St. Lucie County Library Advisory Board By-Laws
Article I: Name and Purpose
This organization shall be called the St. Lucie County Library Advisory board as established by County Ordinance, October 1, 1977 and reauthorized in 1995. In 2000 and 2016 the BOCC adopted Ordinances 2000-40 and 16-XXXX to further clarify advisory board related matters. The advisory board exists to advise, recommend, and advocate for the library to the St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners, the policy-making governing body in St. Lucie County. The board supports the work of the library and provides leadership to the library manager as well as leadership to the community regarding library services and resources. The library manger manages the operations, the board-manger relationship is a partnership. The St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners is recognized as being ultimately responsible for the operation of the St. Lucie County Library.
Article II: Officers and Membership
Section 1. The officers shall be a chairperson, vice-chairperson, and secretary, elected from the appointed Board members at the January meeting of the Board.
Section 2. Officers shall serve a term of one year from the annual meeting at which they are elected and until their successors are duly elected.
Section 3. The chairperson 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 4. The vice-chairperson, in the event of the absence or disability of the Chairperson or of a vacancy in that office, shall assume and perform the duties and functions of the chairperson.
Section 5. The Secretary shall keep a true and accurate record of all meetings of the board, shall issue notice of all regular and special meetings, and shall perform such other duties as are generally associated with that office.
Section 6. Membership. The St. Lucie County Library Advisory Board shall be composed of nine members , six appointed by the St. Lucie County Board of County Commissioners and three appointed by the Friends of the St. Lucie County Library Association. The three positions filled by the Friends shall include president of the Friends (or her designee), plus two other members appointed by the Friends. The terms of office of all board members shall be 4 years. Except as otherwise provided herein, members may not serve consecutively more than two full terms. Members appointed by an individual commissioner or the Friends shall serve at the will of the individual commissioner or the Friends respectively. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the organization originally appointing such member for the unexpired portion of their term.
Section 7. A member who is absent without notice for three consecutive meetings or for three meetings in nine months is considered to have resigned.
Article III. Meetings
Section 1. The St. Lucie County Library Advisory Board shall meet not less than quarterly. A majority of the membership shall constitute a quorum for the purpose of meeting and transacting business.
Section 2. 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.
(a) Roll call of members
(b) Disposition of minutes of previous meeting and any intervening special meeting
(c) Progress and service report of Library Manager
(d) Committee reports
(e) Communications
(f) Unfinished business
(g) New business
(h) Public presentation to, or discussion with, the board
(i) Adjournment
Section 3. Special meetings may be called by the secretary at the direction of the Chairperson, or at the request of a majority of members, for the transaction of business as stated in the call for the meeting.
Section 4. Conduct of meetings. Proceedings of all meetings shall be governed by
Robert's Rules of Order.
Article IV. Duties, Powers, and Responsibilities
Section 1. Duties and Powers. The St. Lucie County Library Advisory Board shall establish library policy.
Section 2. Budget. The Library Manager shall, with the assistance of the Library Advisory Board, submit an annual budget request for library operating funds to the St. Lucie County Commission in the manner prescribed by that body, and the Board shall review the expenditure of budgeted funds to the degree it finds necessary.
Section 3. Annual Report. The Board shall report to the St. Lucie County Commission and to the citizens of St. Lucie County not less than annually upon the status, progress and needs of the St. Lucie County Library. The Board shall make recommendations to the St. Lucie County Commission concerning the provision of regional library service and any inter-local agreements necessary to provide such service.
Section 4. Library Manager. The Board shall recommend for employment to the St. Lucie County Commission a Library Manager, who shall be educationally and professionally qualified to occupy the position. The Library Manager shall be the executive officer of the St. Lucie County Library. The Library Manager shall, subject to the approval of the County Administrator, employ, promote, demote or dismiss library personnel within the provisions of the annual budget and the rules and regulations governing employees of St. Lucie County. The Library Manager shall purchase all books and other library-related materials. The Library Manager shall implement library policy as determined by the Library Advisory Board. The Library Manager shall be present at all Board meetings unless specifically excused, and shall report to the Board at each meeting any matters which she/he feels the Board should consider. The Library Manager shall be the professional adviser to the Board in matters relating to the library policies and functions and shall assist the Board in any manner possible to better the St. Lucie County Library and its services to the citizens of St. Lucie County.
Section 5. Planning. The advisory board shall provide input into planning and long range planning of library services and functions.
Article V. Committees
Section 1. The chairperson 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. Any rule or resolution of the board, whether contained in these bylaws or otherwise, may be suspended temporarily in connection with business at hand, but such suspension, to be valid, may be taken only at a meeting at which two-thirds of the members of the board shall be present and two-thirds of those present shall so approve.
Article VI. Bylaw Revision
The Board may adopt bylaws and make rules and regulations not inconsistent with its mission.
Revised and adopted October 17, 2016
