Adopted by the Eagle Public Library Board of Trustees
Revised and Reaffirmed, November 18, 2020
Article I: Legal Basis and Purpose
The Board of Trustees of the Eagle Public Library exists by virtue of the provisions of Title 33, Chapter 26 of the Idaho Library Laws. The Board exercises its authority and assumes the responsibilities delegated to it by said statutes and by appropriate City ordinance(s) of the City of Eagle.
Article II: Powers and Duties
The Board of Trustees of the Eagle Public Library shall have the following powers and duties:
1. To establish by-laws for its own governance;
2. To establish policies and rules of use for the governance of the Library; to exclude from use of the Library any and all persons who violate such rules;
3. To establish, locate, maintain and have custody of the Library and to provide suitable rooms, structures, facilities, furniture, apparatus and appliances necessary for library service;
4. With the approval of the City:
a. To acquire real property by purchase, gift, devise, lease or otherwise;
b. To own and hold real and personal property and to construct buildings for the use and purposes of the Library;
c. To sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of real or personal property when no longer required by the Library; and
d. To insure the real and personal property of the Library;
5. To prepare and adopt a budget for review and approval by the City Council;
6. To control the expenditures of money budgeted for the Library;
7. To accept or decline gifts of money or personal property, in accordance with Library policy, and under such terms as may be a condition of the gift;
8. To hire, supervise, and evaluate the Library Director who shall serve at the pleasure of the Board. The Library Director shall:
a. Advise the Board;
b. Implement policy set by the Board;
c. Supervise all Library staff;
d. Acquire Library materials, equipment and supplies; and
e. Attend all Board meetings but shall not vote.
9. With recommendation of the Library Director, the Board shall hire other employees as may be necessary for the operation of the Library in accordance with the City’s policies and procedures. These employees shall be employees of the City and subject to the City’s personnel policies and classifications unless otherwise provided by City ordinance.
10. To establish policies for the purchase and distribution of Library materials;
11. To attend all meetings of the Board of Trustees;
12. To maintain legal records of all Board business;
13. To exercise such other powers, not inconsistent with the law, necessary for the orderly and efficient management of the Library.
Article III: Responsibilities and Development
• The Library, through its Trustees, shall continuously seek ways to increase Library usage, thus promoting the growth of an informed, enlightened community.
• Members of the Board of Trustees, individually and as a whole, shall at all times be aware of their role as Library advocates in both local and state forums.
• Trustees shall be aware of their duties and obligations to the community and the Library as outlined in the adopted By-Laws.
• Trustees shall endeavor to keep abreast of local, regional, and national library issues.
• Trustees shall pursue opportunities for their continuing education in fulfilling their duties as Trustees.
• Trustees shall participate in committees and training sessions that directly affect the long-range plans for the future of the Eagle Public Library.
Article IV: Selection and Appointment
Section 1: Board Composition
• There shall be a board of five Library Trustees selected from citizens of the City of Eagle at large, appointed by the Mayor and City Council.
Section 2: Term of Office
• A term of office shall be five years, with the term of the longest-serving Trustee expiring each year on September 30th. A Library Trustee shall hold office from appointment until the term expires and until the successor is appointed. Library Trustees shall not serve more than two terms or more than ten consecutive years.
• By accepting appointment to the Library Board of Trustees, members agree to attend a minimum of three-fourths of the regularly scheduled meetings annually. Unless excused by the President, missing three consecutive meetings for other than health-related reasons is considered a resignation from the Board.
• Any trustee may be removed by the City Council by the unanimous vote of all of its members.
Section 3: Salary
• Members of the Board shall serve without salary or compensation but may receive their actual and necessary expenses while engaged in authorized business of the Library.
Section 4: Vacancies
• All vacancies on the Board shall be reported to the Mayor and the City Council within five (5) days whenever a member dies, resigns, moves out of the city limits, or fails to attend meetings as specified in these by-laws. The vacancy shall be filled in accordance with the terms of appointment of the Board as specified in the Idaho Library Laws. This appointment is to complete the unexpired term of a Board member and shall be for the remainder of the term only.
• When a vacancy occurs on the Board, the City of Eagle Communication Specialist shall distribute a news release announcing the opportunity to serve. The announcement shall indicate the required application process, deadline for submittal, area of professional expertise (if applicable) and contact information for inquiries. All vacancies shall be left open for a minimum period of forty- five (45) days to allow for advertisement of the vacancy or vacancies. In cases where the vacancy causes a reduction in the number of members necessary to constitute a quorum a shorter advertising period may be used.
Article V: Officers
Section 1: Elections
• The Board of Trustees shall elect at the Annual Meeting (September) from its members a President, a Vice President, and a Secretary who shall serve for a term of one year and until his / her successor is elected.
• No officer shall serve more than two consecutive terms. A nomination may be made from the floor.
Section 2: Duties
• The Board’s practice will be to recommend the member in his / her fourth year of their term to serve as President. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board; authorize calls for any special meetings; regulate and control public participation; appoint all committees; execute all documents authorized by the Board; serve as an ex-officio voting member of all committees; insure that a true and accurate record is maintained of all meetings of the Board; plan the meeting agenda with the Library Director; and generally perform all duties associated with that office.
• The Board’s practice will be to recommend the member in his / her third year of their term to serve as Vice President. The Vice President, in the event of the President’s absence or disability, or of a vacancy in that office, shall assume and perform the duties and function of the President.
• The Board’s practice will be to recommend the member in his / her second year of their term to serve as Secretary. The Secretary will be responsible for documenting Board meeting minutes.
Section 3: Vacancies
• Vacancies occurring in any office shall be filled by majority vote of those present at the next regular meeting of the Board. Any officer selected to fill a vacancy shall serve from the time of the election to the time of the next election of officers.
Article VI: Meetings
Section 1: Frequency
• The Board shall meet for business purposes on a uniform day each month, the day and hour to be set by the Board at its Annual Meeting (September), unless otherwise ordered by the Board. There shall be no fewer than ten (10) meetings annually.
Section 2: Annual Meeting
• The Annual Meeting, which shall be held for the purpose of the election of officers, shall occur at the same time of the regular meeting in September.
Section 3: Special Meetings
• Special meetings may be called by the President, or upon written request by three members, for the transaction of business as stated in the Notice of Special Meetings. Only that business so specified may be acted upon at that meeting.
• If the time and place of a special meeting has not been determined at a regular Board meeting with all members present, a notice of the time and place of the special meeting shall be sent to all Board members. Notification procedures shall be in accordance with the Idaho Open Meeting Law.
Section 4: Quorum
• A quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting shall consist of three members of the Board present in person.
Section 5: Voting
• An affirmative vote by the majority of the Board members shall be necessary to approve any action of the Board. The President may introduce, vote upon, move or second a proposal before the Board.
Section 6: Order of Business
• The order of business for regular meetings shall include, but not be limited to, the following items that shall be covered in the sequence shown so far as circumstances will permit:
o Call to order
o Approval of the agenda
o Approval of the minutes
o Review of the bills and approval of unbudgeted capital expenditures
o Friends of the Library report
o Director’s report
o Committee reports
o Unfinished business
o New business
o Additional items or public comment
o Selection of next meeting
o Adjournment
Article VII: Committees
Section 1: Appointment
• The President shall appoint committees of one or more members for such specific purposes as the business of the board may require from time to time. The committee shall be discharged upon the completion of the purpose for which it was appointed after the final report is made to the Board.
Section 2: Reports
• All Committees shall make a progress report to the Board at each of its meetings, or as required.
Section 3: Limitation of Powers
• No committee will have other than advisory powers, unless, by suitable action of the Board, it is granted specific power to act.
Article VIII: Parliamentary Authority
The parliamentary authority shall be Robert’s Rules of Order, current edition, except as stated in these by-laws.
Article IX: Amendments
These by-laws may be amended by a simple majority vote of all members of the Board at any meeting that has a quorum, provided written notice of the proposed amendment shall have been mailed to all members at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting at which such action is proposed to be taken.
Article X: General
Any rule or resolution of the Board, whether contained in these by-laws or otherwise, may be suspended temporarily in connection with business at hand, but such suspension, to be valid, may be taken only at a meeting at which at least three (3) members of the Board are present and three (3) of those present shall so approve.