Automated Library Services Bylaws

The Automated Library Services (ALS) Users Council is a subset of the Upper Peninsula Region of Library Cooperation, Inc (UPRLC). Each UPRLC member library that participates in the shared Integrated Library Systems (ILS) may designate staff to be part of the ALS Council. Each library is entitled to one voting representative, though multiple staff may be involved in ALS committee work.

The ALS Council shall meet at least biannually to approve the budgets and management of the shared ILS. The ALS Council will elect a “Leader” and an “Alternate Leader”. These “Leaders” will be elected at the first meeting of the calendar year and serve for one year, there are no term limits. If the “Leader” is unable to continue their term then the “Alternate Leader” will assume responsibilities of the “Leader” and a special meeting will be called within 30 days to elect a new “Alternate Leader”.

The UPRLC Board of Trustees will appoint annually one nonparticipant to the ALS Council having full vote and with the responsibility to keep the UPRLC Board of Trustees informed.

The Organization which holds the Management Contract for the shared ILS shall designate an employee as the ALS liaison. The Liaison and the Leader shall set meeting dates and provide connection information and an agenda to all participating libraries in a timely manner. The Liaison shall ensure that meeting minutes are taken and provided to the ALS Council. The Management Contract shall include providing budget information to the ALS Council.

The annual budget of the ALS Council will be presented to the UPRLC Board of Trustees for approval at the next regular meeting following the ALS Council approval of the budget. Any subsequent revisions made to the ALS Council budget will be presented to the UPRLC Board of Trustees for approval at a subsequent Board of Trustees meeting. All final revisions of the ALS Council’s annual budget will be presented to the Board of Trustees for approval at the Corporation annual meeting.

The ALS Council shall create Working Committees as needed, for research or future initiatives and to ensure that best practices are followed for the management of the shared ILS. Each committee will have an appointed chairperson who will report on the specific project to the ALS Council at each regular meeting.

The ALS Council shall exist as long as there is a need for a shared ILS for UPRLC members and shall be disbanded when a shared ILS is considered obsolete. At the time of dissolution, the User Council will submit a plan, including timeline and the details of dissolution of any assets after all financial obligations are met, to the UPRLC Board of Trustees for approval, before any action to dissolve the service is undertaken.

Amendments to the ALS Council Bylaws need to be proposed at a regular ALS Council meeting, then distributed to all ILS users. Amendments can then be approved by a majority vote of the members present at the next regular ALS Council meeting.