Article I. Name and Location
Section A. The Library Board
This organization shall be called the Board of Trustees of the Upper Sandusky Community Library. Its mailing address shall be:
The Board of Trustees of the Upper Sandusky Community Library
301 N. Sandusky Avenue
Upper Sandusky, OH 43351
Section B. The Library
The library shall be called the Upper Sandusky Community Library located at 301 N. Sandusky Avenue, Upper Sandusky, OH 43351.
Article II. Purpose
The Upper Sandusky Community Library provides access to materials, services, and facilities to serve the educational, recreational, and cultural needs of all members of the community, and collaborates with the Upper Sandusky schools to promote literacy and support the core curriculum.
Article III. Membership
The Upper Sandusky Community Library is organized as a school district library. The library’s Board of Trustees consists of seven members who are appointed by the Upper Sandusky Exempted Village School District Board of Education.
Section A. Tenure and Qualifications
Each library trustee is appointed to a seven year term. Appointments are staggered such that no more than one trustee’s term is scheduled to expire in the same year.
A trustee must be either a qualified elector of the Upper Sandusky Exempted Village School District (USEVSD) or a qualified elector who resides outside of the USEVSD but within Wyandot County. By law, a majority of the trustees (at least four) must be qualified electors of the USEVSD. No one is eligible for membership of the library’s Board of Trustees who is, or has been in the year previous to his or her appointment, a member of the USEVSD Board of Education.
All library trustees serve without compensation. In general, trustees are guided in the performance of their duties by the most recent edition of the Ohio Public Library Trustees’ Handbook.
Section B. Attendance
The insight and attention of each trustee is a valuable asset to the board and the library. Therefore, regular attendance is expected.
If a trustee is absent from four (4) regular meetings during the calendar year, the trustee, subject to due consideration and recommendation by the Board of Trustees, shall submit a resignation. Absences may be excused by a vote of the board.
Section C. Filling Vacancies
Vacancies on the board may be given public notice, with sufficient opportunity for interested citizens to make their interest known to the board.
An ad hoc committee of the Board of Trustees may be appointed to recommend to the full board candidates to fill a vacant trustee position. The Board shall by resolution select a candidate for each vacant position and request that the USEVSD Board of Education appoint that candidate as a trustee.
The USEVSD Board may elect to appoint someone other than the recommended candidate to the Library Board but that person must meet the qualifications set forth above.
Article IV. Duties and Powers of the Board
The Board of Trustees shall have all the powers and duties granted to it by law and detailed in Ohio Revised Code 3375.40. The board shall determine and establish in accordance with the law, the basic policies of the library with respect to:
- The appropriation and budgeting of funds.
- The establishment and maintenance of the library and library services.
- The acquisition, improvement, maintenance, insurance, use, and disposition of properties.
- The hiring, compensation, and responsibilities of, and the personnel policies concerning, library employees.
- The selection, collection, lending, and disposition of library materials.
- The acceptance of gifts.
The policies approved by the board shall remain in effect until changed or rescinded by further action of the board. These policies shall be administered by library staff. The director shall maintain a file of all policies established by the board for consultation and distribution as directed by the board and as required by law.
The Board of Trustees shall be responsible for hiring the library director and appointing the library fiscal officer, and for ensuring that the director and fiscal officer carry out the policies of the library in an effective, efficient, and lawful manner.
In order to speak with a consistent voice, all news of board actions or statements by the board released to the media shall be made by the board president or library director speaking for the board. No one board member, other than the president or his or her designee, shall speak for the board unless directed to do so by a majority of board members voting at a scheduled board meeting.
All powers of the library board are vested in it as a board, and none at all in its individual members. The individual trustee has no power to act for the board in any way, unless authorized to do so by the board itself. The Upper Sandusky Community Library will provide reasonable coverage to indemnify trustees in the performance of their duties.
Article V. Officers of the Board
At the annual organization meeting the board shall elect from its membership a president, vice-president, and secretary, each of whom shall serve a term of one year, commencing immediately upon election and continuing to the election of officers at the next annual organization meeting.
No board member shall hold more than one office at a time.
Vacancies in office shall be filled by vote at a regular meeting of the board as soon as possible after the vacancy occurs.
Either the president, vice-president, or secretary shall sign (or provide a proxy signature), along with the fiscal officer, each check issued by the library. The president and secretary shall sign any conveyance of real property.
Section A. President
The president shall preside at all meetings of the board; authorize calls for any special meetings; appoint all committees, with the consent of the board; execute all documents authorized by the board; and perform all other duties generally associated with that office. The president may serve as an exofficio voting member of all committees.
Section B. Vice President
If the president is absent or unavailable, or declines to act in the capacity of his office, or if the office of president is vacant, the vice-president shall have all the powers and duties of the president except as otherwise provided by law.
Section C. Secretary
The secretary shall preside at board meetings in the absence of the president and vice-president. The secretary shall keep, or cause to be kept, a true and accurate record of meetings of the board.
Article VI. Board Meetings
Section A. Meeting Types
Note: Some boards hold separate Organization meetings while others incorporate the organization meeting tasks into the regular January meeting.
The board may hold meetings of several different types as described in the Ohio Public Library Trustees’ Handbook. The board will hold an organizational meeting in January of each year to elect officers, appoint a fiscal officer, and perform other administrative tasks. The organizational meeting may be part of a regular board meeting.
Section B. Public Notice of Board Meetings
At its organizational meeting in January, the board shall establish, by rule, the method for notifying the public and the news media of the various board meetings that may be held throughout the year. Members of the public or news media who wish to be notified when a particular subject will be discussed at a meeting should inform the library director of their interest.
Section C. Agenda
The regular meeting agenda is prepared at least three (3) working days before the upcoming regular board meeting. It is prepared by the director in consultation with the fiscal officer and board president.
Section D. Quorum and Rules of Proceedings
The quorum necessary for the board to transact business shall be four members. Lack of a quorum will automatically adjourn a board meeting.
Meetings of the board will follow parliamentary procedures as outlined in Roberts Rules of Order, latest edition, when not inconsistent with these bylaws.
Except when a larger majority is required by law, an affirmative vote of the majority of Trustees present at a meeting at which a quorum exists shall be necessary to approve any action before the board. The president may make or second a proposal before the board, may participate fully in discussions, and may vote upon all proposals. Each board member shall have one vote.
Section E. Suspension of Rules
Any rule or resolution of the board, whether contained in these bylaws or otherwise, may be suspended temporarily in connection with the business at hand, but such suspension, to be valid, may be done only at a meeting at which a quorum exists, at least four trustees are present, and a majority of the quorum agrees to the suspension.
Section F. Executive Session
Note: ORC 121.229(G) describes in detail the purposes for which a board may enter executive session. Boards may not take action in executive session other than to vote to adjourn or recess the session.
The board may enter into executive session for purposes as described in the Ohio Open Meetings Act. The motion to hold an executive session shall state the purpose of such a session, and the motion must be approved in open meeting in a roll call vote by a majority of the quorum of the board.
Section G. Public Participation
The Upper Sandusky Community Library Board of Trustees encourages members of the public to share their views. The board or committee agenda shall include time at the beginning of each meeting for public comments. In order for the Board to fulfill its obligation to complete the scheduled agenda in an effective and efficient fashion, a maximum of 20 minutes of public participation will be permitted at the beginning of each meeting.
Persons wishing to speak before the Board should notify the Director 48 hours in advance of the regularly scheduled Board meeting.
Each speaker will be given no more than five (5) minutes to share his or her views with the Board or Committee. If several persons wish to speak, each will be allotted five (5) minutes until the total public participation time of 20 minutes is used. No person may speak more than once per meeting.
If a member of the public wishes to share additional comments, he or she may schedule an appointment with the Library Director, who will then present a summary of that meeting either to the appropriate committee of the board or to the Board of Trustees.
If the Director or the board invites someone to speak at the meeting (such as a vendor or service provider), this policy does not apply.
The Board President or Committee Chairperson will recognize each speaker. The Trustees will listen but not necessarily interact with the speakers. The Board President or Committee Chairperson introduces each speaker and designates another Board member to track the time.
Article VII. Committees
The standing committees of the board shall be the Building and Grounds Committee, the Finance Committee and the Records Commission. Ad hoc or temporary committees may be appointed and charged with specific tasks by the board president as required; such committees are automatically dissolved upon completion of the assigned tasks. Trustees are appointed to committees by the president with the consent of the board. Committees serve an advisory role and make recommendations to the board; a committee has no other power, unless, by suitable action of the board, it is granted a specific power to act. All committee actions are subject to approval by a majority of the board. In general, committees will work in conjunction with the director and fiscal officer.
Section A. Building and Grounds Committee
The committee shall advise the board concerning the condition, maintenance, and improvement of the library grounds, building, furniture, fixtures, and equipment.
Section B. Finance Committee
The committee shall advise the board on all matters relating to the library budget, appropriations, funds, investments, finances, receipts, and disbursements.
Section H. Records Commission
The Records Commission shall consist of the Board of Trustees and the fiscal officer. The commission shall meet at least once every twelve months and shall be responsible for overseeing the Library’s compliance with the Ohio Records Law as described in Chapter 149 of the Ohio Revised Code.
Article VIII. Library Director
The board shall appoint and fix the compensation of the library director. The director shall have full charge of the administration and operations of the library in accordance with the objectives and policies adopted by the board and under the direction and review of the board. The library director has the authority to administer, and is responsible for, the care of all buildings, furnishings, and equipment; for the employment and direction of library staff; for the selection, acquisition, and disposition of library materials; and for maintaining excellent library service.
The director shall serve at the discretion of the board. His or her employment shall be governed by the language of his or her contract and the policies of the library as adopted by the Board of Trustees.
Article IX. Fiscal Officer
The board shall appoint and fix the compensation of the fiscal officer. The fiscal officer is the library’s chief financial officer and acts as the Board’s financial agent in library matters. The fiscal officer shall administer and manage the funds of the library in accordance with law and with the objectives and policies adopted by the board and under the direction and review of the board. The fiscal officer has the authority to administer, and is responsible for, the receipt, deposit, and expenditure of, funds; the internal control of library expenditures; and the documenting and reporting of financial activity.
The fiscal officer shall serve at the discretion of the board and is appointed for a one-year term at the annual organization meeting of the Board of Trustees. His or her employment shall be governed by the language of his or her contract and the policies of the library as adopted by the Board of Trustees.
Article X. Ethics
The Board of Trustees subscribes to the statement of principles promulgated by the American Library Trustee Association as listed below, and is bound by the applicable statutes of the Ohio Ethics Law and the rulings of the Ohio Ethics Commission.
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 institution.
- It is incumbent upon any trustee to disqualify himself/herself immediately whenever the appearance of a conflict of interest exists.
- Trustees must distinguish clearly in their actions and statement 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.
Article XI. Amending of Bylaws
A Bylaw Committee shall be appointed when necessary to review the bylaws and recommend changes to the board.
These bylaws may be amended at any board meeting by the affirmative vote of a majority of the full membership of the Board of Trustees provided that a notice of the proposed amendment shall have been included in the agenda for the meeting.
Article XII. Indemnification
Members of the Board of Trustees are covered by the library's Public Officials and Employment Practices Liability, including their liability resulting from either institutional or individual lawsuits.
Adopted by the Upper Sandusky Community Library Board of Trustees, February 11, 2016.