BY-LAWS

BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES

RICHFIELD TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY

Article I.   Definitions

Section 1.  The term Library Board or the board, unless otherwise indicated, means the Board of Library Trustees of Richfield Township, County of Roscommon, State of Michigan.

 Section 2.  The term Township Board means the Township Board of Richfield Township, County of Roscommon, State of Michigan.

 Article II.  Membership 

Section 1.  In accordance with the provisions of Public Act 269 of 1955, the Library Board shall consist of six members.  The terms of Library board members shall be four years.  To be eligible for Library Board membership, one must be a registered elector of Richfield Township whose principal residence is in Richfield Township.

 Section 2.  If a Board member has excessive unexcused absences, they may be asked if they wish to remain a Board member.

 Article III.  Officers

 Section 1.  Officers of the Board shall be a President, Vice President and a Secretary.

 Section 2.  The officers shall be elected annually at the regular December meeting of the Board by voice vote.  Each officer shall serve until a successor has been chosen.  A vacancy in an office shall be filled at the meeting at which the vacancy is first recognized by the Board or at the next ensuing regular or special meeting.

 Section 3.  The duties of the officers shall be such as by custom and the principles and usages of law and by directives of the Board.

Article IV.  Meetings

Section 1.  The Board shall assemble for regular meetings in the Library at 6:30 P.M. on the first Tuesday of each month.  A regular meeting may be cancelled by the President with the concurrence of the Vice President and the Secretary with notice to other Board members and to the public.  The above schedule of regular meetings is subject to change by majority vote of the Board.

  Section 2.  Special meetings may be called by the President or, in his/her absence, by the Vice President or by written request signed by any three members of the Board for the transaction of business stated in the call.  Notice stating the time and place of any special meeting and the purposes for which called shall be given to each member two (2) days in advance of the meeting unless extraordinary circumstances prevent the full application of the two day rule.

Section 3.  A quorum for transaction of business shall consist of a majority of the members of the Board.

 Section 4.   The usual order of business shall be:

 Call to order

Reading and approval of minutes

Report of the Librarian

Approval of purchases

Committee reports

Communications

Unfinished business

New business

Adjournment

 Section 5.  Robert’s Rules of Order, last revised edition, shall govern the parliamentary procedure of the Board .  All business shall be transacted under the rules of the Open Meetings Act.

 Article V.  Committees

 Special  committees for the study of special problems may be appointed by the President, with the approval of the Board, to serve until the final report of the work for which they were appointed has been filed.

Article VI.  Librarian

The Librarian, subject to the guidance of the Library Board, shall be responsible for the care of the library and equipment, for the employment and direction of the staff, for the efficiency of the library’s service to the public and for the operation of the library under the financial conditions set forth in the annual budget.  The Librarian shall attend all meetings of the Board.

  Article VII.  Library Commitment to

Freedom of Thought and Freedom to Read 

The Library subscribes to and accepts as the basis of its policy the Library Bill of Rights as amended February 2, 1961; June 27, 1967; January 23, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996 by the American Library Association.  It shall be displayed in a place of clear public view in the Library.

Article VIII.  Amendments

These By-Laws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Board with a Quorum present, by a majority vote of the members present, provided the amendment proposed was stated in the agenda.  If not stated in the agenda, it may be presented and voted upon at the next meeting of the Board.

Revised By-Laws adopted by the Richfield Township Library Board of Trustees at a meeting held on October 4, 2011.

Amended Article II, Membership—After “years”, insert “with no term limits”.

 Amended Article IV, Meetings—Changed meeting day from “first Wednesday” to “first Tuesday”.

(Signed by Members Erinne Baughn, B.J. Morrison, Theresa Korbijn, and Kathleen Jernigan on October 4, 2011)