Ordinance
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Chapter 2.85 - BOARD OF LIBRARY TRUSTEES
Sections:
2.85.010 - Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to provide for the creation and appointment of a city library board of trustees, and to specify that board's powers and duties.
(Ord. 1177 § 1, 1975)
2.85.020 - Membership—Appointment.
The board of trustees of the Keokuk public library, hereinafter referred to as the "board," consists of nine members. All board members are to be appointed by the mayor with the approval of the council.
(Ord. 1177 § 2, 1975)
2.85.030 - Qualifications.
All of the members of the board shall be bona fide citizens and residents of the city and all shall be over the age of eighteen.
(Ord. 1177 § 3, 1975)
2.85.040 - Terms of office.
All appointments to the board shall be for six years, except to fill vacancies. Each term shall commence on July 1st. Appointments shall be made every two years of one-third the total number, to stagger the terms. The present incumbents are confirmed in their appointments and terms.
(Ord. 1177 § 4(1), 1975)
2.85.050 - Vacancies—Filling.
The position of any trustee shall be vacant if he moves permanently from the city; or if he is absent from three consecutive regular meetings of the board, except in the case of sickness or temporary absence from the city. Vacancies in the board shall be filled by appointment of the mayor, with approval of the council, and the new trustee shall fill out the unexpired term for which the appointment is made.
(Ord. 1569 §1, 1993)
2.85.060 - Compensation.
Trustees shall receive no compensation for their services.
(Ord. 1177 § 4(3), 1975)
2.85.070 - Powers and duties.
The board shall have and exercise the following powers and duties to:
(1) Meet and elect from its members a president, a secretary and such other officers as it deems necessary;
(2) Have charge, control and supervision of the public library, its appurtenances, fixtures, rooms and grounds containing the same;
(3) Direct and control all the affairs of the library;
(4) Employ a librarian, and authorize the librarian to employ such assistants and employees as may be necessary for the proper management of the library, and fix their compensation; provided, however, that prior to such employment, the compensation of the librarian, assistants and employees shall have been fixed and approved by a majority of the members of the board voting in favor thereof;
(5) Remove by a two-thirds vote of the board the librarian, and provide procedures for the removal of assistants or employees for misdemeanor, incompetency or inattention to duty, subject, however, to the provisions of Chapter 70, Code of Iowa;
(6) Select, or authorize the librarian to select, and make purchases of books, pamphlets, magazines, periodicals, papers, maps, journals, other library materials, furniture, fixtures, stationery and supplies for the library within the budgetary limits set by the board;
(7) Authorize the use of the library by nonresidents of the city and to fix charges therefor;
(8) Make and adopt, amend, modify or repeal rules and regulations, not inconsistent with ordinances and the law, for the care, use, government and management of the library and the business of the board, fixing and enforcing penalties for violations;
(9) Have exclusive control of the expenditure of all funds allocated for library purposes by the council, and of all moneys available by gift or otherwise for the erection of library buildings, and of all other moneys belonging to the library including fines and rentals collected, under the rules of the board;
(10) Accept gifts of real property, personal property, or mixed property, and devises and bequests, including trust funds; to take the title to the property in the name of the library; to execute deeds and bills of sale for the conveyance of the property; and to expend the funds received by them from such gifts, for the improvement of the library;
(11) Keep a record of its proceedings;
(12) Enforce the performance of conditions on gifts, donations, devises and bequests accepted by the city by action against the city council.
(Ord. 1177 § 5, 1975)
2.85.080 - Power to contract with others for use of the library.
(a) Contracting. The board may contract with other boards of trustees of free public libraries, any other city, school corporation, private or semi-private organization, institution of higher learning, township, or county, or with the trustees of any county library district for the use of the library by their respective residents.
(b) Termination. Such a contract may be terminated at any time by mutual consent of the contracting parties. It also may be terminated by a majority vote of the electors represented by either of the contracting parties. Such a termination proposition shall be submitted to the electors by the governing body of a contracting party on a written petition of not less than five percent in number of the electors who voted for Governor in the territory of the party at the last general election. The petition must be presented to the governing body not less than forty days before the election. The proposition may be submitted at any election provided by law that is held in the territory of the party who is seeking to terminate the contract.
(Ord. 1177 § 6, 1975)
2.85.090 - Nonresident library use.
The board may authorize the use of the library by nonresidents in any one or more of the following ways by:
(1) Lending the books or other materials of the library to nonresidents on the same terms and conditions as to residents of the city, or upon payment of a special nonresident library fee;
(2) Establishing depositories of library books or other materials to be loaned to nonresidents;
(3) Establishing bookmobiles or a traveling library so that books or other library materials may be loaned to nonresidents;
(4) Establishing branch libraries for lending books or other library materials to nonresidents.
(Ord. 1177 § 7, 1975)
2.85.100 - Library account.
All money appropriated by the council from the general fund for the operation and maintenance of the library shall be set aside in an account for the library. Expenditures shall be paid for only on orders of the board, signed by its president and secretary. The warrant writing officer is library board treasurer.
(Ord. 1177 § 8, 1975)
2.85.110 - Annual report.
The board shall make a report to the city council immediately after the close of the municipal fiscal year. This report shall contain statements of the condition of the library, the number of books added thereto, the number circulated, the amount of fines collected and the amount of money expended in the maintenance of the library during the year, together with such further information required by the council.
(Ord. 1177 § 9, 1975)
By-Laws of the Board of Trustees of the Keokuk Public Library
ARTICLE I – NAME
The name of this organization shall be the Board of Trustees of the Keokuk Public Library.
ARTICLE II – OFFICERS
Section 1. The officers of the board shall be a president, vice-president and treasurer who shall be elected from among the appointed trustees at the annual meeting of the board.
Section 2. The president shall preside at all meetings of the board, authorize calls for any special meetings, appoint all committees, execute all documents authorized by the board, serve as an ex-officio voting member of all committees, and generally perform all duties associated with that office.
Section 3. The vice-president, in the event of the absence or disability of the president, or of a vacancy in that office, shall assume and perform the duties and functions of the president.
Section 4. The treasurer shall be the financial reporting officer of the board. In the absence or inability of the treasurer, the duties shall be performed by the library director.
Section 5. A staff member, acting ex-officio, will serve as Secretary of the board and shall keep a true and accurate record of all meetings of the board, shall issue notice of all regular and special meetings and perform such other duties as are generally associated with this position.
Section 6. A nominating committee shall be appointed by the president at least one month prior to the annual meeting. Additional nominations may be made from the floor.
Section 7. Officers shall serve a term of one year from the annual meeting at which they are elected and until their successors are duly elected.
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ARTICLE III – COMMITTEES
Section 1. The president shall appoint committees of one or more members each for such specific purposes as the business of the board may require from time to time. The committee shall be considered to be discharged upon the completion of the purpose for which it was appointed and after the final report is made to the board.
Section 2. Standing committees shall be: Administration and Intellectual Freedom, Building and Grounds, Budget and Finance, and Policy. All committees shall make a progress report to the library board as appropriate.
Section 3. Committees will have advisory powers only when granted by action of the board.
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ARTICLE IV – LIBRARY DIRECTOR AND STAFF
The board shall hire a qualified library director.
ARTICLE V – MEETINGS
Section 1. The regular meetings shall be held each month, the date and hour to be set by the board.
Section 2. The annual meeting, which shall be for the purpose of the election of officers, shall be held at the time of the regular meeting in July each year.
Section 3. The order of business for regular meetings shall include, but not be limited to, the following items which shall be covered in the sequence shown so far as circumstances will permit:
1. Call to order
2. Approval of the Agenda
3. Conflicts of Interest
4. Public presentation or public comments
5. Approval of previous minutes
6. Approval of fiscal responsibilities
7. Communications
8. Reports:
- Librarian’s report
- Report of committees/special committees
​9. Unfinished business
10. New business
11. Adjournment
Section 4. Special meetings may be called at the direction of the president, or at the request of three members, for the transaction of business as stated in the call for meeting by written notice at least twenty-four hours in advance.
Section 5. A quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting shall consist of five members of the board present in person.
Section 6. Conduct of meetings: Proceedings of all meetings shall be governed by Robert’s Rules of Order.
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ARTICLE VI – GENERAL
Section 1. An affirmative vote of the majority of all members of the board present at the time shall be necessary to approve any action before the board. The president may vote upon and may move or second a proposal before the board.
Section 2. The by-laws may be amended by the majority vote of all members of the board provided written notice of the proposed amendment shall have been provided to all members prior to the meeting at which such action is proposed to be taken.
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ARTICLE VII – TRANSFERS TO THE KEOKUK PUBLIC LIBRARY FOUNDATION
The Board of Trustees may authorize the treasurer or the library director to transfer to the Keokuk Public Library Foundation or to the library trust funds any gifts and bequests.
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Adopted 2/11/1987
Revised 9/6/1990, 1/16/2006
Revised 3/15/2010, 5/21/2012
Revised 11/20/2017, 12/21/2020
Revised 12/18/2023