Bylaws of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table

Bylaws of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table

Article I: Name | Article II: Purposes | Article III: Members | Article IV: Officers | Article V: Meetings | Article VI: The Executive Committee | Article VII: Committees | Article VIII: Liaisons | Article IX: Parliamentary Authority | Article X: Finances | Article XI: Amendments to the Bylaws

ARTICLE I

NAME

The name of this organization is the Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT), a round table and internal unit of the American Library Association (ALA).

ARTICLE II

PURPOSES

The purposes of IFRT shall be to lead and inspire library workers at all levels of expertise in their defense of intellectual freedom through community, education, and advocacy by

  • providing a forum for the discussion of activities, programs, and problems in intellectual freedom of libraries and librarians;
  • serving as a channel of communications on intellectual freedom matters;
  • promoting a greater opportunity for involvement among the members of the ALA in defense of intellectual freedom;
  • encouraging a greater sense of responsibility in the implementation of ALA policies on intellectual freedom.

ARTICLE III

MEMBERS

Section 1. Any member of ALA who is interested in the purposes of IFRT may become a member upon payment of their annual dues in the amount set by the ALA Council and Executive Board.

Section 2. Organization members shall be non-voting members.

ARTICLE IV

OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of this organization shall include a chair, a chair-elect who shall serve as vice-chair, a secretary, a treasurer, four directors, and a councilor, all of whom shall be personal members in good standing of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table. These officers shall perform the duties prescribed by these Bylaws wherever applicable and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Round Table.

Section 2. The term of office for the chair and vice-chair shall be one year, from the end of one Annual Meeting to the end of the following Annual Meeting. Persons shall be eligible for reelection to the office of vice-chair after a minimum interval of one year out of the office of chair.

Section 3. The term of office for the secretary, the treasurer, and the four directors shall be two years; terms shall commence at the end of an Annual Meeting and continue through the end of the second subsequent Annual Meeting. The term of office of the councilor shall be three (3) years and the term shall commence at the end of Annual Meeting and continue through the end of the third subsequent Annual Meeting. Persons who have completed one (1) full term in office shall be eligible for reelection after a minimum interval of one year out of office with the exception of the Councilor, who may be reelected to a second consecutive term by the membership.

Section 4. After the initial election, a vice-chair, a secretary, and two directors shall be elected at the annual election held on even years and a vice-chair, a treasurer, and two directors shall be elected at the annual election held on odd years and a councilor will be elected every three years.

Section 5. The Nominating Committee shall give to the Executive Committee a recommendation with at least two nominees for every office to be filled for annual election. The Executive Committee shall vote to approve the list of qualified candidates. Members shall be informed of the candidates. Members may also be nominated for candidacy any office via a signed petition of at least fifteen IFRT members.

The election will be held by vote in accordance with ALA procedure. A plurality of all votes cast will be necessary to determine the successful candidate for each office. In case of a tie vote, the successful candidate will be determined by lot. All elections will be certified by the ALA Elections Committee.

Section 6. The IFRT councilor represents the interests of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table on the ALA Council. The IFRT councilor is a member of IFRT's Executive Committee.

Section 7. Succession.

  1. If the office of chair becomes vacant, the chair-elect shall become chair and shall continue to fulfill the duties of the chair-elect.
  2. If a vacancy occurs in any other elected office prior to April 1, and one year or more remains in the term, the Nominating Committee shall propose at least two candidates to fill the unexpired term of the vacant office(s). Voting will be conducted at the next regular Round Table election.
  3. If a vacancy occurs with less than one year remaining in the term, or after April 1 with more than one year remaining in the term, the chair will appoint a replacement to serve out the unexpired term, subject to confirmation by a majority of the Executive Committee. This vote may be cast by phone or mail at the discretion of the chair.
  4. If a member of the Executive Committee is unable to or does not fulfill the responsibilities of office as defined in the bylaws, or if a member of the Executive Committee is unable to fulfill the full term of office, the Executive Committee may declare a director's office vacant by majority vote.

Section 8. No member shall hold more than one office at any one time.

ARTICLE V

MEETINGS

Section 1. The Annual Meeting of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table may take place during the Annual Conference of the American Library Association and shall include a report of the Executive Committee to the members of its activities in the interim between Membership Meetings.

Section 2. Twenty-five members in good standing shall constitute a quorum at any meeting of the Round Table.

ARTICLE VI

THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Section 1. The officers of the Round Table and the chairs of the Bylaws and Organization, Coalition Building, John Phillip Immroth Award, Membership Promotion, Merritt Fund Promotion, Nominating, Eli Oboler Award, Program, and Publications and Communications Committees shall constitute the Executive Committee. Liaisons shall be non-voting members of the Executive Committee.

Section 2. The Executive Committee shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Round Table between its business meetings, fix the hour and place of meeting, and perform such other duties as are specified in these Bylaws. It is subject to the orders of the Round Table and none of its acts shall be in conflict with actions taken by the Round Table.

Section 3. The Executive Committee shall meet at least twice annually, with a meeting held at the annual meeting of the American Library Association. Special meetings may be called by the chair and shall be called upon request of three members of the Executive Committee. Meetings may be virtual or have a virtual component if necessary.

Section 4. A simple majority of the voting members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.

ARTICLE VII

COMMITTEES

Section 1. All committees shall be composed of members in good standing of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table.

Section 2. All standing committee members shall be appointed by the chair of the Round Table for a two-year term. Terms shall be staggered so vacancies do not result in an entire standing committee being replaced at one time. A committee member may be appointed for only one additional two-year term.

Section 3. Committee chairs shall serve one year as chair, and may be appointed to a second one-year term at the pleasure of the Round Table chair. No person shall serve as chair of one standing committee more than two successive years. A member of a committee who is appointed to chair that committee shall serve the full two-year term as a committee member, regardless of service as chair.

Section 4. The standing committees are: Bylaws and Organization, John Phillip Immroth Award, Membership Promotion, Nominating, Programming and Events, Eli Oboler Memorial Award, Coalition Building, Publications & Communications, and LeRoy C. Merritt Humanitarian Fund Promotion Committee. Changes to the charge of standing committees must be approved by the Executive Committee.

Section 5. Members of special committees shall be appointed by the chair of the Round Table and shall be appointed for a designated period of time.

ARTICLE VIII

LIAISONS

Section 1. The Round Table chair shall appoint liaisons with the Intellectual Freedom Committee and Freedom To Read Foundation. Liaisons with other organizations may be appointed to, or received from, other organizations at the discretion of the chair of the Round Table.

Section 2. Liaisons shall serve as conduits for two-way communication between the Round Table and the other organization. They shall report on the activities of the group to which they are liaison at meetings of the Executive Committee. Liaisons shall be expected to attend the regularly scheduled open meetings of the organization to which they are the Round Table's representative.

Section 3. Liaisons shall serve a two-year term, and may be reappointed to a second term. No liaison shall serve more than two consecutive terms.

ARTICLE IX

PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

The rules contained in Robert's Rules of Order, in the latest edition, shall govern the Round Table in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws or the Constitution and Bylaws of the ALA.

ARTICLE X

FINANCES

Section 1. The fiscal year of the Round Table shall conform to the fiscal year of the ALA.

Section 2. Funds of the Round Table shall be held and disbursed in accordance with Section 3 of Article VII of the Bylaws of the ALA, which is incorporated herein by reference. The Round Table shall not incur expenses on behalf of the ALA without its prior written authorization.

ARTICLE XI

AMENDMENTS TO THE BYLAWS

Section 1. These Bylaws may be amended by a majority of those voting at any Annual Meeting, or by ballot, provided the amendment has been proposed by the Executive Committee, a committee authorized by the Executive Committee, or a personal member of the Round Table, and has been sent in writing to the secretary and delivered to each member at least thirty days before the Annual Meeting or the counting of the vote. Amendments to these Bylaws shall become effective immediately upon certification of the election results.

Section 2. These Bylaws shall at all times be consistent with the Bylaws of the ALA as from time to time amended.

Adopted June 28, 1973; Revised July 4, 1974; Revised July 3, 1975; Revised July 22, 1976; Revised December 1, 1981; Revised June 15, 1983; Revised June 10, 1987; Revised June 14, 1989; Revised June 13, 1990; Revised June 13, 1992; Revised June 14, 1996; Revised May 5, 1999; May 2, 2002; May 2, 2008; May 2, 2012; Revised April 12, 2017; Revised April 12, 2020; Revised April 24, 2021; Revised April 8, 2024.