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Advisory Council By-Laws

ARTICLE  I    Oregon Talking Book and Braille Library Advisory Council

The name of this group is the Oregon Talking Book and Braille Library Advisory Council of the Oregon State Library, which hereafter shall be referred to as the Council and the Library.

ARTICLE  II    Purpose

The purpose of this Council is to act as an advisory group to the Oregon State Library Board (hereafter referred to as the Board).  The Council will receive and consider requests of policy change and funding prior to final decisions by the Board.  The Council may also, when appropriate, make recommendations to the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress on practices, policies, and goals of library services to persons who are print disabled.  The Council shall further serve as an advocate for the promotion and further development of library services for all Oregonians with print disabilities.

ARTICLE  III    Members

SECTION 1.  Membership on this Council shall be representative of those organizations and individuals having a direct interest in library services to persons who are print disabled.

SECTION 2.  This Council shall consist of no less than seven members and no more than eleven voting members.  At least 60% of the Council members must be consumers of the Oregon Talking Book and Braille Library (five or more of seven, six or more of nine, seven or more of eleven).  The number of voting members on the Council shall remain an odd number, so that differences in opinion can be settled by a vote.  There will be two types of voting members: those that represent an Oregon group or organization, who are appointed from within their organization to serve on the Council; and members-at-large, who are appointed by the process described in these bylaws.  Factors to be considered during the nomination and appointment of new members-at-large will be geographic representation, age, service use, and other pertinent patron characteristics.  There will be three non-voting members of the Council: two Oregon Talking Book and Braille Library staff members, and the State Librarian or designated representative.

SECTION 3.  Terms:
  1. Members of the Council shall serve four year terms.  Staggered terms shall be established and maintained so that one third of the terms expire in successive years.
  2. Terms for all members-at-large shall begin at the first meeting of the calendar year after their appointment;
  3. Terms for all members representing a group or organization shall begin at the first meeting after appointment;
  4. No member shall be appointed to more than two consecutive terms; former council members will be eligible for re-nomination to serve on the council after a break of one year; representatives from state agencies are not subject to term limits; 
  5. A member who has served a partial term will be replaced by another person to finish the term, regardless of time remaining in the term.

SECTION 4.  Members of the Council may include individuals from the following areas:
  1. Members representing groups or organizations (voting), up to one each from groups or organizations including (but not limited to): American Council of the Blind of Oregon, National Federation of the Blind, the Commission for the Blind, the Oregon Disabilities Commission, American Association of Retired Persons, and the Dyslexic Association; or other constituent groups.
  2. Members-at-large (voting), such as: one public librarian-at-large; two senior citizen user-at-large; one user-at-large; one parent of a minor user to be the parent-at-large; one school teacher or resource room teacher to be the teacher-at-large; one disabled student services office person to be the Disabled Student Services (DSS) person-at-large; one Technology Access for Life Needs (TALN) or technical person to be the technical person-at-large;

SECTION 5.  Each member who is present shall have one vote.

SECTION 6.  Attendance:
  1. Each Council member is expected to attend all meetings;
  2. After two consecutive unexcused absences, the seat shall be considered vacant. Unexcused absence is defined as missing a meeting without notifying the State Library before the meeting begins;
  3. If the State Library is notified before a meeting, any member may, as needed, send a substitute to a Council meeting.  Substitutes may not vote.  Substitutes may not attend more than four Council meetings during the member's four-year term.

SECTION 7.  Selection of appointed members: 
The president, chair, or head (leader) of each agency, group, or organization will be contacted directly by the State Library.  The leader of the group will submit the name of one person who will attend the Council meetings as a voting member. If the appointed person is no longer able to attend the Council meetings, s/he must notify the State Library. The State Library will notify the group’s leader, who may select another person.

SECTION 8.  Nomination of members at-large:
  1. Every two years, nominations for vacant member at-large positions will be solicited from as many state-wide sources as possible;
  2. Notices soliciting nominations for the Council may be publicized in the library's newsletter and/or other area-wide publications directed toward Oregonians who are print disabled, to assure public knowledge of the available seats on the Council;
  3. Nominations will include a short statement of interest from the nominee when submitted;
  4. The State Librarian in consultation with the Talking Book and Braille Library Program Manager will select one candidate for each position to recommend to the Board for appointment to the Council.

SECTION 9.  Appointment of members at-large:
  1. Each Board member will be sent the list of candidates from the State Librarian and Talking Book and Braille Library Program Manager fourteen days prior to the final Board meeting of the calendar year;
  2. Candidates will be approved for appointment by a majority vote of all Board members present and voting.

SECTION 10.  No organization with an appointed member or group represented by an at-large member is guaranteed a seat on the Council if it is vacated due to unexcused absences. Since there are fewer members of the Council than are defined above as possible seats, if a vacancy occurs due to unexcused absences, the State Library may choose from a different source (of appointed or at-large individuals) to fill that seat for the remainder of that four-year term. A vacancy on the Council by any member (appointed or at-large) shall be filled by an appointment at the next Board meeting, selecting from the nominees of the previous recruitment, or by the Board directing the State Library to contact a group's leader to ask for a new member to be appointed.

ARTICLE  IV    Officers

SECTION 1.  The Council shall elect a Chair and a Vice Chair.

SECTION 2.  Terms:
  1. The term of office for both Chair and Vice Chair shall run two years, from the first meeting of the calendar year to the first meeting of the calendar year two years hence;
  2. The Chair and Vice Chair may serve no more than three consecutive terms in the same office;
  3. An officer who has served more than half a term (one year) in the office is considered to have served a full term.

SECTION 3.  Nomination and election of officers:
  1. At the Council's first meeting of the calendar year the election of officers will be an agenda item;
  2. The Talking Book and Braille Library Program Manager will solicit nominations from the floor; all council members eligible to vote are eligible to be nominated;
  3. There must be a minimum of one candidate for each position;
  4. Each candidate will make a short statement to the Council indicating their experience, leadership skills, and interest in the position for which they are a nominee;
  5. Officers shall be elected by majority vote of all Council members present and voting at that meeting.

SECTION 4.  Duties of the officers:
  1. The officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Council;
  2. The Chair shall preside at all meetings; coordinate with the State Library to set agendas; and appoint committees;
  3. The Vice Chair will keep the calendar of the Council, including upcoming dates of nominations, elections, etc.  Upon the absence of the Chair, the Vice Chair shall perform the duties of the Chair;
  4. The State Library shall be responsible for assigning the duty of minute-taking; notifying members of meetings and special meetings; keeping records including Council members names, terms, phone numbers, addresses, and preferred format; assisting the Chair in setting the agenda; distributing the agenda and minutes from prior meetings; reporting to the Council excused and unexcused absences; notifying nominees for the Council that they have or have not gained a seat on the Council; approving the language of Council recommendations before submission to the Board, and assisting with other duties as requested by the Chair.

SECTION 5. The Chair need not be an Oregon Talking Book and Braille Library user.

SECTION 6. Vacancies:
  1. A vacancy in the office of the Chair is filled immediately by the Vice Chair. A new Vice Chair shall be elected at the next regular meeting of the Council;
  2. A vacancy in the office of the Vice Chair shall be filled by election at the next regular meeting of the Council.

ARTICLE V    Meetings

SECTION 1.  Regular meetings of the Council shall be held at least four times each calendar year.

SECTION 2.  All meetings shall be held in a location that has facilities accessible to all persons, including those who have a mobility impairment.

SECTION 3.  Meetings will usually be held in Salem at the Oregon State Library.  For Council members who are unable to attend in person, regular arrangements will be made for teleconferencing so members can be present and vote by phone.

SECTION 4. Special meetings may be called by the Chair, or two officers, or at least three members of the Council, provided that all members are notified at least seven days in advance of the special meeting.

SECTION 5.  The agenda for each regular meeting shall be distributed to each member by the State Library in an appropriate format, no less than fourteen days prior to the meeting.  Format may be Braille, audio, print, large print, or e-mail.  Each council member is responsible for notifying the State Library of their preferred format.

SECTION 6. Fifty percent plus one member shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of conducting business.  Teleconference members are counted as part of the quorum.   Non-voting members will not be included in the quorum count.  Once a quorum is established, the meeting remains official until adjournment.

SECTION 7.  All meetings are open to anyone who wishes to observe. Observers may comment with prior approval of the Chair.

ARTICLE  VI    Committees

SECTION 1.  The Chair will appoint a Bylaws Committee on an ad hoc basis. These committee members will serve a 2-year term.
  1. The Bylaws Committee shall have at least two members.  It will consider proposed amendments to the Council’s bylaws.  The Bylaws Committee will have the duty of presenting any proposed amendments to the Council for deliberation and action;

SECTION 2.  Each committee member is expected to participate in all scheduled committee meetings.  A person will vacate the position following two unexcused absences.

SECTION 3.  Special committees may be appointed by the Chair as needed.

SECTION 4.  The Chair shall be an ex officio member of the Bylaws Committee and all special committees.

ARTICLE  VII    Parliamentary Authority

The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern the Committee in all cases to which they are applicable, and which they are not inconsistent with these by laws and any special rules of order the Committee may adopt.

ARTICLE  VIII    Amendment to the Bylaw

These bylaws may be amended at any meeting by a two-thirds vote of the Council members present and voting, provided the proposed amendment(s) have been filed with the Bylaws Committee and distributed to all members, in the appropriate format, at least thirty days in advance of the meeting.  All amendments to the bylaws must receive final approval by the Board.


Adopted October 21, 1994
Revised & Adopted October 14, 1996
Revised & Adopted March 1, 2001
Revised & Adopted November 16, 2006
Revised & Adopted June 13, 2008
Revised December 22, 2014
Revised June 15, 2015