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ARTICLE I. Name.
The name of this Division of the American Society for Engineering Education (the Society, ASEE) shall be the Engineering Libraries Division (the Division, ELD).
ARTICLE II. Objectives.
The objectives of the Engineering Libraries Division are:
- To initiate, support, and promote the exchange of information in engineering through leadership within ASEE and cooperation among librarians, information specialists, engineering information providers, educators, researchers, practitioners, and professional organizations;
- To promote and strengthen the role of the library/information center as an integral part of engineering education;
- To support the objectives of the ASEE Professional Interest Council (PIC) of which the Division is a member;
ARTICLE III. Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Ethics.
Section 1:
The Division seeks to promote the inclusion and education of diverse individuals and embracing diverse ideas in engineering, engineering technology, and engineering librarianship: the Division recognizes that diversity is strength in creativity, broadness of new ideas, and embracing new perspectives to arrive at the most truly innovative, resource-smart solutions possible. More information can be found in the Division’s Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Section 2:
The Division supports the “Code of Ethics for Engineering Educators,” as described in the Society’s Bylaws.
ARTICLE IV. Membership.
The membership of the Division shall consist of those members of the Society who wish to affiliate with the Division and make their desire formally known to the Membership Department of the Society. Only current members of the Society and of the Engineering Libraries Division shall be eligible to be officers or committee members.
ARTICLE V. Officers.
The Officers of the Division shall be the Chair, Program Chair, Secretary-Treasurer and two Directors. Progression from Secretary-Treasurer to Program Chair to Chair is annual and automatic. See the Division’s officers and committees’ document for more detailed position descriptions.
Section 1:
- The Secretary-Treasurer, elected annually, shall record the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Committee and Extended Executive Committee and the Division’s business meeting, hereafter referred to as “Annual Business Meeting,” and shall ensure that minutes are supplied to the Division’s Archivist and to the Editor of the newsletter for publication in the first newsletter to appear after the annual conference. The Secretary- Treasurer shall prepare an annual report on the Division’s budget, with recommendations for the following year, for publication in the last newsletter to appear before the annual conference, with updates to the report to be given during the Annual Business Meeting. Upon completing this term in office, the Secretary-Treasurer shall succeed to the office of Program Chair.
- The Program Chair shall be responsible for the Division’s programs at the annual conference, serve as Acting Chair when necessary, and prepare an annual report for publication in the last newsletter to appear before the annual conference, with updates to the report to be given during the Annual Business Meeting. Upon completing this term in office, the Program Chair shall succeed to the office of Chair.
- The Chair shall preside over the Annual Business Meeting and the meetings of the Executive Committee and Extended Executive Committee and prepare an annual report for publication in the last newsletter to appear before the annual conference, with updates to the report to be given during the Annual Business Meeting. The Chair is the primary representative of the Division to ASEE and the PIC of which the Division is a member. The outgoing Chair shall become chair of the Nominating Committee.
Section 2:
Two Directors, one of whom is elected each year, shall serve two-year terms. They provide overall guidance to the Division and assist with other efforts that benefit the Division, as agreed upon by the Executive Committee.
Section 3:
Terms of office begin at the end of the Annual Business Meeting.
Section 4:
The Chair and Program Chair shall constitute the representatives of the Division to the Executive Board of the PIC of which the Division is a member.
Section 5:
The outgoing Chair shall be ineligible for office for three years, unless appointed by the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE VI. Executive Committee and Extended Executive Committee.
Section 1:
The Executive Committee (EC) shall consist of the Officers of the Division, shall be the primary governing body of the Division, and shall administer all activities that are deemed desirable for the promotion of the objectives of the Division. The Executive Committee is empowered to accept or reject ELD documents and policies and to approve or deny proposed changes to ELD documents and policies via a simple majority vote, except those related to amending the Division Bylaws. Amending the Bylaws is addressed in Article XIII below.
Section 2:
The Extended Executive Committee (EEC) shall consist of the members of the Executive Committee, the chair of the Nominating Committee, and all individuals appointed by the
Executive Committee to positions within the Division (as indicated in the Division’s officers and committees document). The Extended Executive Committee shall be an advisory body to the Executive Committee on matters relating to the objectives of the Division.
Section 3:
Terms of office begin at the end of the Annual Business Meeting.
ARTICLE VII. Committees, etc.
Section 1:
The Chair shall constitute such committees, task forces, or other functional groups or positions as are necessary to support the objectives of the Division. The Executive Committee shall seek the advice of the Extended Executive Committee in making appointments. For positions considered permanent within the Division (as indicated in the Division’s officers and committees document), appointments shall be to a renewable two-year term. The Executive Committee, with cause, shall review position appointments, and, if deemed necessary, will make changes to those appointments. For positions that are not considered permanent, appointees serve at the will of the Executive Committee.
Section 2:
It shall be the responsibility of each committee chair to inform their committee members and the Division officers of the activities being performed by their committee. Committee activities in all cases shall be subject to review and approval by the Executive Committee. Chairs of these committees and appointees to other positions considered permanent within the Division, as indicated in Section 1, are expected to prepare an annual report for publication in the last newsletter to appear before the annual conference, with updates to the report to be given during the Annual Business Meeting.
ARTICLE VIII. Election of Officers.
Section 1:
The Nominating Committee shall solicit from the membership of the Division officer candidate suggestions. This solicitation shall appear in the first issue of the newsletter following the annual conference. The ELD-L electronic discussion list may also be used to solicit nominations.
Section 2:
The Nominating Committee shall submit a slate of candidates to the membership no later than the third Friday of February. Nominee(s) must indicate in writing their willingness to serve before their names are placed in nomination.
Section 3:
Any member of the Division may make additional nominations from the point at which the nominations are announced until the first Friday of March, provided the consent of the nominee has been obtained in writing. Additional nominations should be sent to the Chair of the Nominating Committee. Any member so nominated shall be added to the slate of candidates, to be distributed as a ballot as specified in Section 4.
Section 4:
The election shall be by secret ballot of the current members of the Division. On or before the second Friday of March, ballots shall be made available to the membership electronically.
Working in conjunction with the chair of the Membership Committee, the Nominating Committee shall mail a paper ballot to any members without internet access. For a ballot to be counted, it must be received by 11:59 pm, Eastern Time on the fourth Friday of March.
Section 5:
Only members of the Nominating Committee shall have access to the vote counts. Results shall be tabulated after the close of the voting period and shall be announced no later than the first Friday of April.
Section 6:
The candidate for each office receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected. In the case of a tie vote, a run-off election between those candidates receiving the highest number of votes for a particular position will be held. The run-off election shall be held on or before the second Friday of April, ballots shall be made available to the membership electronically. Working in conjunction with the chair of the Membership Committee, the Nominating Committee shall mail a paper ballot to any members without internet access. For a ballot to be counted, it must be received by 11:59 pm, Eastern Time on the fourth Friday of April. Results shall be tabulated after the close of the voting period and shall be announced no later than the first Friday of May. If that second election also results in a tie, the winner will be chosen by lot during the Annual Business Meeting.
Section 7:
In the event that an elected office is vacated, the Executive Committee shall appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of the term of office.
ARTICLE IX. Meetings.
Section 1:
A meeting of the Extended Executive Committee and/or the Executive Committee and a business
meeting of the Division shall be held during the annual conference. Executive Committee meetings other than those that might be held at the annual conference can be called by the Chair or by a jointly signed request by any three members of the Executive Committee.
Section 2:
Members of the Society and other interested persons shall be eligible to attend all meetings of the Division except the Annual Business Meeting, meetings of the Executive Committee, meetings of the Extended Executive Committee, and other Division business meetings. Business meetings shall be restricted to members of the Division and invited guests.
ARTICLE X. Publications.
Section 1:
In order to promote the aims of the Division, the Division shall issue a newsletter. Normally, this newsletter shall be issued four times per year.
Section 2:
The publications policy of the Division shall be in general conformity with the publications policy of the Society.
Section 3:
Papers submitted for publication in the proceedings of the annual conference must conform to the Division’s paper review guidelines. The Executive Committee, in consultation with the Division’s Publications Committee, shall ensure that the paper review guidelines are in
conformity with the publications policy of the Society. Ultimate responsibility for this rests with the Executive Committee.
ARTICLE XI. Awards.
ELD presents a number of awards at each year’s ASEE Annual Conference.
Section 1:
The Homer I. Bernhardt Distinguished Service Award.
Homer I. Bernhardt was, from 1966 until his untimely death in 1982, head of the Bevier Engineering Library at the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). Homer Bernhardt’s professional activities contributed to engineering and librarianship at Pitt and at ASEE. His commitment to the field is recognized in ELD’s decision to name its Distinguished Service Award in his memory. Established in 1990, the Bernhardt award, consisting of a plaque and an honorarium, recognizes work that contributes to the advancement and development of excellence in engineering libraries.
Section 2:
The Division also presents awards for outstanding contributions to engineering information access, utilization, presentation, and publication. These awards do not have a monetary component.
ARTICLE XII. Parliamentary Authority.
The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order (latest edition) shall govern the Division in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are consistent with the Constitutions and Bylaws of ASEE and the Bylaws of the Division. In other cases the Constitution of ASEE shall govern.
ARTICLE XIII. Amendments to Bylaws.
Section 1:
Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed by (a) a petition signed by no fewer than ten (10) individual members of the Division and submitted to the Chair, or (b) the Executive Committee, by a majority of those voting.
Section 2:
Proposed amendments to these Bylaws shall be made available to all members of the Division for consideration and discussion at least 30 days before being put for a vote. The Executive Committee shall ensure that a vote is held in a timely fashion at the end of the review period.
Section 3:
Amendments to the bylaws shall be approved by the Division upon the affirmative vote of two- thirds of the members of the Division who cast ballots. Amendments approved by the Division membership shall be submitted through the Chair of the PIC of which the Division is a member for approval by majority vote of the ASEE Board of Directors and shall take effect only upon such approval.
Section 4:
Any section of these Bylaws shall be invalid if it is in conflict with the Constitution or Bylaws of the American Society for Engineering Education or of the PIC of that organization of which the Division is a member, without invalidating the remaining sections of these Bylaws.
ASEE ELD Bylaws revised May 2014 by the Bylaws Review Committee. Presented to the membership and discussed electronically. Approved by the membership, June 2014 via an online vote; Bylaws revision approved by the membership, April 2016 via on online vote; Bylaws revision approved by the membership, July 2021 via on online vote;
ASEE Board of Directors approved the changes to the bylaws on June 18, 2014, June 22, 2016, and September 14, 2021.