Bylaws
Revision Control
Revision Approved by LPLD Board May 20, 2010
Revision Approved by LPLD Board November 19, 2015
Revision Approved by LPLD Board December 16, 2019
Revision Approved by LPLD Board, November 22, 2021
I. Name and Government of Organization
A. Name of Organization
This organization shall be called "The Board of Library Trustees of the Lincolnwood Public Library District, Cook County, Illinois” ("the Board") operating pursuant to the Public Library District Act (75 ILCS 16/1-1 et. seq.) and other applicable statutes.
B. Purpose of Bylaws
These Bylaws are intended to guide the activities of the Board and its Officers.
II. Board of Library Trustees
A. Election and Terms of Trustees
Trustees shall hold office for a four-year term from the third Monday of the month next following the election and until their respective successors are elected and qualified. [75 ILCS 16/30-10]
B. Nomination of Candidates
Nomination of candidates for election as Trustees shall comply with all statutory requirements. [75 ILCS 16/30-20; 10 ILCS 5/1-1 et. seq)]
C. Eligibility
A Trustee and/or candidate for Trustee must be a registered voter and must have resided in the Library District at least one year. [75 ILCS 16/30 – 20 (d)].
D. Vacancies
Any vacancy occurring on the Board shall be filled by appointment of the remaining Trustees. [75 ILCS 16/30-25]. The Board shall give appropriate publicity to the existence of a vacancy in an effort to secure a qualified pool of candidates. The Board will fill the vacancy forthwith.
E. Compensation and Expenses
Trustees shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed from Library funds for their actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties. [75 ILCS 16/30-30]
F. Conflicts of Interest
No Trustee or employee of the Library shall engage in any business or transaction, or have a financial or personal interest, whether directly or indirectly, that is incompatible with the proper discharge of their official duties in the public interest, or that may tend to impair their independence of judgment or action in the performance of such official duties. In general, no Trustee may be related, by blood or marriage, to a member of the Library staff. If such a relationship exists or is contemplated, the Trustee must make prompt disclosure to the Board, which may condone and allow such employment by means of a Board resolution approved at a public meeting.
All Trustees must file the Disclosure of Economic Interests Statement as required by the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act. [5 ILCS 420/4A-101]
G. Powers and Duties
The Board has the powers and duties described in the Public Library District Act and other applicable statutes.
H. New Trustee Orientation
The Board and the Library Director will conduct a formal orientation for all new Trustees within three months of the day the new Trustees join the Board.
III. Officers
A. Officers
The Officers of the Board shall be a President, a Vice President, a Treasurer, and a Secretary. Each Office shall be held by a different Trustee.
A slate of Officers shall be elected by the Board biennially at the May Board meeting immediately following the election of Trustees. A nominating committee, consisting of three Trustees, shall be appointed by the President and will present a proposed slate of Officers. Additional nominations may be made from the floor.
If an Office of the Board becomes vacant for any reason, an election will be held by the Board to fill that Office within 31 days.
Terms of Office shall be for two years, ending on the first Monday of the month following each regular election of Trustees, or until their successors are duly elected by the Board. A vacancy in any office shall be filled by the Board for the remainder of the unexpired term. [75 ILCS 16/30-40]
B. Duties of the President
The President shall preside over all meetings but shall not have or exercise veto powers. [75 ILCS 16/30-45] The President and the Library Director shall jointly prepare an agenda for every meeting of the Board and the Committee of the Whole. In addition, the President shall appoint the chairperson and all members of special or ad hoc committees and shall be an ex-officio voting member of all committees. The President shall execute all documents authorized by the Board and shall also perform all other duties provided for by law or assigned by the Board.
C. Duties of the Vice President
In the absence of the President, or in the event the President’s incapacity or refusal to act, the President shall preside at Board meetings and meetings of the Committee of the Whole and shall otherwise act in place of the President as required or permitted in accordance with the applicable statutes and these Bylaws.
D. Duties of the Treasurer
Subject to the limitations provided by applicable statutes, these Bylaws and policies established by the Board, the Treasurer shall exercise general authority over the funds of the Library. The Treasurer shall keep and maintain accounts and records of the Library, indicating a record of receipts, disbursements, and balances in any funds. At each regular Board meeting, the Treasurer shall present, or provide for the presentation of, financial reports including up-to-date information about revenues, disbursements, and fund balances. The Treasurer, together with the Finance and Facilities Committee, shall be responsible for obtaining the annual financial audit as required by law. The Treasurer shall perform any other duties assigned by the Board, including exercising responsibility for the investment of Library funds. The Treasurer shall be bonded or insured in an amount and with sureties approved by the Board [75 ILCS 16/30-45]
E. Duties of the Secretary
The Secretary shall keep and maintain, or provide for the keeping and maintenance of, minutes and other records as required by applicable statutes. The records maintained by the Secretary shall be audited by two other Trustees appointed by the President. The Secretary shall perform the duties of Local Election Official and all other duties provided for by law or assigned by the Board. [75 ILCS 16/30-45; 75 ILCS 16/30 – 65(c)]
IV. Meetings
A. Open Meetings
The Secretary is responsible for publication or posting of notices of meetings as required by the Open Meetings Act. Closed meetings shall be held only as authorized by the Open Meetings Act.
B. Closed Meetings
All regular and special meetings of the Board and its committees shall be open to the public, except closed sessions as authorized by the Open Meetings Act.
At any Board meeting the Board may decide to hold a closed session. The closed session must be approved in open session and the purpose of the closed session recorded in the minutes of the open meeting.
Only topics specified in the vote to hold a closed session may be considered in the closed session. No final action may be taken in closed session. All matters discussed in closed session shall be kept in strict confidence by all those in attendance.
C. Regular Meetings
The regular meetings of the Board shall be set each year by ordinance, specifying the time, place, day, and date thereof. Regular meetings will be scheduled and conducted in compliance with applicable statutes. The Board may modify the meeting schedule in the Board’s discretion.
D. Special Meetings
Special meetings may be called by the President or the Secretary, or at the request of four Trustees. [75 ILCS 16/30-50]
E. Committee Meetings
Committees shall meet as necessary, and public notice of all committee meetings shall be given as required by the Open Meetings Act.
F. Quorum and Voting
A quorum at any regular or special Board meeting shall consist of four (4) Trustees, and a majority of those present shall determine the vote taken on any question, unless a larger number is specified in the Public Library District Act. All votes on any questions shall be by ayes and nays and recorded by the Secretary. Absentees and abstentions from voting shall be noted but shall not be counted for or against the question being voted on. A roll call vote shall be required on any matter creating a liability or expenditure or on request of any Trustee. [75 ILCS 16/30-50]
A quorum at any committee meeting shall consist of a majority of the appointed members.
If a quorum is not present at any meeting, the Trustees present may adjourn the meeting until such time as a quorum is present, and such reconvened meeting may transact business as though such meeting has not been adjourned.
G. Order of Business
An agenda is required for all meetings. The order of business for regular meetings shall include, but not be limited to, the following items:
Call to Order
Roll Call
Consent Agenda
Public Comment
Items of Business
Reports
Schedule of Upcoming Meetings
Adjournment
At the request of any Trustee in attendance, one or more items shall be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered separately.
H. Public Comment
As part of its agenda, the Board shall provide a period at the designated place on the agenda for citizens’ comments. Guidelines for public comment can be found in the "Policies, Guidelines, and Other considerations Governing Public Comment at Library Board and Board Committee Meetings".
I. Conduct of Meeting
Unless otherwise specified herein, proceedings of all meetings shall be governed by the most recent edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
V. Committees
A. Standing Committees
There shall be two standing committees of the Board as follows: Finance and Facilities
At the request of the Board President, and with the concurrence of the Committee Chairperson, the Finance and Facilities committee may meet as a Committee of the Whole. In such instances, all Trustees in attendance, including those who are not official members of the standing committee, will be able to participate in discussions and votes. Committee meetings are subject to the Open Meetings Act.
B. Finance and Facilities Committee
The Treasurer, ex officio, shall be chairperson of this committee. With the advice and assistance of the Library Director, the committee shall propose the annual budget and present it to the Board prior to the beginning of each fiscal year. The Committee shall also be responsible for preparing and presenting for Board approval the annual Appropriation and Levy ordinances, shall receive and review Library accounting reports and audits, including the monthly financial statements, and shall review and provide needed direction for all actions relating to the disbursement or investment of Library funds. The committee shall also review and make recommendations to the Board on all matters relating to the furnishings, décor, heating/air conditioning, lighting, cleaning, maintenance, alteration and improvement of the building and grounds of the Library. The Committee shall conduct inspections of the Library’s building and grounds at least annually.
C. Policy Committee
The President shall appoint a chairperson for this committee. With the advice and assistance of the Library Director, the committee shall review, discuss, revise, and create all library policies. To maintain current, relevant, and appropriate library policies, the Board shall formally review each policy at least once every three years. Library staff will conduct an initial review of each policy and make recommendations to the Board. The Policy Committee will review policies and staff recommendations, and the full board will approve policies at regular board meetings. At any time, Trustees or the Library Director can request the review of any policy as needed. Approved policies are posted on the Library’s website.
D. Establishing Special or Ad Hoc Committees
Proposals for special or ad hoc committees may be submitted to the Board by the Library Director or by any Trustee. Special committees are responsible to the Board and will report to the Board at the Board’s request. Any special committee will cease to function upon the achievement of its goals or upon determination by the Board that the committee’s goals are no longer relevant.
E. Appointment of Committees
The chair and members of all committees shall be appointed by the President. A committee may consist of one or more Trustees. Generally, terms of the Finance and Facilities committee chair and members shall be for two years, ending on the first Monday of the month following each regular election of Trustees, or until their successors are appointed by the President. An interim vacancy on any committee shall be filled at the President’s discretion for the remainder of the unexpired term.
F. Powers of Committees
No committee shall have other than advisory power, unless, by action of the Board, the committee is granted specific power to act.
VI. Library Policy
A. Powers of the Board
The powers and duties of the Board include the power to establish Library policies.
VII. Personnel
A. Library Director
The Library Director shall be selected, employed, supervised, and evaluated by the Board. The Library Director shall, subject to the authority of the Board, act as administrator of the Library. The Library Director shall be responsible for carrying out the policies established by the Board and shall be responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Library. The Library Director shall attend all meetings of the Board and its committees except at such times as the terms of employment and salary of the Library Director are to be discussed or decided, or at any meeting or portion thereof which the Library Director is requested not to attend by the President or by a majority of the Board. If unable to attend a given meeting due to illness or excused absence, the Library Director may delegate representation and attendance to any Department Head.
B. Employees and Salaries
The terms and conditions of employment and the salaries of the Library Director and all employees of the Library shall be subject to the control of the Board.
VIII. Amendments
A. Changes in Bylaws
These Bylaws may be amended at any time by a majority of the Board.
