COMMITTEE PURPOSE
It shall be the purpose of any committee appointed by the Addison Public Library Board to assist the Board of Trustees in governing more efficiently and effectively. A Board committee is not designed to do staff work. Committees shall be used to investigate, deliberate, and analyze special issues on behalf of the Board.
COMMITTEE ACCOUNTABILITY
Any committee established by the Board shall have only the powers specifically delegated to it by the Board. Functions of each committee shall be in writing as part of Board policy or recorded in the minutes of the meeting that the committee was established.
Committees are a subsidiary of the Board and shall be expected to report their work to the full Board on a regular basis. Each committee shall be expected to make recommendations to the Board for action in the form of a motion at a full Board meeting.
APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEES
Special committees of the Board may be created from time to time as the Board may decide and direct. Special committees shall be considered discharged upon completion of the purpose for which they were appointed and after their final report is made to the Board.
The President of the Board shall appoint the chair and all members. When appropriate, non-Board members may also be appointed as members. Each committee shall consist of at least two trustees and the President acting ex-officio.
EX-OFFICIO COMMITTEE MEMBERS
The President of the Board shall be an ex-officio voting member of all committees.
GUIDELINES FOR COMMITTEE CHAIR
The committee chair shall be expected to lead the committee just as the President is expected to lead the Board. The committee chair is accountable for ensuring the productivity of the committee by:
- Planning the agenda for the committee meetings;
- Ensuring that all members of the committee are notified of committee meetings;
- Convening committee meetings and keeping them on track;
- Appointing a member of the committee to keep a written record of committee actions;
- Encouraging the committee to take action on the issues discussed by the committee;
- Ensuring that reports and recommendations for action from the committee are presented to the full Board;
- Leading the committee to evaluate its own operations.
DUTIES OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS
General Duties
Duties of the members of individual Board committees shall vary, but certain basic responsibilities remain the same for all committees. Those responsibilities include:
- Attend all meetings of the committee to which the Board member is assigned;
- Prepare for committee meetings by studying the agenda and researching issues to be discussed at committee meetings;
- Actively participate in discussions at committee meetings;
- Follow through promptly on any assignments for the committee;
- Support committee recommendations before the full Board.
No committee shall have other than advisory powers unless, by suitable action of the Board, it is granted specific power to act.
Executive Committee
The Executive Committee shall consist of the officers of the Addison Public Library Board. This committee shall meet as necessary to prepare issues to be presented to the full Board and/or to make emergency decisions on behalf of the Board when it is not possible to assemble a quorum of the Board. This committee shall have no power other than emergency action or other powers that full Addison Public Library Board may delegate to it from time to time.
Standing Committees
Finance Committee - The Committee shall consist of at least two Library Trustees, the Library Director, and at least one additional staff member. The Finance Committee shall have the following responsibilities:
- Approve the assumptions for the preparation of the operating budget, review the complete budget, and recommend a budget to the Board;
- Monitor the library’s fiscal performance prior to submission of reports and recommendations to the Board and recommend action as needed;
- Determine the financial appropriateness of expenditures and recommend for approval those expenditures in accordance with prevailing policies and procedures;
- Review and recommend to the Board matters dealing with insurance.
Facilities Committee - The Committee shall consist of at least two Library Trustees, the Library Director, and at least one additional staff member. The Facilities Committee shall have the following responsibilities:
- Address major and special projects pertaining to the Library building and/or grounds (Duties do not involve routine repairs and maintenance.)
Policies Committee - The Committee shall consist of at least two Library Trustees, the Library Director, and at least one additional staff member. The Policies Committee shall have the following responsibilities:
- Review current library policies and make recommendations to the Board for policy changes and also to make recommendations for new policies;
Strategic Planning Committee - The Committee shall consist of at least two Library Trustees, the Library Director, and at least one additional staff member. The Strategic Planning Committee shall have the following responsibilities:
- Developing strategic plans, monitoring progress, and making recommendations to the Board with regard to the future needs of the library;
Special Committees
Special committees of the Board may be created from time to time as the Board may decide and direct. Special committees shall be considered discharged upon completion of the purpose for which they were appointed and after their final report is made to the Board.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
The committee chair shall convene all meetings of the committee or a majority of the committee members may call a committee meeting. Meeting dates shall be coordinated with the Director to avoid conflict and/or to ensure completion of staff support and research for the committee. All committee meetings are subject to the Illinois Open Meetings Act. Minutes shall be kept of committee meetings.