Page images
PDF
EPUB

PUBLIC LIBRARY:

154304

ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS. 1899.

CONSTITUTION.

WE, the subscribers, Merchants' clerks in the city of New-York, being desirous to adopt the most efficient means to facilitate mutual intercourse; to extend our information upon mercantile and other subjects of general utility; promote a spirit of useful inquiry, and qualify ourselves to discharge, with dignity, the duties of our profession and the social offices of life,-have associated ourselves for the purpose of collecting and establishing a Library and Reading Room, to be appropriated to the use of young men engaged in mercantile pursuits; and have, for our government, adopted the following constitution:

ART. 1. This Association shall be known by the name of "The MERCANTILE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION," of the city of New-York.

ART. 2. The officers of the Association shall be a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and eight Directors; to be elected annually. The President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer, by separate ballot; the Directors by general ticket.

ART. 3. The President shall preside at the meetings; preserve order therein, and in case of an equal division of the members on any question, give the casting vote.

ART. 4. The Vice-President shall preside in the absence of the President, and perforin all the duties of that officer.

ART. 5. The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of the transactions of the Association; and, under the superintendence of the Board of Direction, conduct its correspondence.

ART. 6. The Treasurer shall receive all dues, and donations in money; pay all drafts on him, when signed by the Secretary, and countersigned by the President; keep a regular account of the financial concerns of the Association, an abstract of which, accompanied ⚫ by satisfactory vouchers, be shall exhibit at each annual meeting.

ART. 7. The Treasurer shall give security in the sum of one thousand dollars, for the faithful discharge of his trusts.

ART. 8. The President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Directors, shall constitute a Board of Direction, with full powers to appropriate funds, enact by-laws, and generally conduct the affairs of the Association. It shall meet, at least, once in each month, for the transaction of business; and at the annual meeting, report its proceedings for the past year, and the state of the concerns of the Association.

ART. 9. In case any vacancies shall occur in the Board of Direction, by death, resignation, removal, or inability to discharge the duties of their respective offices, the Board shall have power to fill such vacancies.

ART. 10, A Librarian, appointed by the Board of Direction, shall attend at the library, on each evening of the week, (Sunday excepted ;) shall keep a register of all books, magazines, maps, charts, papers, and all other property in his possession, belonging to the Association; arrange them in proper order; make a record thereof, with the names of the donors, and keep an accurate account of books delivered to members.

ART. 11. Each member, on subscribing to the constitution, shall pay an initiation fee of one dollar; and the further sum of one dollar semi-annually, so long as he shall continue a member.

ART. 12. Any person, (engaged in mercantile business as a clerk,) may, if approved of by a majority of the Board of Direction, become a member of this Association, on complying with the terms of the preceding article.

ART. 13. Any person not eligible to regular membership in this Association, may be elected an Honorary Member, at the annual meeting, provided there be not more than five dissenting voices; such member not being entitled to a vote, or to act in any official capacity.

ART. 14. Any member of this Association, commencing business for his own account, shall be entitled to the privileges of an Honorary Member, by continuing the semi-annual contribution of one dollar.

ART. 15. There shall be an annual meeting of the members of this Association, on the third Tuesday of December, for the purpose of receiving the report of the Treasurer, and Board of Direction; electing officers for the ensuing year; and the transaction of such other business as may be presented to them.

ART. 16. The President, at the request of twothirds of the Board of Direction, shall call a meeting of the members, for the transaction of special busi

ness.

ART. 17. A committee shall be appointed by the Board of Direction, to examine the books and other property belonging to the Association, and report thereon, at least one month previous to each annual meeting.

ART. 18. There shall be no alteration in this constitution, unless the same shall have been proposed to the Board of Direction, at least one month previous to an annual meeting, and then approved of by twothirds of the members of the Association.

Rules and Regulations of the Library and Reading Room.

ART. 1. The Library Room shall be open from half an hour after sunset until ten o'clock, during

the year.

ART. 2.

The Librarian shall give security in the penal sum of one thousand dollars for the faithful dis

charge of the dies of his office, and shall hold his office at the pledre of the Board of Direction.

ART. 3. He shall register in a book, prepared for that purpose, and to be kept in the Library Room, the name of each member of this Association, and shall in no case deliver a book to any member, until the name of such member shall have been so registered.

ART. 4. He shall enter in a book, to be kept for that purpose, the No. of every volume delivered by him; the name of the person to whom delivered; the time of taking and returning the same, together with the forfeitures arising from every default.

ART. 5. He shall keep a full and accurate catalogue of the books belonging to the Association.

ART. 6. He shall collect all forfeitures incurred by the members, and account for the same to the Treasurer, on the first Thursday of each month.

ART. 7. He shall, from time to time, report to the Board of Direction, the names of such members as may refuse or neglect to pay their forfeitures; lose or damage any book belonging to the Library; or fail to comply with the rules and regulations established by the Board.

ART. 8. He shall suffer no person, except members of the Board, to remove a book from its place in the Library, without his permission.

ART. 9. He shall replace the books in proper order upon the shelves, as soon as may be, after they are returned, having first examined them with care, and ascertained whether they have been injured or defaced.

ART. 10. He shall see that the books and Library Room are kept in good order; shall duly observe the instructions which may be given him by the Board of Direction, and take care that the regulations relative te the loaning of books be strictly adhered to.

ART. 11. The Librarian shall deliver to any member applying, one volume, if it be a folio, quarto, or octavo, and one book or set (not exceeding three volumes) if a duodecimo or volume of less size.

« PreviousContinue »