The Ottawa Valley Health Libraries Association / l’Association des bibliothèques de la santé de la vallée de l’Outaouais is an association of health-related libraries whose purpose is to promote the provision of quality library and information services in the health sciences throughout the Ottawa Valley and the Outaouais. It was formed in 1994 through the amalgamation of the Ottawa-Hull Health Libraries Association and the OHA Region 9 chapter of the Ontario Health Libraries Association and is a chapter of
the Canadian Health Libraries Association/ Association des bibliothèques de la santé du Canada (CHLA/ABSC).
Constitution and By-laws
Article 1 – Name: The name of the Association shall be the Ottawa Valley Health Libraries Association / l’Association des bibliothèques de la santé de la vallée de l’Outaouais, abbreviated as OVHLA/ABSVO and hereinafter referred to as ‘The Association’. The Association shall be a chapter of the Canadian Health Libraries Association/Association des bibliothèques de la santé du Canada, hereinafter referred to as ‘CHLA/ABSC.’
Article 2 – Purpose: The purpose of the Association shall be:
- to promote the provision of quality library and information services in the health sciences throughout the Ottawa River valley and adjoining regions through leadership, advocacy and education;
- to encourage communication, resource sharing and cooperation among its Members;
- to seek to advance their continuing education, networking, and professional development by any means at its disposal; and
- to support the activities of the CHLA/ABSC, as a chapter of that body, and share information with the library community as a whole.
Article 3 – Membership: Membership shall be open to all persons located in the Ottawa River valley and adjoining regions, without limitations, and at the discretion of the Executive. Membership shall be open to all persons interested in the aims of the Association and who complete a membership form and pay the prescribed fees. Membership includes voting privileges and eligibility to hold a position on the Executive.
OVHLA membership consists of the following categories.
- An individual member is a person who is currently employed in a health library or Information service.
- A student member is defined as an individual who is presently enrolled in a full-time course of study.
- A retired member must no longer be earning a salary from employment.
- An unemployed member must not hold any paid position in a library or related information field.
- An underemployed member must not hold a paid position in a library or related information field for more than 35 hours per week.
All officers of the Association must be individual members in good standing of the CHLA/ABSC to ensure the annual renewal of the Association’s chapter status with CHLA/ABSC. The Association may cover all or part of the CHLA/ABSC membership fee for up to one executive member as needed.
Membership in the Association shall terminate upon non-payment of membership fees after the expiration of five (5) months from the date due.
Member(s) may be terminated by a special resolution at a quorate meeting of the Executive. The notice of special resolution for termination must be accompanied by a brief statement of the reason(s) for the proposed termination. The person who is the subject of the proposed termination must be given an opportunity to be heard at the meeting before the special resolution is put to a vote. Member fees will not be returned.
Article 4 – Officers: The business of the Association shall be conducted by an Executive Committee consisting of a President, a Secretary, a Treasurer and a Continuing Education Coordinator. There will be a two-year term of office for each position. Terms of office will correspond with the calendar year. The terms of the office of the President and Secretary will commence in even-numbered years. The terms of office for Treasurer and Continuing Education Coordinator will start in odd-numbered years. No officer shall be eligible for re-election to the same office for more than two (2) consecutive terms.
The Executive Committee shall:
i) supervise generally the affairs of the Association
ii) formulate the policies of the Association
iii) propose new by-laws or amendments to existing ones for approval of the membership; these by-laws will be enacted after a majority vote of the membership at the General Meeting.
Duties of Officers:
- The President shall schedule and chair meetings of the Association and of its Executive Committee. The President communicates to the chapter on behalf of the CHLA/ABSC and reports to the CHLA/ABSC about the chapter’s activities. In the absence of the President the duties of the office shall be performed by another member of the Executive.
- The Secretary shall keep a record of minutes of the proceedings of Association meetings and the Executive Committee, coordinate archiving of Association records and maintain communication channels, including the website and listserv.
- The Treasurer ensures the financial viability of the Association and shall oversee the budgeting process and collection, deposit, and management of the funds of the Association. The Treasurer maintains and reports a full, correct and clear record of the financial transactions of the Association which includes membership management and reporting.
- The CE Coordinator shall actively seek, coordinate and promote continuing education opportunities and grant programs that would be of benefit to Association members.
Article 5 – Elections: All nominations for the future Executive, accompanied by the candidates’ consent, should be presented to the current Executive and made known to the members prior to the last meeting of the Association before expiry of the term of the current Executive. All elections for officers of the Association shall be conducted by vote of the members present at the last meeting of the Association before expiry of the term of the current Executive. Each member present shall have one vote for each
position. If there is only one candidate for a position, that candidate will be elected by acclamation.
The vacancy of any Executive office shall be filled as soon as possible by nomination and election at the next General Meeting. Members will be notified of the vacancy and asked to submit nominations to the President. In the event that an Executive Committee member is unable to complete their term in office, a temporary replacement shall be appointed by the sitting Executive Committee until the next General Meeting, where the vacant position will be filled by nomination and election.
Article 6 – Committees: The Executive shall have the power to appoint committees. The Executive shall set the terms of reference and determine scope, reporting requirements and deliverables for committees. All appointments and committees shall terminate at the end of the membership year unless otherwise stated by the Executive.
Article 7 – Meetings: There will be a minimum of one General Meeting a year. Meetings may be held in-person, in a hybrid format, or online. The quorum for voting at meetings will be eight (8) members representing three (3) different institutions or twenty-five (25) percent of the members in good standing of the Association, whichever is lesser. Any question proposed at a General Meeting for the consideration of the Members shall be determined by a majority of the votes cast by Members entitled to vote at such meeting. Each Member is entitled to one vote and the President or presiding Chair will cast a vote only in the case of a tie vote. Electronic voting may be used where it is convenient and can be carried out securely.
The Secretary shall notify all Members of all upcoming meetings at least fourteen (14) days in advance (to include agenda, place, date and time). No omission to notify a Member nor the non-receipt of any such notice by a Member shall invalidate the proceedings of any meeting.
The rules of order embodied in Bourinot’s rules of order (latest edition) shall be used in the conduct of all meetings to the extent permitted by the Constitution and By-laws of the Association. No failure to adhere to the rules of order shall invalidate the proceedings at any meeting.
Article 8 – Membership Fees: Membership fees determined by the Executive in consultation with the members shall be collected annually from each member. The Executive Committee will periodically review the fee structure and membership categories, with all changes to be ratified by the membership.
Article 9 – Liaison with CHLA/ABSC: The President or a designate shall participate in chapter meetings conducted by the CHLA/ABSC. The President shall provide a written annual report to the Board of the CHLA/ABSC outlining its activities during the current year and verifying that all chapter requirements continue to be met.
Article 10 – Amendments to the Constitution: Proposals to amend this constitution or by-laws, or to decide on other matters determined by the Executive, shall be made known to the members prior to the meeting of the Association at which the proposals will be voted on. Voting will be conducted by ballot of the members present. A majority of those voting shall be required to carry any proposal. Such by-laws, rules or regulations shall be reviewed every five (5) years and amended as necessary at a General Meeting of the Association.
Article 11 – Operating and Membership Year: The operating and membership year shall be January 1 to December 31.
Article 12 – Dissolution: Upon dissolution of the Association, any debts are to be paid and all assets remaining must be transferred to the CHLA/ABSC.