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Governance: Bylaws

Bylaws of the Portland Area Library System (PORTALS)

PREAMBLE and MISSION

The Portland Area Library System (PORTALS) adopts these bylaws on 11/18/99 as amended on 5/17/01. Section 3.1 was further amended on 6/7/07. Section 6.2 was further amended on 9/29/08.

PORTALS is a library consortium committed to meeting the research and educational needs of people in the greater Portland area through cooperative and creative access to information resources and services.
 
 

ARTICLE I

MEMBERSHIP

1.1 Membership Criteria. Membership in PORTALS is open to any institution with a library in the five-county area (Clackamas, Multnomah, Washington, and Yamhill Counties in Oregon, and Clark County in Washington) which:

a. meets the PORTALS eligibility requirements listed in Section 1.2;

b. subscribes to the PORTALS mission statement and bylaws;

c. makes formal application; and

d. signs a formal membership agreement.
 
 

 1.2 Membership Eligibility. To be eligible for membership, an institution must: a. be a not-for-profit institution;

b. if it is a university or college, be fully accredited or, if it is a library, have a mission that supports scholarly activity;

c. provide evidence that the library has a significant collection and will continue to develop that collection:

1. have an annual acquisition budget in excess of $200,000 (the amount will be adjusted yearly for inflation).

2. alternately, an institution may demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the Council of Librarians, that it has, and will continue to maintain and develop, a valuable and distinctive collection of scholarly library and information resources that significantly enhances what is available through PORTALS.

 d. provide the current necessary technology, to include: 1. access to the Internet;

2. an online catalog;

3. machine readable records for its collection in an accessible database (or a commitment to meet this requirement); and

4. access to a PORTALS-compatible document delivery system.

 e. be willing to make the following institutional commitments: 1. maintain library and information services;

2. share costs of maintaining PORTALS;

3. share collection resources with other members;

4. comply with PORTALS standards for services;

5. participate in PORTALS collection development program;

6. maintain a current disaster preparedness plan and participate in mutual recovery aid when needed;

7. participate in decision-making;

8. participate in a periodic assessment and renewal of membership.
 
 

 1.3 Membership Responsibility. An institution which fails to maintain the required membership commitments, in the judgement of the Council of Librarians, will be given one year to correct the situation. After this time, the Council may require the institution to withdraw from membership and satisfy any financial obligations, and also to return any materials owned by PORTALS.

1.4 Membership Withdrawal. An institution may voluntarily withdraw from membership with one year's notice to the organization, provided that all its financial obligations have been met. It is understood that all material owned by PORTALS will be returned to the organization.
 
 

ARTICLE II

GOVERNANCE

2.1 Powers of the Council of Librarians. Ultimate authority for all PORTALS decisions rests with the Council of Librarians. The Council will be composed of the library director or equivalent, or their appointee, of each member institution. The Council serves without compensation.

2.2 Officers. The Council of Librarians, at a meeting prior to July 1 each year, shall elect from among the membership of the Council a Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect to serve on the Executive Committee. The Chair-Elect shall serve as Treasurer of the organization and shall submit a quarterly report on the financial status of PORTALS. A Member-At-Large shall be elected annually to serve a two-year term. The Chair, Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect and the Past Chair each serve a one year-term in each capacity on the Executive Committee. Members-At-Large are limited to two consecutive terms.

2.3 Executive Committee. The Chair, the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, the Past Chair, and two Members-At-Large shall constitute the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee is authorized to act for the organization between meetings and to call special meetings as necessary. The Executive Committee may not authorize the unbudgeted expenditure of more then $15,000 without either calling a special meeting or holding a ballot on such expenditure.
 
 

ARTICLE III

MEETINGS

3.1 Regular Meetings. The Council of Librarians will meet a minimum of once each year at a member institution, or at another place as the Council may direct, to approve a budget, action plan, and Council meeting schedule. Regular meetings shall be held according to a schedule proposed in advance by the Executive Committee, with notice given as directed in 3.3 below.

3.2 Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Council may be called by direction of the Executive Committee and shall be called upon request of any three voting members of the Council.

3.3 Notice. U.S. mail, or email, at least one week prior to the date of the meeting, shall give notice of meetings. Such notice shall indicate all substantive matters to be discussed at the meeting.

3.4 Voting. Each member institution shall have one vote on the Council of Librarians. Voting by mail, e-mail, or by conference telephone call is authorized, but an affirmative vote of the majority of the entire Council membership is required for adoption of items voted upon in such manner. Proxy voting is not permitted. A Council member may designate another employee of that institution to represent the institution at meetings of the Council, and that person may vote. A quorum is defined as more than one half of the institutions present.

3.5 Decision-Making. The preferred manner of decision making, other than amendment to these bylaws, is to seek consensus. The next preference is a majority vote. Subject to these preferences, the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order shall be the accepted authority for the conduct of meetings.
 
 

ARTICLE IV

FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

4.1 Financial Provisions:

  1. PORTALS will be organized initially under the auspices of Portland State University.
  2. The operation and activities of PORTALS involving income and expenditures administered through Portland State University will be conducted under the legal and fiscal rules and regulations of the University, the Oregon University System, and the State of Oregon.
  3. These legal and fiscal rules and regulations do not apply to activities engaged in by PORTALS involving income and expenditures not administered through Portland State University.
4.2 Financial Support. The organization shall be funded by membership dues, by fees for services, by allocations from government agencies, and by grant money, both public and private. It is the prerogative of the Council to determine the amount of dues and fees, and to authorize the submission of requests for grant support.

4.3 Fiscal Year. The fiscal year of PORTALS will commence on July 1.
 
 

ARTICLE V

COMMITTEES

5.1 Committees. The Council of Librarians may establish such other committees (either as standing committees or as special committees) as may be needed to accomplish the work of the organization.
 
 

ARTICLE VI

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

6.1 Amendments. These bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members of the Council of Librarians at a regular or specially called meeting, provided that notice of the proposed amendment has been included in the notice of the meeting.

6.2 Dissolution. In the event of the dissolution of the organization, the Council of librarians will determine how to distribute all remaining assets.