By-Laws

These rules are supplementary to the provisions of the statutes of the State of Illinois as they relate to the procedures of Boards of Library Trustees.

Regular Meetings:

The regular meeting of the Board of Library Trustees of the Oregon Public Library District shall be on the third Thursday of each month. The meeting shall be at the library at six o’clock p.m. The meetings shall be open to the public and noticed in advance. At the beginning of each fiscal year the Board shall, by ordinance, specify regular meeting dates and times. The secretary of the Board shall then (1) provide for the local newspaper (upon request) the schedule of regular meetings of the Board for the ensuing fiscal year, and (2) post the schedule of meetings in the library. Both notices shall have the dates, times and places of such meetings.

Special Meetings:

Special meetings shall be held at any time when called by the president or secretary or by any three trustees of the Board, provided that notice with the agenda of the special meeting is given at least 48 hours in advance, except in the case of a bona fide emergency, to Board members and to any news medium which has filed an annual request for notice under the Open Meetings Act; no business except that stated in the special meeting notice and agenda shall be transacted. Notice and agenda shall be posted 48 hours in advance on the front door of the library except in the case of a bona fide emergency.

Quorum:

A quorum at any meeting shall consist of four Board members.

Remote Attendance Policy:

It is the policy of the Oregon Public Library District that any member of the Board of Trustees may attend and participate in any open or closed meetings of the Board of Trustees from a remote location via telephone, video or internet connection, provided that such attendance and participation is in compliance with the Open Meetings Act and other applicable laws.

Prerequisites: A member of the Board of Trustees may attend a meeting from a remote location if the member meets the following conditions; a quorum is physically present throughout the meeting and a majority of a quorum of the Board of Trustees votes to approve the remote attendance.

1. The member should notify the director at least 24 hours before the meeting so that necessary communications equipment can be arranged. Inability to make necessary technical arrangements will result in denial of a request for remote attendance.

2. The member must assert one of the following three reasons why he or she is unable to physically attend the meeting.

a. The member cannot attend because of personal illness or disability; or

b. The member cannot attend because of employment purposes or the business of the Oregon Public Library District; or

c. The member cannot attend because of a family or other emergency.

Voting Procedures: After a roll call establishing that a quorum is physically present, any member present may move that a member be permitted to participate remotely, specifying the reason entitling the absent member to participate remotely. All the members physically present are permitted to vote on whether remote participation will be allowed. The motion must be approved by a vote of a majority of the quorum.

Adequate Equipment Required: The member participating remotely, and other members of the Board of Trustees must be able to communicate effectively, and members of the audience must be able to hear all communications. Before approving remote attendance at any meeting, the Board of Trustees shall provide equipment adequate to accomplish this objective.

Minutes: Any member participating remotely shall be considered an off-site participant and counted as present by means of video or audio conference for that meeting if the member is allowed to participate. The meeting minutes shall also reflect and state specifically whether each member is physically present, present by video, or present by audio means.

Rights of Remote Member: A member permitted to participate remotely will be able to express his or her comments during the meeting and participate in the same capacity as those members physically present, subject to all general meeting guidelines and procedures previously adopted and adhered to. The remote member shall be heard, considered, and counted as to any vote taken. Accordingly, the name of any remote member shall be called during any votes taken, and his or her vote counted and recorded by the Secretary and placed in the minutes for the corresponding meeting. A member participating remotely may leave a meeting and return as is the case of any member.

Meetings:

The term meeting as used herein refers to any gathering, whether in person or by video or audio conference, telephone call, electronic means (such as, without limitation, electronic mail, electronic chat, and instant messaging), or by other means of contemporaneous interactive communication, of a majority quorum of the members of a public body held for the purpose of discussing public business.

Closed Meetings:

A quorum of the Board of Trustees must be physically present at any closed meeting. Members participating remotely shall otherwise be entitled to participate in closed meetings by video or audio conference, in the same manner as an open meeting.

Board of Library Trustees:

The Board of Library Trustees of the Oregon Public Library District is charged with the responsibility of the governance of the library. The Board will hire a skilled Library Director who will be responsible for the day to day operations of the library. The Board will meet at least once per month. These meetings will be open to the public, and noticed in advance.

The Library Director will distribute the agenda and/or materials for the meetings as early as possible prior to meetings. Any Board member wishing to have an item placed on the agenda will call the Library Director in sufficient time preceding the meeting to have the item placed. Any Board member who is unable to attend a meeting will call the library to indicate that he or she will be absent. Due to the fact that a quorum is required for each meeting, this call should be placed as far in advance as possible.

Board members are not to be compensated pursuant to statute, but will be reimbursed for necessary and related expenses as trustees. To be effective, Board members must attend most meetings, read materials presented for review, and attend an occasional Library System (or other library related) workshop, seminar, or meeting. The Library Director will make the dates of these workshops known to the Board in a timely manner. It is the goal of the Board of Library Trustees to have each member attend a minimum of one Library System (or other library related) workshop, seminar, or meeting during each calendar year. Board members are not exempt from late fees, fines, or other user fees.

Officers and Elections:

The officers of the Board shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary, and a treasurer. Those officers shall be elected by a ballot vote for two-year terms at the regular meeting in the month of May. The president shall not serve more than 2 consecutive terms unless by unanimous Board consent. In the event of a resignation from an office, an election to fill the unexpired term of that office will be conducted at the next regular meeting.

President:

The president shall preside at all Board meetings, appoint all standing and special committees, serve as ex-officio member of all committees, and perform all other such duties as may be assigned by the Board. The president shall be the only spokesperson for the Board of Library Trustees in all advisory, or disciplinary, action directed to the staff.

Vice President:

The vice-president, in the absence of the president, shall assume all duties of the president.

Secretary:

The secretary shall keep minutes of all Board meetings, record attendance, and record all votes. The secretary shall perform all other such clerical duties as may be assigned by the Board.

Treasurer:

The treasurer is authorized by the Board to sign checks, shall serve on the finance committee, and shall supervise the Library Director, or other designated individual, in drawing up checks. The treasurer shall keep all financial records of the Board. The normal depository of all financial records shall be the library. The treasurer shall have primary charge of the library funds and income, sign all the checks on the authorization of the Board, and present reports at each meeting the state of the funds. In the absence of the treasurer or when he or she is unable to serve, the president or vice-president may perform the duties of the treasurer. The treasurer shall be bonded according to statutory requirements. The treasurer is authorized to pay salaries, insurance bills, and other mature invoices and statements as they come due.

Ad Hoc Committees:

As needs arise, the board of trustees will appoint an individual or individuals to one or more ad hoc committee—by majority vote and the time the committee is appointed— to carry out specified tasks. At the completion of the tasks, the committee ceases to exist. Control over such appointments to ad hoc committees is reserved to the board of trustees as is the power to appoint a chairman and to fill any vacancy that may arise in the committees.

Order of Business:

The following Order of Business shall be a guide to follow at regular meetings:

Call to order.

Roll call, recording both present and absent members.

Adoption of agenda (with or without amendments).

Public Questions or Comments.

Approval of Consent Agenda

President’s report (if any)

Priority Announcements, correspondence, and other communications

Treasurer’s report and review of current expenditures.

New business

Old Business

Comments and Questions from trustees and/or public (2 minute limit) and

Adjournment

Parliamentary Procedure:

Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised shall guide the parliamentary procedure of the Board, unless otherwise specified in the By-Laws.

New Trustees:

The Board shall meet with new trustees to examine the property and review services and shall present to new trustees materials including the Library Policies and other procedural material, a list of trustees and committees (once committees are formed), minutes and financial reports for the previous 12 months, and other pertinent information.

Duties of the Librarian:

The librarian shall administer the policies adopted by the Board. Among duties and responsibilities of the librarian shall be that of making recommendations for and hiring personnel, directing, supervising and disciplining of all staff members, monthly and annual reports as required by the Board, and recommending such policy and procedure as will promote the efficiency and services of the library.

Amendments:

Amendments to these By-Laws, the Library Policy, or any other policy or procedural document may be proposed at any regular meeting of the Board and will become effective if and as adopted by a majority of those members present providing they represent a quorum.

Administrative Records:

Administrative records of the library shall be kept in the library and shall be available to the general public upon request. These shall include the monthly and annual reports of the library, all financial reports, minutes of the public Board meetings and actions and other such items as the Board or Librarian shall file there.

Staff personnel records are confidential and shall be kept in a secure place; and only the Library or any person authorized by the Librarian shall have access to these records. Under no circumstances may Board members discuss personnel matters with members of the public or the news media where those matters are deemed to be sensitive or confidential. Confidential records of the Board, such as personnel records concerning the Librarian, shall be kept in the library and only members of the Board shall have access to these records.

Circulation Records:

Circulation records and other records identifying the names of library users with specific materials hereby are recognized as confidential in nature, and access thereto is hereby restricted to library staff, and those members of the public with a legitimate interest therein, as hereafter provided for. All library staff and employees are hereby advised that such records shall not be made available to casual members of the public, the press, or to any agency of State, Federal, or Local government, except pursuant to such process, order or subpoena as may be authorized under the authority of and pursuant to Federal or State law relating to civil, criminal, or administrative discover procedures or legislative investigative power.

Library staff shall observe the following procedures: On receipt of any legal process, order or subpoena, the library staff member in charge will immediately consult with the President of the Board and the Library Attorney to insure that (a) the document is in proper legal form; and (b) there has been a proper showing of good cause for its issuance, in a court or administrative body of competent jurisdiction. Until the legality of such process, order, or subpoena has been affirmatively shown to the satisfaction of the Library Attorney, the Library will resist its issuance or enforcement until any such defects have been cured.

By-Laws Adopted by Board of Trustees in April, 2017, Reviewed February 2022, Amended September 19, 2024.