Article 1: Definition

Section 1: The Greene Public Library Association will be compromised of all dues paying, interested persons of 18 years or older and governed by a Board of Trustees.

Section 2: The Greene Public Library Association will operate under the current charter as granted by the Secretary of State of the State of Rhode Island and the current by-laws herein stated.

Article II: Name and Objective

Section 1: The name of this body will be the Greene Public Library Association, hereafter referred to as the Association.

Section 2: The primary objective of the Association will be to maintain and govern a free public library in Greene, Rhode Island. The secondary objective will be to sponsor community activities as approved by the Board of Trustees.

Article III: Membership

Section 1: There will be two types of membership, a family membership or a single membership.

Section 2: Dues will be payable at the annual meeting. The Board of Trustees will determine the amount of dues.

Article IV: The Board of Trustees

Section 1: The Board of Trustees of the Greene Public Library Association will consist of eleven (11) members consisting of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and seven additional Trustees.

Section 2: Election of Officers will be by a majority vote of the Association members present at the Annual Meeting. Each Officer elected will serve a two-year term commencing with the Annual Meeting in January 2004.

Section 3: The Association will elect all Trustees. Five (5) members will be elected on the odd years and six (6) members will be elected on the even years, beginning with the Annual Meeting in May 2003.

Section 4: For implementation, the effective date for the election of Officers and Trustees will be January 2004. At that time, a new slate of Officers will be elected. The new slate of seven Trustees will also be elected. The two candidates receiving the most votes will be elected for a two-year term and the remaining five will be elected for a one-year term.

Section 5: Absenteeism: If a Board of Trustee member is absent more than three consecutive, unexcused meetings during a year, then the Board of Trustees will consider that position vacant and will appoint a member of the association to fill that vacancy in accordance with Article IV, Section 11 as deemed necessary.

Section 6: The duties of the Board of Trustees will be to prepare a mission statement and review it annually for any changes that are necessary. The Board of Trustees will be responsible for the following:

a. Develop and maintain a strategic plan annually and incorporate any changes necessary to ensure that the plan is kept current.

b. Maintain short and long term goals and objectives.

c. Ensure the Library is equipped with the necessary resources to fulfill its mission.

d. Provide fiscal oversight over the financial resources of the Greene Public Library Association.

e. Meet periodically with other committees, as necessary, to ensure that the mission of the Library is being carried out.

f. Select a Nominating Committee.

g. Develop and keep current a short range and long-range objectives, which incorporates the mission of the library. This plan should include but not limited to identifying the long-term fiscal needs of the library and a strategy for accomplishing those objectives.

h. Obtaining and holding a qualified Librarian, and such staff as deemed necessary.

i. Establish policies, salaries, and duties of the staff.

j. Determine and adopt an annual written statement of objectives and policies to govern the operation and programs of the library.

k. Present the financial needs of the Library to the Town of Coventry budget hearing to maintain adequate support for good library services.

Section 7: The President will prepare an agenda and preside over all meetings of the Board and the Association. He/She is authorized to speak for and represent the Greene Library Association.

Section 8: The Vice President will perform the duties of the President in the event of his/her absence, illness, or vacancy.

Section 9: The Secretary will record and keep permanent minutes of all meetings of the Board and the Association. He/she will maintain a current membership list, and will notify members who are delinquent in the payment of dues. He/she will prepare and send out notices of meetings and will perform other correspondence duties as prescribed by the Board.

Section 10: The Treasurer will receive and have custody of all monies of the Association, and pay funds as authorized by the Board of Trustees; will deposit all funds in a savings bank or other depository approved by the Board; will keep an accurate record of income and disbursements in a permanent record book. He/she will render a written report of the financial status of the Association at each regular meeting of the Board and the Association, and whenever requested by the Board. He/she will serve with whatever personal bonding surety the Board may require, and the Association will assume the cost of the bond surety. An audit committee or a qualified Association member will conduct a financial review annually prior to the Annual Meeting. The audit committee will conduct an audit of the financial records every three years.

Section 11: The Board of Trustees will meet every two months, or as often as deemed necessary. The President of the Board of Trustees will chair all Board Meetings. Six (6) members will constitute a quorum.

Section 12: In order to spend any of the principle of any endowment fund of the Greene Public Library, the Board of Trustees must obtain approval of two-thirds of the membership of the Association, by either being present at a duly scheduled meeting for this purpose or by written proxy if unable to attend such meeting.

Section 13: The Board of Trustees will have the power to appoint members to fill a vacancy that will only go until the next annual meeting.

Section 14: The Board of Trustees is authorized to spend up to $3000.00 for contingency expenditures from available funds outside the Library’s endowment in addition to the Annual Budget, without calling a special meeting of the Association.

Section 15: The Board of Trustees will be the legal guardians of the library and will provide and maintain suitable quarters for same.

Article V: The Librarian

Section 1: The Librarian will administer all phases of the Library operation, carry out policies established by the Board, supervise all staff personnel, attend Board meetings as requested, and will obtain all books for the Library. The Librarian will make a report to the Association at the Annual Meeting and whenever requested by the Board of Trustees. The Librarian will be responsible for obtaining, selecting, and maintaining all library materials, both print and non-print, as defined in the collection development policy. The Librarian is also responsible for promoting use of the library materials and equipment by maintaining an active public relations program. Such public relations efforts should include establishing positive relationships with community leaders and other organizations, creating posters, flyers, and press releases and by offering occasional public relations programs.

Article VI: Committees

Section 1: The Board of Trustees will appoint an Investment Committee with a minimum of two (2) and a maximum of three (3) individuals who, in the opinion of the Board, are qualified by virtue of profession or position to review the Library’s investments on an on-going basis. The Board of Trustees will provide to the Investment Committee the financial requirements of the Greene Library Association and propose a financial strategy for them to act upon. This group will be charged with making investment recommendations. The Board of Trustees will be required to either accept or reject these recommendations at the next meeting following the issuance of the advice and act in a timely manner on the decision. Only recommendations of this committee will be accepted as suitable investments.

Section 2: The Board of Trustees will appoint a nominating Committee annually consisting of two members of the Board of Trustees and three members of the membership at large. Their responsibilities will be to nominate Association members to the Board of Trustees as governed by Article IV Section 1 above. An association member desiring to be a candidate for the Board of Trustees will indicate their candidacy by notifying the Secretary of the Board by November 15^th of each year.

Section 3: An Ad Hoc Committee will be established to review the latest revision of the Greene Library Association’s By-Laws at a maximum of five (5) years or earlier if warranted to determine if a revision is necessary.

Section 4: The Board of Trustees, at their discretion, may establish Ad-Hoc committees.

Article VII: Meetings of the Association

Section 1: The Association will meet two (2) times a year on the second Tuesday or any other day determined by the Board of Trustees, in the months of January and September. The Annual Meeting will be the January meeting. All committees will present written reports of their activities at each meeting, and recommendations to their successors at the Annual Meeting. Notification of the Association Meetings will be sent out by newsletter to all members at least ten (10) days prior to the meeting. A quorum will consist of fifteen members of the association present.

Section 2: Special meetings of the Association may be held at the call of the Secretary as directed by the Board of Trustees, or written request of not less than ten (10) members of the Association, provided the purpose of the meeting is so stated and given to the membership not less than thirty (30) days prior to the call of such meeting.

Article VIII: Library Year and Fiscal Year

Section 1: The Library year and the fiscal year will be concurrent with the calendar year. It will commence on the first day of January and end on the last day of December of the same year. This change of Fiscal and Library year will commence in January of 2004.

Article IX: Amendment of the By Laws

Section 1: Any by-laws may be amended at any duly constituted meeting of the Association by a two-thirds vote of the membership present, provided notice of the substance of the changes or amendments is given in the notice of call of such meeting.

Section 2: By-Laws dealing with financial matters may be amended at a duly constituted meeting of the Association by two thirds vote of the membership present, with a quorum of one-third of the membership present, provided notice of the change or amendment is given in the Notice of Call for such meeting.

Article X: Conduct of Meetings

Section 1: Meetings will be in accordance with “Robert’s Rules of Order,” current recognized edition.

Article XI

Section1: The effective date of this revision of the By-Laws will be April 8^th, 2003.