NAME

The name of the organization shall be The Friends of the Folsom Library.

PURPOSES

The purpose of the organization shall be to assist users and prospective users of the Folsom Library in becoming better acquainted with and promoting support and improvement of the library and its efforts to meet the changing needs of the future.

The organization shall further seek to enhance understanding of the functions of the Folsom Library within the university and public communities, and demonstrate its potential as a resource for development of human values that contribute to the betterment of society.

JOINING THE FRIENDS

Any individual or organization who annually donates to the Folsom Library either outright gifts or gifts in kind valued at or above the minimum amount specified by the Board of Directors shall become a Friend of the Folsom Library.

Two categories of regular Friend shall be available:
a. A BASIC Friend shall have donated at the minimum level.
b. A SUSTAINING Friend shall have donated at a level above the minimum.

The minimum amount of gifts required for each of the two regular annual categories shall be extablished by formal action of the Board of Directors at its annual meeting to become effective the following calender year.

Individual LIFE Friends may be named by the Board of Directors at its discretion in recognition of consistent and substantial support of the Richard G. Folsom Library.

Individual HONORARY Friends may be named by Board of Directors at its discretion in recognition of special service(s) and/or contibutions to the organization of the Richard G. Folsom Library.

Benefits for all Friends shall include:
a. Open access to all library facilities and services
b. Invitations to Friends' programs as appropriate.
c. A subscription to the Friends' Newsletter.
d. Other benefits as specified by the Board of Directors.

ORGANIZATION

The Friends of the Folsom Library shall be governed by a Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors shall be composed of a minimum of 19 members:
a. Chair
b. Chair-Elect
c. Past Chair
d. Directors (7 minimum)
e. Two (2) undergraduate student Directors
f. Two (2) graduate student Directors
g. The Director of Libraries (or a duly authorized representative)
h. Ex-officio members (4); ex-officio members shall be the Provost (or a designated representative, such as the Vice Provost for Computing and Information Technology), the Institute Archivist/Head of Special Collections, the Coordinator, Friends of the Folsom Library, and a representative from the Office of Development.

All regular members of the Board of Directors shall enjoy full voting privilege. Ex-officio members may not vote.

The Chair-Elect shall be approved by the Board of Directors every two years at its Annual Meeting.

The Chair-Elect shall serve a two-year term beginning at the close of the Annual Meeting.

At the conclusion of the two-year term, the Chair-Elect shall succeed as Chair.

The Chair shall succeed from the office of Chair-Elect and shall serve a two-year term beginning at the close of the Annual Meeting.

The immediate Past Chair shall be eligible to serve a subsequent consecutive term as a regular Director following the term as Past Chair.

A Past Chair shall be eligible to serve another term as Chair-Elect following an intervening term.

The term of membership for all members of the Board of Directors shall be two (2) years, except for the Director of Libraries and the representative from the Office of Development, whose term shall be in effect on a permanent basis by virtue of office.

Directors may be reappointed by the Chair to a second consecutive term unless they are elected Chair-Elect, in which case they may serve consecutive terms as outlined in Sections 4-6 above.

Candidates for Director shall be submitted by the Chair for approval at the Annual Meeting.

Approved candidates shall be appointed by the Chair in person, by telephone or by letter prior to September 1 of the first year of the term of office.

A minimum of four Directors shall be appointed each year to fill positions vacated by Directors whose terms have expired. All or part of these four positions may be filled by reappointment of Directors having served a single term.

Two (2) undergraduate student Directors and two (2) graduate student Directors shall serve on the Board of Directors at all times.

Every fall, not later than 15 September, the Grand Marshal shall nominate one undergraduate junior and one first-year or second-year graduate student to two-year terms as Directors, who will then be appointed by the Chair. The Grand Marshal may be self-nominated for such an appointment, at the discretion of the Grand Marshal. Terms for the undergraduate student Directors shall thus be overlapping by one year, as shall the terms for the graduate student Directors.

Should any undergraduate or graduate student Director be unable or unwilling to complete her or his term, the Grand Marshal shall nominate, and the Chair shall appoint, a student of appropriate rank to complete the unfinished term.

Board positions that are vacated for any reason prior to the end of the present term of office shall be filled by appointment by the Chair, except in the case of student Directors as described in Section 10 above.

Should the Chair be unable or unwilling to complete his/her term of office, the Chair-Elect shall complete the current term on his/her behalf and shall serve at least one additional term as Chair.

Should the Chair-Elect succeed the Chair for a partial term (or otherwise leave the office of Chair-Elect vacant prior to completion of his/her term), a new Chair-Elect shall be approved by the Board of Directors at its next regular meeting. The new Chair-Elect shall complete the partial term and serve at least one additional term as Chair-Elect.

Whenever possible, Directors shall be selected to represent the following groups within the university community: alumni, parents of students, faculty, staff, and citizens of the local community. Spouses of alumni may be selected alumni on the Board.

Membership on the Board of Directors shall not necessarily be limited to contributing Friends of the Folsom Library.

MEETINGS

The Board of Directors shall hold regular meetings at least twice each year, in the spring and in the fall. The spring meeting shall be the Annual Meeting of the organization.

Regular and special meetings of the Board of Directors shall be called by the Chair or Chair-Elect at a time and place fixed by the caller.

Special meetings of the Board of Directors may also be called by petition by a majority of the Board.

Regular and special meetings shall be presided over by the Chair or, in his/her absence, the Chair-Elect.

Members of the Board shall be notified of the time and place of meetings by letter or by telephone. Such notice shall be given no later than thirty (30) days prior to the meeting.

Eight (8) members of the sixteen member Board of Directors, including both the Director of Libraries and the representative from the Office of Development, shall constitute a quorum at any Board meeting.

Formal action by the Board shall require a favorable vote of majority of those members attending any meeting at which a quorum exists, except as provided in Article X, Section 1, with regard to constitutional amendments.

Unless specified otherwise in the Constitution and By-Laws, Robert's Rules of Order will be followed.

ARTICLE VI

OFFICIAL PUBLICATION

The official publication of the Friends of the Folsom Library will be a newsletter, normally published twice during each academic year. This will be mailed to all Friends.

COMMITTEES

Standing Committees may be created by the Board of Directors and may include any persons, both Friends and non-Friends, who are in a position to bring knowledge to bear on the issues with which a committee may be charged.

Special Committees may be created by the Chair for a prescribed period to study specific single issues and provide recommendations to the Board. Special Committees may include any persons who are in a position to bring knowledge to bear on the issue with which each Committee is charged.

PROGRAM

Under the leadership of its Board of Directors the Friends of the Folsom Library shall sponsor various events throughout each year that shall seek to give wide exposure to the Folsom Library and university programs related to the Folsom Library.

Programs shall emphasize the role of the university and its library within the community, and particularly the libray's potential as a cultural center and resource. These programs shall strive to demonstrate the close relationship of science and technology to the quality of human life, and generally provide for the enrichment of humanistic aspects of the community.

FINANCES

Funds contributed specifically for the use of the Friends of the Folsom Library shall be maintained in a special account by the Director of Libraries for expenditures or investment at the discretion of either the Director of Libraries or the Board of Directors, depending upon the amount of the expenditure or investment.

Expenditure of Friends' funds up to $500 shall be at the discretion of the Director of Libraries.

Expenditure of Friends' funds over the amount of $500 shall require approval of a majority of those members attending a meeting at which there exists a quorum.

If at any time the Friends' account becomes inflated beyond a degree required to cover usual operating expenses of the organization, the Director of Libraries may, at his/her discretion, transfer such sum as is not required for normal operating expenses to an interest bearing account, the earnings of which shall be used to support the activites of the Friends or their projects.

The Director of Libraries shall, at the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors, submit a detailed financial report outlining income and expenses for the current fiscal year to date.

A final report shall be prepared and distributed to the Board following the close of the fiscal year or by the fall meeting at the latest.

AMENDMENTS

Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws shall be proposed to the Board of Directors at its Annual Meeting and shall be adopted provided they are passed by a favorable vote of two-thirds majority of those members attending any regular meeting at which there exists a quorum. Unless otherwise specified in the amendment, amendments shall become effective at the close of the Annual Meeting.

Amendments shall be printed in the minutes of the Annual Meeting and in the official publication of the Friends of the Folsom Library.