Bylaws

Article I. Name

This organization shall be called Indian Prairie Public Library District.

Article II. Purpose

Our Mission

We enrich our community by providing opportunities to explore, connect, learn and create.

Our Values

We value and respect the individual.
We empower and guide each visitor.
We aspire to bring people together.

Our Vision

People are inspired and empowered.
Dreams are developed and realized.

Article III. Board of Trustees

Section 1. General Powers

The property, business and affairs of the library shall be directed by its Board of Library Trustees in the spirit and intent of supporting and maintaining a public library in the district and for providing library service. The Board of Trustees may adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of its business as shall be deemed advisable and may, in the execution of the powers granted, appoint such agents as it may be considered necessary.

Section 2. Number and Tenure

The number of Trustees comprising the Board of the Indian Prairie Public Library District will be seven (7) in accordance with Illinois State Law. Board members shall serve a term of four years. The term of office will begin on the third Monday of the month following the month of the election.

Section 3. Ethics

The Indian Prairie Public Library District adheres to the ALA Ethics Statement for Public Library Trustees. Trustees are responsible for compliance.

Section 4. Conflict of Interest

No trustee 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 his or her official duties in the public interest or that may tend to impair his or her independence of judgment or action in the performance of such official duties. In particular, family members of the Board of Trustees may not be hired by the library as long as the Trustee serves on the Board.

Section 5. Board Members Speaking for the Board to the Public or Media

Individual Library Trustees may not speak to the public or media on behalf of Library Trustees unless authorized by the Board to do so. When speaking to the public or media about the Library or Board action, Library Trustees should be careful to define when their remarks represent personal opinion and when their remarks represent official Board position. Library Trustees must be aware that they are always seen as members of the Library Board even when the designate comments as personal.

Section 6. Compensation

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 and may be subject to board approval.

Section 7. Vacancies

The Board may declare a vacancy when the elected or appointed trustee declines, fails, or is unable to serve, or becomes a nonresident of the district. A vacancy is also declared when the trustee is convicted of a misdemeanor by failing, neglecting, or refusing to discharge any duty imposed upon him or her by this Act, or who has failed to pay the library tax levied by the district. Trustees who will miss a Board Meeting due to vacation, illness or unavoidable scheduling conflicts shall advise the Board President or Executive Director as soon as possible prior to the meeting. If a trustee doesn’t follow this procedure for three (3) meetings in a twelve month period, their position will be declared vacant by the Board. Any vacancy will be filled by appointment by the board.

Article IV – Officers and Executive Director

Section 1. Officers

The officers of the board shall be a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.

Section 2. Nominations and Election

Officers shall be elected by a ballot vote at the first meeting of the month following the biennial election of trustees. A nominating committee composed of board members shall be appointed by the President. They shall present a slate of officers. Additional nominations may be made from the floor.

Section 3. Term of Office

Officers shall serve a term of two years ending the third Monday of the month following each regular election or until their successors are duly elected by the board, (75 ILCS 16/30-40)

Section 4. Removal

Any officer duly elected or appointed may be removed by majority of a quorum of the board whenever it is determined the best interests of the library would be served thereby.

Section 5. Vacancy

A vacancy in any office shall be filled by a ballot vote by the board for the unexpired term.

Section 6. President

The President of the Board shall preside at all meetings of the board, authorize calls for any special meetings, appoint such committees as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of the board.

1. The President shall sign the ordinances, resolutions, and contracts of the board.
2. The President is responsible for seeing that the by-laws and other policies of the board are reviewed at regular intervals.
3. The President is an ex-officio member of all committees.
4. The President shall neither have nor exercise veto power.

Section 7. Vice President

The Vice President in the temporary absence or disability of the President shall assume and perform the duties and functions of the President.

1. In the event of vacancy in the office of President, the Vice President shall temporarily perform the duties of that office until the next board meeting at which time a new president shall be elected.

Section 8. Secretary

The Secretary shall keep and maintain appropriate records for his or her term of office and shall include in those records a record of the meetings, the names of those in attendance, the ordinances enacted, resolutions, rules, and regulations adopted, and all other pertinent written matter as affect the operation of the district.

1. The Secretary’s records shall be audited each fiscal year and upon the change of Secretaries by two other trustees appointed by the President. The audit report shall be filed not later than the 90th day following the completion of each iscal year and shall certify the accuracy and completeness of the records and shall list the discrepancies, if any. The Board shall take whatever action is deemed necessary to cure the discrepancies reported to it by any audit committee.
2. The Secretary shall have the power to administer oaths and affirmations.

Section 9. Treasurer

The Treasurer shall keep and maintain accounts and records of the district during the term in office, indicating therein, a record of all receipts and disbursements and balances in any funds which shall be reported monthly to the board.

1. At the end of the fiscal year, an audit shall be performed and accompanied by the professional opinion of an accountant certified to practice public accounting under the Laws of the State of Illinois.
2. The Treasurer shall be bonded with approval of the board for faithful discharge of the duties of the office and for all district funds coming into the Treasurer's hands. The minimum amount of the bond shall equal 50% of the total funds received by the district in the previous fiscal year (75 ILCS 15/4-10(2)). A crime insurance policy may be provided instead according to the law. Cost of any surety bond or crime insurance policy shall be borne by the district.
3. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the investment of library funds with board approval and subject to the limitations of the Illinois statutes.

Section 10. Additional Duties of Officers

In addition to the duties previously specified, each office shall perform such other duties as may be required by law or by the ordinances or the resolutions of the board or as appointed by the President.

Section 11. Executive Director

The Board shall appoint a qualified Executive Director who shall be the executive and administrative officer of the library on behalf of the board and under its review and direction. The Executive Director shall administer the policies adopted by the board. The Executive Director shall manage orientation of new trustees in partnership with a trustee(s) as needed and appointed by the President.

Article V. Board Meetings

Section 1. Regular Meetings

The Board shall meet monthly on a regular basis. The time, day, date, and place of all regular meetings shall be established by ordinance at any meeting of the board. A copy of the ordinance shall be posted in the library and supplied to any medium that has filed an annual request for such notices.

Section 2. Special Meetings

Special meetings shall be called by the President or the Secretary or by any four (4) Trustees. No special meeting shall be held unless written notice of the time and place thereof shall be given to all trustees at least 48 hours in advance of said special meeting, or by oral notice in the case of a stated emergency.

Section 3. Open Meetings Act

All meetings of the Board shall comply with the Open Meetings Act.

Section 4. Quorum

A quorum shall consist of four (4) members of the Board and a majority of those present shall determine the vote taken on any question, unless a larger majority is specified by law.

Section 5. Conduct of Meeting

In the President's absence, the Vice President or in the Vice President's absence, the Secretary, and in the Secretary's absence, the Treasurer, shall preside. In the absence of the Secretary the Board President shall appoint a Secretary for the meeting who will have the powers of the secretary. The conduct of meetings shall be guided by the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order.

Section 6. Voting

All votes on any questions shall be by ayes and nays. The number of aye and nay votes and the number of absences and abstentions shall be recorded by the Secretary. A "present" vote shall not be counted. Roll call votes shall be required for ordinances, resolutions, and expenditures from the special reserve fund and the working cash fund. The secretary shall call the roll. The President may vote upon and may move or second a proposal.

An omnibus vote may be used to adopt a group of ordinances, resolutions and motions by a single vote. An omnibus vote shall be considered a unanimous consent roll call vote. Abstentions are not permitted. Two motions are required for an omnibus vote. The first motion establishes a list of matters to be voted on via "omnibus vote." Any trustee may request that an item be deleted from this list. Matters which will not receive unanimous approval must be deleted from the list. If the first motion passes unanimously, a trustee will make a motion to pass all such ordinances, resolutions or motions by omnibus vote.

Section 7. Order of Business

The order of business for regular meetings shall include, but not be limited to, the following items which shall be covered in the sequence shown so far as circumstances will permit:

1. Roll Call and Declaration of a Quorum
2. Public Comment
3. Communications and Announcements
4. Omnibus Consent Agenda
   1. Minutes
   2. Action on Bills
   3. Resolutions
   4. Ordinances
   5. Motions
5. Items Deleted from Omnibus Consent Agenda
6. Executive Director's Report
7. Staff Report
8. Reports including the Treasurer’s Report
9. Unfinished Business
10. New Business
11. Adjournment

Section 8. Executive Session

Executive session may be used when deemed necessary by the board in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.

Section 9. Attendance

As authorized by the Open Meetings Act, a Trustee may attend Board Meetings or Committee Meetings by video or audio conference (or other means of contemporaneous interactive communication) provided:

1. A quorum of the Board or Committee is physically present at the meeting location;
2. The Trustee wishing to attend by video or audio conference has notified the Executive Director or Administrative Assistant before the meeting (unless advance notice is impractical);
3. The Trustee is prevented from physically attending because of:
   1. personal illness or disability;
   2. employment purposes or the business of the Library District;
   3. family or other emergency.

Minutes of all meetings will record whether Trustees were physically present or present by means of video or audio conference.

Article VI. Committees

Section 1. Standing Committees

Certain committees will be formed in the month following the biennial trustee election and these committees will remain in effect for a period of two (2) years. The President shall appoint members and chairmen when the committees are formed or in the event of a vacancy on a committee. These committees will meet as needed.

Section 2. Ad Hoc Committees

The President shall appoint committees of one or more members each for specific purposes as the business of the board may require from time to time. The President shall appoint a chairperson for each committee. Each committee shall be considered to be discharged upon the completion of the purpose for which it was appointed and after the final report is made to the board.

Section 3. Quorum

Unless otherwise determined by the Board of Trustees, a majority of any committee shall constitute a quorum for committee action at any meeting of the committee.

Section 4. Reports

All committees shall make a progress report to the board at each of its meetings. All final committee minutes shall be written and filed with the regular board minutes.

Section 5. Open Meetings Act

All committee’s shall abide by the regulations of the Open Meetings Act.

Article VII. Indemnification of Trustees, Employees and Volunteers

If any claim or action not covered by insurance is instituted against a trustee of the Indian Prairie Public Library District out of an act or omission by a trustee acting in good faith for a purpose believed to be in the best interest of the Indian Prairie Public Library District; or if any claim or action not covered by insurance is instituted against an employee or volunteer of the Indian Prairie Public Library District allegedly arising out of an act or omission occurring within the scope of his or her duties as employee or volunteer; the Indian Prairie Public Library District shall, at the request of the trustee, employee, or volunteer:

1. Appear and defend against the claim; and
2. Pay or indemnify for a judgment and court costs, based on such claim or action; and
3. Pay or indemnify for a compromise or settlement of such claim or action, providing the settlement is approved by the board of trustees.

For the purpose of this Section, the term trustee, employee and volunteer shall include a former trustee, employee, and volunteer of the library district. This Article VIII shall not apply if the Board of Trustees finds that the claim or action is based on malicious, willful, or criminal misconduct. In such cases, indemnification will be determined after an investigation of the facts.

Article VIII. Compliance with the Law

The Indian Prairie Public Library District shall comply with all provisions of the Illinois Compiled Statutes pertaining to library districts and trustees.

Article VIIII. Amendments

These by‑laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Board of Trustees by a majority vote. Written notice of the text of proposed changes must be distributed to all trustees a minimum of 10 days prior to such meetings.

Voice of American Library Trustees

Ethics Statement for Public Library Trustees

Trustees in the capacity of trust upon them, shall observe ethical standards with absolute truth, integrity and honor.

Trustees must avoid situations in which personal interests might be served or financial benefits gained at the expense of library users, colleagues, or the situation.

It is incumbent upon any trustee to disqualify himself/herself immediately whenever the appearance or a conflict of interest exists.

Trustees must distinguish clearly in their actions and statements between their personal philosophies and attitudes and those of the institution, acknowledging the formal position of the board even if they personally disagree.

A trustee must respect the confidential nature of library business while being aware of and in compliance with applicable laws governing freedom of information.

Trustees must be prepared to support to the fullest the efforts of librarians in resisting censorship of library materials by groups or individuals.

Trustees who accept library board responsibilities are expected to perform all of the functions of library trustees.

Adopted by the Board of Directors of the American Library Trustee Association, July, 1985.

Adopted by the Board of Directors of the Public Library Association, July, 1985.

Amended by the Board of Directors of the American Library Trustee Association, July, 1988.

Approval of the amendment by the Board of Directors of the Public Library Association, January, 1989.

American Library Trustee Association, ALTAI a division of the American Library Association • 50 E. Huron St. • Chicago, IL 6061: telephone 312-280-2161 • toll-free 800-545-2433 ext. 2161 • fax 312-280-3257