1. Chicago Area Theological Library Association
Article I: Name
The name of the Association shall be the Chicago Area Theological Library Association, a
voluntary unincorporated association organized under and by virtue of the laws of the State of
Illinois (hereinafter the "Association").
Article II: Purpose
The purpose of the Association shall be:
* To provide for reciprocal services among member institutions.
* To promote possibilities of cooperation in other areas, such as acquisitions, technical services,
and personnel development.
* To sponsor development opportunities for members consistent with the evolving trends in
librarianship in the technological age.
* To encourage information sharing and personal contact between staff members of the member
institutions.
* To establish a sense of collegiality and cooperation whereby mutual support and sharing of
resources and information ensue in the betterment of service, growth in the technological
environment, and the enhancement of theological and ministerial education and formation.
Article II: Offices
3.1 OFFICE.
The Association shall maintain an office within or without the State of Illinois. The address of the
treasurer shall be the address of the Association.
3.2 OTHER OFFICES.
The Association may have such other offices within or without the State of Illinois as the Board of
Directors may from time to time determine.
Article IV: Classes of Members
4.1 INSTITUTIONAL MEMBERS.
Theological libraries and other libraries involved in or associated with theological concerns may
become institutional members upon timely payment of institutional dues as set forth below.
4.2 PERSONAL MEMBERS.
All permanent full time and part time staff persons, professional or non-professional, of institutions
that hold membership are considered personal members of the Association. In the event that an
institutional member fails to make a timely payment of its dues, a staff person of such an
institution may become a personal member of the Association upon timely payment of personal
dues as set forth below.
4.3 OTHER MEMBERS.
Persons not related to or associated with institutional members, and having appropriate
theological interests, may become members upon timely payment of personal dues as set forth
below.
Article V: Dues
5.1 INSTITUTIONAL DUES.
Annual dues shall be $50.00 per institution payable as of the date of the Association's Fall
Meeting. Institutional membership is contingent upon payment of dues no later than December
31st.
5.2 PERSONAL DUES.
Annual dues shall be $10.00 per individual payable as of the date of the Association's Fall
Meeting. Individual membership is contingent upon payment of dues no later than December
31st.
5.3 RATIONALE.
Annual dues shall cover, among other things, the costs of the Associations's programs and
membership communications.
Article VI: Meetings
6.1 REGULAR MEETINGS.
Regular meetings of the membership shall be held two (2) times a year. The time of the regular
meetings shall be determined in consultation with the membership at the last meeting of the
preceding fiscal year. The Board of Directors shall be empowered to adjust meeting times or
plans in case of emergency.

2. 6.2 SPECIAL MEETINGS.
Special meetings may be called by the Board of Directors at its discretion or must be called upon
petition of ten (10) members (from any class or classes of membership) provided the membership
receives notification at least fourteen (14) days prior to the special meeting.
6.3 RIGHT TO VOTE.
On routine matters of agenda and programming and officer elections, each personal member
present at the meeting is entitled to one (1) vote. In case of matters concerning revision or the
Bylaws, only one (1) personal member present at the meeting and designated by that personal
member's respective member institution shall be entitled to vote.
6.4 QUORUM.
A majority of the institutional members of the Association shall constitute a quorum.
Article VII: Board of Directors
7.1 GENERAL POWERS.
The affairs of the Association shall be governed by its Board of Directors.
7.2 NUMBER AND QUALIFICATIONS.
The Board of Directors shall consist of six (6) directors who shall be the President, Vice-
President, the immediate Past President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the Communications
Officer.
7.3 TERM OF DIRECTORS.
A director shall serve until the time his or her term as President, Vice-President, Past President,
Secretary or Treasurer shall terminate.
7.4 CHAIRPERSON AND VICE-CHAIRPERSON.
The President shall serve as the Chairperson of the Board, and the Vice-President shall serve as
the Vice-Chairperson thereof. The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall continue to serve in
such capacity until their successors are elected and qualified. The Vice-Chairperson shall be the
Chairperson-Elect and shall succeed to the office of Chairperson at the end of the Chairperson’s
term.
7.5 MEETINGS.
Regular meetings of the Board of Directors shall be held at least once per year. Additional
meetings may be held as the Board determines. Special meetings may be called by the
Chairperson or by two (2) other members of the Board provided members of the Board receive at
least fourteen (14) days prior notice of the special meeting.
7.6 QUORUM.
A majority of the voting members of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum. In the
absence of a quorum, the Chairperson may authorize a vote in writing, and an affirmative vote of
a majority of the members of the Board shall be required for any action of the Board.
7.7 VACANCIES.
Appointments to fill vacancies in elective positions of the Association (except President and Vice-
President) shall be made by the Board of Directors until successors are elected at the next
regular annual meeting. A vacancy in the office of President shall be filled for the remainder of the
President’s term by the Vice-President, and the Vice-President shall not thereby be disqualified
from serving his of her normal term as President in accordance with Article 8.9 below. A vacancy
in the office of the Vice-President can be filled only by election as set forth in Article 8 below.
7.8 MULTIPLE VACANCIES.
If vacancies occur in the offices of President and Vice-President within the same term, the Board
of Directors shall elect as President one of the Directors for the remainder of the President’s term.
When a regular election is next held, a President and a Vice-President shall be elected. Other
vacancies on the Board of Directors shall be filled by election at the next regular election after the
vacancy occurs. Appointments to fill vacancies on a committee shall be made by the President,
unless otherwise provided in the action authorizing the committee or in these Bylaws.
Aritcle VIII: Officers
8.1 OFFICERS.
The officers of the Association shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer,
and a Communications Officer.
8.2 NOMINATING COMMITTEE.
A committee to nominate candidates for the elective positions to be filled shall be appointed and

3. chaired by the Vice-President (President-Elect) with the approval of the President, in such time
for elections to be held at the last meeting of the year.
8.3 NOMINATIONS BY OTHERS.
Nominations from the floor may be made for any office.
8.4 ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
Election of officers shall take place at the last meeting of the fiscal year. Election of officers shall
be by written ballot. The candidate receiving the largest number of votes shall be elected. In case
of a tie, the successful candidate shall be determined by lot.
8.5 PRESIDENT.
The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Association and shall preside at all
meetings of the members and the Board of Directors, and, except as otherwise specifically
provided by these Bylaws, shall be in charge of the general management of the business of the
Association and shall see that all actions and resolutions of the Board of Directors are carried into
effect.
8.6 TERM OF OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT.
The President shall serve for one (1) year or until a successor is elected and qualifies.
8.7 VICE-PRESIDENT.
The Vice-President shall, in the absence of disability of the President, perform the duties and
exercise the powers of the President, and shall perform such other duties and exercise such
other powers as the Board of Directors may from time to time prescribe.
8.8 TERM OF OFFICE OF THE VICE-PRESIDENT.
The Vice-President shall serve for one (1) year or until a successor is elected and qualifies.
8.9 PRESIDENT-ELECT.
The Vice-President shall be the President-Elect and shall succeed to the office of the President at
the end of the President’s term.
8.10 SECRETARY.
The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the meetings of the members and of the Board of
Directors, see that all notices are duly given in accordance with the provisions of these Bylaws,
be custodian of the Association’s records, keep a register of the names and addresses of each
member, and perform such other duties as may be assigned from time to time by the President or
by the Board of Directors.
8.11 TERM OF OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY.
The Secretary shall serve for two (2) years or until a successor is elected and qualifies. The
Secretary’s term of office shall expire on June 30 of odd-numbered years.
8.12 TREASURER.
The Treasurer shall have the custody of the Association’s funds, and shall keep full and accurate
records of receipts and disbursements, and shall deposit all monies and funds of the Association
in such banks or other depositories as may be designated by the Board of Directors. The
Treasurer shall disburse the funds of the Association as may be directed by the President or by
the Board of Directors at its regular meeting or when the Board of Directors so requires an
account of all transactions of the Treasurer since the date of the Treasurer’s last report, and a
report of the financial condition of the Association. In general, the Treasurer shall perform all the
duties incident to the office of Treasurer, and such other duties as may be assigned from time to
time by the President or the Board of Directors.
8.13 TERM OF OFFICE OF THE TREASURER.
The Treasurer shall serve for two (2) years of until a successor is elected and qualifies. The
Treasurer’s term of office shall expire on June 30 of even-numbered years.
8.14 COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER.
The Communications Officer shall be responsible for communicating information to the
membership using appropriate informatics, especially with regard to regular meetings. The
Communications Officer will maintain an accessible and current web presence, an institutional
member directory, and any other documentation deemed appropriate by the executive committee.
In general, the Communications Officer, and such other duties as may be assigned from time to
time by the President or the Board of Directors.
8.15 TERM OF OFFICE OF THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER.
The Communications Officer shall serve for two (2) years or until a successor is elected and

4. qualifies. The Communications Officer’s term of office shall expire June 30 of even-numbered
years.
Article IX: Contracts, Checks, Deposits, and Funds
9.1 CONTRACTS.
The Board of Directors may authorize any officer or officers, agent or agents, in addition to the
officers so authorized by these Bylaws, to enter into any contract or to execute and deliver any
instrument in the name of and on behalf of the Association, and such authority may be either
general or restricted to specific instances or transactions.
9.2 CHECKS, DRAFTS, ETC.
All checks, drafts, or other orders for the payment of money, notes and other evidences of
indebtedness issued in the name of the Association, shall be singed by such officer or officers,
agent or agents of the Association and in such manner as shall be determined by the Board of
Directors. In the absence of any such determination by the Board of Directors, any such
instruments shall be signed by the Treasurer.
9.3 DEPOSITS.
All monies and funds of the Association shall be deposited to the credit of the Association in such
banks or other depositories as the Board of Directors may determine.
9.4 GIFTS.
The Board of Directors may accept on behalf of the Association any contribution, gift, bequest or
devise for the general purposes or for any special purpose of the Association.
Article X: Committees
Committees of the Association shall be authorized action of the Board of Directors.
Article XI: Years
11.1 FISCAL YEAR.
The fiscal year of the Association shall be July 1 to June 30.
11.2 MEMBERSHIP YEAR.
The membership year of the Association shall be the same as its fiscal year.
11.3 SERVICE YEAR.
The service year of the officers of the Association shall be the same as its fiscal year.
Article XII: Rules of Order
Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the proceedings of the Association in all cases in which they
are applicable, and in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws.
Article XIII: Audit of Accounts
The accounts of the Association shall be audited when authorized by the Board of Directors, and
in such manner as may be determined by the Board of Directors. Copies of such audit reports
shall be furnished to any member who requests in writing such reports.
Article XIV: Amendment of Bylaws
These Bylaws may be adopted, suspended, or amended at any duly constituted meeting of
members by a majority vote of the qualified members present and voting.
CHICAGO AREA THEOLOGICAL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION
OFFICER JOB DESCRIPTIONS
PRESIDENT
Term of office: one year as vice-president (Article 8.6.2); one year as president (Article 8.5.1);
and one year on the board as past president (Article 7.3). Term begins on July 1 of the year
elected (Article 11.3).
Business:
Set agenda for and chair semi-annual business meeting (Article 8.5).
Program development:
Work with officers and other members to develop ideas for CATLA programs.
Mailing list:
Work with the treasurer and the secretary to keep mailing list up-to-date, i.e., review list regularly
for members who have moved; and new members as you become aware; seek to include
previously active seminaries.
Membership solicitation:
Encourage theological librarians and staff members to attend CATLA meetings and become
members. Encourage active CATLA institutional participants to pay their dues.

5. Financial monitoring:
Monitor state of finances; work with CATLA officers to deal with financial or legal issues as they
may arise.
Special projects:
Encourage membership involvement in special projects; appoint ad hoc committee members as
needed.
Communications:
Attend to communication needs among the CATLA membership.
Correspondence:
Write follow-up letters to send with honorarium checks to presenters of CATLA programs; and
other correspondence as needed.
Board of Directors:
At least once (and preferably twice) annually chair a meeting of the Board of Directors (President,
Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and immediate Past President) (Article 7.6).
VICE-PRESIDENT
Term of office: See term of office description for President.
Meeting responsibilities:
Attend meetings of the Board of Directors.
Program development:
Take care of communications and details related to membership meetings as delegated by the
President. Work with host institution to finalize schedule for CATLA program, and pass this
information on to the Secretary.
Substitute for President:
In the absence of the President at either a CATLA membership meeting or Board of Directors
meeting, serve as chairperson (Article 8.6). The Vice-President shall fill the office of President in
case of a vacancy in that office (Article 7.8).
Nomination of officers:
Chair the nominating committee and, with the approval of the President, appoint members to the
nominating committee in order to solicit candidates for CATLA officer positions prior to the Spring
annual meeting (Article 8.2).
SECRETARY
Term of office: Two years, beginning on July 1 of odd-numbered years (Article 8.7.1)
Meeting responsibilities:
Circulate sign-up list, including addresses, of those in attendance; take minutes of business
meeting and send to officers before general mailing; attend meeting of CATLA officers in
conjunction with CATLA meeting; prepare minutes of the meeting to be published in the
Newsletter (Article 8.7).
Meeting announcement:
Prepare and distribute information to inform the membership about upcoming meetings, including:
* program schedule (prepared by the Vice-President)
* maps and registration information for the meeting site (prepared by the host institution)
* dues form (prepared by the Secretary or the Treasurer)
* minutes of the previous CATLA meeting (prepared by the Secretary)
This information may also be prepared and distributed with assistance from the Newsletter editor
or other volunteer member.
Mailing list directory:
Keep an up-to-date mailing list (Article 8.7), taking care to add names from sign-up list at CATLA
meetings and names of members who have paid their dues to the CATLA Secretary; issue a new
CATLA directory at least once during term of office; circulate a copy of the CATLA mailing list to
CATLA officers before the mailing for the Spring meeting so that it can be corrected.
Archives:
Preserve copies of all CATLA minutes and programs and other relevant information in an orderly
fashion (Article 8.7)
TREASURER
Term of office: Two years beginning on July 1 of even-numbered years (Article 8.8.1)
Meeting responsibilities:

6. Attend all meetings of the Board of Directors (Article 8.8); solicit personal and institutional dues
from members at the Fall meeting; present financial reports to membership at each CATLA
meeting; after election at the Spring meeting, have newly elected officers sign “corporate
resolutions” form and have President and Vice-President sign signature cards for both checking
and savings accounts; make photocopies of the signature cards and send them to the bank.
Proposed changes to the CATLA Bylaws
CATLA Conference
Oct. 12, 2007
In order to make the Communications Officer a regular voting member of the CATLA Executive
Board, we propose the following additions to the CATLA Bylaws:
8.14 COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER.
The Communications Officer shall be responsible for communicating information to the
membership using appropriate informatics, especially with regard to regular meetings. The
Communications Officer will maintain an accessible and current web presence, an institutional
member directory, and any other documentation deemed appropriate by the executive committee.
In general, the Communications Officer, and such other duties as may be assigned from time to
time by the President or the Board of Directors.
8.15 TERM OF OFFICE OF THE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER.
The Communications Officer shall serve for two (2) years or until a successor is elected and
qualifies. The Communications Officer’s term of office shall expire June 30 of even-numbered
years.
The following sections of the CATLA Bylaws will be amended as follows:
7.2 NUMBER AND QUALIFICATIONS.
The Board of Directors shall consist of six (6) directors who shall be the President, Vice-
President, the immediate Past President, the Secretary, the Treasurer, and the
Communications Officer.
8.1
The officers of the Association shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer,
and a Communications Officer.