Policy Manual

This document sets forth the overall policies outlining the governance, management and operations of the Prairie Area Library System. These policies are subject to revision from time to time and, as warranted by particular circumstances, and to occasional exceptions as deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors or the Executive Director and as approved by the Board of Directors.

This manual is separated into various topics dealing with:
 I. -Governance
 II-Administration
 III-Personnel
 IV-Services
 V-Facilities 
 

I. GOVERNANCE

This system exists under the auspices of the Illinois State statutes (75 ILCS10/). Anything in these policies that is not in accord with state statutes shall be void. These policies are subordinate to the By-Laws established for the system. Additionally, the system shall operate under the rules of the pertinent Sections of the Illinois Administrate Code, Title 23; Education and Cultural Resources, Chapter I: Secretary of State, Part 3030: The Library Systems Act. Those rules shall take precedence over any of the policies set forth in this manual.

I.1 ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

I.1.a Term of service
The board of directors shall consist of eleven (11) directors. These directors shall normally serve for a term of three (3) years. Election of directors shall occur annually with four (4) directors being elected for a three-year term in each of two successive years, and three (3) directors elected in the third year. The cycle shall repeat every three years. All directors shall be equal in authority and responsibility; only their period of service shall vary to assure continuity of governance. Directors may serve for a maximum of six (6) contiguous years of service, i.e., two terms of office. After serving (2) two terms (or 6 years), a previous director may be re-elected or appointed only after having been off the board for a minimum period of two (2) years.

(The initial election in 2004 shall be for all eleven (11) directors; the directors in each category with the most votes will be named for a three (3) year term, the second most votes for a two (2) year term and the third most votes for a one (1) year term.)

I.1.b Election of Directors
The directors shall be elected by full-member libraries; each library in the system shall have one vote to be determined by each library’s own governing body or as directed or delegated by that governing body.

I.1.c Vacancies
In the event of a vacancy on the Board of Directors, the president, with the advice and consent of the board, may fill the position with an appointee representing the same category of membership as board member who left the board.  The position may be left vacant if more than two-thirds of the meetings of the Board of Directors have been held for the term year.

I.1.d Eligibility for Position of Director
To be eligible for election to the board of directors of the system, the individual must be a legal resident in the geographic area served by the system.

I.1.e Public Library Trustee Representation
At least half of the board of directors of the system must be public library trustees, per state statute.

I.1.f Target Representation
It is desirous that representatives of all types of libraries be on the board of directors—i.e., public, school, academic and special. Further, it is desirous that representation of all geographic areas of the system: north, south, east and west be represented. Additionally, all locality of living: including urban, suburban and rural should be represented on the board of directors. And, finally, it is desirous that all sizes of libraries be represented on the board. Regardless of the type, size or location from which a director stems, each member of the board of directors shall be expected to work for the good of all types and sizes of libraries, wherever located geographically, and not be overly concerned with any specific type, size or location of library—especially the library with which he or she is affiliated. Thus, the system board of directors shall represent the system members as a whole and not individual libraries or type of library. To this end, the eleven (11) person board make-up shall have the following representation from library types: six (6) from public trustees, two (2) from schools, one (1) from academic, one (1) from special, and one (1) non-trustee from public library. No more than one director shall be from any one library.

I.1.g Board Election and Makeup
Board elections shall be made in May of each year. Terms shall run from the first fiscal year board meeting in July until July of the ending term year. Individuals desiring to be on the board shall submit self-nominating petitions by April 15 of each year. Background, education, and other qualifications shall be included on the petition to provide electors information on which to judge the desirability of candidates for office. Nominating petitions shall require that the candidates agree that he or she will make every effort to be an active board member, attend all meetings, serve diligently on any committees named thereto, and will represent all libraries in the system. Resulting board representation shall include the requirements set forth in section I.1.e above, and seating shall be in sequence as listed therein; i.e. highest number of votes for trustees for six (6) seats, highest number of school representatives for two (2) seats and one (1) each from highest number of votes for academic, special and public library representatives.

(The initial board election shall be an anomaly to future elections; in order to establish the staggered election dates for the future. Petitions shall be available and shall include the initial term for which the individual desires to run, i.e., 2004-2005, 2004-2006 or 2004-2007. Subsequent elections shall be for full three (3) year terms.) 

I.1.h Responsibilities and Officers of the Board of Directors
Officers of the board shall be elected for two-year terms. No officer or board member shall have any system management responsibility as individuals; their role of responsibility is only in acting as a group. The officers shall be president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer. Officers may not succeed themselves. The sole responsibility of the president shall be to chair board meetings and any other specific responsibility delegated by the board in board matters. The vice-president shall act in the president’s absence to chair board meetings. The secretary shall be responsible for minutes and all formal legal aspects of the system.  Adequate records are to be taken and maintained regarding the proceedings and actions of the board. The treasurer shall oversee the finances of the system. The treasurer shall be bonded per state requirements and the cost of bonding shall be borne by the system. The role of the board is one of establishing policy, selecting/removing and evaluating the executive director, to fix the compensation of the director, and assure adequate financing for the operations of the system. Directors shall receive no remuneration for their services; they shall receive ordinary and necessary reimbursement for incidental expenses incurred in the normal exercise of their duties as members of the board. Major expenses for any director shall be approved by the board of directors, or to a board officer as delegated by the board. Formal expense statements with necessary receipts shall be submitted before any reimbursements can be made.

I. 2  BOARD RESPONSIBILITIES

I.2.a  Board Meetings
The board shall have a minimum of nine meetings per fiscal year. All board and committee meetings shall comply with the Open Meetings Act; dates and locations of all meetings shall be posted in adequate time as legally required; agendas will be included in postings; and written minutes shall be taken, maintained and be available. Use of electronic representation shall be in accord with the latest available legal requirements. Three absences, that are not excused, shall be cause for removal of a director and re-appointment of a replacement for the remainder of the specific term of that director.

I.2.b Annual Responsibilities
Annually, the board shall review: the proportion of the library interests represented on the system board; the by-laws, rules and policies, and revise them as needed; the membership eligibility criteria to ensure that they are equitable, nondiscriminatory and within the control of the system.

I.2.c. Ongoing Responsibilities
Regularly, the board should ensure that new board members receive an orientation from the board and staff; participate in continuing education events (such as system and regional workshops and state and national conferences); review and, as necessary, modify existing or adopt new policies for codification and dissemination; and advocate for libraries, uphold intellectual freedom and promote legislation of benefit to libraries.

I.2.d Board Responsibility for Staff and Resources
The board shall hire and delegate the management of the system’s operations to an executive director, who holds a master’s degree from an American Library Association-accredited education program and who shall have a minimum of five years postgraduate employment that includes a minimum of two years that were in library administrative experience. The board shall direct the executive director to hire adequate technical, support and professional personnel necessary to operate the system and provide required training when appropriate. The board shall require that the executive director present compensation plan for the staff for approval annually by the board. The board shall require that the executive director assure that adequate facilities and equipment appropriate for the program and supporting services are provided and approved by the board. The board is responsible for regularly monitoring of the system’s finances, approving all budgets and expenditures, and the overall financial health of the system.

I.2.e Evaluations
The board shall require that the executive director have a system of individual staff member performance review, and assure its implementation for annual evaluation of all staff members. The board shall evaluate the performance of the executive director at least annually. The officers of the board, in conjunction with the executive director, shall evaluate the board’s own performance annually and provide a written report for the previous fiscal year available at the August meeting.

II. ADMINISTRATION

This would refer to the overall administration and drafted by staff

III. PERSONNEL

This would refer to a personnel manual.

IV. SERVICES

This would refer to the “plan of services” submitted annually

V. FACILITIES

Rev. 1/26/2004
Amended 4/26/05
 Approved by the PALS board of Directors on 6/21/2005