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.
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.