ARTICLE I: NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION
The name of the organization shall be The Castleton Public Library, a corporation created under a charter granted under Section 253 of the New York State Education Law by the Board of Regents of the State of New York, dated May 2, 1912, shall be governed by the laws of New York State, the regulations of the Commissioner of Education
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
The purpose of the organization is to provide superior library service to the residents, adults and children, of the Village of Castleton-on-Hudson.
ARTICLE III: FISCAL
The fiscal year of the library shall be Jan 1– Dec 31.
ARTICLE IV: BOARD OF TRUSTEES
1. The library shall be governed by a Board of Trustees consisting of seven (7) trustees, elected for terms of three (3) years.
2. Eligibility for the office shall be limited to adults residing or owning property within the Town of Schodack or the Village of Castleton-on-Hudson.
3. Trustees shall be appointed by the Village Board.
4. Unexcused absence from three (3) consecutive meetings shall constitute automatic dismissal from the Board. The President shall determine if the absence is excusable. In the event that a board member is absent three (3) times and was not excused, the President shall inform the absent Board Member in writing that he/she is no longer on the Board. The Board may defer this dismissal by majority vote. If dismissal is deferred by board action the President shall inform the absent Board Member in writing the conditions of this deferral.
5. No member shall serve for more than three (3) consecutive terms.
6. Each Trustee shall have one vote.
7. A Trustee must be present at a meeting to have his/her vote counted.
8. All actions of the Board shall be of the Board as a unit. No Board member shall act on behalf of the Board without prior approval of the Board. No Board member shall exercise any administrative responsibility with respect to the library nor command the services of any library employee.
ARTICLE V: OFFICERS
1. The elected officers of the Board of Trustees shall be President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. These officers must be Trustees and shall be elected at the annual meeting each year to serve a term of one year. They are eligible for re-election for five (5) consecutive years.
2. Duties of the officers shall be as follows:
a. The PRESIDENT shall preside at all meetings of the Board, authorize special meetings, appoint all committees, execute all documents authorized by the Board, serve as an ex-officio voting member of all committees, and perform all duties associated with that office.
b. The VICE PRESIDENT, in the event of the absence or disability of the President, or of vacancy in that office, shall assume and perform the duties of the President.
c. The SECRETARY shall keep a record of all meetings of the Board, shall issue notice of regular and special meetings, and shall perform other duties associated with that office.
d. The TREASURER shall be the disbursing officer of the Board. He/she shall be the Chair of the Finance Committee, prepare monthly reports to the Board and work with the Director and Finance Committee to develop a budget for the Board’s approval. In the absence or inability of the Treasurer, his/her duties shall be performed by other members of the Board as the Board may designate.
ARTICLE VI: DIRECTOR
1. The Board shall appoint a Director who shall be the executive officer of the policies of the Board. He/she shall have charge of the administration of the library under the direction and review of the Board. The Director shall be responsible for the care of the building and equipment; for the employment and direction of the staff; for the efficiency of the library’s service to the public; and for the operation of the library under the financial conditions contained in the annual budget.
2. The Director shall submit to the Board reports and recommendations of such policies and procedures, which, in the opinion of the Director, will improve efficiency and quality of library service. The Director shall attend all Board meetings except the portion of the meeting at which the director’s appointment, evaluation, or salary is to be discussed or decided.
ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES
1. The Finance Committee will be a standing committee of the board and will consist of the Treasurer, who will serve as Chair, and two (2) other trustees appointed by the President.
2. A Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President three (3) months prior to the Annual Meeting who will present a slate of Board officers to be voted on at the annual meeting. Additional nominations may be made from the floor.
3. Other committees for specific purposes may be appointed by the President. Those committees shall serve until the work they were appointed for is completed.
4. All committees shall make a progress report to the Board at each of its meetings.
5. Committees will have advisory powers unless granted a specific power to act.
6. The President shall be an ex officio voting member of all committees.
ARTICLE VIII: MEETINGS
1. Regular meetings of the Board shall be held at least eight (8) times a year. The date and hour of each meeting will be set by the Board. Written notice of all meetings shall be posted by the Secretary at least five (5) days before the meeting.
2. A special meeting of the Board may be called at any time by the President. No business may be transacted as such a special meeting except the stated business.
3. The Annual Meeting shall be held in January of each year. The business transacted at this meeting shall include the election new officers.
4. The preliminary budget for the subsequent calendar year, required for submission to the Board, shall be presented at the regular meeting in November.
5. The final budget for the subsequent calendar year shall be presented for approval at the regular meeting in December.
6. A majority of filled positions shall constitute a quorum for conducting all business. If a quorum is not present at a regular meeting, the attending members may set a date for another meeting to be held within one week, and the presiding officer shall notify the absent members of this specially called meeting.
7. The order of business for regular meetings shall include, but not be limited to, the following items:
i. Pledge of allegiance
ii. Roll call of members
iii. Public comment
iv. Disposition of minutes of the previous regular meeting.
v. Treasurer’s report
vi. Committee reports
vii. Director’s report
viii. Old Business
ix. New business
x. Public Comment
xi. Adjournment
ARTICLE IX: AMENDMENTS
Amendments to these by-laws may be proposed by Board members or the Director at any regular meeting and shall be voted upon at the next regular meeting. Written notice of the proposed amendment or amendments shall be sent to all members at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting. A majority of the Board shall be sufficient for adoption of proposed amendments.
Adopted August 9, 2011
Revised: March 20, 2012
Revised: April 17, 2012
Revised: May 19, 2014
Revised: April 18, 2016
The name of the organization shall be The Castleton Public Library, a corporation created under a charter granted under Section 253 of the New York State Education Law by the Board of Regents of the State of New York, dated May 2, 1912, shall be governed by the laws of New York State, the regulations of the Commissioner of Education
ARTICLE II: PURPOSE
The purpose of the organization is to provide superior library service to the residents, adults and children, of the Village of Castleton-on-Hudson.
ARTICLE III: FISCAL
The fiscal year of the library shall be Jan 1– Dec 31.
ARTICLE IV: BOARD OF TRUSTEES
1. The library shall be governed by a Board of Trustees consisting of seven (7) trustees, elected for terms of three (3) years.
2. Eligibility for the office shall be limited to adults residing or owning property within the Town of Schodack or the Village of Castleton-on-Hudson.
3. Trustees shall be appointed by the Village Board.
4. Unexcused absence from three (3) consecutive meetings shall constitute automatic dismissal from the Board. The President shall determine if the absence is excusable. In the event that a board member is absent three (3) times and was not excused, the President shall inform the absent Board Member in writing that he/she is no longer on the Board. The Board may defer this dismissal by majority vote. If dismissal is deferred by board action the President shall inform the absent Board Member in writing the conditions of this deferral.
5. No member shall serve for more than three (3) consecutive terms.
6. Each Trustee shall have one vote.
7. A Trustee must be present at a meeting to have his/her vote counted.
8. All actions of the Board shall be of the Board as a unit. No Board member shall act on behalf of the Board without prior approval of the Board. No Board member shall exercise any administrative responsibility with respect to the library nor command the services of any library employee.
ARTICLE V: OFFICERS
1. The elected officers of the Board of Trustees shall be President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. These officers must be Trustees and shall be elected at the annual meeting each year to serve a term of one year. They are eligible for re-election for five (5) consecutive years.
2. Duties of the officers shall be as follows:
a. The PRESIDENT shall preside at all meetings of the Board, authorize special meetings, appoint all committees, execute all documents authorized by the Board, serve as an ex-officio voting member of all committees, and perform all duties associated with that office.
b. The VICE PRESIDENT, in the event of the absence or disability of the President, or of vacancy in that office, shall assume and perform the duties of the President.
c. The SECRETARY shall keep a record of all meetings of the Board, shall issue notice of regular and special meetings, and shall perform other duties associated with that office.
d. The TREASURER shall be the disbursing officer of the Board. He/she shall be the Chair of the Finance Committee, prepare monthly reports to the Board and work with the Director and Finance Committee to develop a budget for the Board’s approval. In the absence or inability of the Treasurer, his/her duties shall be performed by other members of the Board as the Board may designate.
ARTICLE VI: DIRECTOR
1. The Board shall appoint a Director who shall be the executive officer of the policies of the Board. He/she shall have charge of the administration of the library under the direction and review of the Board. The Director shall be responsible for the care of the building and equipment; for the employment and direction of the staff; for the efficiency of the library’s service to the public; and for the operation of the library under the financial conditions contained in the annual budget.
2. The Director shall submit to the Board reports and recommendations of such policies and procedures, which, in the opinion of the Director, will improve efficiency and quality of library service. The Director shall attend all Board meetings except the portion of the meeting at which the director’s appointment, evaluation, or salary is to be discussed or decided.
ARTICLE VII: COMMITTEES
1. The Finance Committee will be a standing committee of the board and will consist of the Treasurer, who will serve as Chair, and two (2) other trustees appointed by the President.
2. A Nominating Committee shall be appointed by the President three (3) months prior to the Annual Meeting who will present a slate of Board officers to be voted on at the annual meeting. Additional nominations may be made from the floor.
3. Other committees for specific purposes may be appointed by the President. Those committees shall serve until the work they were appointed for is completed.
4. All committees shall make a progress report to the Board at each of its meetings.
5. Committees will have advisory powers unless granted a specific power to act.
6. The President shall be an ex officio voting member of all committees.
ARTICLE VIII: MEETINGS
1. Regular meetings of the Board shall be held at least eight (8) times a year. The date and hour of each meeting will be set by the Board. Written notice of all meetings shall be posted by the Secretary at least five (5) days before the meeting.
2. A special meeting of the Board may be called at any time by the President. No business may be transacted as such a special meeting except the stated business.
3. The Annual Meeting shall be held in January of each year. The business transacted at this meeting shall include the election new officers.
4. The preliminary budget for the subsequent calendar year, required for submission to the Board, shall be presented at the regular meeting in November.
5. The final budget for the subsequent calendar year shall be presented for approval at the regular meeting in December.
6. A majority of filled positions shall constitute a quorum for conducting all business. If a quorum is not present at a regular meeting, the attending members may set a date for another meeting to be held within one week, and the presiding officer shall notify the absent members of this specially called meeting.
7. The order of business for regular meetings shall include, but not be limited to, the following items:
i. Pledge of allegiance
ii. Roll call of members
iii. Public comment
iv. Disposition of minutes of the previous regular meeting.
v. Treasurer’s report
vi. Committee reports
vii. Director’s report
viii. Old Business
ix. New business
x. Public Comment
xi. Adjournment
ARTICLE IX: AMENDMENTS
Amendments to these by-laws may be proposed by Board members or the Director at any regular meeting and shall be voted upon at the next regular meeting. Written notice of the proposed amendment or amendments shall be sent to all members at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting. A majority of the Board shall be sufficient for adoption of proposed amendments.
Adopted August 9, 2011
Revised: March 20, 2012
Revised: April 17, 2012
Revised: May 19, 2014
Revised: April 18, 2016
