CLAWS Charter

CLAWS Charter

Article I: Name
The name of this organization shall be College Libraries Across Washington State, also known as CLAWS, as which it will be hereinafter referred.

Article II: Relationship
This organization is a Section of the Washington Library Association, as authorized by the Washington Library Association Bylaws. (Article XIII, Section 3.)

Article III. Purpose
The object of CLAWS shall be to serve as a hub for library professionals in the Community and Technical Colleges (CTC) system of Washington State, and to promote and expedite the interests of its membership. To that end, our goals include:

Increasing quality of library services, as well as information literacy development and practices in instruction;
Promoting inter-library cooperation, idea sharing, professional development opportunities, and best practices directly benefiting student success;
Amplifying system-wide concerns to Library Leadership Council (LLC) and promoting integration and cooperation of library services into college programs;
Advocating for equity in higher education and the workforce while emphasizing the diverse and ever-evolving needs of our campus communities;
Seeking out innovative and sustainable initiatives that are open and equitable in developing quality library services, collection development, and user experience.

Article IV. Membership
Any member of the Washington Library Association may become a member of CLAWS. Payment of dues is provided for according to the Washington Library Association Bylaws.

Article V. Officers and Steering Committee

Section 1. The officers of CLAWS shall consist of the Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary/Communications.
Section 2. The Steering Committee of CLAWS shall consist of the officers as named above.
Section 3. Ad-hoc committees shall be appointed by the Steering Committee as needed. The Steering Committee may also appoint a program officer from within the CLAWS membership to serve during the term year. If the membership desires to make this position permanent, it will become an electable one-year position with service on the Steering Committee.
Section 4. Officers shall serve a one-year term, and may be re-elected, serving a total of no more than three consecutive years in one position.

Article VI. Nominations and Elections

Section 1. A call for officer nominees for the positions in Article V will be sent annually along with the WLA election.
Section 2. Election Process: Officer nominees shall be included within the WLA annual election ballot. A simple majority of members voting shall be sufficient to elect the officers.

Article VII. Meetings

Section 1. At least one membership meeting shall be held quarterly during the academic year. Members are encouraged to attend all meetings. A simple majority of members present will be sufficient to implement decisions made at these meetings.
Section 2. Meetings of the Steering Committee shall be scheduled as needed and may include online, telephone, or face-to-face meetings. Steering Committee meetings shall be open to any CLAWS member who wishes to attend.

Article VIII. Vacancies

Section 1. In the event of a vacancy in a Chair position, a call for a new Chair will go out to members. If more than one person puts forth their name, a ballot will go out to members to elect an individual to fill the remainder of the term.
Section 2. Vacancies in any ad-hoc committees shall be filled by the Chair.

Article IX. Amendments
Any additions or amendments to the charter shall be submitted to the membership through a ballot or vote at the annual business meeting. Ballots will include directions for members to vote by mail or electronically as directed and approved by the CLAWS Steering Committee. A simple majority of the votes shall be sufficient to amend the charter.