District By-Laws
BY-LAWS OF THE WHITE OAK LIBRARY DISTRICT
Adopted: March 22, 2000
Amended: December 16, 2008
ARTICLE I - NAME
The name of the organization shall be White Oak Library District.
ARTICLE II - PURPOSE
The purpose of the Library District is to provide access to the universe of information, and especially that information which is of immediate relevance and interest, to the communities it serves, all pursuant to the requirements of the Public Library District Act of 1991, as amended and modified from time to time, and the requirements of any other applicable law.
ARTICLE III - MEETINGS OF THE BOARD
Section 1: The regular meeting and special meetings, and the calling of any meetings shall be completed in accordance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act, as amended and modified from time to time.
Section 2: Notice of meetings shall be completed in accordance with the Illinois Open Meetings Act.
Section 3: A quorum for the transaction of business shall consist of four members of the Board.
Section 4: Board members unable to attend a scheduled meeting should notify the Director or the Assistant Director prior to said meeting.
Section 5: Executive session may be entered during any meeting in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.
Section 6: Written minutes of each meeting must be kept in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.
ARTICLE IV - TRUSTEES
Section 1: Trustees shall be elected to the Board by district voters as prescribed by the Illinois Election Code and will serve six year terms. [75 ILCS 16/30-10]
Section 2: Whenever a trustee resigns or is found unable to legally fulfill their full term, the remaining Trustees shall appoint a replacement until the next regular library election, at which time a Trustee shall be elected to fulfill the remainder of the unexpired term. [75 ILCS 16/30-25]
Section 3: When appointing replacements to fill vacant Board seats, the Trustees shall take into account the makeup of the existing Board as it relates to the three municipalities served by the District, namely Crest Hill, Lockport, and Romeoville. Trustees shall attempt to balance these areas by appointing a resident of the least represented municipality within the District to the vacant seat.
ARTICLE V - OFFICERS
Section 1: The officers shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer who will be elected by a majority vote of the Trustees at the May meeting and will serve for one year.
Officers may be removed from office with a simple majority vote of Trustees. Trustees are ineligible to serve as President or Vice President until they have completed one year of service on the Board.
Section 2: The president shall preside over all meetings, appoint members of committees as needed and authorized by the district’s regulations, and perform other duties specified by the district’s regulations, ordinances, or other appropriate action. In the president’s absence, the vice president shall preside at meetings. The president shall not have or exercise veto powers. [75 ILCS 16/30-45(b)]
Section 3: The vice president’s duties shall be prescribed by regulations. [75 ILCS 16/30-45(c)]
Section 4: The secretary shall keep and maintain appropriate records for his or her term in office and shall include in those records a record of the minutes of all meetings, the names of those in attendance, the ordinances enacted, the resolutions and regulations adopted, and all other pertinent written matter affecting the operation of the district. The secretary may administer oaths and affirmations for the purposes of the district. [75 ILCS 16/30-45(g)]
Section 5: The treasurer shall keep and maintain accounts and records of the district during the treasurer’s term in office, indicating in those accounts and records a record of all receipts, disbursements, and balances in any funds. Annual audit and financial report requirements shall conform to Section 3 of the Governmental Account Audit Act (50 ILCS 310/3 1 et seq.). [75 ILCS 16/30-45(d)]
Section 6: A vacancy in the office of Library Trustee shall be declared by a majority vote of trustees present, if a trustee fails to serve and is absent from four consecutive regular board meetings within a fiscal year.
ARTICLE VI - COMMITTEES
Section 1: The Board will operate as a committee of the whole in all regular matters. When it is determined by majority vote that an ad-hoc committee is needed, the President has the authority to appoint trustees to said committee.
ARTICLE VII - ORDER OF BUSINESS
Section 1: The order of business at all regular meetings of the Board shall be as follows:
1. Pledge
2. Call to Order
3. Public Comments
4. Reading and approving of minutes of the Last Board Meeting and action thereon
5. Correspondence
6. Treasurer's Report
7. Personal Property Replacement Tax and Tax Distribution Report
8. Director's Report
9. Old Business
10. New Business
11. Review of Serving Our Public: Standards for Illinois Public Libraries
12. Adjournment
Section 2: Any business may be taken out of its above order, or the order of business suspended at any meeting by a majority vote of the members present.
ARTICLE VIII - EXPENDITURES
Section 1: Salaries shall be paid bi-weekly.
Section 2: The list of bills payable each month shall be presented to the Board for approval.
Section 3: Any expenditure for a single budgeted items exceeding $10,000.00 must have prior Board approval.
Section 4: The board shall, when the cost is in excess of $20,000.00, advertise for bids for constructing the building, remodeling, repairing, or improving of an existing library building, erecting an addition to an existing library building, or purchasing the necessary equipment for the library and shall let the contract or contracts for the project, when the cost is in excess of $20,000.00, to the lowest responsible bidder or bidders, unless excluded in the library purchasing policy. The board shall require from the bidders security for the performance of the bids determined by the board pursuant to law. The trustees may let the contract or contracts to one or more bidders as they determine. [75 ILCS 16/40-45(b)]
Section 5: District Funds may be invested in accordance with the Public Funds Investment Act. [30 ILCS 235 et seq]
ARTICLE IX - PERSONNEL
Section 1: The Board shall employ a Director to carry out the policies established by the Board. The Director shall employ the staff authorized by the Board; acquire library materials in accordance with the Collection Development Policy, and shall administer other District affairs in accordance with Board policy.
Section 2: The Director shall attend all meetings of the Board.
Section 3: The Board will conduct an evaluation of the Director annually at an appropriate time.
Section 4: Nepotism is prohibited and the District shall not hire relatives of any elected or appointed Trustee. Relatives are hereby defined as spouse, father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, grandparent, grandchild, or any “in-law” variation of the aforementioned.
ARTICLE X - CONDUCT OF MEETINGS
Section 1: Unless otherwise provided, meetings shall be conducted in accordance with Roberts Rules of Order, current revised edition.
Section 2: In the absence of a quorum, the Board may adjourn a meeting to a specified date, place and time, notice of which shall be given according to Article III.
ARTICLE XI - FISCAL YEAR
Section 1: The fiscal year of the District shall be from July 1st through June 30th.
ARTICLE XII - RECORDS AND FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
Section 1: All records of the District and the Board including those of the Treasurer shall be maintained at the Library.
Section 2: Financial records and activities shall be maintained in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, consistently applied. The action of the Board in regard to approval of bills for payment shall be recorded.
Section 3: An audit of the District and Board records shall be performed each year by a qualified independent public accountant licensed to practice public accounting in the State of Illinois. Copies of auditors’ reports shall be distributed to each Board member and to the County Clerk, State Comptroller, and to the State Library, and as otherwise provided by law.
ARTICLE XIII – CONFLICT OF INTEREST
Section 1: Members of the White Oak Library District Board of Trustees and all employees of the Library District shall not use their Board or Association relationships for their personal gain; and shall at all times conduct themselves in compliance with the State Officials and Employees Ethics Act (Public Act 93-617). To ensure recognition of the responsibility, any Board member or employee aware of a conflict of interest with a matter coming before the Board or any of its committees shall bring this to the attention of the Board or committee, shall not vote on the subject or attempt to influence the vote of others and shall not be counted in determining the quorum if that has not already been established for the meeting. These points shall be recorded in the minutes of such meetings.
ARTICLE XIV - AMENDMENTS
Section 1: Adoption of amendments shall require a majority vote of the Board members present, except that these bylaws shall, without the need for specific Board action, be deemed amended by , and to the extent of, any amendments or modification of or new enactments concerning the Public Library District Act of 1991 (the “Act”), any statute or law intended to replace, modify or supplement the Act, or any other statue or law intended to regulate the actions or responsibilities of the District, Board, Officers, Trustees, Director or any Library employees, patrons or contracting parties.
