Bylaws of the Trustees of the Pillsbury Free Library, Warner, NH
Article I: Powers and Duties of Trustees
The duties of the Board of Trustees are to oversee the assets and activities of the Pillsbury Free Library and to set Library policies, as provided by New Hampshire RSA Chapter XVI, Chapter 202-A:11 Powers and Duties . Trustees are duly elected or appointed in accordance with the provisions of RSA Chapter XVI, Chapter 202-A:6 and 202-A:10.
Article II: Members and Officers
Members: The Board of Trustees shall consist of nine members, elected by the voters of Warner, or, in the case of a resignation, appointed by the Selectmen. The Board may request the Selectman appoint up to three Alternates for one-year appointments. When selected to fill in for an absent Trustee the Alternate will have all the discussion and voting rights at that meeting.
The Library Director of the Pillsbury Free Library shall be an ex-officio non-voting member of the Board of Trustees and all Committees and shall not count in determining a quorum of the Board.
Officers: The officers of the Board of Trustees shall consist of Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Assistant Treasurer, Secretary, and Corresponding Secretary, who shall be chosen by ballot annually from the members of the Board and shall hold their office one year and until others are chosen in their stead. Officers shall be elected at the first regular monthly after Town elections. Officers shall not serve more than 3 consecutive years in the same office.
Article III: Duties of Officers
It shall be the duty of the Chair to prepare an agenda for, and preside at all of the regular monthly and special meetings of the Board and to be the representative the Board in official capacities. The Chair shall have the option to appoint standing committee chairs, or to request that the committees elect a chairperson from their membership.
In the absence of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall act in his or her stead, and, in that instance, shall have the authority and responsibilities of the Chair.
The Treasurer shall serve as the chief financial officer of the Board and shall prepare an annual budget with the finance committee for approval by the Board, and presentation to the town of Warner. The treasurer shall keep full and accurate accounts of all monies received and expended for use of the library, shall oversee bookkeeping activities, and shall provide a written monthly financial report to the Trustees at the regular monthly meeting. The Treasurer shall advise the Trustees on financial matters and shall provide appropriate financial reports to auditors and regulatory authorities.
The Assistant Treasurer assists the Treasurer and in the absence of the Treasurer, shall assume all duties of the Treasurer until such time as a new Treasurer is duly elected.
The Recording Secretary shall maintain records of all Board and Committee meetings and reports, and assist in posting notices of Board and standing committees meetings, agendas and minutes in a timely manner as provided in RSA 91-A:2 II, the NH Right-to-Know-Law.
The Corresponding Secretary shall write correspondence on behalf of the Trustees as needed.
Article IV: Meetings
Section 1. Meetings shall be monthly at a publicly posted date, time and place. The annual meeting for the election of officers shall be on the first regular meeting after elections.
Section 2. A special meeting may be called at any time, on the order of the Trustee Board Chair, by giving notice to the members and stating the purpose of such meeting. A special meeting shall also be called on petition to the Chair by two or more members. In the case of a special meeting, a meeting notice shall be publicly posted with an agenda of the meeting in compliance with RSA 91-A:2 II. and minutes of the meeting will be recorded and maintained with all other Board minutes.
Section 3. A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at all regular and special Trustee meetings.
Section 4. All monthly meetings, committee meetings, and special meetings of the Board of Trustees shall be public meetings, shall be posted, conducted and recorded as required by NH laws. Minutes of all meetings shall be publicly available, and shall be filed as required in RSA 91-A:2 II, NH Right to Know Law.
Article V: Committees of the Board of Directors
Section 1: Standing committees of the Board of Trustees shall consist of Buildings and Grounds, Personnel and Policies, Finance, Technology, and Programs and Publicity. Chairs of these committees shall be appointed by the Chair of the Board of Trustees, or by the membership of the committee.
Committee meetings are public meetings and shall follow the bylaws from Article IV above. Meetings of these committees shall be posted, minutes taken and filed in accordance with State laws as required in RSA 91-A:2 II, NH Right to Know Law.
Section 2: Ad hoc committees may be created for purposes other than functions of the standing committees. These committees may consist of Trustees as well as members of the general public and shall act in an advisory role to the Board of Trustees. Members of these committees shall be selected by the Board of Trustees, and the ad hoc committee chairperson shall be appointed by the Chair of the Board of Trustees. Ad Hoc committee meetings are public meetings and shall be publicly posted and minutes shall be taken and properly recorded.
Article VI: Conflicts of Interest
Members of the Board of Trustees have accepted influential positions in which they may learn of job openings, bid requests, land purchases, and building and maintenance contracts. In order to avoid even the appearance of impropriety, it is vital that members recuse themselves from al discussions and votes where connections or bias can be questioned because of personal and family employment, memberships or association. The recusal must be recorded in the minutes of meetings.
Article VII: Director and other employees
The Board shall select a Director who has the education and experience of sufficient breadth and depth to give leadership in the use of books and related materials (NH RSA A:15).
The Director shall be appointed by the Board of Trustees for a term of office agreed to at the time of employment in a written document. At the end of the agreed term, the Board may elect to renew the appointment or may vote not to renew. Any new agreement shall be in writing and signed by both parties.
If there is a Director who has been serving for years without a paper trail of written renewals (meeting notes do not qualify as there is no record of acknowledgement of receipt by either party) then the Director is due all the rights specified in NH RSA 202 A:17 and can only be terminated for the reasons outlined in the law and may request a public hearing prior to dismissal. (NH RSA 202 A:11-V and 202 A:17)
All other employees of the Library shall be appointed by the Board after consultation with the Director. NH RSA 202-A:11-V.
Employee compensation will be determined by a majority vote of the Board.
The Library Director of the Pillsbury Free Library shall be an ex-officio non-voting member of the Board of Trustees and all Committees and shall not count in determining a quorum of the Board.
Article VIII: Amendments to By-Laws
These Bylaws may be altered or amended by two-thirds majority vote of the full Board at a regular meeting, notice of the proposed changes having been given at a previous meeting and publicly posted in accordance with RSA 91-A:2 II, NH Right to Know Law.
Article IX: Parliamentary Authority
The most current edition of “Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised” shall be the Parliamentary authority in all matters not specified by the Bylaws.
Adopted September 2010, revised/adopted May 18, 2021.