standing, special, or ad hoc committee, as defined by the American Library Association Handbook. Standing committees shall exist until dissolved by action of the Section or the Executive Committee. Special and ad hoc committees shall continue to exist until their purpose is accomplished or the committee is dissolved by the Section or the Executive Committee.
Section 2. Duties.
The duties and name of a committee shall be determined at the time of its creation, subject to change as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee.
Section 3. Appointments.
a) Members. The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall appoint those members of committees whose terms are to begin at the same time they assume the role of Chair. The Chair shall appoint members of committees formed during their term in office and shall make appointments to fill vacancies which may occur during their term of office. Each committee appointee shall be a member of the Section at the time of appointment or be appointed provisionally, contingent upon becoming a member at the next opportunity.
b) Chair. The chairs of committees shall be appointed in the same manner as committee members. No one shall serve concurrently as chair of a committee and member of the Executive Committee or as chair of more than one Section committee, except by approval of the Executive Committee.
Section 4. Terms of Appointment.
a) Members. Members of standing committees shall be appointed for a term of two years, and may be re-appointed for one additional term. Members of special and ad hoc committees shall be appointed for a term of two years or less depending upon the Committee's charge and may be re-appointed for one additional term. Appointments shall be made in such a manner as to provide continuity in membership.
b) Chair. Chairs of committees shall be appointed by the section Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect for a term of one year and may be re-appointed for two additional terms.
Article VIII. Discussion Groups
Section 1. Establishment.
Any group of 25 or more Section members interested in discussing issues which fall within the purposes of the Section may form a discussion group upon written petition to the Executive Committee of the Section and the Organization Committee of the Division and upon approval by the Board of Directors of the Division. The petition shall indicate the purpose of the group. Petition signatures must be gathered during one meeting of the Section (either Annual Conference or Midwinter Meeting).
Section 2. Membership.
There are no requirements for membership of a discussion group. Meetings are open to all interested members of the Section.
Section 3. Officers.
Officers shall consist of a Chair and a Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect appointed by the section’s Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect. Discussion Group members are encouraged to make recommendations for appointments. The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall take office at the conclusion of the Annual Conference and shall succeed the Chair in a year's time. The Chair shall keep an attendance roster for all meetings of the group, be responsible for communication with them, preside at meetings of the group during the next year, and make a report to the Executive Committee of the Section after each meeting.
Section 4. Activities.
A discussion group may meet to discuss relevant issues, establish a means of communication among its members, recommend action to the Executive Committee of the Section, incur no expenses except as authorized, and make no declaration of policy.
Section 5. Discontinuance.
Discussion groups may be dissolved at the request of the group or at the discretion of the Executive Committee.
Article IX. Parliamentary Authority
The rules in the latest edition of Sturgis’ Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure shall govern the Section in all cases to which they are applicable, provided they are not inconsistent with the Bylaws of this Section, the Reference and User Services Association, or the American Library Association.
Article X. Amendments
Section 1. Proposals.
Amendments to the Bylaws shall be proposed by the Executive Committee or by written petition of not less than ten members of the Section.
Section 2. Notice.
The complete text of any proposed amendment shall accompany a ballot in accordance with ALA voting procedures. In cases where a vote is to be taken at a scheduled meeting of the Section, the text of any proposed amendment shall be distributed to the membership of the Section not less than 30 days before the meeting at which it is to be acted upon.
Section 3. Voting.
A vote to amend the bylaws shall customarily be taken in accordance with ALA election procedures. Amendments may also be presented for a vote at a scheduled meeting of the Section with notification as in Section 2 above. In such a case, voting shall be by voice, ballot or show of hands, as determined by the Chair. Bylaws amendments shall be passed by a two-thirds majority of those members voting.
Section 4. Effective.
Unless otherwise specified, amendments to the Bylaws shall become effective upon their approval by the membership.
Article XI. Adoption and Review
These Bylaws shall be adopted and take effect immediately upon their approval by a two-thirds majority of those members voting during the American Library Association annual elections. They may be reviewed as needed after adoption in a process determined by the Executive Committee.
Article XII. General Provisions
Wherever these Bylaws make no specific provisions, the organization of and procedures in the Section shall correspond to those set forth in the Bylaws of the Division.
Ratified January 17, 2005. Amended July 1, 2020.