By-Laws of the Board of Trustees of Frederick County Public Libraries

Article I NAME

The name of this organization shall be Frederick County Public Libraries (FCPL) and it shall be governed by a Board of Trustees in accordance with the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland (§23–401).

Article II PURPOSE

The purpose of the Board shall be to maintain oversight of the operations of the public library system for the use and benefit of the people of Frederick County.

Article III COMPOSITION OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

  1. The composition of the Board, including qualifications and service terms, is as provided in the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland (§23-403).  
  2. Board vacancies are filled according to the Boards & Commissions provisions of Frederick County government.
  3. Trustees are subject to Financial Disclosure requirements under the Frederick County Ethics Law (pdf). 
  4. Trustees can obtain useful guidance from the Trustees Guide for Maryland Libraries 2019 (pdf), and should be mindful of the American Library Association’s Board Ethics for public library trustees.
  5. One member of the County Council shall be an ex-officio, non-voting, member of the Board.
  6. The Library Director and/or designee(s) will conduct an orientation for each new Board member on the operations and responsibilities of the Board and of applicable FCPL practices.
  7. A Trustee may be removed from the Board for cause at any time by*:
    1. A majority vote of the board that sufficient cause exists to consider removal.
    2. A subsequent majority vote of the other trustees (not to include the trustee at issue) for removal
  8. Trustees are encouraged to participate in relevant professional development activities.

*The above rule does not apply for the cause of non-attendance, which is covered by the MD Code §£3--404).

Article IV OFFICERS

  1. Officers of the Board, in accordance with the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland (§23–404) shall be Chair, Vice-Chair, and Secretary. The Vice-Chair elected during the second year of the Chair’s term will be Chair-elect.
  2. Officers shall be elected at the May meeting and will serve for the fiscal year or until their successors qualify, with the exception of the Chair who will serve a two-year term.  In the event of circumstances, including Board member resignations and the appointment of new members, officer elections may be deferred to the June or September meeting.  Board member terms will be according to fiscal year.
  3. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the Board. The Chair shall be an ex-officio, non-voting member of all committees. The Chair shall be the spokesperson for the Board in all advisory, or disciplinary, action directed to the staff. The Chair will also be the designated public spokesperson for the Board.
  4. The Vice-Chair shall, in the absence of the Chair, perform the duties of the Chair.  In the absence of the Chair and Vice-Chair, the Secretary will preside in meetings.
  5. The Secretary will keep minutes during closed sessions, or as otherwise needed.
  6. The Library Director shall act as Chief Executive Officer of FCPL under the supervision of the Board, and shall be an ex-officio, non-voting member of all Board committees.

Article V MEETINGS

  1. Meetings are conducted in accordance with the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland (§23–404), and with the state Open Meetings Act.
  2. Unless otherwise requested by the Chair or the Director, regular meetings of the Board shall be held on the first Wednesday of September, October, November, January, February, March, April, May, and June.
  3. Special meetings may be called by the Chair or shall be called upon written request of three members. Special Meetings will follow FCPL notice protocol used for regular meetings, unless circumstances require a shorter notice period. The business of any special meeting shall be limited to that mentioned in the call.
  4. A quorum is a majority of the appointed, voting, Trustees.
  5. All final actions of the Board shall be taken at public meetings and minutes of Board meetings shall be made available for the public after they are approved.
  6. The order of business at meetings of the Board shall generally be as follows:
    1. Welcome Citizens
    2. Citizen Remarks (The Board will hear public comments prior to voting on each agenda item. Public comments will follow staff presentation and Board comments.)
    3. Approval of Minutes
    4. Chair’s Report
    5. Report of Director
    6. Committee Reports
    7. New Business
    8. Old Business
    9. Board Questions and Comments
    10. Other Citizen Remarks
  7. The Director (or designee) will keep minutes of the Board meetings, issue notices of all Board meetings, and have custody of the minutes or other records of the Board.
  8. Meetings will be conducted according to the most recent edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order.

Article VI POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE TRUSTEES

The powers and duties of the FCPL Board of Trustees are as provided in the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland (§23-405, §23–406, and §23–407)

Article VII DIRECTOR

  1. In accordance with the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland (§23–406), the Board will select and appoint a Library Director.
  2. The Board will conduct an annual performance review of the Director, which will then be presented to the Director by the Chair.
  3. Board questions and discussions regarding FCPL matters should be addressed to the Director, who may engage other FCPL personnel, as appropriate. Communications regarding FCPL personnel matters, including complaints raised by staff to individual Board members, should be funneled through the Chair.

Article VIII COMMITTEES

  1. The Board maintains the following standing committees:
    1. The Budget/Finance Committee will annually review the proposed FCPL budget and the budget audit, and consider other budget matters that may arise.
    2. The Nomination/Evaluation Committee will recommend candidates to fill Board vacancies and conduct the annual Director’s performance review.
  2. The Board may restructure the role of committees, including adding new standing committees.
  3. The Chair may establish ad hoc committees to deal with circumstances not covered by standing committees or elsewhere in the bylaws.
  4. A committee quorum shall consist of two or more voting committee members.
  5. Appointments to these committees may be made at the meeting at which the officers are elected or may be deferred to the following monthly meeting.

Article IX AMENDMENT TO BYLAWS

These bylaws may be amended at any regular meeting and may become effective after a majority vote at a subsequent meeting, so long as the amendment is not in conflict with public library provisions of the Annotated Code of Maryland.

 

Approved by the FCPL Board of Trustees 3/4/2020.