BYLAWS OF THE
ARTICLE I
BOARD
1. The direction, operation and management of the County Library
System shall be under the jurisdiction of the County Board of Commissioners who
shall appoint a County Library Board consisting of eleven members, the
membership to represent the citizens of Hennepin County both geographically and
politically, all of whom shall reside in the Hennepin County Library service
area at the time of their appointment and for the duration of their term.
In the event a member leaves the Board for any reason, the
appointment to fill the vacancy shall be for the remainder of that member’s
term, and the replacement will be made by the
All such terms commence January 1 of their respective year of
appointment; incumbents are expected to serve until the
If any member resigns at any time, written notice must be sent
to the Library Board President who shall forward the notice to the
2. The Library Board shall be advisory to the
State Law gives power to
Maintain a system of public libraries.
Determine the locations of the libraries.
Levy taxes for library operations and maintenance.
Direct, operate and manage county library system.
Appoint eleven members to Library Board who reside in
service area of the library
State Law gives power to County Library Board to:
Determine the contents of
the collection.
Be responsible for use of
library meeting rooms.
Make recommendations to
County Commissioner
Resolution #81-2-108R gives power to County Library Board to:
Establish rules governing
library operation.
Review the annual operating
budget for submission to the
Develop a long range plan.
Accept and manage gift and
trust funds.
3. At all meetings of the Board a majority of the members of the
Board shall be necessary and sufficient to constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business and the act of the majority of the members present at
which there is a quorum shall be the act of the Library Board.
4. All books and records of the Board shall be kept in the Hennepin
County Library administrative offices unless otherwise specified by these Bylaws.
ARTICLE II
ANNUAL MEETING
1. An annual meeting shall be called by the President and held by the
Board pursuant to this article.
2. Notice of the annual meeting shall be written and mailed at least
five days before the meeting date.
3. At the annual meeting the Library Board shall elect its officers,
transfer leadership, and transact such business as may come before it. If there is not a quorum present at the
annual meeting, then it shall be recessed to another day as soon as practicable
thereafter upon five day written and mailed notice.
ARTICLE III
OFFICERS OF THE BOARD
1. At the annual meeting, the Library Board shall elect a President,
a Vice President and a Secretary.
2. The President of the Board shall preside at all regular and special
meetings of the Board and generally perform all duties associated with that
office. In the absence of the President,
the Vice President shall preside.
3. The President shall appoint all committees not otherwise ordered
by the Bylaws or the Library Board.
4. In consultation with Library staff, the Secretary will notify the
members of all meetings of the Board; give notice of all meetings of
committees; keep true records of the votes at the elections and of all other
proceedings; and attest such records after every meeting by his/her signature.
5. In case of the absence of the President, Vice President or
Secretary, the Board may elect an officer pro tem.
6. If the office of the President, Vice President or Secretary shall
become vacant, the members shall fill the vacancy at the next regularly
scheduled meeting of the Board from a list provided by the Nominating
Committee.
ARTICLE IV
MEETINGS
1. Regular meetings of the Board shall be held on a date and time
determined at the annual meeting.
2. Notices of scheduled Board meetings shall be mailed not less than
five days before the meeting and shall include the place of the meeting, the
agenda, financial statements, papers, charts, and/or reports pertaining to
business that would require Board action.
3. Special meetings may be called by the President or any two Library
Board members, by written notice stating the time, place and object of the
meeting, to be served personally or by mail, at least twenty-four hours before
such meeting.
4. All meetings of the Board may be recessed or adjourned upon the
majority vote of those members present.
5. All voting at meetings of the Board shall be by voice vote unless
a member shall demand a roll call and record it in the proceedings of the
Board.
6. If a quorum shall be lacking at any meeting of the Board the
majority of the members present may adjourn the meeting and may schedule a new
meeting.
7. In consultation with the President, the Director of the Hennepin
County Library shall prepare an agenda for each scheduled meeting of the Board.
8. The agenda for all Board meetings shall include, but not be
limited to, the following:
a. Approval of minutes.
b. Public comment.
c. Report of President.
d. Report of Director.
e. Reports of committees.
f. Unfinished business.
g. New business.
h. Gifts
i. Adjournment.
9. The Standard Code of
Parliamentary Procedure (by Alice Sturgis) shall govern the parliamentary
procedure of the Board
10. The Library Board shall conform to the Open Meeting Law (Minn.
Stat. Ch. 13D).
ARTICLE V
COMMITTEES
1. The Board shall have one standing committee, Nominating (four
members appointed by the President). Members of the Nominating Committee shall
be appointed at least one month before the annual meeting.
2. The President with the concurrence of the Library Board may
appoint other committees to serve for such length of time as is the pleasure of
the Board. The President shall designate the chair who shall preside at all
meetings of the committee. No committee
shall consist of less than three members.
3. Each committee shall fix its own rules of procedure and shall meet
where and as provided by such rules or by resolution of the Board. A quorum shall consist of a majority of the
committee members.
4. In every case the affirmative vote of a majority of all members of
a committee present at the meeting shall be necessary for its adoption of any
resolution.
5. Minutes of committee meetings shall be kept and, if possible,
mailed to all members of the Board before the next scheduled Board meeting
which follows the committee meeting.
6. The President of the Board shall be an ex-officio member of all
committees and shall have a full vote upon all matters at such committee
meetings he/she may attend.
ARTICLE VI
DIRECTOR OF THE HENNEPIN
1. The Library Director shall be appointed and removed by the
2. Under the Board’s policies the Library Director shall be
responsible for the proper management of the Library and the preservation of
all the library properties.
BYLAWS RELATING TO BYLAWS
1. The Board by majority vote thereof shall have the power to make,
alter, amend or repeal the Bylaws at any regular or special meeting of the
Board, the notice of which shall have stated the amendment of the Bylaws as one
of the purposes of the meeting, providing an advance copy of the proposed
amendment and a copy of the Bylaws then in force be mailed with said notice to
each member.
2. Within ten days after the adoption of a resolution amending these
Bylaws in any respect, a copy of the amended Bylaws shall be mailed to each
member at his/her last known post office address.
3. These Bylaws shall be reviewed by the Library Board at least every
three years.
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Adopted February 19, 1987 Revised August 20, 1992 Revised August 7, 1996 Revised February 25, 1998 Revised January 27, 1999 Revised May 23, 2001 Reviewed 2004 Reviewed 2007 Revised March 19, 2008 |