The CULD bylaws were first amended in April 1987. The next draft of the revised bylaws was approved by the CULD Executive Board in May 2000. The draft was posted to the CULD web page in September 2000, and the revisions were approved by the CULD membership in April 2001.

Due to some changes in committees, CULD proposed further revisions to the bylaws in July 2002. The revisions were posted in Spring 2003, and the revisions were approved in April 2003.

In order to move duties of officers and committees from the bylaws to standing rules for easier modification as needed, allow electronic voting, and to expand and clarify the provisions for discussion groups a draft of revised bylaws was presented to the CULD executive board and the Community and Junior College Discussion Group in July 2005.

ARTICLE I. NAME

The name of this organization shall be the College and University Libraries Division of the Texas Library Association.

ARTICLE II. PURPOSE

The purpose of the Division shall be to promote the interests of libraries and librarians in community, junior, and senior colleges and universities in Texas; to cooperate with the Texas Library Association; and to serve as an affiliate of the American Library Association's Association of College and Research Libraries (ALA/ACRL).

ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP

Any member of the Texas Library Association may designate the College and University Libraries Division as his or her type-of-library divisional membership or may become a member upon payment of the additional membership fee as provided in the Texas Library Association Bylaws.

ARTICLE IV. OFFICERS

Section 1. Officers.

1. The Officers of this Division shall be the Chair, the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, the Secretary-Treasurer, and the Division Councilor and Alternate Councilor.
2. These officers shall perform those duties usually attached to their offices and as set forth in the STANDING RULES, and shall perform other duties as assigned by the Executive Board.

Section 2. Qualifications.

Section 3. Terms of Office.

All officers shall assume office immediately following the Texas Library Association Annual Conference. The Chair, Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, and Secretary-Treasurer shall serve a term of one year or until their successors are elected and qualified. The Councilor and Alternate shall serve a term of three years or until their successors are elected and qualified.

Section 4. Vacancies.

If a vacancy occurs in the office of Chair, the Chair-Elect shall become Chair for the remainder of that term and also for his/her elected term as Chair. If a vacancy occurs in the office of the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, Secretary-Treasurer, Councilor or Alternate, the Chair, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall fill the vacancy by appointment until the next regular election of officers. A Past Chair vacancy on the Executive Board must be filled by a former Chair. If a vacancy occurs in both the Chair and Vice-Chair positions, the President of the Texas Library Association shall appoint a new Chair.

ARTICLE V. EXECUTIVE BOARD

The officers and the immediate Past Chair shall constitute the Executive Board which shall administer the affairs of the Division when the Division is not in session.

ARTICLE VI. NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

1. The Executive Board shall appoint no later than October 1 of each year a Nominating Committee of three members, none of whom is a current elected officer of the Division.
2.  For the offices of Chair, Chair-Elect, and Secretary-Treasurer, the candidate receiving the largest number of votes shall be elected. For Councilor, the nominee receiving the highest number of votes shall be elected Councilor and the nominee with the second highest number of votes shall be elected Alternate. In case of a tie vote, the successful candidate will be determined by lot.
3. Elections shall be conducted annually prior to March 1.

ARTICLE VII. COMMITTEES AND GROUPS

Section 1. Standing Committees.

1. The Standing Committees of the Division are: Information and Membership; Legislative; Program; and Scholarship. The Division Chair shall designate the Chair of each committee and work with the Chair to appoint committee members. To provide continuity, terms of appointments to Standing Committees shall be for two years with one-half of the committee retiring each year.
2. The Legislative and Scholarship Committees shall consist of no fewer than three nor more than five members for each committee.
3. The Information and Membership Committee shall consist of the Committee Chair, the Division Newsletter Editor, and no more than three additional members.
4. The Program Committee shall consist of the Vice Chair/Chair Elect, who shall serve as chair of the committee, an officer from each active CULD Discussion Group, and no more than three additional members.

Section 2. Special Committees.

Ad hoc or special committees may be created as needed by the Executive Board or by the Division Chair. The Division Chair shall appoint the members and designate the chair of each committee. The committees shall serve until their charges have been completed and reports have been accepted.

Section 3. Reports.

Chairs of all standing committees, the CULD Councilor, and the Chairs of Discussion Groups shall submit written reports to the Division Chair for inclusion in the CULD Newsletter prior to the annual conference and for presentation to the membership of the Division at the Texas Library Association Annual conference, as required by the TLA Bylaws.

ARTICLE VIII. MEETINGS

A general membership business meeting of the Division shall be held annually at the TLA Annual Conference, as required by the TLA Bylaws. Joint or separate program meetings may also be held.

ARTICLE IX. DISCUSSION GROUPS

Section 1. Establishment.

Any group of 15 or more members of the Division interested in discussing common problems which fall within the purposes of the Division may form a discussion group upon approval of written petition from the group to the Executive Board of the Division. The petition shall include the purpose of the group and the requirements for membership. Petition signatures must be gathered during one meeting of the Division (either Annual Conference or Annual Assembly). In order to continue, each discussion group shall petition for reestablishment every five years, following the procedure outlined in this Section.

Section 2. Membership.

Membership is open to members of the Division who are interested in the purpose of the group.

Section 3. Officers.

Each group shall elect a chair-elect and Secretary annually at the Annual Conference of the Texas Library Association. These officers and the incoming chair shall keep a roster of the members of the group, be responsible for all communication with them, preside at meetings of the group during the next year, and make a report to the Executive Committee of the Division after each meeting. Each discussion group chair or a designated representative may serve on the Division Program Committee.

Section 4. Activities.

A discussion group may: a) Meet together to discuss common issues; b) Establish a means of communications among its members; c) Recommend action to the Executive Board of the Division; d) Incur no expenses except as authorized and make no declaration of policy.

Section 5. Discontinuance.

Each group shall continue in existence until the group fails to gain the needed signatures for reestablishment as outlined in Section 1, above, or until it be dissolved by action the Executive Committee.

ARTICLE X. ACRL AFFILIATION

Section 1. Chapter Affiliation.

The College and University Libraries Division (CULD) is the officially recognized Texas Chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the American Library Association.

Section 2. Members.

Members of ACRL residing in or employed within the State shall automatically be members of the Texas Chapter of ACRL, but must also be members of CULD in order to receive the prerogatives and benefits available to CULD members. CULD members who are not also members of ACRL do not receive the benefits and prerogatives of Chapter membership.

Section 3. Officers.

The officers of CULD shall serve also as officers of the Texas Chapter of ACRL. The CULD Chair shall serve as Chapter President; the CULD Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect as Chapter Vice-President/President-Elect; and the CULD Secretary-Treasurer as Chapter Secretary-Treasurer.

ARTICLE XI. AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

Section 1. Proposal.

Amendments to the Bylaws may be proposed by the Executive Board, by a committee authorized by the Division Chair, or by a petition signed by 20 Division members. Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the Executive Board three months in advance of submission to the membership of the Division.

Section 2. Action on Proposal. The Division, by a two-thirds vote of the members present and voting at the annual membership meeting, by mail, or any other means authorized in the STANDING RULES may adopt and amend these Bylaws in any manner consistent with the Bylaws and Standing Rules of TLA and the Association of College and Research Libraries.

ARTICLE XII. PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised, latest edition shall govern the conduct of the meetings of the Division.

Please send comments about the bylaws to Janice Lange, current CULD Chair.
This document was posted to the TLA/CULD web site in March 2007.