Article 1. Membership

Any person employed as a media librarian in the Jefferson County area may become a voting member of the Jefferson County School Media Association upon payment of stated dues. Library Science students, retired librarians, and other interested persons may become non-voting associate members of the Jefferson County School Media Association upon payment of stated dues.

Article 2. Dues

The dues of the Association will be set by the budget committee with approval of the Board of Directors. Dues are payable at the beginning of the fiscal year.

Article 3. District

The Jefferson County School Media Association is a District of the Kentucky School Media Association.

Article 4. Affiliations

The Jefferson County School Media Association is a District of the Kentucky School Media Association, which is a section of the Kentucky Library Association. This Association functions under its own Constitution and Bylaws, no article of which is to conflict with any article of the Kentucky School Media Association or the Kentucky Library Association.

Article 5. Nomination of Officers

Section A. The President shall appoint the nomination committee chairperson. The chairperson shall appoint at least three (3) additional members from the membership of the Association including the Past-President and the President-elect.

Section B. The nominating committee presents a slate of one qualified candidate for the Office of President-elect, Secretary and Treasurer. Written acceptance of the nominee must be given to the chairperson of the nominating committee.

Section C. The slate of officers shall be published at least two weeks prior to the spring meeting in the Newsletter and presented at the spring meeting.

Section D. Nominations may be made from the floor at the business meeting held in the spring with written consent of the nominee.

Article 6. Election and Term of Office

Section A. The election of President-elect, Secretary and Treasurer shall be at the spring meeting.

Section B. The term of office for each shall be one year beginning June 1.

Section C. Any vacancy for an unexpired term of an elected officer other than President, will be filled with an election. The nominating committee will seek candidates for the vacated position. The election will take place no more than six weeks from the date of vacancy.

Section D. Any vacancy for an unexpired term of President will be filled by the President-Elect. The President will serve out his/her own term of office.

Article 7. Committees

Section A. Standing, special, and/or ad hoc committees may be created or dissolved by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors.

Section B. The President appoints all committee chairpersons for a term of one year, beginning June 1.

Section C. Members of the committees will be chosen by the chairperson.

Section D. No committee chair or individual member of a committee shall be allowed to represent, engage, or obligate the Jefferson County School Media Association to any course of action without the expressed approval of the Board of Directors.

Article 8. Publication

The official publication of the Jefferson County School Media Association shall be the COMMUNIQUE.

Article 9. Quorum

Section A. A quorum at the business meetings shall be those in attendance.

Section B. A quorum at the Board of Directors shall be ½ of voting members.

Section C. A quorum for the meetings of the Executive Board shall be a majority of voting members.

Article 10. Amendments

Bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the Association by two-thirds of the members in attendance, provided written notice has been given to the membership at least two weeks prior to the meeting.

Article 11. Awards

Section A: The Jefferson County School Media Association Outstanding School Media Librarian Award

1. The purpose of this award shall be to recognize a School Media Librarian who has made outstanding contributions to the profession local, district and state levels.

2. Guidelines for the committee shall be the following:
a. This committee shall be composed of 5 association members and the President- Elect shall be the chairperson.
b. Persons serving on the award committee may not nominate or be nominated for this award. If either occurs, that person will resign from the committee.
c. Chairperson shall send out publicity after the first of the year.
d. Final submissions for this award shall be mailed to the chair of the committee by mid-February.
e. After all nominations have been read by the committee members. Then the committee meets to select the recipient.
f. The chairperson notifies the principal first and any other close associations of the recipient.
g. The recognition and award shall be given at the Spring Dinner meeting.

3. Eligibility guidelines shall be the following for nominees:

a. Hold a bachelor’s degree or higher and have at least 18 hours credit in Library Science.
b. Have at least 5 years of school library experience.
c. Be an active member of Jefferson County School Media Association and Kentucky School Media Association/ Kentucky Library Association.
d. Hold the respect of the other School Library Media Specialists, school personnel, and the public in general.

4. A copy of the nomination form for the Jefferson County School Media Association Outstanding School Media Librarian Award and guidelines for completion shall be attached to the Jefferson County School Media Association bylaws.

Section B: The Jefferson County School Media Association’s Service Award for School Administrators.

1. The purpose shall be to recognize and honor the administrators who have made worthy contributions to the operation of effective school library media services and to stimulate planning, implementing, and support of the library services in the school.

2. Guidelines for the committee shall be the following:

a. The committee shall be composed of five association members, one being the Past President who shall be chairperson.
b. Committee members shall not submit nominations. Nominations shall be made by Jefferson County School Media Association members anytime after the application form is received. Final submissions for this award shall be mailed to the chair of the committee by mid-February.
c. Only nomination forms filled out accurately and completely shall be considered.
d. The recipient shall be notified two to four weeks in advance of the award presentation by the chair of the committee. The recipient shall be notified by telephone followed by a letter.
e. Recognition of the recipient shall be made at the Jefferson County School Media Association Spring Dinner meeting.
f. The recipient shall receive a banquet ticket and award certificate.

3. Any local school administrator, such as a principal, head teacher, or assistant principal shall be eligible.

4. A copy of the nomination form for the Jefferson County School Media Association Service Award for School Administrators and guidelines for completion shall be attached to the Jefferson County School Media Association bylaws.

Section C: The Jefferson County School Media Association’s Collaboration Award for School Libraries and School or Community Organizations.

1. The purpose shall be to recognize an outstanding collaboration between a school or community organization (PTO, PTA, PTSA, Rotary Club, LFPL etc.)and a school library media specialist in advancing the role of the school library media center in the educational program of the school during the past year.

2. Guidelines for the committee shall be the following:

a. The committee shall be composed of five association members, one being the Chairman of the Nominating Committee who shall be chairperson.
b. Persons serving on the award committee may not apply.
c. Applications shall be made by Jefferson County School Media Association members anytime after the application form is received. Final submissions for this award shall be mailed to the chair of the committee by mid-January.
d. Only application forms filled out accurately and completely shall be considered.
e. The recipients shall be notified two to four weeks in advance of the award presentation by the chair of the committee. The recipient shall be notified by telephone followed by a letter.
f. Recognition of the recipients, the library media specialist and one representative of the school or community organization, shall be made at the Jefferson County School Media Association Spring Dinner meeting.
g. The recipients shall receive a banquet ticket and an award certificate.

3. Any library media specialist who is a member of Jefferson County School Media Association shall be eligible.

4. A copy of the application form for the Jefferson County School Media Association’s Collaboration Award for School Libraries and School or Community Organizations and guidelines for completion shall be attached to the Jefferson County School Media Association bylaws.

Article 12. Scholarships

Lucy Marx Scholarship

1. The purpose of this scholarship shall be to encourage and support persons from Kentucky School Media Association, Jefferson County District who wish to become certified as School Library Media Specialists.

2. Scholarship committee guidelines shall be the following:

a. The committee shall be composed of five association members, one being the Past President who shall be chairperson.
b. The chairperson shall send out the publicity by March 1.
c. The scholarship shall be given at the Fall Dinner meeting.
d. The committee shall notify the recipient at least four weeks before the fall dinner meeting.

3. The guidelines for eligibility shall be the following:

a. The applicants must be full-time or part-time undergraduate or graduate students who are currently enrolled in or have been accepted into a state accredited program leading to certification as a school media librarian.
b. The recipient of this scholarship cannot accept the same type of scholarship offered by another Kentucky School Media Association District.
c. Those who have received the scholarship once are not eligible to reapply.
d. The amount of the scholarship shall be not less than $500. The JCSMA Executive Board will set the amount for the scholarship each year during the budgeting process at or above $500.
e. The Kentucky School Media Association scholarship of $100 shall be added to the Jefferson County School Media Association Lucy Marx Scholarship. The recipient will receive a combined total.
f. The scholarship application shall be due by June 1.

4. A copy of the Lucy Marx Scholarship application is attached to the bylaws.

Article 13. Audits

Section A. Financial

1. The treasurer’s report shall be audited annually.
2. A two-member audit committee of the Association appointed by the outgoing President shall make the final audit.
3. The final audit shall be in the hands of the new treasurer prior to the Fall Board of Directors’ meeting.
4. The audit committee at the first general membership meeting shall give the final audit report.

Section B. Bylaws

The bylaws shall be reviewed/updated every three years by a committee composed of the constitution chairperson, Parliamentarian and current President. The Constitution Chairperson shall serve as chairperson.

Article 14. Parliamentary Authority

The parliamentary authority for the Association will be Roberts Rules of Order, latest edition, and it shall govern the proceedings of Jefferson County School Media Association.

Jefferson County School Media Association Ad hoc Bylaws Committee:
Mary Bryant, Constitution Chairperson
Sheryl Asgari, Parliamentarian
Karen Parsons, President
Revised September 2009
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