Hiawatha Public Library Board of Trustees Bylaws

Name and Purpose:

• The Hiawatha Public Library Board of Trustees hereafter referred to as the Board.
• The Board will comply with the Iowa Code in all questions of library law and governance and will further comply with the regulations set forth in the Hiawatha City Library ordinance. The Board’s specific powers and duties are set forth in the library ordinance.

Board Meetings:

• The Board shall meet on the second Tuesday of every month at 7:00 p.m. in the Glenn Schminke Room of the Hiawatha Public Library.
• A quorum shall consist of four members (from its total membership of seven trustees).
• The Board shall comply with Iowa’s Open Meeting law by printing and publicly posting a copy of all meeting agendas 24 hours prior to the meeting.
• The Board shall record its proceedings as minutes and shall keep copies of the minutes available for public inspection.
• The Director of the Hiawatha Public Library or designee shall be present and participating at each meeting of the Board.
• The Board will conduct its meetings according to parliamentary procedure as detailed in the latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order.
• Special meetings may be held at any time at the call of the President, Secretary, or any two members of the Board, if notice thereof is given to the public 24 hours in advance of the special meeting.

Officers and Committees:

• Officers shall be the Board president, vice president, and secretary and shall be elected at the annual meeting in July. Officer terms shall be for two years. Officers may succeed themselves in office, if none serves more than three consecutive terms in the same office.
• The president shall preside at all meetings, appoint all committees, and generally perform all duties associated with the office. In the absence of the president, the vice president shall assume the president’s duties. The secretary shall record all proceedings of the Board.
• Committees shall consist of the following: Policy Committee, Budget and Finance Committee, Public Relations Committee, Buildings and Grounds Committee, Personnel Committee, and Long Range Planning Committee. The president as needed shall appoint ad hoc committees.
• Each committee shall act in an advisory capacity and shall report its recommendations to the full Board for action.

Major Functions:

• Hire and evaluate the library director
• Set salaries and benefits for the library’s personnel
• Participate in the budget process and secure adequate financial support for the library’s operations and services
• Set policies for the library’s operations and services
• Engage in planning for the library’s future
• Ensure library director and staff participate in training and continuing education
• Participate in Board training and educational opportunities
• Ensure the library’s involvement in State Library, Library Service Area, and Metro Consortium initiatives.

Amendments:

• These bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the Board with a quorum present, by a unanimous vote of the members present, provided that notice of the proposed amendments is provided in advance of the meeting.
  • Amended September 4, 1991
  • Reviewed November 1995
  • Amended September 12, 2000
  • Amended April 9, 2002
  • Reviewed November 2, 2004
  • Reviewed December 18, 2007
  • Amended May 11, 2010
  • Amended June 10, 2014
  • Amended September 13, 2016