Bylaws of the Prairie Lakes Library System

This organization is the Prairie Lakes Library System, established as a federated public library system under Chapter 43 of the Wisconsin Statutes, and exercising the powers and assuming the duties granted to it under said statutes.

Our Vision:

“Thriving Communities Supported by Vibrant Libraries”

Our Mission:

“Providing impactful services and building strong relationships to champion the work and missions of our members”

Our Values:

• Members First. The needs and ideas of our member libraries are foundational to the work we do.

• Integrity. We do our work and make decisions transparently and honestly, using our mission and values as our guide.

• Stewardship. We are committed to managing the resources entrusted to us in a responsible manner. We make thoughtful decisions to advance our members’ capabilities to serve residents of the system area.

• Leadership. We approach leadership from a collaborative perspective. We value others' ideas, approach our work with an open mind, and are eager to challenge the status quo.

• Equity. We are dedicated to providing our members with an equitable foundation of support and resources. Each of our members sees value in their relationship with and participation in the system.

• Respect. We respect our member libraries, staff, partners in local and county governments, and the important work each stakeholder group performs.

• Agility. We are responsive to our members’ needs and recognize that those needs can change rapidly. We are well-connected to our members, each other, and other library systems. We observe and respond to emerging trends.

• Collaboration. We engage with our members with the goal of connecting them with each other. We strive to create a welcoming environment where every library has the opportunity to thrive

Any public library located in whole or in part within the system’s territory shall be eligible for membership in the Prairie Lakes Library System. Membership in the library system shall be initiated and maintained through a signed agreement between the library and the library system.

The PLLS Board of Trustees shall have the powers of a public library board under Section 43.58 of the Wisconsin State Statutes concerning system-wide functions and services. Member library boards shall retain responsibility for their public libraries in all other areas.

The PLLS Board of Trustees is comprised of fifteen county-appointed trustees. Racine County shall appoint six trustees, Rock County shall appoint five trustees, and Walworth County shall appoint four trustees. Apportionment of trustee appointments among the three counties is determined according to the Wisconsin State Statutes.

Regular terms shall be for 3 years and shall commence on January 1. Vacancies shall be filled for the unexpired term in the same manner as regular appointments are made. Trustees are appointed to the PLLS Board by county executives or administrators, with confirmation by county boards of supervisors.

Trustees are expected to report any potential conflicts of interest in advance of any agenda business where a conflict may emerge. Trustees having a conflict of interest with a matter before the Board should abstain from voting to avoid undermining public confidence in the decision.

No trustee may receive ongoing compensation for service on the board, except that trustees may receive compensation for actual expenses associated with performing his or her duties as a trustee. The board may, as a component of its annual budget, establish a mileage reimbursement fund for the purpose of reimbursing trustees for actual mileage traveled in order to attend board meetings.

The officers will be 1) President, 2) President-Elect, 3) Treasurer, and 4) Assistant Treasurer. Officers are elected from among the appointed trustees at the annual meeting of the Board. No member will hold more than one office at a time. Vacancies in office may be filled through vote or unanimous consent at the next regular meeting of the Board after the vacancy occurs.

Officers will serve a term of one (1) year from the annual meeting at which they are elected. Individual trustees may serve up to three (3) consecutive terms as an officer of the PLLS Board.

The President will preside at meetings of the Board and/or Executive Committee, authorize calls for special meetings, appoint all committees, execute all documents authorized by the Board, and generally perform all duties associated with the office of president. The President may participate on all committees except those charged with nominating officers.

The President-Elect shall, in the event of the absence or disability of the President or of a vacancy in that office, assume and perform the duties of the President. Upon the conclusion of the current President’s term, the President-Elect shall then become the President.

The Treasurer shall co-sign checks drawn on funds held by the system, sign vouchers for disbursements from system funds, and review monthly income and expense reports generated by the PLLS Business Manager. The Treasurer shall monitor PLLS expenditures for anomalies and bring unexplained discrepancies to the attention of the Board.

The Assistant Treasurer shall, in the event of the absence or disability of the Treasurer, or of a vacancy in that office, assume and perform the duties of the Treasurer.

Regular meetings will be held at least six times per year. Meeting dates and times will be set by the Board at its first regular meeting each year. Regular meetings may be held in a physical location and/or conducted electronically.

Trustees shall have the right to participate by electronic means. The technology used will allow for roll call and interactive dialogue, and permit members of the general public and the PLLS membership to participate. All notices for meetings with an electronic attendance component shall include publicly accessible connections to facilitate citizen participation.

The first regular meeting of each year shall be designated as the “annual meeting”. The purpose of the annual meeting shall be to elect officers, approve a meeting schedule for the year, and conduct other regular business.

Meeting agendas and notices will indicate the time, date, and place, describe how to participate electronically, including the type of equipment or software required for participation and contingencies for technical difficulties or malfunctions, and indicate all subject matters intended for consideration at the meeting.

Minutes of all meetings will, at a minimum, indicate board members physically present and those present via electronic means, all items of business, and motions (except those that were withdrawn), and the result of all votes taken. Board minutes will be posted on the library system website.

Special meetings may be called at the direction of the President for the transaction of business as stated in the announcement and notice of the meeting. The President shall call a special meeting at the written request of three (3) or more members. Except in cases of emergency, at least twenty-four (24) hour notice will be given. In no case may less than two (2) hours' notice be given.

A quorum of the PLLS Board is defined as greater than 50% of the total number of county-appointed trustees in attendance. Vacant appointments shall not be included in the determination of a quorum.

All board and committee meetings shall comply with Wisconsin’s open meetings laws (Wisconsin Statutes sections 19.81 to 19.98).

The rules contained in Roberts’ Rules of Order, latest edition, shall serve as the procedural basis for PLLS Board meetings. Wisconsin Law shall prevail.

Committees may be created or discharged by act of the Board. Trustee appointments to any committees shall be made by the President. Committees shall support the policy, financial, and strategic objectives of the Prairie Lakes Library System.

Committees of the system board may be established either as “standing” or “ad-hoc”. Standing committees shall “stand on the calendar” and meet regularly throughout the year. Ad-hoc committees may be established to accomplish a specific charge, meet when deemed necessary, and shall automatically dissolve once the committee has accomplished its charge.

A standing Prairie Lakes Advisory Committee shall exist for 1) advising the system board about the status and needs of libraries in the system, 2) serving as a conduit of information between the system board and individual libraries in the system, and 3) making recommendations to the system board relating to libraries in the system. The LAC shall consist of the library directors of each member library of the system. The LAC is granted the authority to adopt its own bylaws or committee rules for the purpose of defining procedures related to the implementation of the committee’s charge. In the event of any conflict, the PLLS Board of Trustees policies, procedures, or actions shall prevail. PLLS Trustees are welcome and encouraged to attend LAC Committee meetings.

The PLLS Board shall select, appoint, prescribe the duties of, and oversee a properly certified head librarian (Director) to administer the operations and activities of the library system. The Director shall be responsible for the appointment and supervision of all other system staff.

The Board shall set the duties of library system staff through the approval of job descriptions and shall prescribe the compensation for library system employees utilizing policies and the library system’s annual budget.

The Board shall develop and approve an annual system budget with the assistance of the Director, and make sure that adequate funds are provided for the budget.

The Board shall have exclusive control of the expenditure of all monies collected, donated, or appropriated for the system fund and shall audit and approve all system expenditures. The Board shall contract with an agency to perform a full financial audit on an annual basis, and include a review of the audit during one of its regular meetings.

The Board shall approve and file a plan for the use of the state aid it will receive. The plan shall indicate the funds to be used by the system for system services.

The Board shall approve and file an annual report on a form prescribed by the Department of Public Instruction, describing its operations and reporting on its income, expenditures, and programs.

Motions to amend the Bylaws may be proposed at any regular meeting and adopted by simple majority vote at the following regular meeting.

• Presented: June 26th, 2024

• Approved: June 26th, 2024

• Fully Revised: