Library Board

Adams County Library Board of Trustees Bylaws
Article I. Identification
This organization is the Board of Trustees of the Adams County Library,
located in Hettinger, North Dakota.
Article II. Membership
Section 1. Appointments and Terms of Office. The Board shall consist of five members
who shall be appointed by Adams County Commissioners and shall serve for a term of two or three years.
Section 2. Meeting Attendance. Members shall be expected to attend all meetings
unless prevented by a valid reason.
Article III. Officers
Section 1. The officers shall be a president, a vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer,
elected annually from among the appointed Trustees of the Board. No member shall hold
more than one office at a time. No member shall be eligible to serve more than two
consecutive terms in the same office. Vacancies in office shall be filled by vote at the next
regular meeting of the Board after the vacancy occurs.
Section 2. A nominating committee shall be appointed by the president three months prior
to the annual meeting and shall present a slate of officers at the meeting. Additional
nominations may be made from the floor at that time.
Section 3. Officers shall serve a term of one year from when they are elected and until
their successors are duly elected.
Section 4. The president shall preside at meetings of the Board, authorize calls for special
meetings, appoint all committees, execute all documents authorized by the Board, serve
as an ex-officio voting member of all committees except the nominating committee, co-sign
all checks drawn on funds held in custody of the library (independently of the municipality),
and generally perform all duties associated with the office of president.
Section 5. The vice president, in the event of the absence or disability of the president, or
of a vacancy in that office, shall assume and perform the duties and functions of the
president.
Section 6. The secretary shall keep true and accurate minutes of all meetings of the
Board, shall issue notice of all regular and special meetings, and shall perform such other
duties as are generally associated with the office of secretary. The Library Director or a
member of the staff may be designated by the Board to perform any or all of the above
duties.
Section 7. The treasurer will be a representative of the county commission.  Approval of bills and payment of bills will occur as a function of the county commission and county auditor’s office.
Article IV. Meetings
Section 1. Regular Meetings. The regular meetings shall be held a minimum of eight times per year.  The date and hour to be set by the Board at the previous meeting.
Section 2. Agendas and Notices. Meeting agendas and notices shall indicate the time,
date, and place of the meeting and indicate all subject matters intended for consideration
at the meeting.
Section 4. Minutes. Minutes of all meetings shall, at a minimum, indicate Board members
present, all items of business, all motions (except those that were withdrawn), and the
result of all votes taken. Current Board minutes shall be posted on a bulletin board in the
library.
Section 5. Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called at the direction of the
president, and shall be called at the written request of two members, for the
transaction of business as stated in the call for the meeting. Except in cases of emergency,
at least 48 hours’ notice shall be given. In no case may less than two hours’ notice be
given.
Section 6. Quorum. A quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting shall consist
of three members of the Board attending the meeting.
Section 7. Open Meetings Law Compliance. All Board meetings and all committee
meetings shall be held in compliance with Open Meetings Law as it applies to your type of
library. (Consult your attorney for clarification).
Section 8. Parliamentary Authority. The rules contained in Robert’s Rules of Order,
latest revised edition [or The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure by Alice F.
Sturgis], shall govern the parliamentary procedure of the meetings, in all cases in which
they are consistent with these bylaws and any statutes applicable to this Board.
Article V. Committees
Section 1. Standing Committees. The following committees:
__________________________________, shall be appointed by the president promptly
after the annual meeting and shall make recommendations to the Board as pertinent to
Board meeting agenda items. [Examples of possible standing committees are Personnel,
Budget, Building, and Policy.]
Section 2. Nominating Committee. (See Article III, Section 2.)
Section 3. Ad Hoc Committees. Ad hoc committees for the study of special problems
shall be appointed by the president, with the approval of the Board, to serve until the final
report of the work for which they were appointed has been filed. These committees may
also include staff and public representatives, as well as outside experts. [Examples of
possible ad hoc committees are Planning and Automation.
Section 4. No committee shall have powers other than advisory.
Article VI. Duties of the Board of Trustees
Section 1. Legal responsibility for the operation of the Adams County Library is vested in the Board of Trustees. Subject to state and federal law, the Board has
the power and duty to determine rules and regulations governing library operations and
services.
Section 2. The Board shall select, appoint and supervise a properly certified and
competent Library Director, and determine the duties and compensation of all library
employees.
Section 3. The Board shall approve the budget and make sure that adequate funds are
provided to finance the approved budget.
Section 4. The Board via representation from the County Commission shall have exclusive control of the expenditure of all moneys collected,  appropriated for the library fund. The Auditor’s office via representation of the Library Board shall audit and approve all library expenditures.
Section 5. The Board shall supervise and maintain buildings and grounds, as well as
regularly review various physical and building needs to see that they meet the
requirements of the total library program.
Section 6. The Board shall study and support legislation that will bring about the greatest
good to the greatest number of library users and legislation consistent with the American
Library Association’s Code of Ethics.
Section 7. The Board shall cooperate with other public officials and boards and maintain
vital public relations.
Section 8. The Board shall approve and submit the required annual report to the State
Library, and the [city council, village board, town board, county board, and/or any other
governing body].
Article VII. Library Director
The Library Director shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees and shall be responsible
to the Board. The Library Director shall be considered the executive officer of the library
under the direction and review of the Board, and subject to the policies established by the
Board. The Director shall act as technical advisor to the Board. The Director shall be
invited to attend all Board meetings (but may be excused from closed sessions) and shall
have no vote.
Article VIII. Conflict of Interest
Section 1. Board members may not in their private capacity negotiate, bid for, or enter into
a contract with the Adams County Library in which they have a
direct or indirect financial interest.
Section 2. A Board member shall withdraw from Board discussion, deliberation, and vote
on any matter in which the Board member, an immediate family member, or an
organization with which the Board member is associated has a substantial financial
interest.
Section 3. A Board member may not receive anything of value that could reasonably be
expected to influence his or her vote or other official action.