I. Name and Mission
- The name of this organization shall be Georgia Library Public Information Network for Electronic Services, abbreviated PINES.
- The purpose of the Georgia Library Public Information Network for Electronic Services (PINES) is to provide the State’s citizens with free and reliable access to Georgia public library collections and information through an Internet-based multi-system union catalog.
II. Membership
- Members. There shall be one class of membership in PINES. Membership is held by the participating library system. Each member system is a voting member with one (1) vote. The director of the participating library or his/her designee shall cast votes.
- Qualifications. Membership shall be limited to Georgia public library systems that qualify for state aid.
- Application for Membership. Prospective members may apply to join PINES by submitting a PINES Membership Agreement to the Chair of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall vote on all prospective membership applications. Future participating members are defined as systems that have signed the “Intent to Participate” agreement and have been approved by the Executive Committee.
- Term. Membership shall be on a fiscal year basis (July 1 – June 30), effective upon receipt of a signed PINES Membership Agreement. Membership is automatically renewed on an annual basis unless notification of termination is given as described in item 6 below, “Termination.”
- Member Representatives. Each member system shall appoint a Member Representative who shall receive all communications.
- Termination. Any member system may terminate membership in PINES by providing written notice to the Chair of the Executive Committee as stated in the PINES Membership Agreement. The Executive Committee may, by a two-thirds majority of all Executive Committee representatives, terminate a membership whenever in its judgment the best interests of PINES would be served.
- A member system leaving PINES or being terminated has the right to receive at cost and in a timely manner a complete and current copy of its catalog database with attached bibliographic records extracted from the PINES database in a useful format.
- Each member library agrees to buy PINES mailing bags according to a formula based on IntraPINES lending statistics. The formula and the need to purchase bags will be reviewed each year at the annual meeting.
III. Membership Meetings
- PINES membership shall meet at least once a year in May with the time and location to be determined by the Executive Committee. Other membership meetings may be called by the Executive Committee. Members will be notified at least fourteen (14) days in advance of the annual meeting.
- Minutes of meetings shall be kept and distributed to the membership.
- The Chair of the Executive Committee shall convene a called membership meeting upon receiving a written request signed by two-thirds of the membership.
- A simple majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum for membership meetings.
IV. Executive Committee
- Number and Composition. The Executive Committee shall consist of nine (9) members, who shall be library system directors, and shall be representative of the membership of PINES. The Executive Committee shall consist of:
- Two (2) member representatives from small public library systems;
- Two (2) member representatives from medium public library systems;
- Two (2) member representatives from large public library systems;
- Three (3) member at-large representatives, which may include one (1) member representative from a future participating public library system.
- Non-voting Members. The following shall be non-voting members of the Executive Committee:
- State Librarian
- PINES Director
- Nomination. The Executive Committee Chair shall appoint a Nominating Committee to solicit and propose a slate of candidates for annual election to three (3) Executive Committee posts. Nominations for positions vacated during a term shall also be made. Prior to the election of new members to the PINES Executive Commitee, the nominating committee, at the direction of the Executive Committee Chair will solicit nominations for the posts to be filled from all PINES Member Systems by publishing a list of available positions and the names of all members who are eligible to fill the posts. The Nominating Committee shall provide two nominations for each post.
- Election Members of the Executive Committee will be elected by the PINES membership in time for the results to be announced at the Annual Membership Meeting. Executive Committee members shall be elected by a majority vote of the members voting. Ballots shall be sent by mail to all PINES members. A designated closing date shall be set at least two weeks after the date ballots are mailed. Ballots shall provide for write-in votes. Ballots returned shall be counted if they are received on or before the designated close of ballot date.
- Term. Executive Committee members will serve a term of three years to commence on July 1. One third of the members of the Executive Committee will be elected each year and one third will rotate off the committee. Executive Committee members are limited to two (2) successive terms on the Executive Committee.
- Officers. The Executive Committee shall elect the following officers: Chair, Chair-Elect, and Secretary.
- Officers’ Duties. The Chair, Chair-Elect, and Secretary will perform the following duties and may perform other duties assigned by the Executive Committee:
- Chair: The Chair will preside over all PINES and Executive Committee meetings and will serve as the PINES representative to the Georgia Public Library Service, Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
- Chair-Elect: The Chair-Elect will assume the authority and responsibilities of the Chair in the Chair’s absence or unavailability, and will become Chair in the following year.
- Secretary: The Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining the minutes of the Executive Committee meetings and the PINES membership meetings.
- Officers’ Election and Term. The Executive Committee Officers shall be elected by majority vote of the Executive Committee. The term of office for the officers shall be one (1) year, to commence on July 1. Officers cannot serve a second consecutive term in the same office. An announcement of the newly elected officers will be sent to the membership promptly following the election.
- Vacancies. Vacancies on the Executive Committee shall be filled by appointment by the Executive Committee until the next election of members of the Executive Committee.
- Removal. A two-thirds vote of no confidence from the PINES membership shall dissolve the Executive Committee. Should the Executive Committee be dissolved, a nominating committee elected from the membership shall propose a new slate of candidates.
- Quorum. A majority of voting members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at meetings.
- Meetings. The Executive Committee shall hold at least two meetings per year, with other meetings scheduled as needed. The general membership shall be notified in advance of all Executive Committee meetings. All Executive Committee meetings are open to member systems and other interested parties. Only elected Executive Committee members may vote at Executive Committee meetings.
- Attendance. If a member misses more than two (2) consecutive meetings, the member may be replaced for the duration of that term by appointment of the Executive Committee.
- Powers. The Executive Committee shall:
- Formulate policies pertaining to PINES.
- Act upon recommendations pertaining to PINES.
- Make recommendations regarding information technology and budget proposals pertaining to PINES and other related issues, e.g. personnel, upgrades, enhancements, support, etc.
- Voting. Only elected Executive Committee members may cast votes at an Executive Committee meeting. Proxy representation and proxy voting are not allowed. If an elected member cannot attend an Executive Committee meeting, the member has the option of participating via technology, as outlined below, or will forfeit the right to cast votes at that meeting.
- Electronic Balloting
- At the direction of the Chair of the Executive Committee, items may be brought to the Executive Committee for electronic ballot.
- Notice of issues for electronic ballot must be electronically mailed to each member of the Executive Committee two (2) weeks prior to a designated “close of ballot” date.
- Ballots returned shall be counted if they are dated on or before the designated close of ballot date.
- Membership shall be notified in advance in cases of electronic balloting.
- Virtual Attendance and Meetings. If an elected Executive Committee member cannot attend an Executive Committee meeting, the member may make advance arrangements with the Chair and the hosting site to participate electronically, by conference call or other technology that allows full member participation, with the understanding that these technologies are not conducive to full transcription of the meeting discussion, and that only minimal transcription of actual motions on the floor may be possible when the question is called. The Executive Committee may opt to hold virtual meetings in the event of urgent business that needs to be acted upon quickly and for which the committee cannot convene with a quorum with the understanding that these technologies are not conducive to full transcription of the meeting discussion, and that only minimal transcription of actual motions on the floor may be possible when the question is called. The Executive Committee may opt to hold virtual meetings in the event of extenuating circumstances in which the committee cannot otherwise achieve a quorum with the understanding that these technologies are not conducive to full transcription of the meeting discussion, and that only minimal transcription of actual motions on the floor may be possible when the question is called.
V. Subcommittees
Appropriate subcommittees including but not limited to Circulation, Cataloging and Bibliographic Management, OPAC, and Acquisitions/Serials will address requests, grievances and suggestions for enhancements from the member libraries. Subcommittee members will be recommended by PINES member library directors and approved by the Executive Committee.
VI. Amendment of the Bylaws
- The PINES Bylaws may be amended at any time by a two-thirds majority vote of the member libraries.
- Thirty (30) days prior written notice shall be given to all member libraries of proposed amendments.
- Proposed amendments may originate from the PINES membership with signatures from one-third of the member libraries.
VII. Rules of Order
PINES meetings, including the Executive Committee meetings, shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order, Latest Edition.
Adopted 5/29/2003; Revised 5/4/2011