A Library Primer (1899)/Chapter XLII
[Slightly modified from the rules of the Erie (Pa.) public library.]
ARTICLE I: MEETINGS OF THE BOARD[edit]
Section 1. The regular meetings of the board of trustees shall be held on the Monday preceding the first Thursday of every month, at 8 p.m.
Sec. 2. Special meetings shall be called by the president whenever, in his judgment, they may be necessary; or at the written request of three members of the board.
ARTICLE II: QUORUMS[edit]
Section 1. Five members of the board and two of any standing committee shall constitute a quorum, in either case, for the transaction of business.
ARTICLE III: ORDER OF BUSINESS[edit]
Section 1. The order of business at all regular meetings of the board shall be as follows:
1. Roll call.
2. Reading of the minutes.
3. Petitions and communications.
4. Hearing of citizens and others.
5. Report of the secretary.
6. Report of the librarian.
7. Report of the book committee.
8. Report of the finance committee.
9. Report of the building committee.
10. Report of special committees.
11. Bills and pay-rolls.
12. New business.
ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS[edit]
Section 1. The officers of the board shall consist of a president, vice-president, and secretary, each of whom shall be elected at the regular meeting in January, to serve for one year. In case of a vacancy the board may elect a person to fill the unexpired term at any regular meeting. Temporary appointments may be made in the absence of the regular officers.
Sec. 2. The president shall preside at the meetings of the board; appoint the various committees; certify all bills that have been recommended for payment by the board; prepare the annual report; see to the general enforcement of the rules; and perform such other duties as the board may direct. In conjunction with the finance committee, he shall make an estimate at the close of each fiscal year of the probable expenses for the ensuing year, and submit the same to the board for its action.
Sec. 3. The vice-president shall perform the duties of the president in the latter's absence.
Sec. 4. The secretary shall record all proceedings of the board; read the minutes of the preceding meeting, or meetings, at each regular meeting; keep a detailed account of receipts and expenses; report the same to the board monthly; file all communications, vouchers, and other papers; certify all bills that have been recommended for payment by the board; transmit all resolutions and recommendations that may require it to the board of education or the proper committee thereof; prepare an annual report of receipts and expenses; and perform such other duties as the board may require.
ARTICLE V: COMMITTEES[edit]
Section 1. The standing committees of the board shall be a finance committee, a book committee, and a committee on building and grounds, each to consist of three members, to be named by the president at the regular meeting in February of each year.
Sec. 2. The finance committee shall certify to the correctness of all bills and pay-rolls before their presentation to the board; require a voucher for all expenses; see that the accounts are properly kept; aid the president in making up his annual estimates; verify the fiscal reports of the secretary and librarian; and look after the financial affairs of the board generally.
Sec. 3. The book committee shall be consulted by the librarian in the selection of all books, magazines, newspapers, etc.; prepare the rules for the management of the library; supervise the cataloging, labeling, and shelving of the various publications; have general charge of the book rooms; suggest suitable persons for employes (except the janitor and his assistants), and fix the duties of the same; require a list of all gifts, purchases and losses to be kept by the librarian, and verify his monthly and annual statements of the same.
Sec. 4. The committee on building and grounds shall purchase and take charge of the furniture and fixtures in the Library building; look after all matters pertaining to the building and grounds (inclusive of sidewalks, lawns, heating, lighting, and ventilation), and suggest the proper persons to serve as janitor and assistants to the same. They shall require all parts of the premises to be kept in a neat, clean, and creditable condition, and report all defects that require repair or remedy.
ARTICLE VI: EXPENDITURES[edit]
Section 1. Unless otherwise ordered by the board, no indebtedness shall be incurred without the previous approval of the proper committee.
Sec. 2. No committee shall authorize an expense of more than $25 in any one month without having secured the sanction of the board in advance.
Sec. 3. No bill shall be recommended to be paid by the board until it has been approved by the proper committee in writing.
Sec. 4. All bills recommended for payment by the board shall be certified by the president and secretary.
Sec. 5. When bids are asked for supplies, furniture, repairs, labor, etc., they shall be made under seal, and shall only be opened at a meeting of the board or of the committee to which the matter has been referred.
ARTICLE VII: TO BE IN WRITING[edit]
Section 1. All reports, recommendations, and resolutions shall be submitted in writing.
Sec. 2. Reports of committees shall be signed by two members thereof.
ARTICLE VIII: EMPLOYÉS[edit]
Section 1. The terms of all regular employés shall continue until their successors are appointed. They shall be subject, however, to removal for cause, at any time, by a vote of the board.
Sec. 2. The president may suspend any employé, for cause, subject to the action of the board at its next meeting.
Sec. 3. The salaries of employés shall be fixed before their election.
ARTICLE IX: THE LIBRARIAN[edit]
Section 1. Subject to the direction of the board and the several committees, the librarian shall have supervisory charge, control, and management of the Library building and all of its appurtenances, as well as of all the employés in and about the same.
Sec. 2. He shall be held strictly responsible for the care and preservation of the property in charge of the board; the courtesy and efficiency of the library service; the accuracy of the records; the reliability of his accounts and statements; the classifying, cataloging, and shelving of the books; the enforcement of the rules; the cleanliness and good condition of the building, grounds, and sidewalks; and the proper heating, lighting, and ventilation of the building.
Sec 3. He shall attend the meetings of the board and assist the secretary in keeping his minutes and accounts.
Sec. 4. He shall keep an account, in permanent form, of all his receipts and expenses on behalf of the library, and report the same to the board monthly.
Sec. 5. He shall make a monthly report of the operations of the library, including a list of all accessions to the various departments of the same, whether by gift or purchase, with such recommendations as, in his opinion, will promote its efficiency.
Sec. 6. He shall keep record books of all accessions to the library by purchase, and of all gifts for its several departments, with the dates when received, and, in the case of donations, the names and places of residence of the donors.
Sec. 7. He shall promptly and courteously acknowledge all gifts to the library or any of its departments.
Sec. 8. He shall keep an account of the time of the several employes; prepare the pay-rolls in accordance therewith, and place the same before the finance committee in advance of each regular meeting.
Sec. 9. He shall prepare an annual report showing, as fully as may be practical, the operation of the library and its several departments during the preceding year, with an inventory of the furniture, books, and other contents of the building.
Sec. 10. The first assistant librarian shall perform the duties of the librarian during the latter's absence.
ARTICLE X: AMENDMENTS[edit]
Section 1. Amendments hereto shall only be made at a regular meeting of the board, and must be proposed at least one month previous to final action on the same.