Article 1. Name

The name of this non-profit organization shall be the Partnership Among South Carolina Academic Libraries (hereafter called PASCAL).

Article 2. Mission and Goals

Section 1. PASCAL serves as a non-profit consortium of public and private academic libraries, advocating a highly productive knowledge environment where members of our academic and research community have equitable, immediate access to library information and services regardless of their location and at the time they are most needed.

Section 2. PASCAL’s mission is to assist South Carolinians in reaching their potential in academic achievement and economic development. We recognize that we must cooperate to enhance library resources and services for students and faculty. Working in a collaborative and cost effective way, we, the participating public and private academic libraries of South Carolina, commit ourselves to constantly improve our own resources and services, and to provide timely access to the totality of the state's resources from each library in the state.

Section 3. GOALS  

• To provide universal access to core materials and information services for every student and faculty member attending institutions of higher learning in South Carolina.
• To foster and facilitate direct resource sharing among academic libraries in South Carolina.  
• To enhance research collections that support scholarly achievement and further economic development in South Carolina.
• To provide professional development opportunities for staff in South Carolina’s academic libraries.
• To promote the digital preservation of materials that contribute to the memory of South Carolina history and culture and provide access to them for future generations.     
• To promote the role of academic libraries across the South Carolina community.
• To develop and nurture relationships with key partners in providing information services to South Carolina libraries and its people.

Article 3. Membership

Section 1. Membership in PASCAL is open to the public colleges, universities and technical colleges of South Carolina and private, not for profit colleges and universities that are headquartered in South Carolina.

Section 2. Each member shall name one representative to PASCAL. The libraries' representatives will be the directors of the member libraries or their designees. When an institution's library directorship is vacant, the institution may designate a temporary representative, who shall have full voting rights.

Section 3. Ex officio members (non-voting) will include the Director of the South Carolina State Library, and the designated representatives of the Commission on Higher Education, the Office of the State CIO, South Carolina Department of Archives and History, South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU), and others chosen by the Board of Directors.

Article 4. Board of Directors and Its Duties

Section 1. The Board of Directors shall consist of eleven elected members

• seven members elected by the representatives from Library Directors Forum
• four members elected by the representatives from Library Directors Council

Section 2. Ex officio members (non voting) will include the Director of the South Carolina State Library, and the designated representatives of the Commission on Higher Education, the Office of the State CIO, South Carolina Department of Archives and History, and SCICU.

Section 3. The Board of Directors shall determine policies and procedures that may be reviewed and amended by the full membership.

Section 4. The Board of Directors must approve the annual budget.

Section 5. The Board of Directors may appoint technical, legal, financial and other advisors to assist the Board. These advisors will be ex-officio (non-voting) members of the Board. Advisors will be re-appointed as needed.

Section 6. The term of office for members of the Board of Directors shall be three years.  Members of the Board of Directors may be reappointed by the constituents that they represent.  Elected members of the Board shall take office immediately following the annual business meeting.

Section 7. Meetings. A majority of the Board of Directors must be present to conduct a meeting. Meetings will be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order.

Article 5. Officers of the Board of Directors and Their Duties

Section 1. The officers of the Board of Directors shall consist of: Chair, Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, Past Chair, and Treasurer. The officers shall constitute the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors and shall have the power to develop plans, call meetings of the Board, make recommendations to the Board, and act on PASCAL business that occurs in the interval between meetings. The Executive Committee shall be accountable to the Board of Directors and the membership for all actions taken.

Section 2. Election and Terms of Office. The Board of Directors shall elect their officers from the membership of the Board. Officers shall be elected in the first Board of Directors meeting that follows the annual business meeting of the PASCAL membership. Officers shall take office immediately upon election.  The Chair, Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, and Past Chair will serve a one year term.  The Chair, Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect, and Past Chair may serve an unlimited number of terms but not consecutive terms.  The Treasurer will serve a three year term.  The Treasurer may serve an unlimited number of terms, but not consecutive terms.

Section 3. Duties of the Chair. The Chair shall be responsible for presiding at Board and membership meetings and appointing committees. The Chair shall serve as the official conduit between the Executive Director and the Board of Directors.

Section 4. Duties of the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect. The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall serve as Chair immediately following the term(s) served as Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect. The Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall assume the duties of the Chair in his or her temporary absence.

Section 5. Duties of the Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be responsible for working with the Executive Director to provide fiscal oversight of PASCAL funds.

Section 6. Duties of the Past Chair.  The Past Chair shall serve as Chair of the Nominating Committee and serve in an advisory role to the Chair and Board of Directors.

Section 7. Vacancies. If the Chair is unable to complete the term of office, the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect shall immediately become Chair for the remainder of the unexpired term and for the term he or she was initially elected to serve. If the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect is unable to complete the term of office, the Chair shall appoint a replacement to assume the duties of the Vice-Chair/Chair-Elect until the next regular elections. If the Treasurer is unable to complete the term of office, the Chair shall appoint a replacement to assume the duties of the Treasurer until the next regular elections.

Article 6. Executive Director

Section 1. The position of Executive Director shall be selected by a vote of the majority of the members of the Board of Directors. The Executive Director shall be an ex officio (non-voting) member of the Board of Directors. The Executive Director shall, in consultation with the Chair, develop the agenda for Board meetings. The Executive Director shall be responsible for recording of minutes of all membership and Board meetings, maintain an accurate record of all revenues and expenditures, and submit written reports of financial and yearly activities as required by the Board of Directors.

Section 2.  The Executive Director serves as the chief executive officer of PASCAL.  Other staff may be appointed as necessary to fulfill the purpose of PASCAL.  PASCAL staff report to and are responsible to the Executive Director.

Section 3. The Executive Director is responsible to the Board of Directors and shall be evaluated annually by the Executive Committee of the Board.

Article 7. Meetings and Quorum

PASCAL Membership representatives shall meet at least twice yearly, but the Board of Directors may call additional meetings as required with a minimum of three weeks' notice. A majority of the representatives must be present to conduct a meeting. Meetings will be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order. The Chair may appoint a parliamentarian. The spring meeting shall be the annual business meeting.

Article 8. Committees

Section 1.  The Board of Directors may appoint committees and task forces and assign them to such duties as may be necessary to carry on the work of PASCAL.  PASCAL staff shall be ex officio members of all working committees and will facilitate their activities.

Article 9. Amendments

These by-laws may be amended by a two-thirds majority vote of representatives present in a meeting of PASCAL members.  Any such amendment must be distributed to the members at least three weeks prior to a meeting at which the amendment will be considered.

Article 10. Dues

Dues shall be recommended by the Board of Directors and approved each year by the membership. The dues will be used to defray operational costs and other services provided by the organization. A budget will be provided to the members 30 days in advance of the annual business meeting.   

Article 11. Relationship to Partners

PASCAL recognizes its shared goals with its partners in providing information services to South Carolina libraries and its people:  the South Carolina State Library, the Commission on Higher Education, the Office of the State CIO, the South Carolina Department of Archives and History, the University of South Carolina School of Library and Information Science, SCICU, and others

Article 12. Withdrawal from PASCAL membership

A member may withdraw, without refund of dues, from PASCAL by submitting a written notice to the Chair of the Board of Directors.  Reinstatement of institutions will be handled by the Board of Directors on a case by case basis.

Article 13. Dissolution

Upon dissolution of PASCAL the assets, after all debts are paid, shall be distributed according to the organization’s State Charter.

Approved by Board of Directors 27 March 2002
Adopted by Membership 20 May 2002
Revised by Membership 30 May 2003

Revised by Membership 19 June 2008