ARTICLE I: POWERS AND DUTIES

The name of this academic unit shall be the Library. It shall collect, organize and provide access to local and global information resources that support the learning, teaching, and research needs of the University Community. It shall provide programs and services that enhance the learning experience, develop lifelong critical thinking skills, and promote information literacy and research. It will develop creative partnerships with University and non-University information providers and will continually strive to meet or exceed its customer's evolving needs. To that end its actions and policies are governed by the policies and guidelines of the Board of Regents, the Chancellor of the campus and/or designated representative, UMD Constitution, Campus Assembly and its committees, and other duly constituted bodies, rules and regulations of the University.

ARTICLE II: ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITY AND FREEDOM

This academic unit subscribes to, and is committed to, the principles set forth in the ALA Library Bill of Rights, 1948, as amended, and the University of Minnesota Senate Statement on Academic Freedom and Responsibility, 1970, as amended. All grievances and/or appeals arising under these principles should be first taken to the Library Director who shall report out the same after taking fitting and appropriate action. This academic unit is responsible for information resources in all formats, presenting all points of view in bibliographical operations, challenging censorship in any form, resisting abridgement of free expression and access to materials, academic freedom of inquiry and investigation, and further, is responsible for information-resources support of the learning, teaching and research missions of the University in any and all operations.

ARTICLE III: LIBRARY DIRECTOR

The chief executive office of this academic unit shall be the Library Director, who is charged with full executive responsibility for planning, organizing, staffing, directing, coordinating, reporting and budgeting for the academic unit. The Director shall be the official academic unit officer representing the academic unit to the Chancellor, Library Policies Committee, faculty, staff, and student body of the University, including the various organizations, groups and communities at large. The Assistant Library Director will act in lieu of the Library Director as needed.

ARTICLE IV: ADMINISTRATIVE ORGANIZATIONS OF THE LIBRARY

The Library Consists of several work teams, each serving a particular library function. The coordinators of the teams, as appointed by the Director, shall meet as a body giving advisory input to the Director on matters of day-to-day Library operations and procedures. The coordinators shall be chaired by the Director and meet as necessary, with minutes of their meetings being made available to all staff.

ARTICLE V: STAFF ASSOCIATION

Section 1. Responsibilities: The Staff Association shall serve as the official body for the recommendations of its members concerning the improvement of the Library and the welfare of its staff.

Section 2. Membership: The Association shall consist of all regularly appointed staff members of the Library with the exclusion of the Director and the Assistant Library Director. They Staff shall become members automatically upon their first day of appointment to the staff. All members are eligible to serve as officers and members of the standing and ad hoc committees subject to the provisions of this Constitution.

Section 3. Meetings: The Association shall meet at least once each year approximately six months apart. One An annual meeting shall be held to elect new officers and committee members as needed. The annual election meeting will be held following the end of the University defined academic year. The Chairperson shall select the date, prepare the agenda, with suggestions from Association members, and send it to each member at least ten days before the meeting.

Special Association meetings may be called at the discretion of the Chairperson, or upon the request of the Director, Chairperson of a standing or ad hoc committee, or by petition to the chairperson by eight of the Association members. For a special meeting, an agenda shall be sent to each member, and if the meeting is to be held within 24 hours, each member shall also be notified verbally.

Minutes shall be kept for all meetings and reviewed by the membership for possible revision. Revisions should be submitted to the recorder in a timely manner and transmitted to the members.

A quorum for a meeting shall consist of one-third of the registered members of the Association. A simple majority of those members present and voting shall be sufficient to pass measures.

Conduct of the meeting shall be upon the basis of Roberts rules of order, revised in the latest edition. It shall govern the Association in all cases to which it can be applied and in which it is not inconsistent with the Constitution or special rules of the Association.

Section 4. Officers and Duties: The officers of the Association shall be Chairperson, Vice-chairperson, Recorder and Treasurer.

The Chairperson shall perform all duties expressed by the Constitution, and shall preside at all meetings. The Chairperson shall act as liaison between the Staff Association members and the Director, keeping the Director informed of Association concerns and the Association informed of the Director's concerns.

The Vice Chairperson shall assist the Chairperson as necessary, and perform all duties in the absence of the Chairperson.

The Recorder shall record all minutes of meetings, and shall send a copy of the minutes to each Association member. All official records of the Association as well as a current roster of members and changes in membership shall be kept by the Recorder.

The Treasurer shall be responsible for Association funds, their accounting and disbursement, and shall serve as chair of the Funds Committee.

Section 4.1. Official documents and records:
Minutes and other official documents of the Staff Association shall be stored in the Staff Association Common folder on the Novell server. Retained records Minutes and official documents shall be deposited by the Recorder to the University Archives after three years.

Section 5. Committees: Each Committee shall elect its own chairperson and adopt its own procedural rules subject to this Constitution.

Sub-Section 5.1. Standing Committee

Funds Committee: This Committee shall consist of three members. The chairperson of the committee shall be the Association Treasurer. The Committee shall concern itself with the Staff Association Fund, which shall be used for such social purposes as deemed fitting by the Staff Association (e.g., significant events of Library staff, holiday and celebratory events for the entire Library staff and/or all student employees of the Library), its accounting and disbursement, as approved by the Staff Association. The Committee shall raise funds present ideas on fund raising to the Staff Association and shall obtain Association approval for any disbursements not previously approved by the Association. There shall be a yearly report of the Association Fund distributed to each member.

Sub-Section 5-2. Ad Hoc Committees: These Committees shall be appointed, as the need may arise, by the Chairperson of the Association and shall report to the Staff Association.

Section 6. Terms and Election of Officers and Committees: Officers of the Association shall serve a term of one two years. The Vice Chairperson shall automatically assume the office of Chairperson the following year when the incumbent steps down. Upon completion of a term of office, former officers shall not be eligible for election or re-election to any office. until a one year period has passed. However, They are eligible to become members of committees.

Members of the Standing Committee shall each serve a term of one year. Committee members are eligible for re-election.

Term of office shall begin immediately following the election meeting. Officers and Committee Chairpersons shall present the records of the office to their successors within one week after the election.

Election for officers and committee members shall take place at the required annual election meeting. The Chairperson with the assistance of the Vice Chairperson and Recorder shall serve as the Nominating Committee and shall solicit volunteers or nominations prior to the meeting. The Nominating Committee shall distribute the slate of candidates to each member at least ten days before the election meeting. Provisions shall be made for candidates nominated from the floor. Persons nominating from the floor must have the consent of the nominee. An absentee ballot can be obtained from the recorder and must be sealed in an envelope and delivered to the recorder prior to the meeting.

Absentee voters may write in a candidate's name in the space provided if they have received the consent of their candidate. The recorder will present the absentee voter envelopes to the tellers selected at the meeting.

A vacancy in the office of Chairperson shall be filled immediately pro tem by the Vice Chairperson for the remainder of the term. A slate of nominees for other offices and committee positions vacated during-term shall be prepared by the incumbent officers and be voted on at the next regularly scheduled meeting. If no regular meeting of the Association is scheduled within two weeks, election for the office may be conducted by sealed ballot. The Chairperson pro tem and the Vice Chairperson pro tem shall be eligible for election to any office at the annual election meeting.

ARTICLE VI: LIBRARY REPRESENTATION TO OUTSIDE
COMMITTEES AND ORGANIZTIONS

Section 1. Representatives appointed by the Director to outside committees and organizations shall serve for the time designated by the Director and shall report back to the Director.

Section 2. Representatives selected by the Staff Association to outside committees and organizations shall report back to the Staff Association at the regularly scheduled meeting. Terms of office shall be as defined by the body to which the person is appointed. If a representative position is vacated during-term, a slate of nominees shall be prepared by the Staff Association officers and voted on at the next regularly scheduled meeting. If no regularly scheduled meeting of the Association is scheduled within two weeks of the vacancy, election for the position shall be conducted by sealed ballot within that time.

ARTICLE VII: AMENDMENTS AND INTERPRETATION

The Constitution shall be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of the entire Association members present at a meeting of the Association. The proposed change must be submitted in writing to each member ten days before the date of the vote. The vote may be conducted by written ballot following discussion by a majority of the entire Association at a regularly scheduled meeting or special meeting. Bylaws shall be adopted and/or changed by majority vote of members present at a Staff Association meeting. Changes in the bylaws must be submitted in writing to each member ten days before the day of the vote.

Interpretations of the Constitution shall be made by the officers and standing committees acting jointly. All interpretations are subject to review by Association members at the next regular meeting.

ARTICLE VII: EFFECTIVE DATE OF CONSTITUTION

This Constitution shall be effective after approval by two-thirds vote of the Association membership and shall be consider a working constitution until final approval by the Academic Vice Chancellor makes it an academic unit Constitution in fact. When amended, the Constitution shall be forwarded to the Library Director for transmittal to the Vice Chancellor for Academic Administration for approval.

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