The Executive Board and Constitution and Bylaws Committee will offer three amendments for voting on the November ballot.
Click here to access a PDF of the proposed changes, or read them below.
Proposed amendments that will appear on the ballot in November appear in blue text.
Verbiage changes that reflect the amendments in existing documents appear in red, bold, italicized font:
Shall the GLA the Bylaws Article V be amended to define Standing Committees, clarify, discontinuance and creation by the Executive Board, and operation of Special Committees?
ARTICLE V. Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees
Standing committees perform ongoing functions designed to carry out the business of the Association and undertake specific charges by the Executive Board of the Association.
There shall be the following standing committees appointed by the President with the approval of the Association Board. When conditions require such action, the Association The Executive Board may discontinue any standing committee, subject to approval by the membership (Constitution Article X Section 2).
Awards Committee
Budget Committee Conference Committee
Constitution and Bylaws Committee
Georgia Student Media Festival Committee
Advocacy Committee
Handbook Committee
Membership Committee
Nominations and Elections Committee
Marketing & Branding Committee
Records Committee
Scholarship Committee
A new Standing Committee may be proposed by the Executive Board, subject to the approval of the membership. (Constitution Article X Section 2).
Section 5. Special Committees
The President may at any time appoint other committees as needed for any special work of the Association.
A special committee shall normally be dissolved following the completion of the assignment or conclusion of the term of the appointing President but may be continued at the pleasure of the incoming President and Executive Board.
Shall the GLA Constitution be amended to define Divisions, and establish the procedure for creating a new division?
ARTICLE IV. Divisions, Sections, and Interest Groups of the Georgia Library Association
Section 1. Divisions
GLA divisions represent broad-based areas and long-term interest. Members should belong to at least one division.
Section 5. New Divisions
A new division may be established in the following manner:
a. Submission to the Association Board of a petition to establish such division signed by 35% of the members of the Association.
b. Approval of such petition by the Association Board.
c. Provisional approval of the proposed new division by a simple majority vote of the members present at any in-person business meeting, called special meeting, or virtual meeting of the Association, or with a vote held by virtual means then in common use by the Association. Virtual approval requires a simple majority of those voting. Quorum restrictions as defined in Constitution Article IX must be met.
d. After a full fiscal year, the Executive Board by majority vote will grant final approval of the division if the following criteria have been met:
- Nomination of at least one candidate for each divisional elected office.
- Communication with its membership at least twice a year.
- Conducting at least one (1) membership activity in addition to the Annual Conference program.
- Chair attendance at Executive Board meetings.
- Approval of bylaws by the Executive Board of the Association
Shall the GLA Constitution be amended to define how the Executive Board will work with Divisions who do not appear viable, and how Divisions will be dissolved?
Section 8. Dissolution of Divisions, Sections, and Interest Groups
- Any division failing to comply with the criteria under which they were established will be placed on probation by majority vote of the Executive Board. An action plan approved by the Executive Board to establish viability of the division shall be developed. If after a probationary period the criteria for establishment are not met, the division will be dissolved by a majority vote of the Executive Board.
A division may be dissolved on a petition to the Association Board from the majority of the active members of such division. - A section may be dissolved on a petition to the division from the majority of the active members of such section with the approval of the division and of the Association Board.
- Each interest group must declare itself active to the chair of the Interest Group Council prior to the first general session of each annual conference, or it shall be considered in dissolution.