Carver County Library Board Policy: Carver County Library Board Job Description

Date Approved: 7/11/23
Previous Policy:  5/12/2020
Review Date: 7/2026

CARVER COUNTY LIBRARY BOARD BY-LAWS

 The Carver County Library is a county library organized in accordance with Minnesota State Statutes Chapter 134 and special legislation signed by the governor May 1, 2008. It provides public library services throughout Carver County and at the Carver County Law Library located in the County Judicial Center, Chaska.  

ARTICLE I: BOARD OF TRUSTEES

The Carver County Board of Commissioners is the authority over all aspects of the Carver County Library except those authorities and responsibilities specifically assigned to the library board or otherwise delegated to the library board from the county board. 

State law gives power to County Board of Commissioners to: 

• Appoint a qualified library director and other staff as necessary, establish the compensation of employees, and remove any of them for cause.
• Be the authority over and be responsible for the fiscal operations of the library in all financial areas including, but not limited to, budgeting and receipt and expenditure of funds.
• Be responsible as the legal authority over the library board.

State law gives power to County Library Board to: 

• Be responsible for the establishment of policies and rules governing library operations, review of the annual operating budget and five-year capital plan for submission to the county board, development of long-range plans and any other duties delegated to it by the county board.
• Be responsible for the acceptance of gift and trust funds and notifying the county board of the acceptance of those funds.
• Have sole authority and discretion in maintaining and developing the collections of the library.
• Be responsible for the use of library meeting rooms. 

Section 1. Number and qualification

The Library Board shall consist of five (5) members representing the five (5) member’s commissioner districts, and appointed from the residents of Carver County for staggered terms of three (3) years. One non-voting (1) youth representative will be appointed on a yearly basis for a term of one (1) year. Appointments are made by the County Board of Commissioners through an open appointment policy.

A Board member many not serve more than three (3) consecutive terms. When a vacancy exists due to resignation or other reasons, the Board of Commissioners will follow the open appointment process. For the purpose of maintaining uniform length of terms the new appointee’s partial term will be assumed to be a full term regardless of actual time remaining in the unexpired term. (Carver County Board Operating Rules) 

Section 2. Vacancies and Disqualifications 

Board members missing three (3) consecutive meetings in a year without consent of the Board President shall be deemed to constitute a resignation of a member and a vacancy thus created shall be filled thereafter as provided by the open appointment process.

 Section 3: Officers  

The Board officers shall be composed of a President and Secretary. The Board President shall preside at all meetings, appoint committees, certify all actions approved by the Board, authorize calls for any special meeting and generally perform the duties of a presiding officer. When the President is absent from a Board meeting, the Secretary shall preside. 

Officers serve terms from January-December of a calendar year. Board officers shall be elected at the regular business meeting in January. A Board officer many not serve more than two consecutive terms within the same positions.

 Vacancies within offices shall be filled by a vote at the next regular meeting upon the declaration of a vacancy.

 ARTICLE II: MEETINGS

 Section 1: Regular Meetings 

The Carver County Library Board shall meet once a month on a day and time chosen by the Board at its first regular meeting for the year.

 When conflicts with holidays or events arise the President may change the meeting date providing that public notice be given in accordance with the Minnesota Open Meeting Law. (MN Statute Chap. 13D)

Meetings of the Library Board may also be conducted by interactive technology according to the Minnesota Open Meeting Law. (MN Statute Chap. 13D2)

Section 2: Special Meetings 

Special meetings may be called by the President or upon the request of any three members upon stating a reason for such a meeting for the transaction of business as stated in the meeting request. All such notice must be in accordance with the Minnesota Open Meeting Law.

 Section 3: Quorum

 A quorum for transaction of business shall consist of three (3) voting Board members.

 Section 4: Order of Business at regular meeting shall typically be:

 Call to order

Adoption of Agenda

Approval of Minutes

Introduction of guests, visitors, and celebration

Approval of Consent 

Action Items

 Unfinished and New Business

 Administration Reports

 Board Member Reports

 Adjournment

Agenda shall be distributed at least five days before the regular meeting date of the Board along with the minutes of the previous Board meeting. The Library Board will disclose all Board action and membership votes. Minutes will be posted publicly after Library Board approval.

 Section 5: Parliamentary Authority 

Robert’s Rule of Order, latest revised edition shall govern the parliamentary procedure of the meetings.

 ARTICLE III: COMMITTEES

 Special committees may be appointed by the Board President with the approval of the Library Board. 

 ARTICLE IV: LIBRARY DIRECTOR 

The Library Director shall be hired and removed by the County Administrator, and shall have sole charge of administering the library under the County Board’s direction. The Library Director shall be held responsible for the care of the buildings and equipment, for supervision, employing and directing staff, for providing library services efficiently to the public and for operating the library within a the financial constraints set forth within the annual budget. The Library Director or a designated library staff representative shall attend all Library Board meetings. The Library Director shall draft the annual budget for the Carver County Library System for approval by the Library Board, shall regularly report the financial condition of the library and shall be responsible for various reports of the library that may be required by the Library Board.

 ARTICLE V: MILEAGE AND EXPENSES

 Board members will receive a per diem and mileage reimbursement for attendance at regular and special meetings at the rate approved by the County Board of Commissioners.

 ARTICLE VI: AMENDMENTS

These by-laws may be amended at any regular meeting by the Board with an affirmative vote of four members, provided that the amendments were stated in the call for the meeting and mailed in advance of the meeting.