Chapter I. General Provisions

Article 1. The name of the Society is “天津市图书馆学会” in Chinese and “Library Society of Tianjin” in English with “LST” as its abbreviation.
    Article 2. The Society is a legal social organization of academic and non-profit nature duly registered and founded under the law and voluntarily formed by Tianjin library workers. It serves as the bridge and connection between the Party and the government and library workers, a leader in scientific management in library industry and a booster for technological advance. As a non-profit social organization, it plays an important role in developing Tianjin library industry.
    Article 3. Under the guidance of Deng Xiaoping Theory and the important thought of Three Represents, the Society implements key strategy thinking of scientific development and construction of socialist harmonious society. In compliance with the constitution, laws and regulations, national policies and social and ethnic standards, it promotes advanced socialism culture. Sticking to the Party’s basic line, and the policy of “letting a hundred flowers bloom and a hundred schools of thought contend”, upholding the strategy of rejuvenating China through science and technology and sustainable development strategy, it invigorates academic research, appealing respect for knowledge and talents and extols the spirits of devotion, innovation, integrity and cooperation. With the down-to-earth scientific attitude, it facilitates research on library science and the development of library and information industries and contributes to socialist spiritual civilization construction.
    Article 4. The Society is directed, supervised and administered by the monitoring units, Tianjin Association for Science and Technology and Tianjin Municipal Administration Department of Social Organizations.
    Article 5. The office of the Society is situated on No.15 Fukang Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300191.

Chapter II. Business Scope

Article 6. The major missions of the Society are:
    1. To organize academic research and academic exchange activities;
    2. To edit, publish and distribute publications and documental information materials in various versions on library science to promote the development of library science;
    3. To popularize the basic knowledge of library science, information science and information technology and offer degree courses on library and relevant majors.
    4. To provide continuing education for the membership and library workers in forms of lectures, seminars, training courses, etc.
    5. To advocate mass reading and facilitate knowledge innovation and circulation, and benefit the elevation of science and culture quality of citizens and the construction of a study-based society;
    6. To enhance the exchange and cooperation with libraries in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan and foreign countries.
    7. To impart and popularize advanced techniques and experience, discover and recommend talents and cite and reward members or library workers who carried out excellent performance in academic activities or library work;
    8. To protect the legal rights and interests of library workers and report reasonable complaints and opinions of the members;
    9. To perform work and organize activities to serve individual and institutional members.

Chapter III. Membership

Article 7. Each committee of a specific area is a branch of the Society, subject to the leadership of the Board of Directors; library societies of districts and counties in Tianjin are components of Tianjin library industry and subject to business instructions of the Society;
    Article 8. Types of the Society member include individual member and institutional member. Anyone that supports and agrees to abide by the Charter may apply for the membership. The membership will be granted with the approval of the Society.
    Membership requirements:    
    Individual members:
    1. Library workers who acquired assistant librarian or titles of higher levels or other corresponding professional titles or any persons without titles who are working in a library or in the fields of library science education or research;
    2. Any graduates of higher education institutions who have one-to-two-year’s experience in library work or education or research on library science, information science or information technology and are eligible for research and academic capability of a certain level; or any graduates with lower education level who have be employed for library work for more than five years and are equipped with practical working experience and academic capability of a certain level.
    3. Any persons who have made significant contributions to the research on library science, information science or information technology or library industry;
    4. Any persons from relevant industries and organizations who are interested and actively support the work of the Society;
    5. Leading cadres of the organization and administration of libraries that actively support the work of the Society.
    Institutional members:
     Any libraries, enterprises or public institutions engaged in scientific research, education or manufacture or duly organized academic social groups who are willing to participate in activities related to the Society and support the work of the Society.
    Article 9. Steps to become a member:
    1. Submit the membership application;
    2. Get the application approved after discussion by the secretariat of the organization authorized by the Board and reported to and filed by the Board;
    3. Get the membership card issued by the organization authorized by the Board.
     Article 10. Rights of members:
    Individual members:
    1. Rights to elect, be elected and vote in the Society;
    2. Rights to comment and advise on and supervise the work of the Society;
    3. Privileges to participate in academic research and exchange activities organized by the Society;
    4. Favorable price of or free access to academic materials related to the Society;
    5. Voluntary admission and resignation.
    Institutional members:
    1. Rights to elect, be elected and vote in the Society;
    2. Rights to comment and advise on and supervise the work of the Society;
    3. Privileges to participate in academic research and exchange activities organized by the Society;
    4. Favorable price of or free access to academic materials related to the Society;
    5. Priority in receiving technical consultation from the Society upon request;
    6. Assistance from the Society in offering training courses upon request;
    7. Voluntary admission and resignation.
    Article 11. Obligations of members:
    Individual members:
    1. Observe the Charter of the Society, execute resolutions of the Society and complete assignments from the Society;
    2. Protect the legal rights and interests of the Society in a spontaneous manner;
    3. Take an active part in every activity organized by the Society;
    4. Report relevant issues to and provide relevant information for the Society;
    5. Pay the membership fee according to the regulations.
    Institutional members:
    1. Observe the Charter of the Society, execute resolutions of the Society and complete assignments from the Society;
    2. Protect the legal rights and interests of the Society in a spontaneous manner;
    3. Take an active part in every activity organized by the Society and assist in carrying out related academic and science-popularization activities;
    4. Report relevant issues to and provide relevant information for the Society;
    5. Pay the membership fee according to the regulations.
     Article 12. Members shall notify the Society in writing of their resignation and return their membership cards. The membership of those who fail to pay the membership fee according to the regulations for one year will be automatically cancelled.
    Article 13. Any member who violates the criminal law or is in severe breach of the Charter will be removed from the membership with the approval of the Standing Committee by voting.

Chapter Ⅳ. The Organizational Structure and Election and Removal of Officers

Article 14. The highest organ of the Society authority is the Delegate Assembly (DA), functions and powers of which are:
    1. To formulate and modify the Charter of the Society;
    2. To review work reports and financial reports of the Board;
    3. To elect and remove directors;
    4. To determine issues pertaining to the termination;
    5. To determine other major issues.
    Article 15. A quorum of 2/3 member delegates is required to hold a DA and the resolution will come into effect only by a majority of votes of participating delegates.
    Article 16. Each DA is elected for a five-year term (each DA shall last no longer than five years). An early or delayed election in the event of an exceptional case shall be executed only with the approval of the Board by voting and the association registration and administration department after reception of the report and review of the monitoring units. A delay of the election shall last no longer than one year.
    Article 17. The Board is the executive organ of the DA formally responsible to the DA that leads the Society to perform work between the sessions,
    Article 18. Functions and powers of the Board are:
    1. To execute resolutions of the DA;
    2. To elect one chairman (president), one to six vice-chairmen (vice-presidents) and one secretary-general and to depose the chairman (president), vice-chairmen (vice-presidents) and the secretary-general;
    3. To prepare and hold the DA;
    4. To report the work and financial status to the DA;
    5. To determine the admission and removal of members;
    6. To set up administrative offices and branch institutions;
    7. To determine the appointment of the deputy secretary-general and the principal officers of branch institutions;
    8. To conduct awarding and citation activities;
    9. To set up the internal administrative system;
    10. To determine other major issues;
    Article 19. A quorum of 2/3 directors is required to hold a Board Meeting and the resolution will come into effect only by a quorum of 2/3 votes of participating directors.
    Article 20. The Board Meeting shall be held at least once every year.
    Article 21. The Society has one standing committee elected by the Board. The number of members of the Committee shall not exceed 1/3 of that of the Board. The Standing Committee is responsible to the Board and shall exercise the functions and powers as prescribed in items 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of Article 18 between Board Meetings.
    Article 22. A quorum of 2/3 members of the Committee is required to hold a Committee Meeting and the resolution will come into effect only by a quorum of 2/3 votes of participating members.
    Article 23. The Committee Meeting shall be held at least once every half-year.
    Article 24. The chairman, vice-chairman and secretary-general of the Board of the Society shall meet the following requirements:
    1. Upholding the line and both specific and general policies of the Party, with high political quality;
    2. Influential within the business scope of the Society;
    3. In a healthy status and able to perform his or her work normally;
    4. The maximum age to become a chairman, vice-chairman and secretary-general of the Board is 70 and the secretary-general is a full-time position;
    5. Not having received the criminal punishment of deprivation of political rights;
    6. Having the full capacity for civil conduct.
    Article 25. The elected exceeding the maximum age to become a chairman, vice-chairman and secretary-general of the Board may take office only with the approval of the Board by voting and the association registration and administration department after reception of the report and review of the monitoring units.
    Article 26. The terms of the chairman, vice-chairman and secretary-general of the Board are five years and a chairman, vice-chairman and secretary-general must not hold the office for more than two terms. In the event of the extension of the terms of office in exceptional case, the officer may take office only with the approval of the DA by voting with more than 2/3 members present and the association registration and administration department after reception of the report and review of the monitoring units.
    Article 27. The legal representative of the Society is the chairman of the Board, who shall not be the legal representative of other groups in the meanwhile.
    Article 28. The functions and powers of the chairman of the Board are:
    1. To convene and preside at the Board Meeting and the Committee Meeting;
    2. To examine the implementation of the resolutions approved by the DA, the Board Meeting and the Committee Meeting;
    3. To sign relevant documents on behalf of the Society.
    Article 29. The functions and powers of the secretary-general of the Society are:
    1. To lead the administrative offices to perform routine work and organize and implement the annual working plan;
    2. To coordinate branch institutions to perform the work;
    3. To nominate the deputy secretary general and principal officers of the administrative offices and branch institutions, and to submit the nomination for the Board or the Committee to determine;
    4. To determine the appointment of full-time officers of the administrative offices;
    5. To handle other routine issues.

Chapter V. Financial Management and Mobilization Principles

Article 30. The assets of the Society come from:
    1. Membership fees;
    2. Donations;
    3. Subsidies from the government and allowances received as a supporting unit;
    4. Incomes from activities and services within approved business scope;
    5. Funds;
    6. Interests;
    7. Other lawful incomes.
    Article 31. The Society will collect membership fees in accordance with relevant State’s regulations.
    Article 32. The assets of the Society shall be mobilized only for the purpose of the development of the business scope and industry as prescribed in the Charter and must not be distributed among the members.
    Article 33. The Society has established a stringent financial management system and ensures the legitimacy, authenticity, accuracy and completeness of the accountants’ documents.
    Article 34. The Society is furnished with accountants with professional qualifications. A person shall not act as an accountant and a cashier at the same time. Accounting personnel shall conduct accounting practice and exercise accounting supervision. An accountant to be transferred to another place or to leave his or her post must fulfill the hand-over procedure with the person to take over the post.
    Article 35. The asset management of the Society must be performed in compliance with the State’s financial management system and accept the supervision of the DA and financial departments. The management of the assets that come from appropriation of the State or social donations must accept the supervision of auditing departments and the related information shall be publicized to the society in a proper way.
    Article 36. The Society must receive financial auditing organized by the association registration and administration department and the monitoring units before its elections or change of legal representative.
    Article 37. No unit or person shall seize, illegally distribute or embezzle the assets of the Society.
    Article 38. The salary, insurance and welfare treatment of full-time officers of the Society shall be executed with reference to related State’s regulations on that of public institutions.

Chapter VI. Amendment Procedure of the Charter

Article 39. The amendment of the Charter of the Society must be submitted to the DA for review after the approval of the Board by voting.
    Article 40. The amended Charter of the Society shall come into effect within 15 days after the passage through the DA only with the review and approval of the association registration and administration department and the monitoring units after reception of the report.

Chapter VII. Termination Procedure and Disposal of the Assets

Article 41. When the Society requests deregistration for reasons such as the fulfilment of its missions, voluntary dissolution, split or merging, a termination initiative shall be raised by the Board or the Committee.
    Article 42. The termination initiative of the Society requires the passage through the DA and the review and approval of the monitoring units after reception of the report.
    Article 43. Before its termination, the Society shall set up a liquidation team following the technical instructions of the monitoring units and related organs to calculate its credits and debts and deal with the attendant issues. No activity apart from the liquidation shall be performed during the liquidation.
    Article 44. The Society shall be deemed as terminated after the deregistration procedure at the association registration and administration department.
    Article 45. Assets remained after the termination of the Society shall be mobilized to develop causes related to the missions of the Society under the supervision of the monitoring units and the association registration and administration department according to related State’s regulations.

Chapter VIII. Supplementary Provisions

Article 46. The Charter was voted and approved by the DA (September 27th 2013).
    Article 47. The Board of the Society shall reserve the right to interpret the Charter.
    Article 48. The Charter shall go into effect as of the date when it is reviewed and approved by the association registration and administration department.