Meetings of the Board of Trustees Policy

 
Mt. Lebanon Public Library Policy No. 3                                                      
Meetings of the Board of Directors of the Mt. Lebanon Public Library
 
MT. LEBANON PUBLIC LIBRARY
 
POLICY NUMBER:  3
TITLE:                    Meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Mt. Lebanon Public Library
DATE ISSUED:       August 17, 2006
REPLACES:           Previous Policy No. 3, September 1, 1998, and all previous revisions
 
PURPOSE:  To set forth certain procedures regarding meetings of the Board of Trustees of the Mt. Lebanon Public Library (Board); to provide for the orderly conduct of the business by the Board; to supplement certain procedures set forth in the By-Laws of the Mt. Lebanon Public Library.
 
REFERENCES:

• Sunshine Act, Act 84 of 1986, 65 P.S. § 271 et seq. (including all amendments)
• Open Records: the Right to Know Law,  Act 212 of 1957, 65 P.S. § 66.1 et seq. (as amended through June 30, 1996)
• The Library Code, Act of June 14, 1961, P.L. 324, 24 P.S. § 4101 et seq. as amended through June 30, 2003.
• A Handbook for Public Library Trustees, Fifth Edition, published by Commonwealth Libraries, December 2003
• By-Laws of the Mt. Lebanon Public Library

 
STATEMENT OF POLICY:

1. 1. Meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be open to the public and conducted in compliance with the Sunshine Act. The public will be provided a reasonable opportunity to comment at Board meetings.

2. 2. The date and time of regular meetings of the Board for the next twelve (12) months will be announced at the Board’s annual meeting in April of each year and legal notice of the schedule will be sent to the local newspaper and posted on the Library website (www.mtlebanonlibrary.org).

3. 3. Notice of all regular meetings shall be advertised at least three (3) days prior to the meeting in local media and posted at the Library or wherever the meeting will take place

4. 4. Special meetings of the Board may be called at any time as determined in the by-laws or by setting them at a regular meeting of the Board. The President or any two (2) members of the Board may call a special meeting. At least forty-eight (48) hours advance notice of the special meeting must be given to all Trustees.

5. 5. The agenda for Board Meetings shall be prepared jointly by the President and the Library Director and sent electronically or mailed to the Trustees no later than five (5) days prior to the scheduled meeting date. The agenda will also be sent to the Municipality of Mt. Lebanon for posting on its web site and for distribution to the Municipal Commission. The agenda shall be approved by the Trustees at the beginning of each Board meeting.

6. 6. A quorum at any meeting will consist of four (4) or more Trustees present in person or via telephone or other electronic means of communication.

7. 7. The Library Director shall attend all meetings of the Board, except for executive sessions held for the purpose of evaluation of the Library Director (per Policy No. 11).

8. 8. A vote will be decided by a simple majority of the Trustees voting except in the case where other criteria are required by applicable law.

9. 9. The Minutes of the previous Board Meeting and a copy of the agenda of the upcoming meeting shall be posted onto the Library bulletin board and web site each month and be made available for public inspection.

10. 10. Roberts Rules of Order, revised, shall govern the parliamentary procedures of the Board meetings to the extent possible.