Bylaws

Peck Memorial Library Association

(Adopted 25 December 1893)

Vision Statement

 Peck Memorial Library opens its doors to the community to create open access to information, open spaces for creative exploration, and open minds to explore possibilities. The library joins with residents of the Marathon School District to make our community a strong, vibrant, inclusive place to live, work and grow. At Peck Memorial Library, we aspire to offer material, programs, and services that promote a love of reading, a joy of learning, and a place where people come together to share discovery, imagination, knowledge, and creativity.

Article 1 – Name

This institution shall be known as the Peck Memorial Library Association of Marathon, New York.

Article 2 – Trustees

  1. The business of the Association shall be managed by a board of no fewer than five and no more than fifteen trustees.
  2. A trustee is selected by recommendation of other trustees or in response to advertising articles via letters of interest to the board. 
  3. A person is elected to the board by a majority vote.
  4. A term of office of a trustee shall be (5) years duration and shall be limited to two consecutive terms.  Terms can be extended for up to six months if needed for extenuating circumstances.
  5. Should a trustee resign before the end of their term, their position is filled by the aforementioned process and their term is carried out by the new trustee.

Article 3 – Officers

  1. The officers of the board shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
  2. Officers shall be elected by ballot at the last regular meeting of the library year.
  3. A term of each office shall be one year or until their successors have been duly elected.
  4. All officers shall have the usual powers associated with their office.
  5. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Board, authorize calls for any special meetings, appoint all committees, execute all documents authorized by the Board, serve as an ex-officio voting member of all committees, and generally perform all duties associated with that office.
  6. The Vice President, in the event of the absence or disability of the President, or of a vacancy in that office, shall assume and perform the duties and functions of the President.
  7. The Secretary shall keep a true and accurate record of all meetings of the Board, and shall perform such other duties as are generally associated with that office.  They need not necessarily be a member of the board of trustees.
  8. The treasurer shall receive and take charge of all monies, funds, and securities belonging to the Association.  He shall pay out money only on orders drawn by the board.  The books shall be subject to examination by the trustees to whom he shall make an annual report.  He shall give Bonds for such amount and sureties as shall be required and approved by the trustees.  And he need not necessarily be a member of the board of trustees.  If the treasurer is not a member of the board of trustees they may advise but are unable to participate in decisions. The amount of the treasurer’s bond be fixed at $20,000.00 with sureties to be approved by the board.
  9. Vacancies among the officers shall be filled at an election at a regular meeting and a majority vote of the trustees present shall be necessary to an election.

Article 4 – Meetings

  1. Meetings shall be held a minimum of nine times per calendar year. Email notice of all meetings shall be sent by the Director to each member at least five days before the meeting. All meetings will conform to the Open Meetings Act.
  2.  A special meeting of the Board may be called at any time by the President or upon the request of three members for a specific purpose. No business may be transacted at such special meeting except the stated business.
  3.   The operating and financial reports for the previous year shall be presented at the regular meeting in February.
  4. A simple majority of the existing Board shall constitute a quorum for the conducting of all business. If there is not a quorum, the Board will meet at the next scheduled meeting unless another meeting is needed before that time.
  5. The library board may, at its discretion, allow for remote participation in Board meeting by board members, as allowed by applicable state law and any regulations in force. Notice to the public that remote connections will be used must be advertised at least seven days in advance. Members of the public who connect remotely will have their microphones muted except during the public comment period or at the request of a trustee.
  6. The order of business shall be as follows:
    • Roll Call
    • Review of minutes of previous meeting
    • Financial Report
    • Committee Reports
    • Old Business
    • New Business
    • Library Director’s Report
    • Other comments, communications. “Good of the Order”
    • Adjournment
  7. Preliminary Budget for the next year should be present at the November meeting with voting on said budget to be the first order of old business at the December meeting.

Article 5 – Library Director

  1. The board shall appoint a qualified library director who shall be the executive and administrative officer of the library.
  2. The trustees shall make such rules and regulations for the management of the library as shall in their judgement give the public the best service possible, with the means at the disposal of the association but no rule shall be made in violation of the condition imposed by the Founder, that the library shall be free to the citizens of the Town of Marathon.
  3. The director shall be responsible for the proper performance of duties as spelled out in the job description provided by the board.
  4. It shall be the duty of the Director to attend meetings of the board, including budget meetings, or public meetings where action may be taken affecting the interest of the library.  The Director shall have the right to speak on all matters under discussion at board meetings but shall not have the right to vote thereon.

Article 6 – Committees

  1.  Committees for specific purposes may be appointed by the President. Such committees shall serve until the completion of the work for which they were appointed.
  2. All committees shall make a progress report to the Board at each of its meetings.
  3. No committee will have other than advisory powers unless, by suitable action of the Board, it is granted specific power to act.
  4. The President shall be, ex officio, a member of all committees

Article 7 – Amendments

  1. These bylaws may be repealed, amended, or added to by a majority vote of the whole Board at a regular meeting.  Such action may be taken, however, only after the substance of the proposed repeal, amendment, or addition has been presented in writing at a prior regular meeting or special meeting, and notice thereof has been given in the notice of the meeting at which it is to be considered.

Article 8 – Procedures

  1.  All procedures not specified herein shall be in accord with Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised.

Revised 02 June 1992

Revised October 19, 2021

Approved by the Peck Memorial Library Board of Trustees