Our Mission

The purpose of ROVHSLN is to provide quality services in the areas of patient care, student research and professional health education through the promotion and management of high-tech information delivery.   The Network will accomplish this by offering a full spectrum of high quality service while upholding the mission and policies of each member institution.  The Network promotes cost-containment at each institution to help meet today's current economic challenges.

Our Philosophy

The Rural Ohio Valley Health Sciences Library Network (ROVHSLN) includes interested Health Sciences Libraries, College Libraries, and Hospital Libraries.

The ROVHSLN members believe that learning is a continuous, necessary, and measurable process.  The Network is committed to providing the health care professional, educator, student, and consumer the information they seek in order to promote and improve current and future health care.  We believe that this can be achieved through information delivery, by advanced networking, resource sharing, cooperative collection development, reciprocity of services, and other cooperative and shared programs.

By-Laws

a. To promote quality services to each institution and its patrons by increasing access to information while decreasing the patron’s waiting time and the cost to the institution through the sharing of resources.

To provide for improved services within member institutions through reciprocity of services in the areas of book and monograph collections, audiovisual collections, journals, interlibrary loans, reference services and consultation.

 

To establish a union list of journals and audio-visuals for the purpose of shared services.

 

To reduce and/or help contain costs within each member’s institution library while maintaining quality services through coordinating acquisitions and eliminating or exchanging duplicated materials.

 

To provide increased access to information by utilizing state-of-the art equipment, high-technology, and rapid delivery service.

 

To provide reinforcement for recruitment and retention of both newly graduated and practicing healthcare professionals in the rural Ohio Valley by providing the same educational and reference support offered in metropolitan areas.

 

To encourage joint action on mutual concerns which would affect the quality of library services and healthcare in the rural Ohio Valley through the sharing of professional knowledge and group support.

 

To encourage cooperation within the membership through a professional interchange of knowledge and to provide greater peer support to enhance each member’s ability to promote quality service.

 

To promote and encourage the professional growth of members through cooperative technical training, increased use of telecommunications, and continuing education offerings.

 

To sponsor activities, publications, workshops, and educational opportunities for the membership which are consistent with the goals of the Consortium.

 

To promote networking beyond the immediate Consortium geographical area by accepting associate members.

 

Section 1. The membership of this Consortium shall be open to libraries of the rural Ohio Valley with an interest in healthcare services and/or education.

Section 2. Each application for membership shall be considered by the Consortium members using the faxtors of geographic location and mutual benefit. Voting upon the admission shall take place at a regular meeting by a simple majority vote of those present.

Section 3. Any member desiring to resign from the Consortium shall submit their resignation via a 60 day written notice in the form of a letter of withdrawal to the Secretary who shall present it to the Consortium members.

Section 4. Each eligible Consortium member shall have the same duties, rights, and privileges, including voting.

Section 5. One vote per Consortium membership by designated representative or alternate.

Section 1. The associate membership of this Consortium shall be open to libraries with an interest in healthcare services and/or education who do not desire full membership.

Section 2. Each associate membership application shall be considered by the Consortium members, using mutual benefit as a factor of consideration. Voting upon the admission shall take place at a regular meeting by a simple majority vote of those present.

Section 3. Associate member designation requires a reciprocal sharing agreement with the Consortium.

Section 4. Union List and Resource Catalogues produced by the Consortium will be offered to associate members at the current fee structure.

Section 5. Associate members have no financial obligations, voting rights, or attendance requirements at regular Consortium meetings.

Section 6. Any associate member desiring to resign from the Consortium shall submit their resignation via a 60 day written notice in the form of a letter of withdrawal to the Secretary who shall present it to the Consortium members.

Section 1. The officers of the Consortium shall be a Chairman, Vice-Chairman/Chairman Elect, Secretary, and a Treasurer.

Section 2. The term of office for officers of the Consortium shall be two years.

Section 3. The duties of the officers shall be those as usually apply to such offices and other matters as may specially be determined by the Consortium.

Section 4. At the summer meeting, a Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the Chairman. It shall be the duty of this Committee to nominate candidates for all offices. The slate of officers shall be presented at the fall meeting with nominations from the floor accepted. The voting ballots will be mailed to the Consortium members following the fall meeting. The election results from the ballots will be given at the winter meeting. The new officers will begin their term at the regular meeting of the new year.

Section 5. The officers shall be elected by ballot by members of the Consortium. All members of the Consortium in good standing are eligible to hold office.

Section 6. No member shall hold more than one office at a time.

Section 7. Vacancies shall be filled at the next regularly scheduled meeting by a simple majority vote by Consortium members present and will terminate at the usual time.

Section 1. There shall be quarterly meetings of the Consortium  each year. Participation in the Consortium shall require attendance to at least two meetings per year.

Section 2. Meetings will be determined by the Consortium once a year at the last regular meeting of the year. If a conflict should arise, date and time may be changed at a regular meeting with vote of simple majority. The Chairman or designated alternate may cancel or reschedule a meeting.

Section 3. The last meeting of the year shall be known as the annual meeting. The meeting shall be for the purpose of electing officers, planning activities and agenda for the coming year, and regular business.

Section 4. For any meetings of the Consortium a quorum shall consist of 55% of the membership.

Section 5. All decisions shall be by a simple majority vote of those present.

Section 1. The Consortium shall have the authority to create committees and/or ad hoc committees.

Section 2. The Nominating Committee shall consist of three consortium members of good standing. The responsibilities of the Nominating Committee shall be:

1. To solicit nominations from the membership and select a slate of nominees for elective terms of office;

 

2. To submit to the membership a slate of candidates;

 

3. To prepare and mail ballots to members;

 

4. To receive the ballots, tally the votes, and announce the results.

The rules contained in the current edition of ROBERT’S RULES OF ORDER NEWLY REVISED shall govern the Consortium in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with these bylaws and any special rules of order the Consortium may adopt.

Section 1. The within bylaws may be amended by a concurring two-thirds vote of the membership. Any member of the Consortium may initiate an amendment to these bylaws. Written notice of amendments to be considered shall be made to each member not less than fourteen (14) days prior to the date action is to be taken upon each amendment (s).

Section 2. Bylaws shall be studied for appropriateness annually by the Consortium members.

All assets of the Consortium shall become property of the Consortium. Upon termination of the Consortium any and all assets shall be distributed equally among the current membership.

Adopted on July 23, 1993 by the Consortium members.

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Secretary's Name, Secretary Date