Bylaws of the Elkader Public Library Trustees
Effective 01/13/2026
1. Library Board
a. According to the requirements of Chapter 21 of the City Code of Elkader, the Library Board of Trustees, hereinafter referred to as “the Board,” shall consist of be appointed by the mayor with the approval of the Council.
b. The general powers and duties of the Board of Trustees are outlined in Chapter 21.05 of the City Code of Elkader.
c. The Board shall exercise its powers and duties by:
1. Employing a competent and qualified Library Director, hereinafter referred to as “the Director.”
2. Cooperating with the Director in determining and adopting written policies to govern the operation and programs of the library.
3. Reporting and cooperating with public officials, boards, and the community as a whole to support a public relations program for the library.
4. Assisting in the preparation of and seeking adequate support for the annual budget.
5. Developing goals for the library and working toward their achievement.
2. Officers
a. The officers of the Board shall be President, Vice-President, and Secretary. These officers shall be elected annually with the annual term to begin in July.
b. The duties of all officers shall be those as dictated by custom and law in accordance with their titles.
1. The President, when present, shall preside at all meetings of the Board and, in general, shall perform all duties incident to the office of President and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board from time to time.
2. The Vice-President, in absence of the President or in the event of the President’s inability or refusal to act, shall perform the duties of the president and when so acting, shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions placed upon the president. The Vice-President shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to them by the President or the Board.
3. The Secretary shall keep the minutes of the Board’s meetings in one or more books provided for that purpose or on an electronic device with the expectation that the minutes are shared with the Director and the Board in a reasonable amount of time after the meeting. The Secretary also sees that all notices are duly given in accordance perform all duties incident to the office of Secretary and such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to them by the President or the Board.
c. A Board position shall become vacant if the Trustee no longer qualifies pursuant to Section 1.A as described above or if they are absent from four (4) meetings within a 12-month period.
3. Meetings
a. Regular meetings shall be held monthly, the date and the hour to be determined by the Board, in the library or such other place as the Board determines.
b. The President or the Director may call special meetings whenever they may be determined necessary. Notice of the meeting shall be given in accordance with the Code of Iowa and shall be given to all the Board at a minimum of 24 hours in advance of a special meeting.
c. A quorum of a simple majority of the Board is necessary for the transaction of doing business.
d. All meetings of the Board are open to the public. Non-board members who wish to address the Board should request a place on the aged no later than 24 hours before the scheduled time of the meeting. This request may be directed to the President, Vice-President, Secretary, or the Director.
e. Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern the parliamentary procedure of the Board.
f. The primary order of business shall be:
1. Call to Order
2. Agenda Approval
3. Previous Meeting’s Minutes Approval
4. Review of Financial Report
5. Approval of the Bills
6. Report of the Library Director
7. Reports to the Board
8. Unfinished Business
9. New Business
10. Future Agenda Items
11. Trustee Training
12. Public Comments
13. Adjournment
4. Committees
a. The President shall appoint committees as the need arises. The committee shall be considered to be discharged upon the completion of the purpose for which it was appointed and after the final report has been made to the Board.
b. Standing committees may be appointed by the President, as needed. Their purpose and membership shall be approved at normally scheduled meetings. Standing committees will report to the Board with advised actions.
c. No committees shall have more than advisory powers unless directly instructed by the Board.
5. The Library Director
a. The Board shall appoint the Director.
b. The Director shall be considered the executive officer of the Board and shall have sole charge of the administration of the library under the direction and review of the Board.
c. The Director shall implement the policies reviewed and adopted by the Board for the care of the materials and equipment, for the employment and direction of the staff, for the library’s services to the public and for the financial operations of the library within the limitations of the annual budget.
d. The Director shall attend all Board meetings, providing a Director’s report at the time, outlining past and ongoing library operations, except those at which the appointment, salary, or performance of the director is to be discussed or decided.
6. Amendments to the Bylaws
a. The Bylaws shall be reviewed every three (3) years and changes made as needed.
b. These Bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting of the Board by majority vote of the members present, providing the amendment was proposed one (1) month previous to final action on the same.