General Policy 101: Duties & Responsibilities

The Board serves as the basic policy-making body of the New Lenox Public Library District and it shall adopt policies for the regulation of the Library and Board and shall review these biannually.  As such, the Board has the following duties and responsibilities:

1. The Board shall select, appoint, and annually evaluate the Executive Director.  The Board may choose to obtain input from select staff for appointments or evaluations.
2. Only the Board President and the Executive Director or their assignees may speak on behalf of the Library.
3. The Board or its assignees shall be responsible for enacting, publishing, and filing with the Will County Clerk the Library Budget and Appropriation Ordinance and any Levy Ordinances, and to hold any necessary public hearings.  Once the Budget and Appropriation is approved; the Library operating funds may be expended without specific Board approval of individual expenditures up to the budget total for that category.  All expenditures of $2,500 or more not anticipated in the budget must be first formally approved by the Board.  Once the total expenditures have reached the total budgeted amount, any additional expenditure must have the approval of the Board and the reason for the expenditure must be stated in the minutes.
4. The Board shall see that adequate library building facilities are provided and maintained.
5. The Board shall determine that the property of the Library is adequately insured against loss and damage, and carry adequate general liability insurance and any other types of insurance that it considers necessary.
6. The Board and supervisory staff shall be familiar with Illinois and other laws which affect library operations and shall participate in the legislative process to effect change that will benefit the Library.
7. Any Board member associated with an organization with which the Library conducts business must abstain from voting on all matters relating to that organization.
8. Board members shall be encouraged to attend trustee meetings and workshops, as well as community events.  Travel, meals and lodging expenses relating to their attendance shall be paid by the Library in accordance with the Personnel Policy – 306 Travel Policy.
9. Regular attendance at Board meetings by trustees is expected.  The President, at the discretion of the Board, may seek the resignation of any trustee who is absent from 12 consecutive Board or committee meetings without due cause.
10. By majority vote of the Board, a new trustee shall be appointed to fill the unexpired term of a trustee who has resigned according to the provisions of Illinois law.
11. The Board shall ensure that the Library is an institutional member of the Illinois Library Association.
12. The Board, in conjunction with select staff, shall prepare a Strategic Plan for the development of library services.  Input from community leaders will be sought.  This plan will be reviewed monthly at the board meeting and a full review will be conducted annually.
13. Annually each June the Board shall review the financial status of the Library and determine if the tax rate is sufficient.
14. The Executive Director serves as chief executive of the Library and is responsible for the administration of the Library under the policies approved by the Board.  The Executive Director is directly responsible to the Board, and through the Board, to the community. 
15. The Executive Director shall attend all meetings of the Board, except executive sessions, and is urged to speak on all subjects under discussion, but shall have no vote.
16. The Executive Director shall report the hiring and termination of all personnel to the Board.

Adopted by the Board of Trustees January 11, 1999; Revised January 10, 2005; Updated March 18, 2013; Updated April 21, 2014; Updated December 11, 2017