LIBRARY BOARD OF TRUSTEES

1. In accordance with the requirement of Chapter 22 of the Code of Ordinances of West Branch, Iowa, the Board of Trustees of the West Branch Public Library shall consist of seven (7) members, six (6) of which are city residents to be appointed by the Mayor with the approval of the City Council. The seventh member may be a Cedar County resident recommended by the Mayor and approved by the Cedar County Supervisors. The existing Board of Trustees members must approve all appointees.

2. Board of Trustees members shall be appointed to three (3) year terms, with no member serving more than three (3) consecutive terms, exclusive of interim appointments.

3. The general powers and duties of the Board of Trustees are described in Chapter 392.5 of the code of Iowa

4. The Board of Trustees shall exercise its powers and duties by:

   1. Employing a competent and qualified Director;

   2. Determining and adopting written policies to govern the operation and program of the West Branch Public Library, including personnel policies and policies governing the selection of library materials, supplies, and equipment, and the disposal of same;

   3. Preparing and seeking adequate support for the annual budget;

   4. Administering and controlling all library trust funds and controlling the expenditure of allocated tax revenues.

   5. Reporting to and cooperating with other public officials, City Council, and the community as a whole, to support a public relations program for the library; and

   6. Developing long-range goals for the library and continuously guiding, shaping, and building library services for the community.

5. Any member of the Board of Trustees absenting himself/herself from three (3) consecutive regular meetings without valid excuse shall be reported by a designated member of the Board of Trustees to the Mayor, and request may be made to declare vacancy, and appoint a new member. An excuse is valid only if it expressed to another Board of Trustees member or to the Director prior to the start of the regular meeting.

OFFICERS

1. The officers of the Board of Trustees shall consist of a President, a Vice President, and a Secretary. Officers shall be elected the first meeting each January and shall hold office for one year. If an office becomes vacant before the term is completed, the Board of Trustees shall elect a successor to serve the remainder of the term. Officers may serve up to three (3) consecutive full terms in the same office, unless the Board of Trustees unanimously approves to extend an officer’s consecutive terms beyond the three year maximum.

2. The duties of the officers shall be as follows:

1. The President shall perform all the duties that are articulated on page 9 of the Iowa Library Trustee’s Handbook, 2009ⁱ as well as those that are specified in the Bylaws.

2. The Vice-President, in the absence or disability of the President, shall perform all the duties of the President.

3. The city’s Financial Officer prepares financial reports in cooperation with the library Director.

4. The Secretary shall record all proceedings of the Board of Trustees. All minutes and other records and accounts will be kept in the library. The Secretary shall perform such other duties, as the Board of Trustees shall require.

COMMITTEES

1. At the Annual Meeting of the Board of Trustees, the President shall appoint four (4) standing committees, of three members each, as follows.

1. The Finance Committee shall work with the Director to prepare the annual budget and submit it to the Board of Trustees for approval. Other duties are to establish guidelines, practices, and materials for actively soliciting gifts and bequests.

2. The Building and Grounds Committee shall oversee the general care of the buildings and grounds in co-operation with the Director.

3. The Technology Committee assists the Director in planning and executing technology changes to areas such as computers, Internet access, automation, and telephony.

4. The Accreditation Committee reviews library policy and bylaws on a regular basis, assists the Director to prepare for accreditation, and recommends changes to the Board of Trustees.

2. The President may also appoint such special committees as may be needed from time to time.

MEETINGS

1. Regular meetings shall be held monthly. Any changes to the time, date, and location of the meeting are the responsibility of the Board of Trustees President and must be made available to all Board of Trustees members at least 48 hours prior to the start of the meeting.

2. The Annual Meeting will be held in July of each year and shall include annual reports from the Director and the city’s Financial Officer.

3. Special meetings may be held at any time at the call of the President or at the call of any three (3) members of the Board of Trustees, provided that notice be given to all members at least 48 hours in advance of the special meeting.

4. A quorum at any meeting shall consist of four (4) or more members and is necessary to conduct all business requiring a vote of the Board of Trustees. If a quorum is not present, a special meeting must be called at a time when a quorum is possible.

5. The Order of Business at meetings shall follow these guidelines:

1. Roll call

2. Approval of minutes from the previous meeting.

3. Correspondence / Open Forum (all items subject to a three (3) minute time limit)

4. Report of the Director

5. Financial condition report and approval of expenditures

6. Committee reports

7. Unfinished business

8. New business

9. Adjournment

6. An agenda for Board of Trustees meetings shall be prepared by the President. It shall be publicly posted in compliance with the Open Meetings and Open Records legislation of the State of Iowa (Chapters 21 and 22, Code of Iowa).

7. By law, the public may attend and participate in all open meetings of the Board of Trustees. Any individual or group may request inclusion on the agenda by contacting the President at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled starting time. It shall be the sole decision of the Board of Trustees President whether to include the request on the current agenda, at the next regular meeting, or to call a special meeting.

8. Roberts’ Rules of Order shall govern in the parliamentary procedure of the Board of Trustees.

THE DIRECTOR

1. The Director shall implement the policies adopted by the Board of Trustees. Among his/her duties and responsibilities shall be:

2. To promote an atmosphere conducive to friendly and courteous service to the public. Professional ethics require that all problems be directed to the Board of Trustees for consideration. Such problems may be presented either orally or in writing;

3. To select the library materials;

4. To oversee maintenance and operation of the physical plant in co-operation with the Building and Grounds Committee;

5. To recruit, train, assign, and supervise librarians and such extra personnel as may be required from time to time for special projects. The recruitment of such personnel requires the prior approval of the Board of Trustees;

6. To inform the Board of Trustees continually and completely regarding the finances, public services, physical plant, personnel, collection, and other developments, changes, and problems of the library.

7. To prepare and present a monthly report on circulation, interlibrary loan requests, cash receipts, and library materials ordered and received;

8. To prepare and present a monthly statement of bills for the approval of the Board of Trustees;

9. To attend all regular meetings of the Board of Trustees in accordance with Open Meetings legislation; and

10. To work within the City government, communicating with City employees, City Council and Mayor, to ensure that the library is regarded as an important part of the City government.

AMENDMENTS TO BYLAWS

1. Amendments to these Bylaws may be adopted at any regular meeting of the Board of Trustees, providing that two conditions are met:

1. Notice of proposed amendments are given to all members of the Board of Trustees at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting; and

2. A super majority (5 affirmative votes) of Board of Trustees members is obtained.

2. An up-to-date copy of the Bylaws may be made available to the public upon request.

Revised 03-2011
Revised 12-2007