Friends of Dacus Library at Winthrop University

Bylaws
2004

Article I - Name
The name of this organization shall be the Friends of Dacus Library at Winthrop University ("Friends")
ARTICLE II - Purpose
The purpose of this organization shall be:

1. To encourage gifts, endowments, memorials, and funds for financial support of library materials beyond the library's budget.
2. To promote an understanding for present resources and services of the library and to foster a favorable climate for the support of its resources, services and physical facilities
3. To promote among the constituency of the University appreciation for the library as the center of academic life of the institution and of its role in providing opportunities for education and lifelong learning.

ARTICLE III - Membership
Section 1.  Any person, organization, or corporation interested in the purposes of the Friends shall be eligible for membership and may become a member by making a contribution in the amount set forth in Section 2 of this Article III.
Section 2.  There shall be the following categories:
Winthrop Student - Annual contribution of $10
Member - Annual contribution of $25
Sustaining Member - Annual contribution of $50
Patron - Annual contribution of $100
Benefactor - Annual contribution of $200 or more.
Section 3. Memberships will run from Jan. 1 through Dec. 31.
ARTICLE IV – The Board
Section 1.  The twenty Board Members consist of six (6) officers plus fourteen (14) Advisory Board Members.
Section 2.  The responsibility of the Board shall be to promote understanding of the Friends and its purposes to the public.
Section 3.  Meeting of the Board will be called by the Chair of the Friends to report to the Advisory Board on the activities of the Friends, to seek advice and counsel, and to elect members of the board to the Executive Committee.  Four quarterly meetings shall be held annually.
Articled V. Officers and Their Duties
Section 1.  The Friends shall have the following six (6) officers:  Chair, Vice-chair, Recording Secretary, Corresponding Secretary/Newsletter editor, Treasurer, and Past Chair.  Officers will be elected by a majority vote of members present at the annual business meeting of the Friends.  Terms of office shall be two years for Recording Secretary, and Treasurer. The Chair, Vice-chair, and Past Chair shall serve a one year term. Exception: The position of Corresponding Secretary/Newsletter editor is permanently held by the Administrative Assistant in the Dacus Library Dean’s Office.
Section 2.  The duties of the officers shall be as follows (For detailed duties see Appendix A)

1. The Chair shall preside at meetings, chair the Executive Committee, appoint with the advice of the Executive Committee appropriate committees and generally function as executive officer of the Friends.  Appropriate committees include: Membership, Program, Publicity, and Fundraising.
2. The Vice-chair shall preside in the absence of the Chair and serve as Chair of the Program Committee, and shall succeed to the position of Chair at the conclusion of the Chair's term of office.  
3. The Recording Secretary will keep the minutes and associated records of the Friends and will maintain an archive of the Friends and its activities as a permanent record
4. The Corresponding Secretary/Newsletter Editor: permanently held by the Administrative Assistant in the Dean’s Office of Dacus Library.
1. The Corresponding Secretary will maintain (through liaison with the Treasurer and with the Winthrop Foundation) a record of the membership of the Friends, and will handle such correspondence with the members as the business of the organization may require, excluding, however such mailings as newsletters and program announcements.
2. Newsletter Editor will be responsible for gathering information for two newsletters each year (Spring and Fall) for distribution to the current Friends membership. Editor will solicit newsworthy articles from the Friend’s membership as well as the Dacus Library Staff. Publishing schedule will be set to publicize Friends programs and events: each newsletter must be published one month before each program. Newsletters will be produced and published by Dacus Library Dean’s Office.
5. The Treasurer will maintain detailed records of the financial transactions of Friends, serve as a liaison with the Director of Financial Affairs of the Winthrop University Foundation for transfer of funds from the Friends Foundation account, will report periodically to the Executive Committee on the financial status of the Friends and will serve as liaison with the Corresponding Secretary.  
6. Past Chair will serve for one year in an ex-officio capacity and chair the nominating committee. 

Section 3.  Election of officers will take place annually at the fall business meeting of the Friends.  the Chair and Vice-chair (Chair-elect) will be elected annually.  The Recording Secretary and Treasurer will be elected in odd numbered years.  The Corresponding Secretary/Newsletter Editor position is permanently held by the Administrative Assistant in the Dean’s Office of Dacus Library.  All officers will assume duties on January 1.
Section 4.  A quorum shall consist of the majority of members present.                 
ARTICLE VI - EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1.  The Executive Committee shall be responsible for the general management and operation of the Friends.  It shall be composed of six officers of the Friends (Past chair, chair, vice chair, recording secretary, corresponding chair/newsletter editor, and treasurer).
Section 2.  Meetings of the Executive Committee shall be called by the Chair and shall be held as needed to conduct the business of the Friends.
ARTICLE VII - ADVISORY BOARD
Section 1.   The Advisory Board shall be composed of the 14 members dedicated to the purposes of the Friends who will serve a two year term, with one half of the group elected every year.  Members of the Advisory Board will be elected by majority vote of members present at the Friends annual meeting of Friends.
ARTICLE VIII - MEETINGS OF THE MEMBERSHIP
Meetings of the members may be held as desired for educational and/or social functions.  The annual business meeting of the Friends will be held in the fall to elect officers and Advisory Board members, report to the membership, and conduct other necessary business.
ARTICLE IX - POLICIES CONCERNING FUNDS
Section 1.  All fundraising activities by the officers, the Advisory Board, and members of the Friends will be conducted only with the prior knowledge and approval of the Office of Development of Winthrop University.  All funds, including membership contributions, shall be deposited with the Winthrop University Foundation and identified as a contribution to the Friends of Dacus Library.
Section 2.  Expenditures or routine expenses - postage, printing, refreshments, and the like - may be authorized by the Treasurer with approval of the Chair.  All other expenditures shall be authorized by the Board before they are incurred.
ARTICLE X - APPROVAL AND AMENDMENT OF THE BYLAWS
The bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the membership. Voting can take place at the annual business meeting in the Fall or by electronic or mail-in paper ballot if changes are needed earlier in the year.  The proposed changes must have been approved by the Board. They must be presented in writing to the general membership at least ten business days prior to the voting deadline.
ARTICLE XI – VOTING AND ELECTIONS
As the organization evolves, procedural changes may arise that require general elections from the membership. When necessary, these issues will be presented by electronic and mail-in paper ballot along with stated voting deadline. The Chair oversees these elections and may assign this task to another board member.
ARTICLE XII - PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE
The proceedings of the organization will be governed by Robert's Rules of Order.
Amended 5/5/04
Amended 5/7/2008

APPENDIX A
Friends of Dacus Library Officers’ Duties

 The Past Chair

• Serves as ex-officio to the executive board.
• Attends board meeting and programs of the Friends.
• Serves as advisor to the Chair and executive board.
• Serves as chair of the Nominating Committee.
• Establishes the Nominating Committee (2 to 5 members) by May and presents slate of nominees at the August board meeting.

The Chair

• Serves as chief executive officer of the Board.
• Presides over meetings.
• Provides leadership in future directions and programs.
• Appoints Ad Hoc committees as needed.
• Sends out yearly renewal notices to all current and previous members in December.

Vice-Chair

• Serves as program chair.
• Presides over meeting in the absence of the chair.
• Send program publicity to the Corresponding Secretary to place in the Friends of Library permanent files.
• Sends program notice to Dacus Library website manger to add to the Friends of Dacus Library program and timeline web pages.
• Sends program notice to Winthrop University publications, Johnsonian,  Alumni Office, University Relations, Parents’ Post, cultural events calendar, FYI, student’s listserv, faculty-staff listserv, and any other appropriate media outlets.

Recording Secretary

• Keeps minutes of board meetings.
• Keeps records associated with the Friends.
• Maintains archive of the Friends and its activities as a permanent record.
• Sends board meeting minutes to the Corresponding Secretary to add to permanent records (housed in the library)

Corresponding Secretary/Newsletter Editor
Corresponding Secretary:

• Maintains membership records of the Friends.
• Maintains Friends of Library permanent files.
• Handles correspondence on behalf of the Friends, including:
• Writes & mails thank-you letters for new/renewed memberships.
• Writes & mails thank-you letters to the donors of books, along with a copy of the book’s title page and gift plate. Library Acquisitions provides these copies of given books’ title pages and gift plates.
• When gifts are designated in honor or memory of a specified person: Some donors specify honorees and memorials – with or without request to notify the honoree or remembered person’s family members. Corresponding secretary also writes & mails notification to the honoree or the remembered person’s family member, as specified on each donor’s membership form. These notifications also include copies of gift books’ title pages and gift plates.
• Mailings of newsletters, program announcements, renewal invitations, etc.
• Maintains a kitty fund for purchasing supplies (stamps, envelopes, etc) for the newsletter and membership mailings.

Newsletter Editor:

• Publishes a Friends newsletter twice a year (Spring and Fall):

• Responsible for gathering information: Solicits, collects and compiles newsletter stories from members of the Friends of Dacus Library as well as from Dacus Library Staff.
• Publishing schedule will be set to publicize Friends programs and events: each newsletter must be published one month before each program.
• Sends electronic copy of newsletter to the library’s website manager to add to the Friends of Dacus Library web page.
• Newsletters will be produced and published by Dacus Library Dean’s Office.
• Newsletter editor may appoint a news-gathering committee if desired.
• Newsletter is organized by regular sections:
• Message from the Chair
• Dean’s Corner
• Latest Friends Gifts (showcased gift books)
• Programs (publicity for upcoming program, description of plans for future programs and request for additional ideas from members)
• Showcase:
• Winthrop faculty research
• Dacus Library programs & services
• E.g. IM, PASCAL Delivers, Online ILL request, new databases (insert miniature postcard likeness), library door access.
• Profile of a member
• Membership list – year end list
• Tribute
• Memorial
• “Why I give” (statement from a Friends member)

Treasurer

• Maintains detailed records of the Friends’ financial transactions.
• Serves as liaison with the Director of Financial Affairs of the Winthrop University Foundation
• Authorizes payment and transfer of funds from the Friends account to the library account through Winthrop University Foundation.
• Establishes and maintains a revolving account on deposit with Dacus Library for incidental Friends costs (e.g. printing & postage).

Advisory Board Member

• Serves on working committees of the Friends Board
• Serves as chair of working committees of the Friends Board as needed
• Submits stories, ideas or images (photos, artwork, etc)  to the Friends Newsletter editor
• Generates ideas for future Friends programs and activities
• Helps with publicity projects
• Eligible for Friends officers

APPENDIX B
Calendar

• January
• Begin soliciting ideas for the spring newsletter
• New Officers assume duties on January 1.
• February
• Mid-February: Board meeting
• March
• Friends Newsletter published (early March)
• Late March: Spring Friends program, (or early April)
• April
• Early April: Spring Friends program (or late March)
• May
• Nominating Committee established
• Begin soliciting ideas for the fall newsletter
• Mid-May: Board meeting
• June
• July
• August
• Mid-August: Board meeting
• Ballot for Friends election of new officers and board members
• Membership Drive – ideas and planning
• September
• Friends Newsletter published
• October
• Friends Fall program and annual business and membership meeting with election for next year’s board.
• November
• Mid-November: Board Meeting
• December
• Membership forms mailed to current and previous members

Return to Friends Page