BYLAWS
Preface: The Rolling Prairie Library System derives
its authority for operation from the Illinois Library Systems Act, 75 ILCS
10/1-16.being Illinois Compiled Statutes.
ARTICLE I
Name
The name of the organization
shall be Rolling Prairie Library System, hereinafter referred to as the System.
ARTICLE II
Objectives
The objectives of the System
shall be to promote, foster, encourage and effectuate the improvement of
library services and to serve all libraries in the Rolling Prairie Library
System in accordance with the Library System Act Administrative Rules established
by the Illinois State Library, hereinafter referred to as the Administrative
Rules, for the administration of the Illinois Library Systems Act.
ARTICLE III
Membership
“Developmental Library
Membership.” Category for a library
which can meet the Definition of a “Library” as well as the Definition applying
to their specific type of library as defined in the Administrative Rules, but
cannot meet the Criteria for Full System Membership. A public library shall also meet either the financial
requirements for state per capita grants to public libraries as stated in the
Act or levy a tax that produces a revenue of $6.00 per capita.
“Full System Membership.” Category for a library which can meet the
Definition of a “Library” as well as the Definition applying to their specific
type of library as defined in the Administrative Rules, and can additionally
meet the Criteria for Full System Membership as defined in the Plan for System
Cooperation.
ARTICLE IV
Application Requirement
An application for membership in the Rolling Prairie
Library System shall meet the membership criteria, and shall include:
A. A statement in writing that the
institution applying for membership:
1. Is a library and one of the types of libraries as defined in the
Illinois Library Systems Act and in the Administrative Rules.
2. Agrees
to accept and to observe the provisions of the Illinois Library System Act, the
Administrative Rules, the System's By-Laws, the Plan for System Cooperation,
the Long-Range Plan of the System, and all other rules of the System.
3. Agrees
to honor the provisions of the Interlibrary Loan Code for Illinois.
4. Will
not reduce the financial and other support of its library as a result of the
institution's membership in the System.
5. Will supply to the Illinois State Library and to the Rolling Prairie Library System such evidence as either the Illinois State Library or the Rolling Prairie Library System reasonably may require from time to time for the evaluation and planning of library activities within the Rolling Prairie Library System and the State, and for the assurance that the provisions of the Illinois Library Systems Act, the Administrative Rules, the System's By-Laws, the Plan for System Cooperation, the Long-Range Plan of the System and all other rules of the System are being observed.
B. A
Profile Sheet on the applying institution's library resources and library
budget.
C. An
Application for Membership in Rolling Prairie Library System signed by the
governing authority of the applying library.
ARTICLE V
Action on Membership Application
Within 90 days after receipt
of an application for membership in the Rolling Prairie Library System, the
Board of Directors of Rolling Prairie Library System shall act upon the
application:
A. If the
requirements for membership as provided in the Illinois Library Systems Act and
the Administrative Rules as well as those application requirements for
membership established by the Rolling Prairie Library System have been met by
the applicant, the Board of Directors of Rolling Prairie Library System shall
approve the application and submit the application to the Illinois State
Librarian for approval.
B. If, in
the judgment of the Rolling Prairie Library System, the requirements for membership
have not been met, the Rolling Prairie Library System concurrently will give
written notice of that fact to the applicant and to the Illinois State
Library. An institution whose
application has not been approved may appeal the System's decision to the State
Librarian.
ARTICLE VI
Suspension of a Library From Membership
The governing board of the
Rolling Prairie Library System may suspend a library from membership in the
System for failure to comply with the Illinois Library Systems Act, the
Administrative Rules, the System's By-Laws, the Plan for System Cooperation of
the System, the Long-Range Plan of the System, or all other rules of the
System.
When the governing board of
the System determines that a library member is not meeting the requirements of
membership, it shall notify the library member and specify the requirements
that are not being met. The library
shall have 60 days to respond to allegations of the System Board. If the library member does not respond to
the allegations made against it, or if its response does not satisfy the System
Board that the library will meet the requirements for System membership within
a specific time, the System Board may suspend it from System membership. The
System Board shall notify the State Librarian immediately of its action for
review as provided in the Administrative Rules. The State Librarian shall review the action of the System Board
in suspending a member library within 60 days of receipt of notice of such
action. If the State Librarian does not
concur in the suspension of a member library by the System Board, he shall so
inform the System Board and the library and shall furnish a written explanation
of his decision. The suspension, then,
shall not take effect.
During the period of
suspension, a library cannot participate in any System services, and has no
obligation to the System, except obligations specifically incurred prior to the
date of the suspension. If the library
does not re-establish its membership in the System within three years of the
date of suspension, or if a library receives three suspensions within a period
of three consecutive years, the State Librarian may terminate the library's
membership in the System.
A library whose membership
in a System is terminated shall return to the System administrative
headquarters all library materials and equipment purchased with System
headquarters funds and on deposit at such library.
ARTICLE VII
Transfer of Membership
A public library may
transfer membership under the procedures set forth in the Administrative Rules.
ARTICLE VIII
Withdrawal
A library may withdraw from
a System pursuant to the procedures as outlined in the Illinois Library Systems
Act.
ARTICLE IX
Board of Directors
The System shall be governed
by a Board of Directors numbering (9) Directors. No library shall be represented by more than one Director. All Board members must be eligible electors
in the geographical area of the System.
It is the desire of the
Board of Directors to eliminate two-year terms for Board members and establish
three-year terms for all directors.
During the transition period, certain terms for elected or appointed
Directors may be established that are less than or greater than two years in
length. These terms shall be called
transition terms. The transition period
during which transition terms may be established will end when all three-year
terms for all Directors are achieved.
Five of the RPLS Directors
shall be public library trustees of member participating libraries apportioned
in the following manner: at least one
Director shall be from a public library serving a population of 50,000 or more,
and four shall be at-large Directors.
Four of the Directors shall
be librarians of member libraries distributed as follows: one from an academic library, one from a
school library, one from a special library and one from a public library.
The terms of the Directors
shall start at the annual meeting at which the Board member is elected. Directors may serve no more than the number
of years permitted by the Library Systems Act.
Public library trustees must maintain membership on the board of a participating
library. All other Directors must
maintain a connection with the type of library they represent.
Vacancies may be filled by
appointment by the remaining members of the Board. The appointee shall serve for the unexpired term of the Director
replaced. Persons appointed must have
the same qualifications as those elected, and represent the constituency of the
vacant seat, except that if a person of the same library constituency is not
available for appointment within thirty (30) days from the date of vacancy, the
Board may appoint a qualified person representing any library constituency.
A Nominating Committee will
be selected to oversee the election process for the multitype Board of
Directors. Nominations will be
solicited from each type of library to arrive at a list of candidates to fill
the number of directorships required on the Board from that segment of the
library community. In the event that
there are two individuals from the same library nominated for different
categories, it will be the responsibility of the Nominating Committee to
resolve the issue before the ballot is presented.
A paper ballot especially
related to library type (public, academic, school, special) will be prepared
and distributed by the Nominating Committee.
Each library will be entitled to cast one vote for nominees from its
respective type of library. The ballots
will be returned to the Nominating Committee prior to the Annual Meeting.
Non-attendance of a member
of the Board of Directors for three consecutive meetings shall be a basis for
declaring a vacancy. A Board member can
be removed for excessive non-attendance by a majority vote of the Board of
Directors.
The Directors of the System
shall serve without compensation, but their actual and necessary expenses shall
be a proper charge against the System fund.
All Directors individually and as a body represent the entire System.
ARTICLE X
Duties of the Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of
the System shall carry out the spirit and intent of the Systems Act and, in
addition to the other power conferred by the Systems Act, shall have the powers
as stated in the Illinois Library Systems Act.
ARTICLE XI
Officers
The Officers shall consist
of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, and a Treasurer elected at the
Annual Meeting by the Directors from among their number. The officers shall be elected for a term of
one year. No Board member shall serve
in the same office (President, Vice President, Secretary, or Treasurer) for
more than two consecutive years. A
lapse of at least one year must occur before an individual having served two
years would again be eligible to hold that same office.
The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board, appoint any necessary committees, be an ex officio member of all committees, and entitled to vote on such committee (except the Nominating Committee).
The
Vice President shall preside at meetings in the absence of the President, and
shall in case of the resignation of the President, assume the President's
responsibilities until the election of a new President.
The
Secretary shall have the responsibility for the records of the Board of
Directors.
The
Treasurer shall be chairperson of the Finance Committee which is the committee
that recommends all bills for payment.
Should an office become
vacant prior to the expiration of the term of that office, the Directors shall
elect from their number an officer to fill the unexpired term.
ARTICLE XII
System Funds
Before entering upon the
duties, the Treasurer shall be required to give a bond in an amount to be
approved by the Board, but in no case less than the minimum amount specified in
the Library System Act, conditioned that the Treasurer will safely keep and pay
over upon the order of the Board all funds received and held by the Treasurer
for the System. The funds of the
Library System shall be deposited in a bank or banks designated by the Board of
Directors and shall be expended only under the direction of such Board
authenticated vouchers.
ARTICLE XIII
Meetings
The Board of Directors shall
meet a minimum of nine (9) times a year to conduct the business of the
System. There must be five (5)
Directors present to constitute a quorum.
The annual meeting shall be
held in July at which time the Board of Directors shall establish the meeting
times. Special meetings of the Board of
Directors may be called by the President or upon the request of three
Directors, for the transaction of such business as shall be stated in such
notice.
Should both the President
and Vice President be absent from any meeting, the attending Directors shall
choose, from among their number, a temporary presiding officer who shall be
designated Chairperson Pro Tem.
All motions shall be decided
on a recorded (roll call) vote.
ARTICLE XIV
Order of Business
The usual order
of business at all regular meetings shall be:
1. Call
to order
2.
Approval of minutes
3.
Reports of committees
4.
Unfinished business
5. New
business
6 Report of the Executive Director
7.
Adjournment
ARTICLE XV
Committees
The President of the Board
of Directors shall appoint committees as needed. Membership on committees shall be not less than three. Terms on committees are for one year or until
such time as new appointments are made.
ARTICLE XVI
Records of the Board of Directors
All records and accounts of
the System shall be kept in the custody of the Executive Director. All such records and accounts shall be open
to the inspection and use of all members of the Board of Directors at all
reasonable times.
ARTICLE XVII
Executive Director of the System
The Executive Director
shall:
A. Be
responsible for carrying out the policies of the Board of Directors.
B. Attend
all Board meetings.
C. Give
notice of all meetings at the direction of the proper officer.
D. Act
with all standing and special committees.
E. Be the
Chief Administrative Officer.
F. Have
the general charge of the Rolling Prairie Library System in consultation with
the Board of Directors.
G. Certify
all bills and money expended.
H.
Share
with the Board the responsibilities for compliance with the Administrative
Rules.
ARTICLE XVIII
Gifts
The Board of Directors may,
at its discretion, accept gifts, donations or endowment funds for the System.
ARTICLE XIX
Amendments
The By-Laws may be amended
at any special or regular meeting of the Board providing that written notice to
the Board of the proposed amendment and the meeting date has been given ten
(10) days prior to the meeting date.
The written notice must include a copy of the amendment in the form to
be considered. To amend the By-Laws the
amendment must be passed by a two-thirds vote of all the Directors. That is, the amendment must be approved by
six (6) Directors.
ARTICLE XX
Executive Committee
The President, Vice
President, Secretary, and Treasurer shall constitute the Executive Committee.
During the periods between Board meetings the Executive Committee shall have
the power to take action necessary for the normal operation of the System
subject to approval by the full Board.
ARTICLE XXI
Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the
System shall begin with July 1 and end with June 30.
ARTICLEXXII
Rules of Order
Robert's Rules of Order
shall, in the absence of provision to the contrary herein, be observed in
governing the transactions of the business of the System.
7/11/02