NCALL Terms of Reference

The National Capital Association of Law Libraries is an informal group consisting of persons in the National Capital region with an interest in law libraries and law librarianship.  Its objective is as follows:

To create a forum for co-operation, liaison and continuing education among the staff of law and law-related libraries and to improve the efficiency of operation and client services of these libraries.

Executive

The officers of the Association shall be a President, a Secretary and a Treasurer.  The duties of the Executive officers are as follows:

  President:

The duties of President may be held by one person or shared between two people.

  1. Attend to the business of the Association
  2. Prepare an agenda in advance of all meetings
  3. Preside at all meetings of the Association

  Secretary:

  1. Prepare the minutes of each meeting
  2. Consult the President on the agenda for the next meeting
  3. Arrange for the distribution of the agenda and minutes to the membership, usually by posting to the listserv
  4. Prepare an annual report of activities to be presented at the annual general meeting and distributed to the members.
  5. Maintain an administrative record of the Association
  6. Oversee the online presence for the association.

  Treasurer:

  1. Maintain an up-to-date list of the members of the Association and distribute it annually
  2. Receive membership dues
  3. Manage Association finances and bank account
  4. Prepare a financial statement to be presented at the annual general meeting and distributed to the members.

Committees

The members may establish committees, from time to time as necessary to carry out the work of the Association.

Fees

An annual membership fee will be collected from the members.  Fee structure will be as follows:

Individual                              $15.00

Institutional                          $30.00

Publisher                               $30.00

Meetings

Time:               Meetings shall normally be held on the third Wednesday of the month during the lunch hour.  Generally, meetings will not be held during May as many members participate in the Canadian Association of Law Libraries annual conference.  The AGM will be held in June and is usually a dinner meeting.

Place:              Members shall host the meetings on a rotating basis.

Format:           The meetings may consist of:

  1. A brief discussion of business in accordance with the prepared agenda
  2. A program of special interest to the membership
  3. A tour of the host library

The time, place, format and number of meetings may be changed from time to time as decided by the executive.

Quorum:         The members present at a meeting shall constitute a quorum.

A decision reached by the majority (51%) of the members present at a meeting shall constitute a decision of this Association.

Elections

Members of the Executive shall serve two-year terms.  Voting shall take place at the AGM.  Individual members each get one vote. Attending members who are part of an institutional membership can each cast their own individual vote and are not required to vote the same way as every other member from their institute. Publishers are not permitted to participate in election votes.

Amendments to the Terms of Reference

  1. Adoption, repeal or amendment of the procedures may be proposed by any member of the Association.
  2. Notice of the proposed amendment shall be filed with the President and distributed to the membership with the agenda of the next meeting.
  3. The proposal shall become effective after having been sanctioned by a majority (51%) of the members present at the meeting.